Bentley honored as Outstanding Young Engineer

May 12, 1998--The work of an associate professor at the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute's Center for Agricultural Biotechnology may hold the key to the future of biotechnology research in the world of applied science.

William E. Bentley's background in both the life sciences and engineering, and his inventive spirit, have combined to make him a leader in developing technologies for low-cost production of proteins that can serve as poultry and animal vaccines. He also has become a facilitator of technology transfer between industry and academia.

In recognition of his accomplishments, Bentley has received the Allan C. Davis Medal, which is awarded annually to Maryland's Outstanding Young Engineer by the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore. The presentation took place during the center's annual Celebrate Science program for Maryland Science Week.

Bentley is probably the leading engineer in the U.S. for his work on green fluorescent protein (GFP) in insect larvae, according to Dr. Michael Shuler, at Cornell University. The fluorescent protein is incorporated into the larvae, coupled with a kind of virus that infects only arthropods. The fluorescing larvae, which serve as "mini-bioreactors," contain three times more protein product than normal, so the GFP works as a marker to tell when the larvae are ripe for harvesting. What is important about this technique is its potential to produce proteins for agricultural vaccines and animal nutrient supplements.

Another part of Bentley's work involves studying E. coli and higher order insect cells that can be modified either genetically or by carefully regulating the bioreactor environment -- vessels in which biological reactions occur. His research group examines cell metabolism under the influence of recombinant DNA and has developed techniques for increasing the concentration of viable cells and product proteins, with the prospect of low-cost production of animal vaccines or diagnostic proteins.

"He has shown the ability to do cutting edge science on economically significant, industrial studies while simultaneously gleaning contributions of technical merit," wrote James Gentry, professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Maryland College Park, in making the nomination.

An associate professor at CAB, Bentley holds a joint appointment with the University of Maryland Department of Chemical Engineering. He is the director of the Engineering Research Center's Bioprocess Scale-up Facility, which, under his direction, has serviced 47 companies, more than two-thirds of which are in Maryland, and 12 government agencies.

Bentley also is a recipient of the Schering-Plough Young Investigator Award from the Society for Industrial Microbiology, the Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Sciences Award from the Washington Academy of Sciences, the Outstanding Faculty Award from the University of Maryland (College Park Parents Association), and the Dow Outstanding New Faculty Award from the American Society for Engineering Education.

A graduate of Cornell University, Bentley received a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He resides in Silver Spring, MD.