Best Practices in the Commercialization of Biotechnologies: Looking into the Technological Future and Sustainable Development

26 May 2004

Best Practices in the Commercialization of Biotechnologies: Looking into the Technological Future and Sustainable Development STCU JOINT WORKSHOP
16 April 2004

The STCU in collaboration with the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU) along with the Institute of Biocolloidal Chemistry of the NASU arranged a one day workshop entitled Best Practices in the Commercialization of Biotechnologies: Looking into the Technological Future and Sustainable Development. The following organizations took part in this Workshop:
I. Joint Russian- Finnish Joint Biotechnological Laboratory (Turku, Finland);
II. All-Russian Scientific Center of Molecular Diagnostics and Treatment (Russian);
III. Joint Russian- Finnish Joint Biotechnological Laboratory (Ufa, Russia);
IV. Center of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer (Ukraine);
V. F. D. O. Institute of Biocolloidal Chemistry, NASU;
VI. O. V. Palladin Institute of Biochemistry, NASU;
VII. A.V. Dumansky Institute of Colloid and Water (Ukraine);
VIII. Institute of Boorganic Chemistry and Petrochemistry, NASU;
IX. Institute of Physics, NASU;
X. Ukraine Institute of Cell Biology;
XI. Institute of Surface Chemistry, NASU;
XII. Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, NASU;
XIII. Institute of Sorbtion and Endoecology, NASU;
XIV. D. K. Zabolotny Institute of Microbiology and Virology;
XV. Ukrainian I.I. Mechnikov Anti-Plague Research Institute;
XVI. Central Epidemiological Station;
XVII. Regional Representative of the World Health Organization;
XVIII. Institute of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine, NASU.


I. Biotechnological Processes in Medicine.

Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, NASU
a. optimization of the conditions for the cultivation and differentiation of caulescent cells that will allow to carry out scaled accumulation of biomaterial for clinic therapy.

Ukrainian I.I. Mechnikov Anti-plague Research Institute- mastering of approaches as to vaccine prophylactics of Tularemia. Development of the system for control and prognosis of Tularemia natural pesthole activity and possible epidemic complications;
- development of a modified technology for the creation of a vaccine against hydrophobia for the prophylactics of spreading among animals;
- development of a system of safety of bioproducts for disease prophylactics among human beings and animals;
- mastering of the system for the prophylactic of clamidioses (parrot-fever) among animals and birds and for the protection of human beings based on the determined status and epidemic conditions in wild nature centers of various climatic and geographic regions of Ukraine and a study of the biological peculiarities of the circulating Chlamydia strains;
- development, design and selection of effective antiherpetic preparations using updated computer technologies;
- development and monitoring test of the epidemics development MIDV/SPID and associate diseases (tuberculosis, disease that is transferred through sexual contacts) as well as associate states (drug addiction).

F. D. O. Institute of Biocolloidal Chemistry, NAS of Ukraine.

- investigation of the increase in the selection action of chemotherapeutic preparations which is based on the intensification of their regulated transport to a transformed cell;
- creation of complex probiotic preparations-synbiotics in which intact microorganisms combine in substrates-probiotics positively affecting their biological activity. Colloid metals are perspective probiotics.

Institute of Surface Chemistry, NASU.- development of medical preparations of sorption prolonged action on the base of pyrogenic nanosized silicon dioxide modified by biologically active molecules, including flanoids, as a way for the creation hypoglycemic methods of new generation.

Institute of Sorption and Endoecology , NASU.- development and production of medical sorbents and sorption technologies for detoxication of an organism during the prophylactics and healing of the ecologically dependent diseases.


II. Biological Processes in the Protection of the Environment.

F. D. Ovcharenko Institute of Biocolloidal Chemistry, NASU.- development of a system of non-destructive express monitoring of the cell and microorganism’s physiological state that is based on the control of the membrane cell surface conductance and penetration;
- development of a colloid-biotechnological method to extract heavy metals and radionuclides from technogeneous and natural waters as well as from soils that are based on metal biotransformation;
- development of magnetically active bio-mineral sorbents to extract heavy metals.

A. V. Dumansky Institute of Colloid and Water Chemistry, NASU.- creation of biotechnological process complexes to purify wastewaters from toxic substances including synthetic organic compounds, heavy metals, and radionuclides according to the principle of the bio-carpet and using the widest range of hydrobionts from fish to mammals as well as higher water plants.

III. Biosensor technologies

The use of biological objects as sensor elements in the development of instrumental methods for the analysis of water and soil quality. The measuring of the following parameters: intensity of microorganism growth, effects of specific inhibition of a number of microorganism ferments (dehydrogenises, ATPase, lipases, glucose-6-phosphatases), respiration intensity of microorganisms, bioluminescent tests are the most informative for this purpose. Special attention should be given to the formation of new types of enzyme, immune, and cellular ones for the fulfillment of multiparameter analysis. The development of new generation biosensors is associated with the creation of multiparameter micro transducers which simultaneously provide several indices in a great quantity of samples. The results of the research on genetic constructions for regulated immobilization of biological material on the surface of transformers and provision compatibility of structure which identify a substance that is under analysis and generate a signal open new perspectives for the creation of nanomolecular sensor structures.

O. V. Paladin Institute of Biochemistry, NASU. - creation of biosensor systems to study electrochemically heavy metals and toxic organic substances;
- express study and selective separation of mitotoxins using nanosized oxides with the control of morphology and surface chemistry;
- development of new analytical systems for the monitoring of organic pollutants in the sources of natural water;
- development of multiparameter biosensors to control nanosystems in case of cardio-vascular pathology;
- development of an effective analytical technology for wide screening of phosphor-organic substances and ions of heavy metals in the environment;
- creation of a multibiosensor system to analyze simultaneous control of a number of toxins in the environment.

IV. Biotechnologies.

These are used for the concentration of precious, rare, and non-ferrous metals as well as for the solution of ecological problems of corresponding productions. This research is based on the discovery of new phenomenon of selective heterocoagulation of intact (alive) microorganisms with mineral and metal particles.

F. D. Ovcharenko Institute of Biocolloidal Chemistry, NASU.- development of biofloccular flotation biotechnologies which are base on the selective interaction between microorganism strains and gold, silver, platinum highly disperse particles. They allow for an increase in the extraction of gold by 5-25 % for various ores;
- development of a cycle of colloid biotechnologies which are connected with sulfide (including pyrite, arsenic, lead, and quartz) ore destruction and the release of valuable components: gold, silver, platinum etc;
- development of technologies which are connected with the solution of ecological problems: biological destruction of toxic reagents- cyanides as well as with decontamination and utilization of ore toxic wastes that are processed (arsenic etc.).

V. Nanotechnologies.

F. D. Ovcharenko Institute of Biocolloidal Chemistry, NASU.
- synthesis of monodisperse, micro- and nanocrystals of gold in the cell suspensions and aqueous solutions of biopolymers (in the development of STCU project No 19);
- creation of new hydrogel inplantants for plastic surgery.

Institute of Surface Chemistry, NASU.
- development of compositions on the base of silicon highly disperse dioxide as a way to optimize the media for reproductive cells and preservation of the gene pool;
- creation of methods for the temperature-programmed desorption of mass spectroscopy, laser-Doppler spectroscopy for use in nanotechnological research.

Institute of Physics, NASU.
- influence of the interaction between biomolecules and interfacial boundary on their native conformation;
- control by conformation states of macromolecules on the surface of nanosized hydrocarbon structures. Possibilities for biotechnology creation.


PROPOSALS

The Science and Technology Center in Ukraine helps develop, finance and monitor science and technology projects that engage the former Soviet weapons community in Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Georgia and Azerbaijan in peaceful, civil activity. Since 2004, the STCU has focused on providing services to help scientists ensure the eventual transition of their project team to sustainable, civilian activities. In this connection the STCU supports activities conducted by the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine with the support of the Ukrainian Government and in particular, the creation of Centers for the collective use of equipment necessary to conduct research.
In connection with the above mentioned participants of the Workshop we propose the following:
1) To create a team of experts composed of scientists who actively work in actual directions of biology, medicine, biophysics, biotechnology, nanophysics, and nanochemistry in order to determine the perspectives and expected self payment of the proposed project;
2) To entrust the expert team with coordination of the proposed projects with centers of joint use by modern scientific equipment from the NASU;
3) To entrust these experts with the analysis of additional possibilities and help purchase additional estimated devices from other sources, for example, the NATO grants etc., to improve the quality of the project’s fulfillment and to accelerate their self payment;
4) Taking into account the proposals of experts, to develop a prospective program for the introduction into practice of new inventions and the attainment of their self-financing.