FAISALABAD, Feb 27: A short-term course on modern techniques in biotechnology is being introduced for the first time in the country to provide training to scientists.

This was claimed by National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE) director Dr Ahmed Khalid while talking to newsmen here on Thursday.

He said the entire world had realized the utilization of biotechnology to handle the complicated problems of hitech industrial and environmental degradation, health hazards, crop yield and protection and even mineral purification.

In the scientific research, he said the biotechnology would be the only reliable solution as the adverse aspects of conventional approaches had proved the superiority of biotechnological applications in human life.

The scope of biotechnology in the developing countries like Pakistan was even more, but the acute shortage of trained personnel hindered the possible benefits, he said.

Since it had been our philosophy to promote a competent and entrepreneurial environment concerning biotechnological-related activities in research and innovation, we had taken up the task to introduce this training programme. It was expected that this activity would become an annual feature in future, Dr Khalid claimed.

The developed world, he said, believed that the progress was tied with biotechnological approach but due to the low allocation of resources, Pakistan was currently offering this course to professional researchers and scientists. Now the NIBGE had decided to train permanent employees of research centres and department working in biotechnology or planning to initiate work in this area.

The short course on biotechnology would encompass concepts of biotechnology, methods in molecular biology, transformation technology, analysis of gene expression, DNA fingerprints, methods in protein chemistry and bioinformatics, he said.

A one-week long course starting from March 2 was being sponsored by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) and other science bodies in the country, he said.

Dr Kausar Abdullah Malik, member of Biosciences PAEC would inaugurate the course, he added.

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