Arthur Galston, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Arthur Galston

American botanist & bioethicist

Date of Birth: 21-Apr-1920

Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York, United States

Date of Death: 15-Jun-2008

Profession: botanist

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Taurus

Arthur W.
Galston (April 21, 1920 – June 15, 2008) was an American botanist and bioethicist.
As a plant biologist, Galston studied the effects of light on plant development.
He identified riboflavin and other flavins as photoreceptors involved in phototropism, the bending of plants toward light, challenging the prevailing view that carotene was responsible.As a graduate student in 1943, Galston studied the use of 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA) to encourage the flowering of soybeans, and noted that high levels had a defoliant effect.
The British and U.S.
military later developed TIBA into Agent Orange which was employed extensively in Malaya and Vietnam.
Galston became a bioethicist, and spoke out against such uses of science.
As chairman of Yale's botany department, Galston's ethical objections led President Nixon to end the use of Agent Orange.