Joseph Watts
Former Senior Research Scientist – Team Leader, Syngenta
Expert Bio
Joe Watts is a former Senior Research Scientist and Team Leader with Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc., located in Research Triangle Park (RTP), N.C. There, he applied biochemistry and structural biology to develop trait proteins, including herbicide tolerance and insect resistance for incorporation into field crops. Joe earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Boston College. Later, he received a Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine studying RNA protein interactions using structural biology, enzymology and biochemistry. He conducted post-doctoral research at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill studying HIV viral RNA structures. In 2009, he joined Syngenta. In 2011, he was awarded the Syngenta Global Science and Technology Prize and was a Syngenta Awards regional winner in 2012 in the Innovation category. Joe lead a team of junior and senior scientists and expanded his horizons into global strategies by coordinating the Biotechnology Leadership Team.
Studies, Articles and Answers
Showing 3 out of 3 results
Question
Q: Does the GMO industry create jobs in agriculture?
A: Agricultural biotechnology has created many thousands of well-paying jobs requiring advanced education and skills since from its R&D beginning back in the 1970s. Thousands of Syngenta jobs are related to plant biotechnology—in R&D, regulatory, seed production, sales and more. In addition, the direct and indirect economic impact from the plant biotech industry as a whole is many times greater than that which directly involves the seed companies. For context, consider that in 2013 a record 18 million farmers grew biotech crops. Remarkably over 90 percent, or more than [...]
A: Agricultural biotechnology has created many thousands of well-paying jobs requiring advanced education and skills since from its R&D beginning back in the 1970s. Thousands of Syngenta jobs are related to plant biotechnology—in R&D, regulatory, seed production, sales and more. In addition, the direct and indirect economic impact from the plant biotech industry as a whole is many times greater than that which directly involves the seed companies. For context, consider that in 2013 a record 18 million farmers grew biotech crops. Remarkably over 90 percent, or more than [...]
OtherQuestion
Q: Does the GMO industry create jobs in agriculture?
A: Agricultural biotechnology has created many thousands of well-paying jobs requiring advanced education and skills since from its R&D beginning back in the 1970s. Thousands of Syngenta jobs are related to plant biotechnology—in R&D, regulatory, seed production, sales and more. In addition, the direct and indirect economic impact from the plant biotech industry as a whole is many times greater than that which directly involves the seed companies. For context, consider that in 2013 a record 18 million farmers grew biotech crops. Remarkably over 90 percent, or more than [...]
A: Agricultural biotechnology has created many thousands of well-paying jobs requiring advanced education and skills since from its R&D beginning back in the 1970s. Thousands of Syngenta jobs are related to plant biotechnology—in R&D, regulatory, seed production, sales and more. In addition, the direct and indirect economic impact from the plant biotech industry as a whole is many times greater than that which directly involves the seed companies. For context, consider that in 2013 a record 18 million farmers grew biotech crops. Remarkably over 90 percent, or more than [...]
OtherQuestion
A: I discuss how agricultural biotechnology has contributed to job creation in another response. Here is an excerpt: “Agricultural biotechnology has created many thousands of well-paying jobs requiring advanced education and skills since from its R&D beginning back in the 1970s. Thousands of Syngenta jobs are related to plant biotechnology—in R&D, regulatory, seed production, sales and more. In addition, the direct and indirect economic impact from the plant biotech industry as a whole is many times greater than that which directly involves the seed companies [...]
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