RECENT MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN THAILAND: BIOTECHNOLOGY Morakot Tanticharoen, Rudd Valyasevi, Jade Donavanik and Thippayawan Thanapaisal National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) Published in: www.Business-in-asia.com The Scope of Biotechnology Biotechnology is any technique that uses living organisms or substances derived from these organisms to make or modify a product, improve plants or animals or develop microorganisms for specific uses. It has found diverse application in medicine, agriculture, food processing, chemical compounds and environmental management. The term “modern biotechnology” is used to distinguish activities from traditional biotechnology, which included fermentation technologies, such as fish sauce, soyasauce and beer making. Modern biotechnology has developed rapidly since the elucidation of the structure of DNA, with subsequent major developments including the advent of recombinant DNA technology, advanced cell and tissue culture techniques and modern immunology. Modern biotechnology has already provided a number of benefits in health care, agriculture and other industries. Biotechnology-derived drugs [biopharmaceuticals] are now routinely used in medicine and over 25 industrial and food crops have been genetically modified. For example, gene technology has enabled the production of insulin that is identical to that produced in healthy individuals, replacing insulin derived from pigs in many applications. Novel therapeutic and diagnostic products for the prevention and treatment of thrombotic [blood clotting] disorders. In agriculture, biotechnology has produced biotic and abiotic-resistant crops, and foods with improved nutritional qualities. The development of pest and disease resistant crops has increased yields and reduced the application of agricultural chemicals. For example, Bt cotton varieties grown in China, USA and other countries. Golden rice [higher vitamin A content] is an example of food with improved nutritional qualities. The completion of entire genome sequences of many organisms including human provides a major impetus to understanding the complex nature of living cells. The international Human Genome Project stimulated developments both in high- throughput DNA sequencing, and in powerful computational tools for sequence analysis. Recently, the challenge turns from identifying the genome sequences to understanding their function. The post-genomics era refers to as functional genomics, the ability to monitor simultaneously potentially all events, whether it be the expression of genes at the RNA or protein level, protein-protein interactions, all alleles of all genes that affect a particular trait, or all protein-binding sites in a genome. DNA arrays can be used, most prominently to measure levels of gene expression for tens of thousands of genes simultaneously. The Growing Significance of Biotechnology Worldwide biotechnology markets amounted US$ 43 billion in 2000. Among the markets, the value in food and agriculture based on biotechnology was US$ 20 billion. 1 The global market for biotechnology is expected to grow at 12 to 20% per year. Biotechnology is having a major impact on almost all the major sectors of industry. Its relative importance* in industrial production and processing is estimated below. From the beginning of “new” biotechnology, the pharmaceutical and agri-chemical industries are being radically transformed by the application of recombinant and cell technologies. Industry Relative importance Biopharmaceuticals +++ Specialty chemicals + Colorants, food additives, cosmetics ++ Vaccines +/++ Edible and commodity crops [agri-food ++/+++ industry] Biological clean up [bioremediation] ++ Biomining/ bioleaching ++ * Number of [+] indicates relative importance [more=higher] Commercial biotechnology is a very research-intensive activity and driven by state-of-the art and private venture capital. Biotechnology is long dominated by the United States but it has now grown strongly, particularly in Germany, Britain, Israel and China. U.S. biotech firms total more than 1,300 compared with about 700 in all Europe. United States federal spending on biotechnology is US$ 6 billion annually, while many States have additional biotechnology programs. Canada Government expenditure on biotechnology research and development is estimated to be about C$ 300 million. An additional C$ 880 million was earmarked for a national genomics work. Germany has embraced biotechnology as key to its long- term competitiveness. In 1993 the government passed new legislation designed to streamline decision-making in biotech projects. In 1999, German researchers claimed 14% of all biotech patents applications, up from 10% five years ago and with more than 400 biotech-related start-ups now. Moreover, the country will channel $175 million over the next three years into a National Genome Research Network to work on the systematic functional analysis of genes and the use of those research results in the fight against widespread diseases. The new Genome Research Network involves at least 16 universities, several MaxPlanck institutes, and four national research centers. The Japanese Government spent US$ 2.5 billion in 1999 on biotechnology, an increase of 12.3% from the previous year. Major funding increases are focused on new research infrastructure in bioinformatics and genomics and on research commercialisation initiatives. Among the developing countries, the India government took the first step in encouraging a biotechnology industry back in 1986, by establishing a separate government department charged with increasing the number of biotechnology graduates coming from universities. Fifty universities now produce about 500 biotech scientists annually. In addition, the government began funding more than 50 centers around the country to collect genomic data. China is reported to have 24 field tests and 20 commercialized of genetically engineered crops in 1999-2000. Comparing with the above mentioned countries, biotechnology in Thailand has grown at a lesser extent even 2 though Thailand has substantial and unique genetic resources of plants, animals and microorganisms. Biotechnology can bring the enormous benefits and to maintain the competitiveness of Thailand’s existing agricultural exports. A new era of biotechnology was started when The Thai Government established the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology [BIOTEC] in 1983. Two years later, two specialized laboratories of BIOTEC, namely Plant Genetic Engineering and Microbial Genetic Engineering Units were initiated at Kasetsart and Mahidol University, respectively. Now, modern biotechnology is well developed in most universities and research institutes. The use of gene technology applications is wider and appreciated in the diagnosis of human and animal diseases. But the barriers of biotechnology development are adequate and effective funding of public and private sector research and Thailand’s ability to commercialise its research. Seventeen universities can now accept up to 600 biotechnology students annually. A survey by the Thai Society for Biotechnology showed that biotechnology scientists [with Bsc] have worked mainly in food and food beverage industries and only few with biotechnology industries. Co- ordination of research efforts across government portfolios is also important. There are no existing mechanisms for such co-ordination which bring together all portfolios and public funding agencies with a biotechnology interest. Agriculture and Gene Technology Gene technology promises to become new molecular tools to greatly accelerated and more precisely target conventional breeding. Today, recombinant DNA technology has reached a stage where short sections [genes] isolated from the genetic material of any organism can be transferred into the cells of a different organism. The process is known as transformation. The term genetic engineering thus refers to the application of recombinant DNA technology. Organisms with at least one foreign gene are known as genetically modified organisms [GMOs] or transgenic organisms. Genetic modifications can be carried out in almost any life form-microorganisms, animals, or plants. The combination of cloning with genetic engineering provides many opportunities for both agriculture and medicine, for example, production of new protein [medicines] in the milk of animals. The other applications of gene technology is the use of genetic markers, maps and genomic information in marker-assisted and gene-assisted selection and breeding for crop improvement. By the mid-seventies, with the dawning of new biotechnology centered in genetic engineering and molecular biology, Thailand was ready to adopt the new tools and apply to various practical problems. A few specific examples will be given here to highlight the applications of molecular biology and genetic engineering on agricultural development in Thailand. Plant transformation The area of plant transformation should lead to the production of transgenic plants with superior properties including the resistance to diseases, insect pests and abiotic stress. The Plant Genetic Engineering Unit [PGEU], the specialized laboratory of BIOTEC at Kasetsart University, Kamphaengsaen Campus was established in 1985 to carry out the work on plant biotechnology and genetic engineering. Transgenic tomato plant carrying the coat protein gene of tomato yellow leaf curl virus was first developed to control the serious virus disease