RI research needs private sector: Expert

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Universities need to work with the private sector in their biotechnology research, otherwise their work will not reach the market and bring advantages to the public, a health expert has said.

Amin Soebandrio, a health expert with the Research and Technology Ministry, said any biotechnology research conducted by universities would languish in the laboratory if they did not work with manufacturing companies.

Pharmaceutical companies believed biotech products would not bring them commercial benefits but research by universities would change such assumptions, he said.

"In conducting biotechnology research, universities should work closely not only with the government but also with the private sector as they are the only ones who know what consumers need most," said Amin, who is also a microbiology scientist.

Through such partnerships, he said, universities could obtain research funding from the private sector for developing applicative products while the industry could get quality research for creating products for commercial markets.

Amin made the remarks on the sidelines of a gathering discussing the 2012 Local Biotechnology Leadership Camp (Biocamp), a competition held to select young researchers particularly in biotechnology development and biomolecular medicine.

Two researchers Reswita Dery Gisriani of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and Dodi Hamdani Sukiman of the PPM School of Management were selected for the competition. Reswita and Dodi will participate in the 2012 International Biocamp to be held from Aug.26 to 29 in Basel, Switzerland.

Reswita emphasized that biotechnology research focused on drug discovery and development. The process of translating scientific research to the manufacturing of drugs, vaccines or diagnostic tools was quite complicated, she added.

"It is a fact that only a few pharmaceutical companies are interested in developing research and technology on biotech drugs. Thus, it affects our efforts in working on biotechnology research," she told The Jakarta Post.

With the growing number of diseases – particularly those with limited medication choices such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), health workers will need support from biotechnology research in the challenges that can no longer be dealt with through conventional medication.

With biotechnology research, proper diagnostic methods can be developed, enabling them to detect illnesses more accurately.

"Proper diagnostic tools are very important in particular to avoid mistakes in treatment of patients with the new types of diseases," said Reswita, who proposed the idea to improve people's access to quality biotechnology medicine by increasing the involvement of the private sector in social protection schemes delivered by the government during the July 4 qualifying contest. (thejakartapost.com)