Scientific research and training in biotechnology in latin america and the caribbean: the UNU/BIOLAC experience

Scientific research and training in biotechnology in latin america and the caribbean: the UNU/BIOLAC experience

Key words: Biotechnology in Latin America and The Caribbean, Networking, Training, Courses, Fellowships, University

It is well known that the number of researchers in Biotechnology in Latin America and the Caribbean is too small to cope with the needs of research and to successfully confront the number of short and long-term problems.

The United Nations University created its Biotechnology Program for Latin America and the Caribbean, UNU/BIOLAC, and the results of the efforts aiming to the promotion of a shared sense of direction within the region's scientific community are presented and discussed herein.

The United Nations University and its Biotechnology Program

Under the initiative of the Secretary General of the time, Mr. U. Thant, The United Nations University, UNU, was created in 1973, beginning its activities in 1975. In 1988, under the Rectorship of Prof. Heitor Gurgulino de Souza, with the income of two out of the seven million dollars paid from the ten million dollars pledged by the Venezuelan Government to the Universities Endowment Fund, the UNU created the Biotechnology Program for Latin America and the Caribbean, UNU/BIOLAC. Since then it has received additional contributions from the Governments of Canada and Peru. With those limited resources, basically the income of the two million dollars pledge by the Venezuelan Government the UNU/BIOLAC Program has been concentrating on three areas recommended by its Scientific Advisory Committee. These are Diagnostics and Vaccines for Human and Animal Disease, Plant Genetics Engineering, and Microorganisms of Industrial Interest.

The goal of the UNU/BIOLAC Program is essentially to promote through its actions, a shared sense of direction that might have an impact on intellectual development in the region, specifically in Biotechnology. The Program's strategy is to develop human resources in the scientific community with the collaboration of well known scientists and institutes already established in the region and enlarge the capacity of scientific research in the region by integrating those human resources in research networks.

The Program has a General Co-ordinator located in Caracas, Venezuela, who is assisted by the Scientific Co-ordinators of the Research Networks, and two Associated Experts. It is important to stress that the overhead expenditure of the Program only reaches 10% of its budget, approximately 57% goes into training and fellowships leaving the rest for the research activities of the Networks.

Development of Human Resources

The UNU/BIOLAC Program began its activities in 1989, developing human resources in the region by granting short term fellowships, supporting high level academic courses with the collaboration of Centres of Excellence in the region, and by establishing research networks.

The scheme intends to strengthen the regions´ academic institutions, and to assist the career development of scholars and scientists, particularly young researchers. It also aims to promote an understanding of complex problems in their global context, development of analytical skills and the ability to conduct and direct research.

The results presented here are those found in the Program's data bank and covers the eight year period since the Program was created, including all the participants of the training fellowships and courses sponsored by Program.

Training Courses

The Program uses the human resources already established in the region, to help improve the scientific skills of others that would directly benefit from the Program by taking advantage of the training programs and courses offered.

To run the highly specialised courses many institutions were visited in order to identify qualified academic institutions that were willing to serve as centres for the Program in order to fulfil its task in the region.

The Program annually offers an average of five international two-week training courses. The support given to each of the courses includes the support of international participants, covering 75% of the register. During a seven-year period forty courses were held in the region sponsored by UNU/BIOLAC.

Fellowships

In order to accomplish its goals, the Program uses the same methods as other international academic institutions that grant fellowships. The candidate has to be accepted by the laboratory where the training will take place. This avoids the possibility of converting the Program into a placement office. Scientists have discovered that there are many possibilities for collaborative projects that can be developed within Latin America and the Caribbean.

UNU/BIOLAC tries to select individuals particularly from key institutions in order to strengthen their capacities in the Program's priority areas. The fellowships are intended for individuals who already have a strong background in basic biological sciences, and have an advanced university degree but who lack specific practical experience in biotechnological techniques.

The fellowships last for a minimum of three and a maximum of twelve months. UNU/BIOLAC provides a monthly stipend for the fellow, the round trip air ticket, travel accident and sickness insurance, and the eventual bench fees for the training institution.

During the seven-year period 127 of fellows have benefited from UNU/BIOLAC. A striking feature is that 62% of the fellows are women. This suggests that as opposed to long term academic fellowships, short-term training periods are considered by women as a positive step towards advancement.

The participation of women not only corresponds to the use of short term training fellowships; they are also a very active and important part of the Networks. We are proud to say that the participation of women in the UNU/BIOLAC Program activities is as important as that of men.

Politics are not involved in the process of granting a fellowship. This is clear when we observe that countries with different political environments such as Cuba, and Peru with 21 and 24 fellowships respectively have taken almost as much advantage of offered fellowships as Venezuela the host country, where 30 fellowships have been granted. The number of granted fellowships per country depends solely on the desire of the applicant and the human resource policy of each institute from which the postulants come from.

Keeping in mind that UNU/BIOLAC follows the same SOUTH-SOUTH co-operation framework of the University, we can observe that the new trend, offered by the Program, of training the scientists for short periods of time within the region, has been accepted by all countries, developed or underdeveloped.

Integration of Human Resources

Networks

The University has in its charter the mandate to promote collaborative work among scientists in the developing world. As a result, the UNU/BIOLAC Program provides the infrastructure for Regional Networks involving scientists and their laboratories in order to improve the contact and sharing of information among institutions in the region.

With the support of the Canadian Government, the UNU organised a Network of Researchers in Brucellosis, which, after UNU/BIOLAC´s creation in 1988 became part of the Program. This was so successful that in 1996 another Network of researchers was organised. This time the target was Tuberculosis. If funds are made available, we plan to organise a Network for each of the Program's concentration areas.

The Brucellosis Research Network

Brucellosis is a zoonosis, which has become a public health problem in several countries in the region, whose economies have been affected by the appearance of the disease. In 1985 the Brucellosis Network was created through the initiative of The United Nations University, UNU, and with the support of Canadian Institutions such as the International Development and Research Center (IDRC), and the Government of Canada. When UNU/BIOLAC was created, this network was incorporated into the activities of the Program.

The Brucellosis Network, carries out a very active scientific program. The network has already published a book with the results of their first works and the publication of their second book is schedule for the next future.

The Tuberculosis Research Network

It is believed that a third of the worlds population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, leading to over 600,000 cases and 125,000 deaths per year in Latin America, and more than 3,000,000 deaths world wide, mostly in developing countries.

This disease, frequently associated with AIDS, has become increasingly dangerous because of the emergence of drug resistant strains.

The Tuberculosis Research Network, RELACTB, has the active collaboration of researchers from 12 countries of the region. Invited scientists from Belgium, Canada, France, The Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain are also participating. This network studies the genetics and molecular biology of the mycobacterium; mechanisms of resistance, geographical distribution of strains in the region, use of techniques from molecular biology in diagnosis and development of simpler methods of cultivation in non-conventional mediums.

With the support of UNU/BIOLAC, RELACTB organises advanced courses for young researchers, in order to disseminate new biological technology for the study of this disease. It publishes an electronic bulletin, "RELACTBulletin" which describes the activities of its members.

Final Comments

It is well known that the number of researchers in Latin America and the Caribbean is too small to cope with the needs of research and to successfully confront the number of short and long-term problems. In order to solve these problems, the recommendations given are for the long run, and activities such as those carried out by UNU/BIOLAC play a very important role in the updating, recycling, and permanent interchange of scientists in the region.

The Program has proven to be an important tool in preventing scientists from emigrating, as it allows the creation of new horizons for co-operative projects, thus producing favourable conditions for research.

In only seven years of work, the results produced by UNU/BIOLAC support the hypothesis of a shared sense of direction within the region's scientific community. This, combined with the efforts of well established scientists in the region, is creating a new and stronger community which is working towards solving the problems of the current crisis and meeting the challenges of the near future.

This initiative demonstrates that entities such as UNU/BIOLAC, regardless of their limited financial resources, through their encouraging policy of supporting human resource improvement, can be used, with excellent results by developing countries for their own benefit.

In order to guarantee the sustainability of scientific and technological developments in all countries of the region, it is important to encourage young scientists to obtain a better professional preparation. Therefore, it is desirable that other non-governmental organisations support efforts such as those made by UNU/BIOLAC.

Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to Dr. Abraham Besrat, Vice-Rector of UNU; to Dr. Jacobus de Waard, Dr. Luis Guevara, Associate Experts, Ad Hoc, to UNU/BIOLAC, and Dr. Maria S. Tapia de Daza, for their help in the discussion, criticisms and suggestions; and to Mrs. Wilma James, Academic Officer Assistant at UNU for her support.

References

Annual Report (1989), (1990), (1991), (1992), (1993), (1994), (1995), (1996), and (1997). The United Nations University.

Training and Fellowship Programme Former Fellows Directory (1988-1992) and List of Training Workshop Participants (1983-1992). The United Nations University.

* Co-ordinator for The United Nations University of the Biotechnology Program for Latin America and The Caribbean, UNU/BIOLAC.