Mary-Dell Chilton

Mary-Dell Chilton, 87, died on June 24, 2026. Mary-Dell Chilton was known publicly as an American biochemist. She performed research at Washington University in St. Louis and was a Distinguished Science Fellow at Syngenta Biotechnology, Inc. Chilton was notable for her discovery of the presence of Agrobacterium Ti plasmid DNA fragments in the nuclear DNA of crown gall tissue in 1977. During her career, she was awarded the World Food Prize (2013) and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Joe Biden in 2023. She was also inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Public biographical listings identify Chilton as an American biochemist. This public record remains centered on Chilton's work as an American biochemist and the documented milestones of that career.