2. Technical Services and Industrial Linkages

In recognizing the importance of agro-industry and the biotechnology industry as a basis for development in Thailand , particular attention has been given to research and development and transfer of in-house research in these specific areas. BEC has initiated several successful linkages between government and the private sector through contract research, technology transfer and technical services. Technical services offering include design and construction of pilot/industrial scale processes, technical and administrative consultancy, feasibility studies, training and analytical services. BEC has transferred some of the developed technology and provided some technical services to interested private entrepreneurs. Examples are:

• Pilot scale production of pressed yeast for Bioman Co.Ltd.
• Pilot scale production of Bacillus subtilis for probiotics market trial in animal feed industry for Grand Siam Co.Ltd.
• Pilot Plant ferment ation services for microbial production applied to waste water treatment in the shrimp farming industry: Grandness Integration Co. Ltd., Allvet Co. Ltd. and T.C. Union Co. Ltd.
• Incubator hire service for Mighty International Co. Ltd. for yeast production testing.
• Cooperative research with Biowealth Co. Ltd. to conduct fungal ferment ation for enzyme production to be applied for probiotics in the animal feed industry.

3. Training and Workshops

BEC offers high quality technical training, seminars and workshops at both the national and regional levels whereby participants have the opportunity to get hands-on experience and to design experiments suitable to their needs. Those attending these courses are from both the government and private sector. Some of the successful activities and continuing programs are:

• Mass Cultivation of Spirulina
• Regional mini-symposium on bio sensor and chemical sensor technology
• Bioinformatics as a Tool for Gene Manipulation
• Metabolic Engineering and Functional Genomics
• Advanced Fermentation Technology
• Practical approach to ferment ation technology workshop
• Comparative microbial genomics workshop
• Animal Cell Culture and Applications

4. Human Resource Development

During the period 2000-2007, there were 246 graduates (12 Ph.D. and 234 M.Sc. students) affiliated with BEC research groups. At present there are 74 students who are working in the laboratories, 16 Ph.D. and 54 M.Sc. students. BEC expects to maintain a ratio for the number of students to Ph.D. research staff as 4:1 for M.Sc. students and 2:1 for Ph.D. students.

5. Patents

To date, BEC has filed for 6 patents as follows:

• DNA probes specific to Methanogens (1999). [link to ECoWaste]
• Nucleotide and Amino Acid Sequence of D 12 desaturase of Mucor rouxii ATCC 24905 (2000).
• Nucleotide and amino acid sequences of D 6 -desaturase gene of Mucor rouxii ATCC 24905, Thai Patent Filed: September, 2000.
• Nucleotide and amino acid sequences of D 6 -desaturase isoform II of Mucor rouxii ATCC 24905, Thai Patent Filed: January, 2004.
• Development of D 6 -desaturase isoform II enzyme of Mucor rouxii involved in synthesis of essential fatty acids, gamma-linolenic and stearidonic acids by site-directed mutagenesis, Thai Patent Filed: 28 September, 2005.
• Production of Gamma-linolenic aid (GLA) and alpha-linolenic acid ( ALA ) using the delta-6-desaturases and delta-12-desaturase genes from Spirulina platensis in yeast cells, Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Thai Patent Filed: October, 2006.

6. Awards

• The Thailand Toray Science Foundation (TTSF) Science and Technology Award in 2003 in recognition of the BEC unit on outstanding achievements in science and technology works.
• “High Rate Anaerobic Fixed Bed Reactor for Agro-Industrial Wastewater Treatment”. Research Award in Industrial Research and Engineering field from National Research Council of Thailand. [link to ECoWaste]
• “Thai Biogas Plants – High Rate Anaerobic Fixed Film Technology for Agro-industrial Wastewater”. The Best Program on New and Renewable Sources of Energy (Off-grid) in Year 2003 from Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency, Ministry of Energy. [link to ECoWaste]