Biotech Updates

Egypt Hosts the International Conference on Biotechnology and Environmental Safety

March 22, 2017

The 3rd International Conference on Biotechnology and Environmental Safety was held at the National Research Center in Egypt on March14-16, 2017. Prof. Khaled Abd El-Ghaffar, the Egyptian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, graced the event with his presence.

"Biotechnology is the right field of technology that Arabic countries should adopt to overcome the gap they are expected to face by the year 2050 according to FAO in both the agricultural production and food. Environmental safety is one of the most important challenges that biotechnology has the right answer for," said Prof. Hussein Darwish, General Director of the Research Excellence Centers. He also stated that the absence of political will in Arab countries is the obstacle that the scientific conference should address.

The conference covered some of the most important issues that affect people regarding the environment and sustainable development. The use of gene editing for overcoming biotech stresses compared with genetic engineering plants was discussed by Prof. Naglaa Abdallah, Director of Egyptian Biotechnology Information Center and Professor of Genetics at Cairo University. "Gene editing is a method of manipulating DNA which could involve deletion, insertion, silencing or repression and the developed organism is called subgenic. Although gene-editing is more precise in the alteration to the genetic material, compared to the insertion of genes at random locations that is characteristic of previous techniques. The new revolution for using CRISPR in gene editing has started and is here to stay," said Dr. Abdallah.

The research papers presented in the conference discussed modern biotechnology and the biosafety issues connected with biodiversities were carried out. The researchers also addressed the environmental challenges and how to find the right solutions based on science and sustainable development. The conference discussed more than 100 research papers from Italy, Germany, Tunis, Kuwait, and Egypt represented by more than 200 researchers and the press.

For more information, contact about biotechnology in Egypt, send an e-mail to the EBIC DIrector at naglaa.abdallah@agr.cu.edu.eg.