The Star Online , Friday 11 August 2006

Call to venture into nano-biotechnology

Dr Abdul Reezal

KUALA LUMPUR: Local biotechnology firms are encouraged to look into the uses of nano-biotechnology, the integration of biotechnology and nano-technology, for the healthcare industry.

KL Biotech Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Dr Abdul Reezal Abdul Latif said that apart from biodiesel, local biotech firms should also venture into nano-biotechnology.

“Nano-technology contains elements of information technology, which we can easily leverage from our strong IT base,” he told reporters after the opening ceremony of the Biotechnology Asia 2006 conference yesterday.

Reezal said companies like Vodafone and General Electric had started looking into the applications of nano-biotechnology.

Also launched at the event yesterday was the Malaysian chapter of the Federation of Asian Biotech Associations (Faba), whose aim is to safeguard the overall interest of biotechnology as a science and profession.

Reezal said the Malaysian chapter would initially look at business matching and research and development activities with member countries of Faba.

Malaysia’s association with Faba might also help attract foreign investment in local biotech firms, he added.

Faba founding president Dr Anwar Nasim, who officiated at the opening ceremony, said countries in Asia should collaborate with each other with special emphasis on using biotechnology to produce industrial products.

He identified healthcare and agriculture as potential areas in which Malaysia and Pakistan could team up and develop further.

“We need to facilitate scientists from both nations to work together. We can start in these areas and then move on to other industries,” he said.

He was confident that Malaysia would actively share and promote the use of biotechnology across Asia.