Sin ttulo de diapositiva

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CHILE
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Biotechnology in Chile
Jenny Blamey Chilean Genome Initiative Biospai
n 2004 Barcelona, December 2004
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Technological Development and Innovation Program
2001-2005 Objective To contribute to the
Chilean economic competitiveness increase through
technological innovation and development support
in strategic areas of national economy, and to
its transfer and diffusion to the productive
sector, especially among SMES
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• Five Subprograms
• Technological Prospective
• Information Technologies
• Clean Technologies
• Quality Management
• Biotechnology

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Subprogram
on BIOTECHNOLOGY Objectives

• To increase biotechnological development in
  agricultural, mining, forestry, livestock and
  aquicultural areas as a tool to improve their
  competitiveness, the quality of products and
  processes and their added value
• To develop capacity on biotechnology in the
  country

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Subprogram on BIOTECHNOLOGY

• Financing of biotechnological projects
• Formation of human resources capacity
• Institutional strengthening

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BIOTECHNOLOGY in CHILE Participant
Institutions

• Ministry of Agriculture FIA
• Foundation for Agricultural Innovation
  
• Ministry of Education CONICYT
• National Commission for Scientific and
  Technological research
• FONDEF
• Fund for Scientific and Technological
  Development
• Corporation for the Increase of Productivity
  CORFO
• FONTEC
• National Fund for Technological and
  Productive Development
• FDI
• Fund for Development and Innovation

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BIOTECHNOLOGY in CHILE Research

• It is mainly done in Universities and Research
  Institutes
• Main Applied Research Areas
• Agricultural and Forestry micropropagation,
  diagnosis, biological control of disease,
  transgenic studies.
• Aquiculture diagnosis and vaccines
• Mining biolixiviation

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BIOTECHNOLOGY in Chile Main projects Chilean
Genome Initiative

• CHILEAN GENOME INITIATIVE
• COMPOSED OF TWO PROGRAMS
• - Genome Program in Renewable Natural Resources
• - Genome Program in Biomining

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BIOTECHNOLOGY in Chile Main projects Genome
Initiative Renewable Natural Resources

• Genomic Program on Renewable Natural Resources
• Vegetal quality on products of high economic
  impact for Chile, in post harvesting and
  phitosanitary areas
• Fund contributions FIA, CORFO y CONICYT USD
  3.5 millions
• Counterparts USD 3.0
  millions
• Objective - to create capacity on genomics,
  bioinfomatics and proteomics - to
  incorporate technological innovation to processes
  or markets
• - to develop new biotechnological
  enterprises

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BIOTECHNOLOGY in Chile Main projects Genome
Initiative Biomining

• Genomic Program on Biomining
• For mining sector and CODELCO it is of
  particular importance to insert itself in the
  global genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics
  trend as they can contribute to strengthen
  development and to establish strategies and new
  opportunities in mining.
• The Government of Chile through Ministry of
  Economy, CORFO and CONICYT invited CODELCO Chile
  to lead a program on Biomining inside the CHILEAN
  GENOME INITIATIVE.
• The agreement for the development of the
  Biomining Program was signed on July, 2001.

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BIOTECHNOLOGY in Chile Genome
Projects CONNECTIVITY MODEL
Universities
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BIOTECHNOLOGY in Chile Main projects Genome
Initiative Renewable Natural Resources

• Results
• Projects working on
• Setting of a genomic platform to analyze 120.000
  EST from Vitis vinifera,to study bases of apireny
  and problems of Botrytis cinerea.
• Setting of a genomic platform to analyze 80.000
  EST from nectarines, to study mainly
  the problem of chilling injury.
• Setting a genomic platform and a national
  database with genomes of local viruses which
  infect vitis vinifera and development of specific
  diagnostic kits.

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BIOTECHNOLOGY in Chile Main projects Genome
Initiative Biomining Program

• Results
• Projects working on
• Focalized studies on known and new microorganisms
  which are involved in the copper bioleaching
  processes.
• Setting the first reference laboratory in mining
  biotechnology, creating a leading technological
  infrastructure in biomining in Chile.

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BIOTECHNOLOGY in Chile Policy on
Intellectual Property

• Lack of Intellectual Property Culture
• Last two years 1.418 Patents, only 7of them
  Chilean
• Three new Laws on IP in Congress
• Objectives
• Make IP more attractive to companies and
  researchers
• Adjustment to World Trade Organization
  requirements (two laws)
• Creation of an Institute for Intellectual
  Property, with higher operative flexibility and
  better budget administration.

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BIOTECHNOLOGY in Chile Biotechnological
Enterprises
Incipient industry with less than 30
enterprises Main areas Diagnostic, enzyme and
protein production, biopesticides and
biofertilizers. Sales for USD 12
million Very limited contributions from private
financial sector
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BIOTECHNOLOGY in Chile Public
Perception

• Conclusions of a survey made by the University
  of Chile in Santiago, October 2000 regarding
  Biotechnology
• 97 Chilean consumers are interested on
  biotechnology and want to know more about it.
• 75 There is a negative public perception of
  transgenic food
• 51 Socioeconomic and educational level improves
  perception of transgenic food. Rejection level
  is smaller.
• 87 There is a better perception on medical
  and industrial applications. It is widely
  accepted.

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BIOTECHNOLOGY in CHILE Outlook

• Aspects that must be reinforced
• Incorporate biotechnology to priority areas for
  the country
• Improve coordination Government-Research-Enterpris
  e
• Improve Community education
• Sustainable regulatory policies for biotechnology
  including biosafety and intellectual property
• Incorporation of risk capital
• Foreign investment

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Thank you