Rate My Professor Kan Wang

Professor Kan Wang is a leading expert in Agricultural and Veterinary Science at Iowa State University, serving as Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor of Agronomy and Global Professor of Biotechnology in the Department of Agronomy. She earned a B.S. in Biochemistry from Fudan University, China, in 1982, and a Ph.D. in Plant Biology from Ghent University, Belgium, in 1987, where she also completed postdoctoral research under pioneers Marc Van Montagu and Jeff Schell. Following seven years at ICI Seeds (now Syngenta) as a project leader developing genetic transformation for corn and soybean, Wang joined Iowa State University in 1996 to establish and direct the Plant Transformation Facility, transforming it into a globally recognized center serving over 200 research groups from 125 institutions across 17 countries. She currently co-directs the Crop Bioengineering Center and has served since 2021 as Program Director for Plant Genome Research Projects at the National Science Foundation.

Wang's research focuses on advancing plant genetic transformation and genome editing technologies for crops including corn, soybean, and rice, with innovations in Agrobacterium mechanisms, nanoparticle delivery systems, and hormone-independent regeneration methods. Notable publications include 'Mesoporous silica nanoparticles deliver DNA and chemicals into plants' (Nature Nanotechnology, 2007), 'Advancing crop transformation in the era of genome editing' (The Plant Cell, 2016), 'Agrobacterium tumefaciens-Mediated Transformation of Maize Embryos Using a Standard Binary Vector System' (Plant Physiology, 2002), and 'A mini binary vector series for plant transformation' (Plant Molecular Biology, 1999). She has published 94 peer-reviewed articles, edited the book 'Agrobacterium Protocols,' and holds patents such as U.S. Patent #7,473,822 for soybean transformation. Her impact is evidenced by awards including the 2022 Society for In Vitro Biology Lifetime Achievement Award, 2017 SIVB Fellow Award, American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellowship, 2026 Maize Genetics Cooperator Award, and Iowa State University Outstanding Achievement in Research Award. Wang has mentored 20 Ph.D./M.S. students, 21 postdoctoral fellows, and many others, while serving as Associate Editor for journals like Plant Biotechnology Journal and The Plant Genome.