USING BIOTECHNOLOGY IN OUR TROPICAL FOREST FOR WEALTH GENERATION
Krisnapillay B., Marzalina M. and Razak M.A.A.
Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Kepong, 52109 Selangor, Malaysia
Tel: 03-62797806
Email: [email protected]
Biotechnology R&D in FRIM has grown gradually over the past 22 years from basic seed technology, tissue culture and isoenzyme studies to cryopreservaton, genetic engineering, DNA marker technology, population genetics, protein and small active molecular compounds that have potential for new drug development. To ensure the research being done is current and in par with those in the developed world, FRIM’s has made significant investments into purchasing state of the art equipment for its laboratories and in training the appropriate manpower for such research. Incidentally, in the 9th Malaysian Plan (period from 2006-2010) the Government too has identified Biotechnology as a new thrust area and a new source of wealth creation for the nation. Indirectly FRIM’s investment and manpower development prior to the 9th Plan apparently has augured well with the Government’s aspiration to tap the natural resources in a sustainable way to generate new wealth using the modern tools of Biotechnology. The mission of the Biotechnology program also seeks to develop cross-cutting research over all the programs in the Institute and also to offer such services to other agencies, through the utilization of these modern tools. This paper highlights some of the strategies, research and findings that have been utilized into producing improved quality planting materials developing conservation strategies, curbing illegal logging through forensic forestry, developing forest conservation strategies using molecular marker technology, molecular breeding to advance the breeding of specific traits, in vitro conservation of plant species and new drug discovery programs.
This research was presented at the CFFPR 2007 Meeting. For more information on FRIM and the CFFPR Meeting, please contact Dr Mohd. Nor Mohd. Yusoff, Senior Director, Forest Products Division, Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM). Email: [email protected]
