Daily Times

With the advancements made in the recombinant DNA technology and the large variety of protein engineering methods supported by high-throughput screening techniques, there are unlimited possibilities of improving proteins and enzymes for application.’

This was what Pakistan Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PSBMB) general secretary, M.Waheed Akhtar, said while delivering a memorial lecture on MID Chughtai, one of the founders of PSBMB, at University of Karachi’s Dr A.Q. Khan Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (KIBGE). The PSBMB and KIBGE, KU, organised a four-day long 14th biennial conference on the subject of ‘Molecular biosciences: research and innovation.’

Waheed Akhtar, who is a part of School of Biological Sciences, University of the Punjab, said that the techniques like site-directed mutagenesis, error prone polymerase chain reaction (PCR), usage of specific substrate-binding modules, truncation of molecules, and fusion of selected protein segments from two or more proteins had been used to modify the expressed recombinant proteins. He informed the audience that substitution of amino acid residues through error prone PCR of the gene encoding the enzyme could result in several-fold increased activity.

Shakeel Ahmed Khan of Department of Biosciences, Barrett Hodgson University, discussed the bacillus cereus group: an exceptional reservoir of bioactive substances. “The overall ecological balance on this planet is maintained by associations between various life forms, in one way or another. Alongside the plants, the importance of microorganisms cannot be ignored in maintaining the energy pyramid. For ages, microorganisms have been associated with soil as decomposers,” explained Khan.

Abdul Hameed from Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Islamabad, talked about human genetic variations and diseases. He mentioned that human genetic variations were the differences in DNA sequence within the genome of individuals in populations and these variations also had many forms. “An enormous amount of human genetic data is now available, and understanding the breadth and complexity of human variation presents one of the greatest scientific challenges of our time.”

Anwar Ali Siddiqui from KIBGE, KU, highlighted the strategic use of research resources in developing countries and mentioned that available data and reports from the various international agencies suggest that research progress in developing countries including Pakistan was slowly and gradually picking up, if number of research projects, publications and PhDs produced through indigenous programs were considered as indicators.

“Over the last 20 years or so government based programs in Pakistan have provided reasonable funds and facilitated the research and higher education to a significant extent,” said Siddiqui. “However, in biomedical sciences many of the quality research publications have resulted due to ‘parachute science’ phenomenon, where researchers from developed countries grab opportunities to collect samples and insist on carrying out most of the sophisticated analytical work under a consortium at their home countries without even allowing a chance to develop capacity and technology transfer to the collaborating institute in the developing world,” he added.

Anwar Ali observed that even though there had been a vast increase in the number of research institutions in Pakistan over the last two decades, there was no real focus on addressing the emerging issues in health sciences. He said that there was a need to develop a planned response to the emerging threats of communicable and non-communicable diseases. “Recent WHO and World Bank reports have shown a gradual change in the pattern of life-threatening illnesses over the last twenty years,” he noted.

Published in Daily Times, December 13^th 2018.