The potential in biotechnology
The potential in biotechnology
Masters programmes in forensic sciences, medical biotechnology and human genetics will be offered at MAHE-Manipal Academy, Dubai, this September.
Speaking to Notes on the sidelines of the Third Biotech Meet organised by the institute, Dr Firdos Alam Khan, chair of the Biotechnology department, MAHE, said this will lead to students presenting their work at next year's biotechnology meet.
This year research by the MAHE faculty formed a crucial part of the presentations made at the conference.
"We used to get speakers from outside the college who would present their work. This time, two out of the seven papers presented were by our faculty," said Khan.
Topics the meet covered included sewage plant treatment and the use of recycled water, food bacteria and the management of Thalassemia. Stem cell research and pharmacological research are on the list of topics to be discussed next year.
Students and biotechnology
According to Dr Khan, most of the topics discussed this year were related to the students' courses. He said: "What the students have is theory. The lectures however exposed them to research work in the various fields of biotechnology such as the management of Thalassemia, which is a very big issue here."
Students have helped in some of the research conducted by the MAHE biotechnology faculty. "Not only do they study about the science, but also get to practise their knowledge," said Dr Khan.
Future of biotechnology
Booming is a word that is constantly used when describing the field. Those interested in medicine, healthcare, biology and sciences can find it all in this field, said Dr Khan. They can join one of the below-mentioned fields:
- Research and Development (R&D): This includes research on drugs, pharmaceutical products, etc.
- Healthcare industry: Working in hospitals and clinics alongside doctors.
- Marketing.
"In the next five years I expect a lot of American and European companies to come to the UAE and establish centres of research and development. It's a booming industry," said Dr Khan.
- The Dubai Biotechnology and Scientific Park (Dubiotech) Launched in 2005 as a member of Dubai Holding.
- 90 per cent of the park's structure has been completed.
- The park will include the headquarters and commercial offices, research and development zones and manufacturing areas.
- According to Yahya Al Ansari, director of business development at Dubiotech, the "park is expected to be operational by 2009".
- Students seeking training and internships in business or information technology can apply to Dubiotech. However, "science students will not benefit because the park is not fully operational yet," said Ansari.
- Employment opportunities for students are also available. "We are now collecting human resources information in our database to be ready when we are operational," he said.
- Dubiotech will also start vocational training centres and postgraduate programmes at a later stage.
n For more information, log on to: www.dubiotech.com
The Centre for Arab Genomics Studies (CAGS)
CAGS was among the centres of biotechnology represented at the conference:
- Established in 2003 to characterise and prevent genetic disorders.
- It includes two scientific committees: The executive board of CAGS, which is composed of a number of local scientists, and the council of CAGS, which includes a number of regional scientists and facilitates the exchange of information on genetic disorders occurring in Arab countries.
- Countries represented in the council of CAGS currently include: Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Tunisia.
- Some of the objectives of CAGS are to educate the public and professionals alike on the important impact of genetic diseases in the Arab World and the methods and benefits of early genetic diagnosis.
- The centre currently does not offer any training opportunities or internships for students, said Professor Najib Al Khaja, secretary general of the Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences and president of CAGS. "Maybe in the future, if we are working on some research, we can contact the universities and institutes to work with students. We can also help students who are conducting research and need the data," he said.
- CAGS has been working on various projects including diseases and genetic disorders in the Arab world.
- For more information - www.cags.org.ae
Did you know that:
- There are 241 genetic disorders in the UAE
- Most common disorders are breast cancer, Down's syndrome, diabetes, Thalassemia and hypertension
- Most genetic diseases are a result of consanguinity.
- Throughout the Arab world, consanguineous marriage is traditionally common. Overall, around 40 to 50 per cent of marriages in the Arab world are consanguineous.
- The consanguinity rate in the UAE has increased from 39 per cent to 50.5 per cent in one generation.
- First cousin marriage is the most common type.
- A marriage between first cousins increases the risk of the couple having a child with a severe congenital or genetic disorder by 2.5 times since the parents share one-eighth of their genes.
- Studies indicate that several factors influence consanguinity rates in Arabs. These factors include urban-rural residence ratios of families, education levels, and time trends. Studies in Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Oman and Tunisia demonstrated a higher tendency of unions among rural than urban inhabitants.
- Information courtesy Professor Najib Al Khaja, Secretary general of the Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences and president of CAGS, and www.cags.org.ae
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