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DOST genomics program to focus on health, agriculture, and biodiversity PDF Print E-mail
Friday, 09 December 2011 03:24

Department of Science and Technology Secretary Mario G. Montejo, in his address during the launching of the Philippine Genomics Center in Shangri-la Hotel Makati City, last November 28, 2011, said that DOST will focus its genomics program on health, agriculture, livestock, fisheries and biodiversity.

 

Genomics, a flagship program of DOST, can be a “game-changing tool that could offer enormous rewards to our people,” according to Secretary Montejo.

 

Genomics is a science concerned with the study of the genomes or the complete set of genes in an organism.  A goal in genomics is the sequencing of the genome of the whole organism which may lead to applications in medicine, agriculture, ecology, and bio-processing.

 

Sec. Montejo said that DOST will provide funding support on health researches on diseases such as dengue, TB, AH1N1, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes and genomic studies on endemic crops, staples, bio-products fisheries and livestock to significantly enhance agricultural production.
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Jatropha lesson: Pilot-test first before roll-out PDF Print E-mail
Saturday, 05 November 2011 18:13

The Department of Science and Technology affirms that a successful pilot testing of jatropha’s viability as an alternative fuel source should have been conducted before going into large-scale production.  Thorough testing on a pilot scale should have included planting and harvesting, production of jatropha oil, and converting then blending these to become bio-fuels. This is something that the previous administration failed to do.

DOST Secretary Mario G. Montejo is reacting to news reports quoting DOE Sec. Rene Almendras as saying that the past administration wasted money and resources in planting thousands of hectares of land with jatropha to produce raw materials for bio-fuels.

The DOST recently-concluded pilot production and testing of bio-fuel from jatropha and proved the technical feasibility of producing jatropha oil and converting it to methyl ester.

Methyl esters, or fats from animals and vegetables, were found in previous scientific studies to be suitable as blend for diesel fuel.

“However, technical feasibility is sometimes different from commercial viability because it involves other issues.” explained Sec. Montejo.

“Thhe proper scientific protocol in programs involving new technologies such as this is to conduct first a pilot-test and a thorough evaluation of its results to prove its viability before rolling it out,” Montejo said.

At present the DOST is not keen on further studies on the processing of jatropha but would still complete the review and evaluation of past data and results. (S&T Media Service. For queries, pals contact: Raymund E. Liboro 09175839733)
 
Directions for emerging science research set PDF Print E-mail
Wednesday, 02 November 2011 09:05

Researchers in the country can now program their research activities in emerging science with the setting up of the sector’s research and development roadmaps.

Led by the Department of Science and Technology’s  Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology (DOST-PCIEERD) last October, the crafting of the R&D roadmaps involved stakeholders in the fields of genomics and nanotechnology.

“One important thing that you should consider in crafting the roadmaps is the final outcome of the research activity,” Sec. Mario Montejo advised the stakeholders during the workshop. “In the end, the final product that comes from research should uplift the lives of the Filipino people.”

Genomics refers to the study of genomes, or the complete set of genetic material of organisms. Getting down to gene level leads to a better understanding of living organisms and how they can be improved. In the country, genomics R&D are commonly in the areas of agriculture, health, nutrition, Filipino ethnicity, nutrigenomics, biotechnology, biodiversity, and forensic.

Meanwhile, nanotechnology, also called the “science of small,” involves the study of things at the atomic level. At this level, there are properties and functions not present in larger dimensions but can be designed and controlled at the level of atoms and molecules. Nanotechnology researches in the country are in the areas of biotechnology, materials science, and information and communications technology.

In the field of health genomics, R&D will focus more on  the development of diagnostic kits for commonly-encountered diseases.  This effort leads to a “Filipinized personal medicine” that addresses  unique conditions of Filipinos in infectious, lifestyle, and cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Also set in the pipeline are functional and designer foods that  can treat ailments,  molecular marker studiers, deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA fingerprinting, novel enzymes development, sustainable drug discovery, and bio-energy production, among others.
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