Vincentians learn more about biotechnology

While there is general concern about the dangers surrounding biotechnology in general, and genetically modified foods and products in particular, genetics professor Dr Leonard O’Garro has assured the public that regulations and laws to govern the risks posed to humans and the environment will continue to be tightened.{{more}}

Dr O’Garro, who is a United Nations biosafety co-ordinator, was the main facilitator at a two-day National Bio-safety Framework Project – Risk Assessment Workshop from September 17 – 18, at the Ministry of Health Conference room, where he addressed concerns and demystified falsehoods surrounding biotechnology.

Dr O’Garro pointed out that biotechnology was a trillion dollar industry that was here to stay and was quickly evolving, but the Caribbean needed to be up to speed with the trends, rules and products derived from biotechnology.

He noted that while the Caribbean was not at the forefront, countries such as Grenada, St Lucia, Barbados and Jamaica were building their capacity and had expressed great interest in advancing their biotechnological capabilities.

Dr O’Garro revealed that the development of guidelines to ensure biotechnological ethics was being carried out in a two-phase process. He outlined that the first phase, which was of four years duration and which ends later this month, put in place the capacity building mechanisms. The DNA expert said that in the second phase, which will run for the next four years, the implementation and the setting up of laws to govern the trade of bio-genetics goods would be established. He said that simple aspects such as countries being able to know if the food they eat is genetically modified, are important so that they have the choice to eat those foods or not.

Dr O’Garro said that as the United Nations bio-safety coordinator with the responsibility for helping St Vincent and the Grenadines, he was impressed with the interest shown by the participants to learn more.

He said that bio-technology “obliterates” the idea that only likes could produce similar organisms and in the case of animals and humans, mating was once the only way of producing another like, but with the advances in biotechnology these concepts have changed.

Dr O’ Garro revealed that while some people think that scientists were “playing God”, biotechnology was really an excellent way of transferring properties and characteristics from one organism or substance to help another survive.

Reflecting on the foundation of the biotechnological era, Dr O’Garro pointed out that the second wave of biotechnology brought about the production of substances such as anti-biotics and penicillin while the first wave issued the production of chemicals such as acetone, glycerol, citric acid etc.

The DNA expert who is also a professor at the University of the West Indies, believes that the biotechnology industry is already “a force in global trade”, since biotechnological goods are cheaper and take less time to produce than natural goods.