FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 14, 2004
Contact: Linda McCandless, 607-254-5137, email llm3@cornell.edu

Cornell Appoints New Virologist in Geneva
By John Zakour

Pictures are linked to hi-res scans Marc Fuchs

GENEVA, NY: Marc Fuchs has been appointed assistant professor at Cornell University in the plant pathology department at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva , NY.  Fuchs, who served as a research associate in Geneva from 1991 until 1997, will study virus diseases of vegetable and fruit crops. 

“Viruses can cause devastating problems by reducing yield and crop quality,” said Fuchs. “Studying their interaction with their host and vector will help open new avenues for their control.” Fuchs’ major research goal is to develop virus-resistant crops that meet growers' and consumers' needs.

“We are very pleased to have Marc as the newest faculty member in our department,” said Tom Burr, chairman of the plant pathology department in Geneva.  “We already knew of Marc's exceptional ability as a scientist. I am certain that we could not have found a better person for this position.”

After leaving Geneva in 1997, Fuchs worked at the Institut National de la Recherche  Agronomique  (INRA) on grapevine viruses.  “My job there was to evaluate the resistance of transgenic grapevines to grapevine fanleaf virus and assess their potential for triggering the emergence of recombinant viruses,” Fuchs said.  Also during that time he determined the molecular determinants involved in the transmission of grapevine fanleaf virus by the nematode vector Xiphinema index.

When asked why he decided to return to Geneva, Fuchs noted, “Cornell offers a unique environment that encourages excellence in basic and applied research.”  He is also looking forward to combining research and extension with training graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and visiting scientists.

Fuchs received his B.S. in Life Science in 1981, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Molecular Biology in 1986 and 1989 respectively, from Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France. During his previous stay in Geneva, he worked with Dennis Gonsalves in the department of plant pathology, where his research activities focused on the development of virus-resistant transgenic vegetables, small fruits, and stone fruit crops and on the assessment of environmental safety issues related to their release.

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