Adopt Gene Technology

Media Backgrounder on TJ Higgins - Biotechnology Australia - 1 February, 2001.

Australia risks losing its international competitive advantage as an efficient agricultural producer if it does not commercially adopt many of the scientific advances gained through gene technology, according to a leading plant researcher.

Dr T J Higgins, the Canberra-based Program Leader with CSIRO's Plant Industry Division, said much debate had occurred over the possible risks of GM technology however, little consideration had been given to the risks of not making use of the benefits derived from such research.

Dr Higgins was one of several high profile scientists who presented information during a series of rural community forums hosted around Australia last year by the Commonwealth Government agency, Biotechnology Australia. The forums aimed to provide information on gene technology, its benefits and risks.

Dr Higgins said while Australia was considered a world leader in genetic research, it lagged behind other developed nations in its commercial application of GM technology.

"When people talk about risks they often don't mention that risk and I think that's a real one – that we could miss out on the benefits of the technology.

"If Australian farmers do not have access to some of this technology, they're going to become less competitive, and it is a highly competitive business producing plants for food.

"I think they are already starting to recognise that they will lag behind their competitors particularly in North America and Argentina, which have adopted the technology very strongly because of the benefits that they can see."

Dr Higgins said Australian producers were among the most efficient in the world, despite having little artificial support through trade subsidies. Yet, he believes these efficiencies could be eroded if the option of incorporating more GM crops into Australian farming is not available.

While some might argue Australia's current reluctance to introduce more GMOs into the food chain is preserving its ‘clean green image', Dr Higgins believes there is no advantage to having a blanket ban on GM.

Instead, he says considered use of the latest breeding technology – both GM and conventional – is the best way of seizing the benefits.

"Australian farmers are looking at this (technology) very carefully and maintaining an open mind on it … as they are looking to use any new technology to assist in more efficient production," he said.

However, Dr Higgins believes the future adoption of GM crops especially crops for human consumption – will be determined by consumer acceptance of the technology.

"I think the farmers mostly tend to trust the science and trust the regulators, but of course they've also go to sell their product."

One of the key issues Dr Higgins wants the wider community to understand is that GM technology is an ‘evolution' in genetic science and not a ‘revolution' as it is often painted. He said humans had manipulated genetic material for many thousands of years and transgenic applications were the latest developments in the continuum.

Department of Biotechnology (Bio-Tech.)

The Department of Biotechnology is a center for excellence in biotechnology research. Projects here span the gamut of the stream, right from computational biology at the molecular level to modeling the effects of technology and regulatory change on marketing of bio products. The School deals with the latest developments in the fields of Pharmaceutical, Bio-Pharmaceutical and Drug Discovery Sector, Health-Care,Diagnostic and Therapeutics, Plant and Animal Sciences and Environmental Sector.

Academics
Undergraduate
The major focus of the B. Tech. degree program is in bridging bio-sciences and bio-engineering. Multiple paths have been embedded in the design of the curriculum. The main objective is to create a flexible educational experience comprising biosciences credentials like Microbiology and Immunology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Genetic engineering, Plant and Animal cell & Tissue culture, Genomics and Proteomics, IPR and Bioethics and bioengineering like Bioprocess Technology, Down stream processing, Unit operations along with the momentous chemical engineering credentials, mathematics and basic engineering subjects. The highlight of the syllabus is to make the students gain the practical knowledge through in plant training, projects and educational tours.

Postgraduate
The PG degree program enables the students to gain knowledge in biology, agriculture, natural resources, and related sciences. Courses are designed to suit both manufacturing, and R & D programs. Students are given strong insights into both theoretical and practical aspects of individual courses/subjects. Additionally, short-term research programs too are undertaken towards the end of the course.

Faculty
The faculty, carefully chosen from different disciplines of biotechnology is the strength of the Department. A strong cadre of Core Faculty members oversees the curriculum and instruction. Many hold advanced academic degrees and are actively employed in research.The faculty participates in training and development activities, which help them update their knowledge in the current developments of biotechnology and to promote advanced research activities in the Department. The sound technical knowledge of the faculty members help in guiding the students in recent advances in the various fields of biotechnology.

Cutting-edge laboratories & facilities
The Department has independent laboratories, equipped with state of the art equipment for Microbiology and Immunology, Biochemistry,Molecular Biology, and Genetic engineering, Plant cell and Tissue culture, Animal cell culture, Bioprocess Technology, Down stream processing, Unit operations, Instrumentation labs, Media preparation labs are available. Special facilities such as walk-in cold room, walk-in incubators, media preparation lab, photography lab, computer lab, instrumentation lab are available for teaching and research activities.

The Department has imported essential and advanced equipments like large fermentors, lyophilizer, gel documentationsystem, PCR and thermalcyclers, refrigerated centrifuges and basic equipment like electrophoretic systems,CO2 incubators, inverted microscopes, phase contrast microscope, deep freezers, ultrasonic cell disintegrators, UV-Visiblespectrophotometers, hybridization oven etc, besides minimal infrastructure facilities in all laboratories, for teaching and research activities.

Research & Consultancy
The Department works with other departments, national and international industries and R & D institutions to develop expertise in Molecular Biology, Metabolic Engineering, Protein Engineering, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Immunology, Biotransformations, Biodegradation, Plant Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology, Marine Biotechnology, Enzyme Technology, Bio-separations, Biosensors, Instrumentation, Bioinformatics, Computational Biotechnology, Bioprocess Engineering, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Biomedical Engineering, Tissue Engineering, Biofuels and Alternate Energy.

Major events and achievements
The Department has an excellent record of achievements. Shabir Dhamani, a final year B.Tech student has won thefirst prize in the National level entrepreneurship competition held at IIT, Chennai and Ms. Preethi has been selected as a staff of Larson and Toubro, Baroda for her final year research work on "Generation of Bioelectricity from waste water usingmicrobial fuel cells". Apart from this Mr. Ojas Mahopatra, a budding scientist has got the prestigious Junior Scientist Award from the Honourable President of India and Mr. Shan Narayanan has represented India in the World Cyber Games held in South Korea. The Department tops the list in the placement percentage of SRM

Industrial connection
The Department has a record of sorts when it comes to linking up with the industry; in terms of student projects and training with highly recognized Institutes/Industries like Biocon, Bangalore; Santha Biotech, Hyderabad; Reliance Life Sciences, Mumbai; Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore; University of Madras, Chennai; Central Leather Research Institute,Chennai; Cancer Research Institute, Chennai; MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai; Tuberculosis Research enter, Chennai; Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai; Medopharm, Chennai; Reddy's Lab, Hyderabad; NIOT, Chennai; Bharat Biotech, Chennai; Jain Institute, Bangalore; SPIC, Cuddalore; Kalinga Plant Resource Center, Bhuvaneshwar; GeoMarine Biotechnologies limited, Chennai; M.S. University, Baroda; Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai; and Anna University, Chennai.

Careers
This program prepares the student for entry-level work in the bioscience industry in the areas of research and development,production, clinical testing, and diagnostic work. Potential employers include biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies,as well as laboratories in hospitals, government, universities, horticultural industries, conservation organizations, food anddrink manufacturers, water industry, agricultural industry and law enforcement.

Introduction to Biotechnology

Biotechnology is technology based on biology, especially when used in agriculture, food science, and medicine. The UN Convention on Biological Diversity has come up with one of many definitions of biotechnology: "Biotechnology means any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use."

Traditional pharmaceutical drugs are small chemicals molecules that treat the symptoms of a disease or illness - one molecule directed at a single target. Biopharmaceuticals are large biological molecules known as proteins and these target the underlying mechanisms and pathways of a malady; it is a relatively young industry. They can deal with targets in humans that are not accessible with traditional medicines. A patient typically is dosed with a small molecule via a tablet while a large molecule is typically injected. Small molecules are manufactured by chemistry but large molecules are created by living cells: for example, - bacteria cells, yeast cell,animal cells.
Modern biotechnology is often associated with the use of genetically altered microorganisms such as E. coli or yeast for the production of substances like insulin or antibiotics. It can also refer to transgenic animals or transgenic plants, such as Bt corn. Genetically altered mammalian cells, such as Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells, are also widely used to manufacture pharmaceuticals. Another promising new biotechnology application is the development of plant-made pharmaceuticals.


Biotechnology is also commonly associated with landmark breakthroughs in new medical therapies to treat diabetes, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Cancers, Arthritis, Haemophilia, Bone Fractures, Multiple Sclerosis, Cardiovascular as well as molecular diagnostic devices than can be used to define the patient population. Herceptin, is the first drug approved for use with a matching diagnostic test and is used to treat breast cancer in women whose cancer cells express the protein HER2.

Biotechnology in one form or another has flourished since prehistoric times. When the first human beings realized that they could plant their own crops and breed their own animals, they learned to use biotechnology. The discovery that fruit juices fermented into wine, or that milk could be converted into cheese or yogurt, or that beer could be made by fermenting solutions of malt and hops began the study of biotechnology. When the first bakers found that they could make a soft, spongy bread rather than a firm, thin cracker, they were acting as fledgling biotechnologists. The first animal breeders, realizing that different physical traits could be either magnified or lost by mating appropriate pairs of animals, engaged in the manipulations of biotechnology.

What then is biotechnology? The term brings to mind many different things. Some think of developing new types of animals. Others dream of almost unlimited sources of human therapeutic drugs. Still others envision the possibility of growing crops that are more nutritious and naturally pest-resistant to feed a rapidly growing world population. This question elicits almost as many first-thought responses as there are people to whom the question can be posed.

In its purest form, the term "biotechnology" refers to the use of living organisms or their products to modify human health and the human environment. Prehistoric biotechnologists did this as they used yeast cells to raise bread dough and to ferment alcoholic beverages, and bacterial cells to make cheeses and yogurts and as they bred their strong, productive animals to make even stronger and more productive offspring.

Throughout human history, we have learned a great deal about the different organisms that our ancestors used so effectively. The marked increase in our understanding of these organisms and their cell products gains us the ability to control the many functions of various cells and organisms. Using the techniques of gene splicing and recombinant DNA technology, we can now actually combine the genetic elements of two or more living cells. Functioning lengths of DNA can be taken from one organism and placed into the cells of another organism. As a result, for example, we can cause bacterial cells to produce human molecules. Cows can produce more milk for the same amount of feed. And we can synthesize therapeutic molecules that have never before existed.

Find your ideal laptop

From taking lecture notes to writing up a dissertation, a laptop is a very useful bit of kit for students. David Phelan recommends his pick of the best

Tuesday, 23 September 2008

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Sure there are computers on campus that you can use, but student life is a lot easier if you have a laptop of your own

A Preview of Things to Come

What comes after PC Show and IT Show? Comex of course! And it's nearly the time of the year again when the hottest products and tech bargains are amassed all under one roof. Heading into its 16th anniversary, this time round Comex promises to be even bigger and more comprehensive than ever before. Expected to occupy three floors of Suntec City Exhibition Center with a combined floor area of 300,000 square-feet, the claims certainly sound likely. However unlike previous shows, Comex is promising comfortable four-meter wide walkways throughout the show floor encompassing 780 vendors. That's definitely something we're keen to find out firsthand next week when we battle the crowds to bring you the actual coverage.

But well before you even set foot, www.hardwarezone.com is proud to bring you a preview of the latest gadgets and great offers that await you at Comex 2007. After several days of exchanges with many of the exhibitors, we bring you the first part of the preview. Enjoy!

BenQ Projector MP511	Projection System: DLP (1 x DMD) Native Resolution : SVGA (800 x 600) Brightness: 2000 ANSI lumens Contrast Ratio: 2000:1 (Full on/Full off) Weight: 2.6 kg Dimensions (L x W x H): 277 x 95 x 208 mm Functions: Golden Ratio Color Wheel, BrilliantColor, Wall Color Correction, 3D Color Mgmt, Quick Auto Search Comex Offer (Booth 6448, Level 6) $999 (usual price: $1,099) Free 3 years warranty (1st & 2nd year onsite, 3rd year carry-in) Free 1 year unlimited lamp hours warranty Free S$100 shopping voucher and pull-down screen worth S$120 (Limited to first 30 customers only)
NEC NP40 Projector	1.6Kg 2200 ANSI Lumens XGA Resolutions Auto Focus Comex Offer (Booth 8139, Hall 401) S$1,699 (retail price $2,099) Freebies worth S$480: Projector Screen and 320GB Media Player OR Projector Lamp (*while stocks last) Early bird bonus worth S$59: For the first 20 customers to purchase the NEC P40 or VT49 projector
NEC VT49 Projector	1600 ANSI Lumens SVGA Resolutions Quick Start and Quick Cool Down Comex Offer (Booth 8139, Hall 401) $999 (retail price at 1,199) Freebies worth S$200: Projector Screen and 1 Pair of Movie Tickets (*while stocks last) Early bird bonus worth S$59: For the first 20 customers to purchase the NEC P40 or VT49 projector
NEC Versa E6310 Notebook	Powered by Intel Centrino Processor Technology with new Intel Core 2 Duo Processor Intel 965PM 14.1" WXGA LCD with NEC Super Shine View (SSV) display Built-in 2.0-Megapixels webcam and Dual Digital Microphone Array for VOIP communication TnG Chrome Blue-lighted Touchpad with Multimedia and Office Control Keys NVIDIA GeForce Go 8600 graphics HDMI AV Interface Gigabit LAN & Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR / 6-in-1 Card Reader Li-Ion battery / 2.49kg Windows Vista Premium Comex Offer (Booth 8139, Hall 401) To be disclosed.
ViewSonic's 'Bling' 22-inch LCD display	Swarovski crystal assembled 22-inch LCD display Debuts at Comex 2007 Show Available in White and Black Comex Offer (Booth 6136, Level 6) To be disclosed.
Plantronics Discovery 665 Bluetooth Headset with AudioIQ.	AudioIQ technology improves the experience on both ends of the call Sleek, stylish design for discreet connectivity Ultra-light and comfortable at only 9 grams Unique vehicle power charger with call indicator light Easily recharge from your PC with the USB charger QuickPair technology for fast, easy pairing with Bluetooth devices Talk time: Battery supports active use up to 3.5 hours Standby time: Up to 80 hours Comex Offer (Booth 6121, Level 6, Hall 602) S$259

The Components Paradise

Spanning across 5 halls, the start of Computex 2006 is also the beginning of a busy schedule for thousands of people. From logistic professionals, manufacturers, vendors, public relations to the media, the streets surrounding the compounds that form Computex will once again liven up for days with no letups. Among the thousands waddling through the latest products of which many will eventually make their way into our homes is the team from www.hardwarezone.com, and here's what we saw.

Foxconn

Foxconn's booth this year is probably their most elaborate with a huge fan decoration that actually moves!

The Conroe craze has started at Computex and Foxconn had on display their Broadwater motherboard based on the Intel P965 and brand new Intel ICH8R Southbridge. The P9657AA-8EKRS2H will support the new Core 2 Duo as well as the whole family of LGA775 processors, suport DDR2-800, eSATA, Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire-400, S/PDIF and Foxconn's FOX ONE overclocking technology.

Not only did Foxconn demonstrate the latest C51XEM2AA nForce 590 SLI motherboard, it was also running two GeForce 7950 GX2s in quad-SLI mode. Not exactly the freshest news bit, but you know you want one.

Foxconn goes mainstream with a special microATX form factor board with an 85x80cm dimension featuring a VIA P4M890 chipset that can support Intel Core Duo processors as well as the Pentium Extreme Edition. The board will feature 800/1066MHz FSB support, DDR2 memory up till 533MHz, AC'97 audio, Fast Ethernet, embedded DirectX 7 graphics with a PCIe x4 interface for external graphics. The P4M8907SA-RS2H is truly for the entry-level market.

You will never have guessed it, but Foxconn has just officially gone into the graphics card business. What you see here is the prototype FV-N795M4D2-OD GeForce 7950 GX2 sporting a 500MHz clock and 1GB GDDR3 at 1.2GHz. It seems like a standard NVIDIA design with two DVI ports and a HDTV out. No HDMI interface though. Other models currently in the pipeline are the 512MB FV-N79XM3D2-OD (GeForce 7900 GTX) and 256MB FV-N79TM2D2-OD (GeForce 7900 GT)

Another new trick we learned was how to successfully propose with the help of Intel's Viiv technology. It seems that Viiv is shaping up to have more and more uses everyday.

Med-Evacuation Aerial Vehicle Concept Research Project was reveal

Fisher Institute for Air & Space Strategic Studies - MEDUAV concept project was selected as one of 60 best technology projects presenting at the "Facing Tomorrow" exhibition, part of the Israel Presidential Conference 2008. Facing Tomorrow, the first annual conference of Shimon Peres' presidency taken place in Jerusalem May 13-15 2008, marking Israel's milestone 60th anniversary, at the International Convention Center In Jerusalem. World leaders both Jewish and non-Jewish, thinkers and doers, artists and scientists, rabbis and entrepreneurs including the next generation of leadership will take part in the event. Conference participants include: former British Prime Minister Tony Blair; French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner; former President of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev; former US Secretary of State, Dr. Henry Kissinger; former Czech Prime Minister Vaclav Havel; and President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili.