C J Matembo, Senior Information Officer, SIRDC

The visiting USA biotechnology applications specialist, Professor Thomas de Gregori of the University of Houston urged Zimbabweans to intensify their efforts in biotechnology to enhance food security and health. Professor de Gregori made this call during his tour of SIRDC on 30 January 2006 and at a national public lecture he delivered at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) on 1 February 2006. Professor de Gregori was in the country at the invitation of President Robert Mugabe to share his vision, vast knowledge and experiences as well as stimulate debate in biotechnology. The public lecture was organized by the Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences (ZAS). The Minister of Science and Technology Development, Dr Olivia Muchena attended the public lecture.

Professor de Gregori was accompanied to SIRDC by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry and International Trade, Retired Colonel Christian Katsande, ZAS President, Professor Christopher Chetsanga and the Chief Executive Officer of Commonwealth Partnership for Technology Management, Dr Mihaela Smith. Professor de Gregori said that SIRDC has the future of Zimbabwe in its hands and urged the Centre to come up with biotechnology applications that make people’s lives bearable.

The 10 SIRDC research institutes made brief presentations to allow Professor de Gregori have an insight into the work programmes of the Centre. Presentations by the Biotechnology Research Institute (BRI) and the Food and Biomedical Technology Institute (FBTI) were of particular relevance and interest to Professor de Gregori as the two institutes’ activities are mainly in the area of biotechnology. Between them, BRI and FBTI have expertise in:

• Plant improvement
• Animal improvement
• Environmental biotechnology, including biosafety and biodiversity
• Food technology and quality assurance
• Enzyme process design and technology
• Fermentation process design and technology
• Chemical and biochemical analysis
• Biomedical technology

Some of the two institutes’ current research projects include:

• Mushroom development and production
• Indigenous crops initiatives aimed at developing products from under-utilised indigenous crops.
• Sweet potato micropropagation to provide farmers with disease-free planting material
• Medicinal herbs, including their growing, propagation and processing into various herbal products
• Development and production of animal antibiotics
• Development and production of antiretroviral activities for HIV therapeutic intervention
• HPLC column packing
• Maize improvement to confer drought tolerance and insect resistance characteristics.

The attendance at the public lecture was like the who’s who of the science fraternity in Zimbabwe, including such science luminaries as SIRDC Chief Executive Officer, Dr Robson Mafoti, Chairman of the Biosafety Board, Dr Robbie Mupawose, University of Zimbabwe Vice Chancellor, Professor Levi Nyagura, Managing Director of the African Centre for Fertilizer Development, Dr Samuel Muchena and Professor Chetsanga, among others.

Addressing a packed Great Hall at UZ, Professor de Gregori demystified biotechnology in relation to biosafety. Many people have raised safety concerns regarding genetically modified organisms and food. Professor de Gregori put to rest all such concerns. He spoke at great length on the application of biotechnology in agriculture to increase yields (green revolution), in the health and pharmaceutical industry (insulin – you do not have to kill animals to get insulin) and in the food industry (genetically engineered yeast and emulsifiers).

Speaking at the same occasion, Minister Muchena said that the Zimbabwe Government recognized technology as a tool to empower its people, hence the creation of a full fledged Ministry of Science and Technology Development. She added that the national Science and Technology policy launched by President Robert Mugabe in 2002 highlights biotechnology as one of the technology platforms that can be used to improve food security.

As biotechnology is knowledge based, Dr Muchena implored local universities to put emphasis on life sciences. Her Ministry was also going to promote better private/pubic sector co-operation in the area of biotechnology.