[For further information on the Electronic Forum on Biotechnology in Food and Agriculture see the Forum website.
Note, participants are assumed to be speaking on their own behalf, unless they state otherwise.]

-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod2
Sent: 19 March 2007 12:50
To: 'biotech-room2@mailserv.fao.org'
Subject: 37: International research centers and developing countries

I am Dr. Ahmed Abdel-Mawgood, from Saudi Arabia. I would like to express my opinion on the collaboration between international research centers and scientists from developing world. The topic of drought tolerance is a very important subject specially for developing countries because most of these countries fall in the arid or semi-arid regions. I am particularly interested in the application of biotechnology in developing drought tolerant plants. I have a project funded to develop drought tolerant tomatoes using gene transfer technology.

The main subject I would like to discuss here is the role of international research centers for providing help for developing countries to develop their own crops that are tolerant to abiotic stresses. What I mean is not only applied to biotechnology but also to the breeding materials. I think the international research centers should develop strategies that can better help developing countries in that regard. For example, they should focus on developing pre-breeding materials that are more drought or heat tolerant. Consequently, scientists from developing countries can use these materials for developing their own crop for their stress of interest. In the same regard, they also should work on developing markers linked to abiotic stresses. Similarily, constructs that have genes which confer drought or heat tolerance should be developed. These breeding materials and constructs may already be there, but we need to see a more substantial role for these international research centers in making these materials readily available for researchers in developing countries.

I am using this opportunity to look for collaboration in developing drought tolerant tomato plant (tomato as a model system) using genetic transformation. I have funds for visiting scientist and exchange of visits. [Anyone interested in this collaboration, please contact Ahmed directly...Moderator].

Dr. Ahmed Abdel-Mawgood
Associate professor of Molecular biology
Faculty of Food and Ag Sciences
King Saud University,
POBox 2460
Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia. 11451
Email: mawgood9 (at) yahoo.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod2
Sent: 19 March 2007 14:02
To: 'biotech-room2@mailserv.fao.org'
Subject: 38: Purifying dirty/unclean water - Kenya

My name is Bosibori Bwari Bett, a research scientist at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) Biotechnology Center, in the Roots and Tuber crops programme, and an MSc. Student at the Biochemistry and Biotechnology department at Kenyatta University.

During my work experience in Njoro-Nakuru, Kenya, we had a project on water harvesting for the rural people in the dry land areas of Lare division of Njoro through community based organizations (CBOs), both for their household consumption and agricultural use. Two important activities were on digging up pits ("silangas") where water would flow into after any rains and subsequently purifying the water using different levels/grams of crushed Moringa oleifera seeds for household utilization. It was indeed a great step of purifying dirty/unclean water which made a difference at the household level.

Bosibori Bett (Mrs.)
Research Scientist
Kenya Agricultural Research Institute
Biotechnology Center
P. O. Box 14733 - 00800
Nairobi
Kenya
Tel: +254-020-4444129/37/44
Fax: +254-020-4444144
bosiboribett (at) yahoo.com

[The Moringa tree is a fast-growing tree, with a wide range of uses, including the use of its powdered seeds to floculate comtaminants and purify drinking water - see e.g.
- Fahey (2005), Moringa oleifera: A Review of the medical evidence for its nutritional, therapeutic, and prophylactic properties. Part 1. Trees for Life Journal 2005, 1:5 - http://www.tfljournal.org/article.php/20051201124931586
- Yongabi, K.A. 2006. Studies on the potential use of medicinal plants and macrofungi (lower plants) in water and waste water purification (with numerous other relevant Moringa articles, at http://www.tfljournal.org/gateway.php)
- The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) Agroforestree (AFT) Database entry on Moringa oleifera (http://www.worldagroforestry.org/Sites/TreeDBS/aft/speciesPrinterFriendly.asp?Id=1169) ...Moderator].