The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a not-for-profit scientific facility located in Creve Coeur, Missouri, United States. The Center's mission is to "improve the human condition through plant science".
Founded in 1998 by William Henry Danforth, a cardiologist, the Center was established through a $60 million gift from the Danforth Foundation, a $50 million gift from the Monsanto Fund, the donation of 40 acres of land from Monsanto, and $25 million in tax credits from the State of Missouri.
Established in 1998, the Danforth Center building opened in October 2001 and houses equipment for bioinformatics, proteomics and mass spectrometry, integrated microscopy, tissue culture, plant growth facility.
James C. Carrington is the current president. The center has a $20 million annual operating budget and more than 200 employees, including 19 Principal Investigators.
The Danforth Center is home to the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels, the Center for Advanced Biofuel Systems, and the International Institute for Crop Improvement.
In June 2009 the first building of the new Bio-Research & Development Growth (BRDG) Park opened on the Danforth Center campus.
