Cornell University Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics

My interests are in agricultural biotechnology: transgenic product development; enabling technology development for agricultural biotechnology and strategy, planning and business development associated with the commercialization of transgenic and genomics technologies.

I currently work for Pioneer Hi-Bred (www.pioneer.com) as a Senior Research Director. Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., a business unit of DuPont company, is the world's leading developer and supplier of advanced plant genetics to farmers worldwide. With headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, Pioneer develops, produces and markets a full line of top-quality seeds and forage and grain additives and provides services to customers in nearly 70 countries. DuPont (www.dupont.com) is an integrated science company, delivering science-based solutions that make a difference in people's lives in food and nutrition, health care, apparel, home and construction, electronics and transportation.

Prior to joining Pioneer I work as Vice-President of Business Development & Operations for Verdia Inc. (www.verdiainc.com), a Silicon Valley agricultural biotechnology company, then a wholly owned subsidiary of Maxygen Inc (www.maxygen.com). Verdia’s directed molecular evolution technologies consisted of a toolbox of recombination and screening systems to optimize genes and proteins for use in transgenic agriculture.

Prior to joining Maxygen I worked with the biotechnology group at DEKALB Genetics Corporation, then the second largest corn seed company in the USA. At DEKALB I was responsible for transgenic corn product development participating in the development of insect and herbicide tolerant corn products.

I currently lecture course on transgenic product development in agriculture (PL BR 604) and the applications of molecular biology (BIO BM434).

Recent Publications

Castle, L., Wu G., McElroy. 2006. Agricultural input traits: past, present and future. Curr. Opinion Biotech. 17:105-112.
McElroy D. 2004. What’s in a name? Towards a common system for describing and valuing the product development cycle in agbiotechnology. Nature Biotech. 22:817-822.
McElroy D. 2003. Sustaining agbiotechnology through lean times. Nature Biotech. 21:996-1002.
McElroy D. 2003. Giving your spinout the right spin. Nature Biotech. Bioentrepreneur Supp. 21:39-41.
Lassner M. and McElroy D. 2002. Directed Molecular Evolution: Bridging the Gap Between Genomics Leads and Commercial Products. Omics 6:153-162

Recent Patents

Koprek Y., McElroy D., Lemaux P. 2005. Transposon tagging and gene delivery in small grain cereals. US 6,951,972.
Spencer T.M., Mumm R., Jefferson J., McElroy D., Stephens M.A. 2004. Method of plant breeding. US 6,762,344, US 2005/188434.
McElroy D., Orozco E.M., Laccetti L.B. 2004. Maize glycine rich protein promoter composition and method of use therefore. US 6,747,187, WO 2001/70778 A2.
McElroy, D., Walters, D., Gilbertson, L.A. 2004. Homologous recombination-mediated transgene alterations in plants. US 6,750,379, US 2001/56583.
McElroy, D., Walters, D., Gilbertson, L.A. 2003. Non-reciprocal recombination-mediated transgene deletion in transgenic plants. US 6,580,019.
McElroy D., Kriz A.L., Orozco E.M., Griffor, M. 2001. Maize A3 promoter and methods for use thereof. US 6,583,338, US 2002/104121.
McElroy D., Orozco E.M., Laccetti L.B. 2002. Maize RS81 promoter and methods of use therefore. US 6,437,217.
McElroy D., Wu R. 2002. Rice actin 2 promoter and intron and methods of use therefore. US 6,429,357.
McElroy D., Orozco E.M., Laccetti L.B. 2002. Maize RS342 promoter and methods of use therefore. US 6,426,446.
McElroy D., Kriz A.L., Orozco E.M., Griffor, M. 2001. Maize A3 promoter and methods for use thereof. US 6,232,526.
McElroy D., Orozco E.M., Laccetti L.B. 2001. Maize RS81 promoter and methods of use therefore. US 6,207,879, WO 2000/70068 A1, WO 2000/73474 A1.
McElroy D., Orozco E.M., Laccetti L.B. 2001. Maize RS342 promoter and methods of use therefore. US 6,194,636, WO 2000/70066 A1.
Koprek Y., McElroy D., Lemaux P. 2000. Transposon tagging and gene delivery in small grain cereals. WO 0012734.
Spencer T.M., Mumm R., Jefferson J., McElroy D., Stephens M.A. 1998. Glyphosate resistant maize lines. WO 9844140, US 08927368, US 2005/86719.
McElroy D., Wu R. 1997. Rice actin gene and promoter. US 5,641,876.
Wu R., McElroy D., Xu D. 1997. Monocot having dicot wound-inducible promoter. US 5,684,239, WO 1993/6713 A1.

© 2006 Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Cornell University