Scott Jackson, Ph.D.
Synthetic Biology
The University of Georgia
Recruited: 2024
Scott Jackson is a highly accomplished researcher in academia and industry whose contributions have shaped the evolution of crop science. He is most noted for leading the sequencing of several crop genomes — peanut, soybean and common bean — and for deciphering the domestication and breeding history of these crops while in academia, including as a GRA Eminent Scholar at the University of Georgia.
Jackson left UGA in 2019 to take R&D leadership roles at Bayer Crop Science, the largest seeds and traits company in the world. There, he oversaw programs for soybean and cotton breeding (totaling $3 billion in R&D) and led a major research initiative to redesign the company’s global breeding efforts. He returned to UGA in 2024 as an Eminent Scholar.
Currently, Jackson is on a quest to use new technologies to improve agriculture, from the genetics behind the seeds to the systems used for production. Combining advances in modeling (including AI) and genetic engineering, Jackson is working to develop crops that are more resilient and have many more uses. He is also developing more sustainable production practices that require fewer inputs.
At UGA, Jackson leads a research institute that combines modeling and genetics to strengthen Georgia agriculture, the state’s number one industry, while also increasing efficiencies and sustainability.
While at Bayer Crop Science, Jackson led a team of scientists in developing hybrids and varieties of corn, soybean, cotton, wheat and canola for North America.
Research
- Leading teams at Bayer Crop Science to better use genome information to produce advanced seeds for growers around the world, leading soybean and cotton breeding in North America and then leading the scientists selecting the best and most advanced corn, soybean, cotton, wheat and canola varieties for North America.
- Genome sequencing and structural characterization of the peanut genome with the International Peanut Genome Research Initiative.
- Genome sequencing and functional research on soybeans and common bean, supported by grants worth several million dollars.
- Exploring the epigenomes of crop plants.
- Improving the seed value chain in Uganda, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Choosing Georgia
“I returned to Georgia because of the exceptional support for agricultural research, from growers to state government to the university to the faculty and students at UGA. My mission is to advance exploration of crop science to make a difference for Georgia.”
