MANILA, Philippines – Fresh from his much-applauded valedictory speech at the graduation ceremony of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Arman Ali Ghodsinia shared what he intends to do after college and his big dreams for the country.

Ghodsinia, a Maranao from Marawi who just graduated summa cum laude in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the UP College of Science, said he wants to help build the biotechnology industry in the Philippines.

“I believe (that) in the future, there will be a biotechnology industry here in the Philippines. And I have a lot of brilliant batchmates who I see will contribute well to the science in the Philippines. And together, we will be able to raise the science in the Philippines to the extent that people from other countries will come here to study science,” Ghodsinia said on Rappler Talk on Thursday, June 29.

Such industry does not exist yet in the country, though there are brilliant scientists and students studying the field, Ghodsinia said, citing a UP professor teaching biotechnology enterprises.

Biotechnology, according to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, is “any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use.”

In the Philippines, the field of biotechnology should benefit the agriculture sector, Ghodsinia said, noting that the country hosts world-renowned research centers like the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC).

“If we are to focus on something, I’d say that could be one of our priorities – improving our agriculture, because it’s one of our strong points,” the young scientist said.

Giving back to Marawi

The fresh graduate, who got a general weighted average of 1.173, worked on a thesis that tackled “genetic aberrations” that cause cancer and how these affect health outcomes like a patient’s reaction to medicines.

Ghodsinia plans to pursue graduate studies abroad but vowed to return to the country and open his own laboratory.

“And (through) this laboratory, I want to open opportunities for my kababayans (townmates) from Mindanao, from Marawi, and people who come from poor backgrounds to learn stuff in molecular biology as well. In doing so, together, we are able to raise (the level) of science in the Philippines,” he said.

He encouraged other Filipino scientists to do the same and help further develop science and technology in the country.

“You have to have many scientists – Filipino scientists – who are passionate about the country, and those who do not forget their country and are willing to sacrifice amidst all the opportunities abroad,” Ghodsinia said in a mix of Filipino and English.

Ghodsinia called on the government to provide more funds for science education in the country. “This means that you have to have more students who are interested in science,” he said.

‘Children of Mindanao’

In the meantime, Ghodsinia is supporting his sister Farah’s initiative, “Children of Mindanao,” which helps Muslim children access good education.

“We want to raise the awareness that there are certain groups in the Philippines, not only the Maranaos, who are being left behind. We, as scholars of the nation, or anyone in the Philippines, should also look [after] them,” he said.

Ghodsinia’s viral valedictory speech called for peace and compassion as fighting rages in his hometown. (READ: Maranao UP graduate: ‘Magmalasakit sa mga naaapi’)

“Here I am standing in front of you today, as proof that members of minorities like us Maranaos can also do well; and contribute effectively to societal growth if given the same opportunities and rights like many other Filipinos,” he said in his speech.

Ghodsinia’s sister, who also graduated with honors in UP Diliman before taking up law in the same university, is pushing for inclusive education and development in the country.

“It’s difficult to have that if the war consistently persists. You see these individuals actually crying and suffering – they don’t deserve it,” Farah said on Rappler Talk.

According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), more than 83,500 families or 385,000 people from Marawi City have so far been displaced by the month-long clashes between government troops and local terrorists. 

This article was written by Voltaire Tupaz and published at Rappler.com. You can view the original article here. 

Bangladesh, the first country to plant biotech eggplant, is ready to adopt biotech cotton. This was expressed by the research and development leaders of the country during the seminar launch of ISAAA’s Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops for 2016, held on July 9, 2017 at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) in Dhaka.

Chief Guest Additional Secretary of Agriculture Ministry Fazley Wahld Khandoker and heads of various government institutions expressed their appreciation to ISAAA for the valuable information provided by Dr. Rhodora R. Aldemita and Mr. Bhagirath Choudhary on the status, impact, and prospects of agri-biotechnology in 2016. Reactions imparted by panelists focused on the country’s success in Bt brinjal adoption in the past three years, developments on the Golden Rice and late blight potato projects and more notably, the immediate interest in adopting biotech cotton.

Executive Director Dr. Farid Uddin of the Cotton Development Board opined that Bangladesh has been importing up to 6 million bales of cotton annually and planting biotech cotton in the country is the best solution to save the valuable monetary resources. He also added that logistical support for testing Bt cotton varieties will be put in place to expedite possible adoption. Consumers and farmers in Bangladesh are looking forward to the benefits of Bt cotton planting being experienced by neighboring Bt cotton countries, India and China.

The seminar was attended by some 75 heads and members of the government’s agricultural R&D sector, regulators, and media. The seminar was organized by BARC with Executive Chairman Dr. Mohammad Jalal Uddin and Dr. Mustafizur Rahman as chair and moderator, respectively.

For more details on the seminar, contact knowledge.center@isaaa.org.

This article was published on ISAAA’s Crop Biotech Update, July 12, 2017 edition. You can view the original article here. 

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) researchers developed genetically engineered bananas enriched with vitamin A to save thousands of lives in Africa who are at risk of having vitamin A deficiency.

According to Professor James Dale, the lead scientist, they have boosted the vitamin A concentration of banana up to four times their target. They initially tested the genetic modifications on Cavendish banana in Queensland, Australia, then on highland or east African cooking variety of banana in collaboration with researchers at the National Agricultural Research Organization. The scientists were concerned about possible decline in the amount of pro-vitamin A produced over generations but were thrilled it did not occur even after five generations.

It is expected that it will take six years before the vitamin A-enriched banana will be available in Uganda due to regulatory testing.

Read more from QUT.

This article was published in ISAAA’s Crop Biotech Update, July 12, 2017 edition. You can view the original article here. 

Scientists from South China Agricultural University successfully developed purple rice rich in antioxidants. The results of the study are published in Molecular Plant journal. 

Rice rich in beta-carotene and folate were successfully developed through genetic engineering. Previous attempts to develop rice rich in anthocyanin were unsuccessful because the biosynthetic pathway involved is very complex. 

Yao-Guang Liu of South China Agricultural University and colleagues initially analyzed the sequences of anthocyanin pathways genes in various varieties of rice and identified the nonfunctional genes in japonica and indica rice that do not produce anthocyanins. Based on the analysis, they developed a transgene stacking strategy for expressing 8 anthocyanin pathway genes in the endosperm. This led to the development of the first genetically engineered purple endosperm rice with high anthocyanin and antioxidant activity in the endosperm. 

The researchers plan to develop other cereal crops enriched with anthocyanin.

Read more details from Science Mag and Molecular Plant. 

This article was published on ISAAA’s Crop Biotech Update, July 5, 2017 edition. You can view the original article here.