Research contribution by Sean Cutler, an IIGB and CEPCEB scientist, has been named by Science magazine as one of the top 10 breakthroughs of the year. In April 2009, Cutler showed how abscisic acid (ABA), a naturally-produced plant stress hormone, helps plants survive by inhibiting their growth in times of drought, research that has important agricultural implications. 

The openness with which Cutler, an assistant professor of plant cell biology in the Department of Botany & Plant Sciences, shared information with other scientists in his highly competitive field of plant cell biology led, in just months, to six research papers in journals like Science and Nature that were authored by collaborator and other labs working in the field.

Today, because of Cutler’s significant contribution to finding ABA, scientists are getting closer to determining how plants survive drought, with huge implications for agriculture particularly in regions where water and drought are such big concerns. “I believe Sean’s discovery is the most significant finding in plant biology this year and will have profound effects on agriculture worldwide,” said Natasha Raikhel, the director of IIGB and CEPCEB.