Professional Experience
| 1988 | Visiting Faculty, Harvard University, Cambridge |
| 1984-1992 | Assistant and Adjunct Associate Professor of Biochemistry, Washington State University |
| 1987-1991 | Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, (tenure track) University of Idaho |
| 1991-1997 | Associate Professor of Molecular Genetics (tenured), Auburn University |
| 1997-1998 | Professor of Molecular Genetics (tenured), Auburn University |
| 1998-present | Professor of Molecular Biology (tenured), University of Central Florida |
| 2002-present | Pegasus Professor & Trustee chair, (tenured) University of Central Florida |
Other Experience, Professional Memberships, and Service
Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, inducted in 2007
Elected Foreign Member of the National Academy of Sciences, Italy, 14th American in 222 years, which includes illustrious members like Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein.
US Senate Briefing: Invitation by the National Institutes of Health, Presentation on my research to US Senators in March 2007
Pegasus Professor, highest award offered to UCF faculty for best teaching, research and service.
Technical Founder, Chlorgen Inc. Delaware, (est. 1997); attracted multimillion dollar investment from Burrill & Company (investing for ADM, Bayer, etc).
First UCF Trustee Chair in Life Sciences, for the best teaching and research at UCF.
Member, NIH, Special Emphasis panel on Bioterrorism – served on nine panels in 2002-2003, NIH NIAID Biodefense panels, NIH panel on Human Respiratory pathogens 2003, NIH panel on Centers of Excellence, USDA Biotechnology Risk Assessment Grants Program, 2003, on funding priorities/future direction.
Biotechnology Risk Assessment Grants Program, 2003, on funding priorities/future direction.
UCF Millionaire’s Club, two years in a row for receiving more than a million dollar research funds within one fiscal year.
Editor, Plant Biotechnology Journal, London, Since 2002; Advisor and reviewer to several journals, including Nature Biotechnology, Trends, Current Opinion, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., Journal of Molecular Biology, most plant biology/molecular biology journals.
Senior Editor, Plant Biotechnology Journal, London, Since 2002
Senior Editor, Biotechnology Journal, Wiley-VCH, Germany, Since 2005
Chairman, NATO Advanced Research Workshop session on biotechnology, Maratea, Italy, June 1993;
Course Director, International Workshop on Molecular Strategies for Crop Improvement, International Center for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, July 15-August 15, 1991;
Consultant to the United Nations on biotechnology since 1989, expert on mission 1989; 1991;
Honors and Awards
Featured in Nature Biotechnology for pioneering one among top nine inventions of this decade ready for commercialization, 2007
Featured among BioMed Central’s top 100 scientists for most active authors 2006/2007
Featured on Discovery Channel & Voice of America for research on plant derived vaccines & biopharmaceuticals, 2006
Editor of a text-book on Molecular Biology & Biotechnology of Plant Organelles (2004) with 25 chapters contributed by scientists from nine countries (U.S. 10; Germany 4; Canada & France 3 and one from Denmark, Sweden, Israel, Philippines & Japan).
Delivered the 2002 Bob Buchanan Award lecture at UC Berkeley, sponsored by the K/T Japanese Foundation of San Francisco.
Selected by GE & Wired NexFest on medical breakthroughs among several thousand inventions, San Francisco.
Featured on Medical Breakthroughs Research in NBC, ABC and CBS stations (documentary made by Ivanhoe Broadcast News), 2002; Cited in the front page several international newspapers including The Times of India (fourth largest English daily in the world, January 17, 2002), Danish Medical Magazine (Journalen, Dagens Medicin, August 29, 2002), several other newspapers in Pamplona, Spain and Milan, Rome in Italy.
Research featured in the U.S. congress as a line item in the Agricultural Appropriations Bill and funded in 2001-2004 (about $1.8 million) with appreciative language.
University of Central Florida, Distinguished Researcher Award, 2002.
Research on transgene containment featured in Scientific American, September 2002.
Patentee, Chloroplast Genetic engineering, U.S. Patents, and World Intellectual property organization (PCT) awarded 1997,1999, 2000, 2002, 2003; Six World Patents published in 2001.
Research on the cover of Nature Biotechnology: April 1998, January 2001, June 2002 (featured review), highlighted by CNN, USDA, Science & Nature.
Research on biopolymer appeared on the cover page of Methods in Molecular Biology Volume on Recombinant Protein Protocols, 1997; was highlighted in New York Times on August 23, 1998, and NIH, Environmental Health Perspectives, April 1999.
Auburn University COSAM Dean’s Research Excellence Award for outstanding contributions in Biological Sciences, February 1997.
Press release about my research by AAES in 1995 was published by more than 70 newspapers across the country and a television interview released by AU Relations was broadcast across the country by CBS, NBC and ABC networks; my research was also highlighted by Jay Leno in the Tonight Show;
Auburn University Alumni Association and Sigma XI Award (1994) for distinguished research career among Auburn University Faculty (only one award given among several thousand faculty);
ICRO/UNESCO United Nations Award for "Molecular Biology of Photosynthesis", Argentina, 1987.
Research support during the last three years
Expression of human therapeutic proteins in transgenic chloroplasts
NIH, 1 R01 GM 63879, H. Daniell, Principal Investigator, 2006-2011.
This project successfully will express vaccines against malaria, anti-HIV peptides and membrane proteins in transgenic chloroplasts and test their functionality in suitable animal model systems and by in vitro functional assays.
Bioencapsulated Factor IX for Oral Tolerance in Hemophilia B
NIH, H. Daniell, UCF PI; R. Herzog, UF PI; 2007-2010.
This project will evaluate oral tolerance by expression of Factor IX in chloroplasts.
Chloroplast genetic engineering
Principal Investigator, H. Daniell, Agency: USDA-ARS, 3611-21000-017-00D, Period: 9/15/2007-/9/14/2012.
Expression of foreign proteins via the chloroplast genome in transgenic plants for improved agronomic traits and production of vaccines & biopharmaceuticals and determination of the DNA sequence of crop chloroplast genomes.
Expression of human therapeutic proteins in transgenic chloroplasts
NIH, 1 R01 GM 63879, H. Daniell, Principal Investigator, 2002-2006.
This project successfully expressed interferons alpha 2 and 5 and insulin like growth factor-1 in transgenic chloroplasts, human proinsulin and tested their functionality in suitable animal model systems and by in vitro functional assays. In addition, several vaccine antigens (anthrax, plague, amebiasis) have been expressed in transgenic chloroplasts and their functionality in vitro or in animal models have been evaluated.
Bioconfinement in Bahiagrass
USDA, UCF PI H. Daniell, in collaboration with UF 2006-2008
Chloroplast genetic engineering of bahiagrass.
Expression of gene for biopolyester biosynthesis in plastids
In collaboration with Metabolix, H. Daniell, PI at UCF, 2002-2006.
This project attempted to express the polyhydroxybutyrate pathway in transgenic chloroplast genomes of tobacco and switch grass.
Chloroplast genetic engineering
Principal Investigator, H. Daniell, Agency: USDA-ARS, 3611-21000-017-00D, Period: 9/15/2002-/9/14/2007;
Expression of foreign proteins via the chloroplast genome in transgenic plants and determination of the DNA sequence of crop chloroplast genomes; determined the complete chloroplast genome sequences of soybean, cotton, grape, tomato, potato, citrus, coffee, carrot, barley and sorghum and performed genomic & evolutionary analyses.
Industry supported projects: Projects include several vaccine antigens and biopharmaceuticals.
