Farmers see relief from fusarium wilt
by Stella A. Estremera (Sunstar, July 27, 2013)
A GROUP of farmers are claiming to have emasculated the dreaded fusarium wilt and are now observing the regrowth of healthy banana plants on fusarium-infested soil using a biofertilizer developed by the National Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology (Biotech) at the University of the Philippines in Los Banos (UPLB): Mykovam.
Bureau of Patents of Intellectual Property Philippines trained at BIOTECH
The National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of the Philippines Los Baños (BIOTECH-UPLB) in partnership with the Medical Science & Biotechnology Examining Division, Bureau of Patents of the Intellectual Property conducted a training entitled “Molecular Biology Techniques for Patent Examiners” last June 5-7, 2013. This training is a collaborative activity of the two institutions and is part of the Balik Scientist Program of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). It aims to familiarize the examiners with the details of laboratory works involved in studying biological molecules. The hands on training covered the following topics: PCR, inoculation of cultures, nucleic quantification, DNA extraction, restriction enzyme digestion, preparation of agarose gel for electrophoresis, agarose gel electrophoresis and visualization of DNA fragments on agarose gel.
Irene Papa and Teofila Zulaybar win Poster Competition
BIOTECH researchers, Irene A. Papa and Teofila O. Zulaybar, won second prize on the scientific poster competition at the 80th General Membership Assembly of the National Research Council of the Philippines held last March 13, 2013 at the Manila Hotel for their entry entitled,”Philippine Indigeneous Actinomycetes Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)”.
