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Published on September 29, 2007

It is hoped that the move will open channels for manufacturers seeking resources to produce food and healthcare products.

Wanchern Potacharoen, manager of the Microbes Bank, said Biotec had helped develop and standardise a network with Japan, South Korea and China to share microbial genetic data and raw materials with 12 Asian countries, which are members of the Asian Consortium for Conservation and Sustainable use of Microbial Resources.

The Microbes Bank, established in 1997, has collected more than 20,000 microbial species, which are being preserved in 10 liquid nitrogen tanks at a temperature below -160 Celsius. Most of the species collected are insect-pathogenic fungi.

Dr Somsak Sivichai, a biotechnology researcher, said insect-pathogenic fungi contained many essential substances that could be used to develop drugs.

He said Thailand's biodiversity had attracted more international attention than other Southeast Asian countries. So far, more than 200,000 species have been found in Thailand and more research is being done for microbial resources to help produce drugs to treat tropical diseases like malaria.

Over the past few years, more than 30 companies have ordered microbial samples from the bank and more than 10 products, mainly in the agricultural and insecticide fields, have already been launched in the market, Somsak said.

Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation