{{Short description|Plant biologist}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Maria Harrison | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|FRS|size=100}} | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = Maria Harrison (16464678268) (cropped).jpg | image_size = | image_upright = | landscape = <!-- yes, if wide image, otherwise leave blank --> | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Maria J. Harrison | birth_date = <!--{{birth date |YYYY|MM|DD}}--> | birth_place = | death_date = <!--{{death date and age |YYYY|MM|DD |YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date)--> | death_place = | death_cause = <!-- should only be included when the cause of death has significance for the subject's notability --> | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = <!--{{coord|LAT|LONG|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}--> | other_names = | siglum = | pronounce = | citizenship = <!-- use only when necessary per WP:INFONAT --> | nationality = <!-- use only when necessary per WP:INFONAT --> | fields = Plant sciences<ref name=gs/> | workplaces = Boyce Thompson Institute<br>Cornell University | patrons = | education = | alma_mater = University of Manchester (PhD) | thesis_title = Gene Expression During Tomato Seed Development | thesis_url = https://www.librarysearch.manchester.ac.uk/permalink/44MAN_INST/1r887gn/alma992984219404301631 | thesis_year = 1987 | doctoral_advisor = <!--(or | doctoral_advisors = )--> | academic_advisors = T. A. Brown<ref name=phd/> | doctoral_students = | notable_students = | known_for = | awards = Member of the National Academy of Sciences (2019) | author_abbrev_bot = | author_abbrev_zoo = | spouse = <!--(or | spouses = )--> | partner = <!--(or | partners = )--> | children = | parents = | father = | mother = | relatives = | signature = <!--(filename only)--> | signature_type = <!--(defaults to "Signature")--> | signature_alt = | website = {{Official URL}} | footnotes = }} '''Maria J. Harrison''' {{post-nominals|FRS}} is William H. Crocker Scientist professor at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Science, and adjunct professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University.<ref name=gs>{{Google scholar id}}</ref><ref name=epmc>{{EuropePMC}}</ref>
==Education== She received her PhD in biochemistry from the University of Manchester in 1987 for research investigating gene expression in tomato seeds supervised by T.A. Brown.<ref name=phd>{{cite thesis|degree=PhD|oclc=643349833|title=Gene Expression During Tomato Seed Development|year=1987|first=Maria J.|last=Harrison|publisher=University of Manchester|url=https://www.librarysearch.manchester.ac.uk/permalink/44MAN_INST/1r887gn/alma992984219404301631|website=manchester.ac.uk}}</ref><ref name="BTI2019">{{cite web | url=https://btiscience.org/explore-bti/news/post/maria-harrison-elected-to-national-academy-of-sciences/ | title=BTI’s Maria Harrison Elected to National Academy of Sciences | publisher=Boyce Thompson Institute | date=Apr 30, 2019 | accessdate=May 16, 2022 | author=Bouchie, AJ}}</ref>
==Career and research== Harrison's lab, including post-doctoral, graduate, undergraduate, and intern students, utilizes a combination of molecular, cell biology, genetic, and genomic techniques to investigate the developmental mechanisms underlying the symbiosis and phosphate transfer between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM fungi; AMF) (including ''Glomus versiforme'', ''Glomus intraradices'', and ''Gigaspora gigantea'') and the roots of model legume ''Medicago truncatula.''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bti.cornell.edu/staff/dr-maria-harrison/|title=Boyce Thompson Institute - Maria Harrison {{!}}|author=Anon|website=bti.cornell.edu|access-date=2016-07-11}}</ref> Among Harrison's most notable findings are that plants use hormone signaling to regulate AM fungi symbiosis and that phosphate transport is critical to the maintenance of this symbiosis.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.aspb.org/awards-funding/aspb-awards/dennis-r-hoagland-award/|title=ASPB {{!}} Dennis R. Hoagland Award|website=www.aspb.org|access-date=2016-07-11}}</ref> These discoveries have allowed the field of fungal-plant interactions to pursue new research questions including future manipulation of phosphate acquisition in valuable crop species.<ref name=":0" /> === Honors and awards === She was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in April 2019<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nasonline.org/news-and-multimedia/news/2019-nas-election.html|title=2019 NAS Election|publisher=National Academy of Sciences|date=April 30, 2019}}</ref> and a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Professor Maria Harrison FRS |url=https://royalsociety.org/people/maria-harrison-36792/ |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=Royal Society |language=en}}</ref> Other awards and honours include:
* Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award (2015)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bti.cornell.edu/news/planting-a-passion-for-research/|title=Boyce Thompson Institute - Planting a Passion for Research {{!}}|author=Anon|website=bti.cornell.edu|access-date=2016-07-11}}</ref> * The Dennis R. Hoagland Award (2015)<ref name=":0"/> * American Academy of Microbiology (AAM) Fellow (2013)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://academy.asm.org/index.php/fellows-info/aam-fellows-elected-in-2013/719-maria-harrison|title=Maria Harrison|website=academy.asm.org|access-date=2016-07-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807051209/http://academy.asm.org/index.php/fellows-info/aam-fellows-elected-in-2013/719-maria-harrison|archive-date=2016-08-07|url-status=dead}}</ref> * American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow (2012)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bti.cornell.edu/news/three-boyce-thompson-institute-bti-scientists-honored-as-aaas-fellows/|title=Boyce Thompson Institute - Three Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) Scientists honored as AAAS Fellows {{!}}|author=Anon|website=bti.cornell.edu|access-date=2016-07-11}}</ref> * William H. Crocker Scientist (2011)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bti.cornell.edu/news/maria-harrison-named-william-h-crocker-scientist/|title=Boyce Thompson Institute - Maria Harrison named William H. Crocker Scientist {{!}}|author=Anon|website=bti.cornell.edu|access-date=2016-07-11}}</ref>
=== Patents === {| class="wikitable" !Title !US Patent |- |Root-specific phosphate transporter promoters |[https://patents.google.com/patent/US20090113569?oq=Maria+Harrison 12/257,276] |- |Plants with increased phosphorus uptake |[https://patents.google.com/patent/US7417181?oq=7%2C417%2C181 7,417,181] |- |Plant phytase genes and methods of use |[https://patents.google.com/patent/US7557265?oq=Maria+Harrison 7,557,265] |- |MtHP promoter element |[https://patents.google.com/patent/US7056743?oq=7%2C056%2C743 7,056,743] |}
== References == {{Reflist}} {{FRS 2024}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrison, Maria}} Category:Living people Category:Cornell University faculty Category:American women botanists Category:American botanists Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Fellows of the Royal Society Category:Female fellows of the Royal Society Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Category:American women academics Category:21st-century American women Category:Alumni of the University of Manchester