ITB-UT Workshop on Environmental Biosafety
A workshop on Environmental Biosafety was concluded last week at the Institute of Tropical Biology (ITB), Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. This workshop was conducted as …
A workshop on Environmental Biosafety was concluded last week at the Institute of Tropical Biology (ITB), Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. This workshop was conducted as a part of a bilateral collaboration on S&T between ITB and Gene Research Center representing University of Tsukuba (UT). The workshop was aiming to contribute to institutional capacity building on planning and managing transgenic research and commercialization which is oriented to deliberate release to the environment. This is also represented by Plant Transgenic Design Initiative (http://ptrad.gene.tsukuba.ac.jp/) of the UT. The workshop was also cooperated by ABEN (Asian Biosafety Education Network, http://www.gene.tsukuba.ac.jp/Plant/GeneticDiversity/ABEN/aben.html), PRRI (http://www.pubresreg.org/), and ISAAA (http://www.isaaa.org/) with close communication with SCBD.
Dr. Kazuo Watanabe (from UT), Dr. Behzad Ghareyazie (from Iranian Biosafety Society) and Dr. T. Oguchi (from UT) as the resource persons covered the four day workshop, (May 21st to 24th, 2012), covering the following theoretical and practical topics: 1) Basic ideas on transgenic technology and products, 2) Regulatory framework on biosafety, 3) implementation of biosafety at national and institutional level and 4) Overall ideas of risk assessment and risk management and 5) Lab sessions on bacterial transformation and used of reporter genes and molecular tools for the detection of genetically modified organisms. About 30 authorities/experts participated in this workshop.
Vietnam is currently conducting field trials on insect resistant Bt corn in two main research station at the North (Hanoi) and the South (near Ho Chi Minh). Vietnamese government has initiated a strong genetic engineering program for increased productivity, better quality and environmental safety.