Thai Scientists crack first genetic code - put Thailand in 'genomics' era

Thai Scientists crack first genetic code - put Thailand in 'genomics' era

• Thai scientists put Thailand into exclusive club of nations that have successfully sequenced a genome

• Thai scientists become first in the world to crack the genetic code of a water organism called ‘spirulina platensis’

• New know-how to help improve productivity in agriculture, shrimp farming, and animal husbandry

Bangkok (29 October 2008) – BIOTEC, Thailand’s centre of expertise for biotechnology, today announced that Thai scientists have successfully cracked their first genetic code – of a blue-green algae – and aim to complete sequencing the organism’s genome early next year.

The landmark achievement is Thailand’s first-ever genetic sequencing project and puts the country among the world’s exclusive club of nations that have sequenced a genome.

The accomplishment is also the first time in the world that the organism ‘spirulina platensis’, a single-cell algae that thrives in warm freshwater, has had its genetic make-up decoded.

Dr. Kanyawim Kirtikara, Director of BIOTEC, said, “Our newly-gained ability to sequence genomes has the potential for many useful applications for Thailand’s agriculture, such as in crop improvement, as well as in healthcare. In aquaculture too, for example, our genome sequencing ability can help us find ways to successfully domesticate broodstock of black tiger shrimp.”

Dr. Kanyawim said the project was conducted in partnership with King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Chiang Mai University, and Kasetsart University.

“This is a collaborative victory for Thai biotechnologists. It exemplifies how scientists working together from different institutions can pool their knowledge and resources to help Thailand make big breakthroughs,” said Prof. Dr. Morakot Tanticharoen, the pioneer of biotechnology in Thailand who initiated the project three years ago, and is the recipient of the 2008 ASEAN Science and Technology Meritorious Service Award.

The project team working on the decoding of the spirulina platensis genome comprised 18 researchers and six scientists, led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Supapon Cheevadhanarak of King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, and included Dr. Somvong Tragoonrung, a researcher at BIOTEC, as well as Asst. Prof. Jeerayuth Chaijaruwanich of Chiangmai University.

Dr. Somvong said, “We chose to decode the genetic sequencing of spirulina platensis because of its complexity which had caused problems for teams in other countries. Also, Thailand is the world’s third largest producer of spirulina which means we may be able to make good commercial use of our understanding of its genetic make-up.”

Both NASA and the European Space Agency have proposed spirulina as a possible food source for long interplanetary missions, such as to Mars, because of its high concentration of protein. More commonly, it is used as a natural food dye, most famously in ‘blue’ ‘Smarties’ chocolate candies.

“We have completed sequencing 90% of the spirulina platensis genome, which has around 5.8 million base pairs, and have already begun our next challenge, which is to sequence the genome of a plant. A plant, typically, has around 1,000 million base pairs,” he said.

“Biotechnology is the next wave of the knowledge-based economy after the IT revolution of the last twenty years. It is revolutionising life sciences and health care, as well as agriculture and other sectors. The development of our capabilities in biotechnology is fundamentally important to helping Thailand integrate into and benefit from the global life sciences revolution,” said Dr. Somvong.

BIOTEC is a member of the National Science and Technology Development Agency. It conducts research in biotechnology as well as supports collaborative programmes with other government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. This year, BIOTEC celebrates its 25th year of founding.
NSTDA is Thailand’s top science and technology organisation.