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Moderated conference on Genomics in Food and Agriculture

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Sat, 16 Mar 2013 06:02:05 +0100
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This is Tarek Yehia Soliman Kapiel, I am currently working as Assistant Professor of Plant Biotechnology, Al Baha University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

I am following the important topics of the conference and the thought-provoking discussions from the 1st e-mail, and I would like to share some notes and recommendations regarding the current situation of the genomic research in developing countries.

Many researchers have concluded that genomics and related biotechnologies have a role to play in achieving five out of the eight Millennium Development Goals, the set of targets agreed by UN member states in 2000, for addressing the problems faced by poor countries by 2015. However, the researchers in most developing countries requires access to knowledge essential to reaping the benefits of genomics. Conversely, all Governments in our developing countries need to realize the potential benefits of genomics research and the genomics knowledge should be considered as a global public issue, similar to the status given to biodiversity, climate change and most global environmental issues.

Rapid progress in genome science and a glimpse into its potential applications have spurred observers to predict that biology will be the foremost science of the 21st century. Technology and resources generated by the Human Genome Project and other genomics research are already having a major impact on research across the life sciences. Some current and potential applications of genome research in developing countries may include: 
(1) Molecular medicine, improved diagnosis of disease, earlier detection of genetic predispositions to disease, rational drug design, gene therapy and control systems for drugs , and pharmacogenomics "custom drugs". 
(2) Microbial Genomics, new energy sources (biofuels), environmental monitoring to detect pollutants, protection from biological and chemical warfare, safe, efficient toxic waste cleanup, understanding disease vulnerabilities and revealing drug targets. 
(3) Risk Assessment, assess health damage and risks caused by radiation exposure, including low-dose exposures, assess health damage and risks caused by exposure to mutagenic chemicals and cancer-causing toxins and reduce the likelihood of heritable mutations. 
(4) Bioarchaeology, Anthropology, Evolution, and Human Migration study, evolution through germline mutations in lineages, study migration of different population groups based on female genetic inheritance, study mutations on the Y chromosome to trace lineage and migration of males and compare breakpoints in the evolution of mutations with ages of populations and historical events. 
(5) DNA Forensics (Identification), identify potential suspects whose DNA may match evidence left at crime scenes, exonerate persons wrongly accused of crimes, identify crime and catastrophe victims, establish paternity and other family relationships, identify endangered and protected species as an aid to wildlife officials (could be used for prosecuting poachers), detect bacteria and other organisms that may pollute air, water, soil, and food, match organ donors with recipients in transplant programs and determine pedigree for seed or livestock breeds. 
(6) Agriculture, Livestock Breeding, and Bioprocessing, disease-, insect-, and drought-resistant crops, healthier, more productive, disease-resistant farm animals, more nutritious produce, biopesticides, edible vaccines incorporated into food products, new environmental cleanup uses for plants like tobacco.

Some current and potential applications of Structural and Functional Genomics in developing countries may include: 
(1) Exploit the knowledge created by Human Genome Sequencing and also that of some pathogenic organisms and parasites so as to generate diagnostic and therapeutic products of special relevance for the country, mostly for dreadful diseases like malaria, HIV tuberculosis, cancer and brain disorders. 
(2) Identifying genomic factors responsible for genetic disorders, development of molecular diagnostics and personalized drugs for the treatment, understanding of the biochemical pathways of the diseases leading to a safe and powerful treatment regime. Comparative genomics, functional and structural genomics, studies of single nucleotide polymorphism, proteomics, data annotation, integration and analysis. 
(3) Creation of DNA polymorphism maps and databases for predictive and preventive healthcare. 
(4) Creation of microarray facilities for defining the expression and functions of genes. For important crops like rice, wheat, Brassica, chickpea, a map based marker assisted technology development for precision breeding, as well as gene identification through in situ molecular hybridization. 
(5) To exploit the sequence information we have to understand the specific biological functions encoded by a sequence through detailed genetic and phyenotypic analysis. For this purpose, genetic resources, e.g. mutant, isogenic lines, elite breeding lines, and high throughput facilities such as microarrays and proteomics would be developed. The programme would initially focus on selected high-priority traits such as tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Bioinformatics capability for analytical and computational ability to infer gene function based on sequence information is equally essential. To enhance scientific knowledge and to discover new genes for crop improvement, a national functional genomics program is needed to make information from functional genomics studies broadly available to address practical problems. 
(6) Development of new algorithms, softwares and tools for data mining and data warehousing applications especially related to human, plant and microbial genomes; establishment of small software groups and companies to develop competence for identification for useful genes; strengthening the infrastructure for supporting complex and computationally intensive problems such as protein folding and other problems in structural biology; and establish linkages with epidemiological data to discover the genetic basis of several diseases affecting certain communities in the developing countries. 
(7) Exploitation of microbial genome information using strong bioinformatics machinery. 
(8) To set-up dedicated network centres for developing data warehouses, data design, data mining from single and multiple databases and mirror sites to decipher the international data available in public domain to correlate the function of individual sequences.

Specific objectives of the genomic research can be summarized as follows: 
(1) Developing human and financial capacities in genomic sciences. 
(2) Linking developing countries with each other in the fields of research, studies, expertise, information and genomics-related matters. 
(3) Sensitizing the society about the definition of genomics, its applications, benefits and dangers from a perspective that takes into consideration the ethical aspects of this technology. (4) Defining the priorities scheduled in the axes of biotechnology and that entail the use of molecular indicators, disease diagnosis, genetic engineering and genomics. 
(5) Establishing a mediation role for the developing countries in matters of copyright and other arbitration fields at the international level 
(6) Co-ordinating among developing countries in the field of the legislation governing biosafety (genetically modified organisms and disposal of toxic waste), and preserving biodiversity. (7) Endeavouring to develop the sector of biotechnology in the developing countries that lag behind in development to enable them to keep pace with other developed countries. 
(8) Encouraging the private sector through incentives to access the field of genomics. 

In his paper “Biotechnology Innovations in Developing Nations”, Jason Korenblit, BS (2006, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3571044/) concluded that,“Biotechnology breakthroughs are coming from developing countries like China and India that are seeking a competitive edge in the world market.” The report also highlights the importance not only of transferring technology to poor countries, but also of promoting active participation in science and innovation. It concluded that the explosion of biotechnology papers and publications that is coming from nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America in recent years is no accident, and policymakers in the international community will want to consider this fact carefully. Developing nations are working hard to close global health disparities and to reduce health inequalities with innovative products that rival the best that the Western world has to offer.  The examples discussed in his paper serve to show that human ingenuity knows no borders, and that innovative developing countries are making a significant impact on the global marketplace. There are many successful instances to support the previous view, for example, Cuban researchers have developed the world's only meningitis B vaccine. Moreover, Daar points out that China licensed the world's first use of gene therapy, in order to treat naso-pharangeal cancer. In Egypt, we were facing a shortage of insulin and an overdependence on the importation of insulin from overseas. A rapid development program sponsored by the government has allowed 90 percent of Egypt’s insulin to be produced domestically and has saved millions of dollars for the national health system. 

An international partnership is needed to share the benefits of genomics research and apply them to the needs of developing countries; the proposed initiative would be a network of researchers, government staff, non-governmental organisations, and citizens groups. Through it, the relative risks and benefits of new technologies could be assessed, enabling developing countries to take advantage of new genomics-based technologies. 

Undoubtedly, the global partnership is needed to avoid the 'genomics divide'. What could help bridge this gap is the emerging science of initiatives and global working groups such as Global Genomic Initiative (GGI, http://www.mnh.si.edu/ggi/). GGI is a collaborative effort to create a solid foundation for genomic research through a global network of biorepositories and research organizations. The GGI will preserve and study genomic diversity and increase access to genomic information from the key branches of the Tree of Life––expanding our contribution to the preservation and knowledge of life on our planet.

Another example is the ESRC Genomics Network (EGN, http://www.genomicsnetwork.ac.uk/), which is a major investment by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), dedicated to examining the development and use of the science and technologies of genomics. The activities of the EGN span the whole field of genomics, covering areas as diverse as plant and animal genetics, embryonic stem cell research, and associated health applications. The EGN spans five of the UK's leading universities, and involves over a hundred researchers, from professors to PhD students, as well as an international cast of visiting research fellows. It is one of the largest social science investments in the ESRC's current portfolio, and is growing into the largest concentration of social scientific research on genomics in the world. 

The cooperation between developing countries is important, as some nations, such as China, Cuba, Brazil and India, have already made big investments in genomics and biotechnology related to health and I wish that this dream came true one day.

I solicit FAO and the distinguished participating members of this e-mail conference to initiate such a network to gather all interested researchers and scientists from the developing countries as a first step in bridging the genomic divide.

Tarek Kapiel, B.Sc., M.Sc, Ph.D, Plant Biotechnology, Cairo & Clemson Universities.
Assistant Professor,
Biology Department,
Faculty of Science and Literature,
Al-Baha University,
Beljurashy,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
e-mail: tkapiel (at) gmail.com
Skype: dr.tkapiel 
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/profile.php?id=522542311

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