An overview of the status of Biotechnology in south America- Initiative of the Centro Argentino Brasileño de Biotecnología (CABBIO): 20 years of cooperation in Biotechnolgy between Brazil and Argentina.Biotechnology and Scientific Advances for Socio-econ

SIÑERIZ F.

Penang, Malasia

Congreso; Humboldt Club Malaysia.; 2006

Humboldt Club Malaysia.

In 1985 the presidents of Argentina and Brazil signed a series of protocols of understanding including one on cooperation in biotechnology. In that particular time, modern biotechnology or the irruption of genetic engineering, created a revo­lution that Argentina and Brazil, with a broad basis of agricultural produce, consid­ered they could not be left behind. Argentina had sorne tradition in science, espe­cially in biological sciences and Brazil was expanding the university system on the basis that research had to be an essential part of the university life. The protocol N 9 on Biotechnology created the Centro Argentino Brasileño de Biotecnología (CABBIO). The other protocols comprised: Goods and Capital Flows, Wheat, Complernen­tation in Food Supply, Expansion of Commerce, Binational Enterprises, Finance Matters, Investment funds, Energy, Economic Studies, Immediate Information and Reciprocal Assistance in case ot Nuclear Accidents and Radiation Emergencies and Cooperation in Aeronautics. Sorne of these protocols were discontinued while others gave way some years later to the Treaty of Asuncion were the Mercosur was formed. The Centro Argentino Brasileño de Biotecnologia or Centro Brasileiro Argentino de Biotecnologia (in Portuguese) is a binational initiative for a collaborative effort in the field of Biotechnology. The two countries involved, Brazil and Argentina, created a structure in which the highest level of decisión involves especially the ministries of science and Foreign Affairs. The fact that it is an international proto­col, made the inititiative continuous through ternpestuous times 01 the two econo nies. It has two local points, one in Brasilia and the other in Bueno Aires and s run by a very small technical statf with the cooperation of non-paid Advisory ommittees in both countries. The CABB10 has two main components: Joint  Projects and Joint postgraduate courses. More than 3,000 students have attended the courses so lar, mostly from Brazil and Argentina, but also from Uruguay and Paraguay and other Latin-American countries. This is a very strong force for integration, since bonds created among the participants result later in ioint projects and long standing cooperation. The courses are selected trom an open bid for offers and must have professors and students trom the two countries at least. Courses are fully paid for all participants. There have been 206 courses since I 1986 to 2004. 97 courses were held in Argentina, 105 in Brazil, 2 in Uruguay and  2 in Colombia. These activities are coordinated by the Argentine Brazilian Biotechnology School (EABBIO) and consist of  intensive courses and short-term training exchanges, especially in the frame of on going bilateral projects. The EABBIO Committee is in charge of  the candidates' selection in each country. For tnis selection the candi­dates´ antecedents are considered and rated based on the potential application of the research training in their respective workplaces. Priority is given to students who had not participated in a CABBIO course before and to students from places out of the most developed regions of  both  countries and that can have similar courses locally.  The grants assigned  by the center cover the hotel, líving, and travel expenses for Argentine and Brazilian trainees. In the case of Uruguayan and Paraguayan trainees and in the case of students from other Latin American countries, the grants cover only the hotel and expenses, the cost of trave! has to be absorbed by the country the students come from. A typical course costs in the order ot 15,000 u$d (in local currency) including a grant of about 4,000 u$d for chemicals and expenses given to the organizing laboratory. The thematíc areas included in one of the last years are the following: genetics, physiology and cellular biology of prokaryotes and eukaryotes, fermentation pro­cesses, biomolecule purification, new technology for the development of vaccines and immunobiological products, transg enic plants and animalS, animal reproduction, bioethics and biosafety. At the beginning of the courses in 1987, the topics were very broad and had liltle bench work. In the next year the courses took its present form (no less than 60% of the time has to be given to practical work in the lab). The topics ot the courses were changed as the practice of biotechnology improved. At the beginning there were basic courses, such as micro propagation of plants and cell and tíssue culture; later they were replaced by state of the art courses as the discipline are continuously evolving. The courses are recognized with the highest marks in all graduate programs in Universities in the region. The Centro Argentino Brasileño de Biotecnologia or Centro Brasileiro Argentino de Biotecnologia (in Portuguese) is a binational initiative for a collaborative effort in the field of Biotechnology. The two countries involved, Brazil and Argentina, created a structure in which the highest level of decisión involves especially the ministries of science and Foreign Affairs. The fact that it is an international proto­col, made the inititiative continuous through ternpestuous times 01 the two econo