# Ignacio Chapela

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**Ignacio Chapela** (born 1959) is a [microbial](/source/Microbiology) [ecologist](/source/Ecology) and [mycologist](/source/Mycology) at the [University of California, Berkeley](/source/University_of_California%2C_Berkeley). He is best known for a 2001 paper in *[Nature](/source/Nature_(journal))* on the flow of [transgenes](/source/Transgenes) into wild maize populations,[1][2] as an outspoken critic of the [University of California](/source/University_of_California)'s ties to the [biotechnology](/source/Biotechnology) industry, as well as a later dispute with the University over denial of tenure that Chapela argued was politically motivated. Chapela is also notable for his work with [natural resources](/source/Natural_resources) and [indigenous rights](/source/Indigenous_rights).

## Mycological research

In the late 1980s, Chapela completed his PhD dissertation research at [Cardiff University](/source/Cardiff_University) on the ecology of microbial wood-rotting fungi. He continued research on a number of areas of fungal ecology through the 1990s, as a [visiting scholar](/source/Visiting_scholar) at various research institutions, private companies, and [NGOs](/source/NGO), finally settling at UC Berkeley, where he has been on the faculty the Department of Environmental Sciences, Policy, and Management (ESPM) since 1996.

He has worked on the [symbiosis](/source/Symbiosis) between [leafcutter ants](/source/Leafcutter_ant) and their [cultivated](/source/Plant_cultivation) fungi. His research seems to indicate that some leaf-cutter ants have "domesticated" a single lineage of fungi for over 30 million years; Chapela is currently studying this symbiosis from [evolutionary](/source/Evolution) and agricultural perspectives, as well as looking for ways to manipulate it.

## Transgene research

Chapela was co-author (with his graduate student, David Quist) of a controversial 2001 *[Nature](/source/Nature_(journal))* paper about the flow of [transgenes](/source/Transgene) into wild *Zea mays ssp. mexicana* in mountains of [Oaxaca](/source/Oaxaca) in Southwestern Mexico -a culturally significant region known as the [Mesoamerican](/source/Agriculture_in_Mesoamerica) center of origin for Zea mays L.[2][3] Controversy over the accuracy of the claims and methodological concerns about the paper led to an editor's note saying there was insufficient evidence to justify the original publication. Advocates of GM crops widely, and erroneously, called this a retraction.[4]

In 2002 and 2003 a research team had two commercial American companies test 153,000 seeds from 870 maize plants in 125 fields in Oaxaca - the same area Chapela and Quist sampled - for transgenic DNA material. In their article published on August 8, 2005 in the [Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences](/source/Proceedings_of_the_National_Academy_of_Sciences) (PNAS) they reported that no (transgenic DNA) was found.[3][5] However, a more recent study published in the February 2009 issue of *[Molecular Ecology](/source/Molecular_Ecology_(journal))* confirmed the presence of transgenic DNA in Mexican maize.[6] The study, however, did not confirm an important conclusion from the 2001 *[Nature](/source/Nature_(journal))* paper, namely, that the transgene-contaminated corn has replicated. Chapela is reported to have stated in response to the study, "It is good to see this...but it took seven years."[4]

## Disputes with University of California

Chapela objected to an agreement in which the department and faculty of Plant and Microbial Biology at UC Berkeley took money from [Novartis](/source/Novartis) in exchange for a degree of publication scrutiny and [trade secrecy](/source/Trade_secrecy), taking a strong position on the issue.

Chapela was initially denied [tenure](/source/Tenure) at UC Berkeley in 2003, despite a unanimous vote in his favor by an ad hoc tenure committee. Supporters claim that this stems from opposition to Chapela's anti-Novartis activism from Molecular and Cell Biology faculty member [Jasper Rine](/source/Jasper_Rine), who was both a member of the tenure committee and in a research relationship with the company. However, Chapela was ultimately awarded tenure in 2005.[7][8][9][10]

Chapela has also spoken out against the deal between UC Berkeley, [University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign](/source/University_of_Illinois%2C_Urbana-Champaign), and [British Petroleum](/source/British_Petroleum) to research the development of biofuels, which may involve genetically engineering microorganisms and plants. The grant went into effect in 2007.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] The case is detailed in the German documentary [Scientists Under Attack: Genetic Engineering in the Magnetic Field of Money](/source/Scientists_Under_Attack%3A_Genetic_Engineering_in_the_Magnetic_Field_of_Money).

## Activism

Chapela founded The Mycological Facility in [Oaxaca](/source/Oaxaca) state, a facility dealing with questions of natural resources and [indigenous rights](/source/Indigenous_rights), and collaborates with indigenous communities in Mexico, [Costa Rica](/source/Costa_Rica), and [Ecuador](/source/Ecuador) on issues of rights to genetic resources. He is also an advisory board member for [The Sunshine Project](/source/The_Sunshine_Project), an organization promoting citizens' concerns with [biosafety](/source/Biosafety) and [biowarfare](/source/Biowarfare).

He has appeared in several films on [genetically modified organism](/source/Genetically_modified_organism) and [food systems](/source/Food_systems) issues, *[The World According to Monsanto](/source/The_World_According_to_Monsanto)*, Symphony of the Soil, and *[The Future of Food](/source/The_Future_of_Food)*.

## Authority name

The standard [author abbreviation](/source/List_of_botanists_by_author_abbreviation_(A)) Chapela is used to indicate this person as the author when [citing](/source/Author_citation_(botany)) a [botanical name](/source/Botanical_name).[11]

## See also

[List of mycologists](/source/List_of_mycologists)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Monbiot_2002_1-0)** Monbiot, George (May 14, 2002), ["Corporations are inventing people to rubbish their opponents on the internet"](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2002/may/14/greenpolitics.digitalmedia), *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*, UK, retrieved September 13, 2016

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Nature_2001_Quist_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Nature_2001_Quist_2-1) Quist, David; Ignacio Chapela. (2001). "Transgenic DNA introgressed into traditional maize landraces in Oaxaca, Mexico". *Nature*. **414** (6863): 541–543. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2001Natur.414..541Q](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2001Natur.414..541Q). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1038/35107068](https://doi.org/10.1038%2F35107068). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [11734853](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11734853). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [4403182](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:4403182).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Ortiz-García_2005_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Ortiz-García_2005_3-1) Ortiz-García, S.; Ezcurra, E.; Schoel, B.; Acevedo, F.; Soberón, J.; Snow, Allison A. (2005-08-30). ["Absence of detectable transgenes in local landraces of maize in Oaxaca, Mexico (2003–2004)"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1184035). *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences*. **102** (35): 12338–12343. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2005PNAS..10212338O](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2005PNAS..10212338O). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1073/pnas.0503356102](https://doi.org/10.1073%2Fpnas.0503356102). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [1184035](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1184035). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [16093316](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16093316).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-naturenews_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-naturenews_4-1) Dalton, Rex. (2008-11-12). ["Modified genes spread to local maize"](https://doi.org/10.1038%2F456149a). *Nature*. **456** (7219): 149. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1038/456149a](https://doi.org/10.1038%2F456149a). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [19005518](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19005518).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Wagner_5-0)** Wagner, Holly (2005-08-08). ["Genetically modified maize not found in southern Mexico"](https://web.archive.org/web/20101204043117/http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/mexmaize.htm). *Ohio State University Research News*. Archived from [the original](http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/mexmaize.htm) on 2010-12-04. Retrieved 2010-12-26.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Pineyro-Nelson A, et al. (2009). ["Transgenes in Mexican maize: molecular evidence and methodological considerations for GMO detection in landrace populations"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3001031). *Molecular Ecology*. **18** (4): 750–761. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2009MolEc..18..750P](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009MolEc..18..750P). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1111/j.1365-294X.2008.03993.x](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1365-294X.2008.03993.x). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [3001031](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3001031). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [19143938](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19143938).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Schwartz, Emma. (2003-04-30). ["Colleagues fear professor's research may adversely affect his tenure review"](http://www.dailycal.org/article/11419/colleagues_fear_professor_s_research_may_adversely). *The Daily Californian*. Retrieved 2010-12-26.[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Dalton, Rex. (2004-08-04). ["Review of tenure refusal uncovers conflicts of interest"](https://doi.org/10.1038%2F430598a). *Nature*. **430** (7000): 598. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2004Natur.430Q.598D](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2004Natur.430Q.598D). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1038/430598a](https://doi.org/10.1038%2F430598a). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [15295561](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15295561). Archived at [Archive.org](/source/Archive.org), 2007-09-29.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Bergman, Barry. (2005-05-21). ["For controversial biology researcher Ignacio Chapela, the long and winding road ends with tenure at Berkeley"](http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2005/05/21_chapela.shtml). *UC Berkeley NewsCenter*. Retrieved 2010-12-26.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Burress, Charles. (2005-05-21). ["Embattled UC teacher is granted tenure"](https://www.sfgate.com/education/article/BERKELEY-Embattled-UC-teacher-is-granted-tenure-2669634.php). *San Francisco Chronicle*. Retrieved 2010-12-26.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** [International Plant Names Index](/source/International_Plant_Names_Index). [*Chapela*](https://www.ipni.org/search?q=author%20std%3AChapela).

## External links

- [Ignacio Chapela faculty page](https://web.archive.org/web/20101222132831/http://ecnr.berkeley.edu/facPage/dispFP.php?I=568)

- [Chapela lab page](http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/chapelalab/)

- [Ignacio Chapela CV](https://web.archive.org/web/20110719150158/http://ecnr.berkeley.edu/vfs/PIs/Chapela-I/web/cv.pdf)

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND FAST WorldCat National United States Norway Israel Academics International Plant Names Index People Deutsche Biographie Other IdRef Yale LUX

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ignacio Chapela](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignacio_Chapela) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignacio_Chapela?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.