About Us

Brief Background

The UNITECH Biotechnology Centre (UBC) was established by the Council of the Papua New Guinea University of Technology (PNGUoT) in 1997 in recognition of the immense role that modern biotechnology could play in contributing to national development. The UBC became an independent entity as a Centre of the PNGUoT on the 29th of November 2013. Administratively, the UBC is managed by the Director who reports directly to the Deputy Vice Chancellor. The focus of the UBC is on modern biotechnology.

Biotechnology is a broad term for a group of technologies based on the application of biological processes. It has diverse applications in medicine, agriculture, food processing, manufacturing and environmental management. The term “modern biotechnology” is used to distinguish recent, research based activities from traditional fermentation technologies such as bread, cheese or beer making, and animal and plant breeding, which were the first examples of biotechnology. Modern biotechnology includes a range of techniques from recombinant DNA technology, molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry and immunology through to information technology. Gene technology is a specific subset of biotechnology, based on the manipulation and modification (“recombination”) of the genetic material of living organisms to develop new characteristics, processes and products.

Biotechnology is a powerful enabling technology, with applications that have the potential to revolutionise many industry sectors including agriculture, forestry, fishing, pharmaceuticals and health, chemicals, textiles, food processing, environmental industries, energy and mining.

What is Biotechnology?

The term ‘biotechnology’ refers to any technological application that uses biological systems, living or organism, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use. Biotechnology, in the form of traditional fermentation techniques, has been used for decades and centuries to make bread, cheese or beer. It has also been the basis for traditional animal and plant breeding techniques, such as hybridization and the selection of plants and animals with specific characteristics to create, for example, crops which produce higher yields of grain. Modern biotechnology – the difference here compared with ‘traditional biotechnologies’ is that
researchers can now take a single gene from a plant or animal cell and insert it in another plant or animal cell to give it the desired characteristics, such as a plant that is resistant to a specific pest or such as a plant that is resistant to a specific pest or disease. Modern biotechnology is therefore centered on the application of, a) in vitro nucleic acid techniques, including recombinant DNA technology and direct injection of nucleic acid into cells or organelles, or b) fusion of cells beyond the taxonomic family, that overcome natural physiological reproductive or recombination barriers and that are not techniques used in traditional breeding and selection in plants and animals. Modern biotechnologies can be categorized into three main areas:

1) Cell & Tissue Cultures,
2) Molecular Biology/Breeding and
3) Diagnostics.

The potential and possibilities can be appreciated in the diagram on the left. The Unitech Biotech Centre has the basic facilities and expertise in national scientists and technicians to provide services and advice in each of these three areas.

Vision

To be leaders in the use of biotechnology to improve livelihoods.
Mission

To accomplish high quality research, training and development outcomes with an entrepreneurial characteristic that emphasizes the application of biotechnology in addressing issues associated with food, livestock and fish production, forestry, and the environment in PNG.

Objective of the Centre

UBC strives to accomplish high quality research and training outcomes with an entrepreneurial characteristic that emphasizes the application of biotechnology in addressing issues associated with agriculture and food production, forestry and the environment in PNG. Keeping the center as a modern state-of-the-art facility and its operation at an international standard through stringent control and containment is a challenge, but it is necessary to ensure provision of high quality services and products to attract quality clients from within and overseas. The Centre continues to fulfill its primary commitment and obligation in training skilled manpower through undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as those on short-term training attachments.

Facilities & Services

The tissue culture research facility at the UBC provides an excellent condition for research and technology transfer activities having met the required safety standards at an international level. The facility is well set to store plants in vitro for conservation of plant genetic resources (PGR) and to provide the necessary quarantine measures for national and imported germplasm. It also has the capacity to mass propagate plants for farmers and commercial stakeholders while utilizing this facility. The Molecular biology lab has facilities for DNA fingerprinting and is available to do genotyping of indigenous crop plants and animals. This facility also provides a highly sensitive diagnostic tool (conventional microbiological diagnostics techniques, and DNA-based, molecular and serological techniques for diagnosis of viruses, microorganisms and pests.

Products & Services

The Centre has the technical capacity to conduct sound consultancies in agriculture and related fields. Some of our emerging products include:

i) A range of fungal inoculum for agarwood production to support eaglewood cultivation in the country, and
ii) In vitro production of potato microtubers to support the potato seed scheme of FPDA.