EDITORIAL : BANGKOK POST- Help unis take on genomics

January 13, 2020 Editor 0 Comment

Help unis take on genomics

At first, the government’s teams of cyber monitors might have been anxious when they saw two fugitive former premiers, Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister Yingluck, appear together in Facebook posts last Thursday.

That’s because they are known for using social media to deliver political attacks. In December, Yingluck used her Facebook page to criticise “the junta-backed government’s double standards” being applied to seize her assets, including her house.

But their posts on Thursday were non-political. The ousted premiers just updated their followers about their modest task of promoting a DNA nutrition device. The siblings showed up at the Consumer Electronics Show 2020 in Las Vegas, an annual technology and electronics industry expo running from Jan 7-10, to promote one of their investments.

They were photographed at the booth of DNANudge, a company that uses a cheek swab containing a person’s DNA to recommend dietary choices, according to its website. Thaksin, who is said to be a co-founder of the company, wrote on the page that he has invested in this startup for the past three years and now it is commercially fruitful in terms of genomic nutrition products.

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It is not known if his devices are really effective. But like it or not, the former telecoms tycoon has shown that he has the strategic foresight to keep up with a changing world. Many of his supporters believe his projects are more in tune with modern times than those of the government.

To be fair, the Prayut Chan-o-cha administration has also set genomic medicine as one of the country’s newly targeted industries to be promoted for the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). The EEC committee recently approved a 3-billion-baht budget for medical genomics development. About half of the budget will be spent on setting up a genomics testing centre at Burapha University in Chon Buri. The centre is aimed at attracting foreign investment in medical genomics projects in the EEC.

This is a good move since genomic technologies will make a huge impact across many areas ranging from medicine, health and wellness, energy and agriculture to the environment.

Still, the government’s promotion of and support for genomics development should not be limited to just the EEC zone. Several universities nationwide have the potential to conduct advanced genomics research and development. Thailand has many capable researchers and competitive advantages due to its abundant biodiversity. But it has not fully and effectively utilised these advantages.

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Many types of bio-based raw materials derived from within the country have been sold to foreign investors at cheap prices to develop as ingredients for the food and medical industries. And then, the country buys these ingredients back at high prices to produce end-products that it could have manufactured in their entirety.

This is due to Thailand’s lack of research and development in this area, despite the availability of technology. There is nothing wrong with the government’s focus on attracting foreign investors to invest in the production of genomics products. But such an approach deprives the country of the opportunity to develop its own technology and products.

Therefore, investment privileges and financial support should also be extended to universities located outside the EEC zone which have genomics research and development potential. The government should also set technology transfer as a condition for foreign investment in genome projects within the EEC.

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