Research

Research & Development

The Centre collaborates in applied research and consultations with several national and regional research institutions. Examples of these include tissue culture activities particularly micro-propagation (solanum potato seed system – Fresh Produce Development Agency), embryo rescue (cocoa, ornamental orchids), plant barcoding (cocoa – Cocoa Board) and clonal propagation (eaglewood–PNGUT, coconut clonal production – Kokonas Indastri Koporesen), and inoculum development (Eaglewood–PNGUT & farmers). The Centre is an active partner of the National Biotechnology Network in developing collaboration with Corteva (a subsidiary of Dow-DuPont) for gene discovery and R&D. UBC also facilitates undergraduate and postgraduate student research covering all areas of biological and biochemical sciences in Agriculture, Forestry, Applied Sciences, Mechanical Engineering and Applied Physics Departments of PNGUoT. Other collaborators include National Agriculture Research Institute, Binatang Research Centre, Trukai Industries Limited and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. 

Feasible Research Areas

Agriculture

  • Disease diagnostics (plant and animal)
  • Pathogen-tested plant production
  • Genotyping and Gene discovery
  • Biodiversity assessment (plant and animal)
  • Germplasm conservation
  • Genetic manipulation (plant and animal)

Forestry

  • Clonal propagation
  • Disease diagnostics
  • Biodiversity assessment
  • Genotyping and Gene discovery

Environment Science

  • Genetics of phytoaccumulation of heavy metals

Update of current Research and Development Activities

Faced with immediate challenges especially that surrounding accreditation of the laboratory, staffing, and essential equipments, the Centre is taking a proactive approach in addressing these issues whilst performing its mandated role. The current and proposed research & development (R&D) opportunities for the UBC (and potential commercial opportunities) cover a broad range of areas including plant disease diagnostics and assessment of biodiversity using DNA-based techniques, pathogen-tested plant production, clonal forestry, and gene discovery.

The Centre’s activities to date can be categorized into the following areas:

  1. Industry-oriented research and development
  2. Student research projects
  3. National participation on biotechnology-related issues

Industry-Oriented Research and Development

i) A collaborative R&D project on the “Development of a fungal inoculum for infecting Eaglewood for the production agarwood in PNG” - Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF). Approved budget: K150,000.00. Duration: 2- year.

Expected outcome:

  • Identification of fungal species infecting eaglewoods in PNG
  • Develop fungal inoculi packages for commercialisation
  • Contribute towards diversifying income generation sources for the rural populace, and
  • Discourage harvesting from the wild to conserve this endangered species.

ii) Potato plantlet production – Potato Seed Scheme – Fresh Produce Development Agency.

  • Supply potato plantlets for seed potato production – Work is being conducted under the MOU that is in place with the University.
  • Investigating best protocol for micro-tuber production to speed up seed potato production – Funding of K3,000 by FPDA for proposal development)

Student Research Projects

Eleven promising of the student research projects conducted at the UBC have commercial potentials ranging from potential bio-pesticides to genetically modified plants (Table 2). These student projects are supported by various institutions and donor agencies, including the University Graduate Assistance Program.

Table 2: Current biotechnological researches conducted at the UNITECH Biotechnology Centre and potential commercial opportunities.

Funding sources:
  • PNGUoT-GAP = Papua New Guinea University of Technology – Graduate Assistance Program
  • AD = Agriculture Department
  • UBC = UNITECH Biotechnology Centre
  • NARI = National Agricultural Research Institute
  • FD = Forestry Department
  • MED = Mining Engineering Department
  • EU = European Union
  • CIC = Coffee Industry Corporation
  • DAL = Department of Agriculture & Livestock
  • OTDF = Ok Tedi Development Foundation
  • UQ = University of Queensland
Commercial opportunity available to UBC.

National Participation on Biotechnology-Related Issues

The UBC A/Director actively contribute at the national level at three fronts:

  • Co-Focal point: “FAO GM Foods Platform” – Department of Agriculture and Livestock.
  • Member: National Biosafety Committee – Department of Environment & Conservation.
  • Member: PNG Laboratory Accreditation Scheme – National Institute of Standards and Industrial Technology.

    • Research Topic Funding Source Researcher Commercial Opportunity
    i) Plant disease diagnosis
    a) The effectiveness of Trichoderma spp. As bio-control agent against selected soil-borne pathogens PNGUoT-GAP Gwendolyn Ban, S. Akanda & M. Maino bio-pesticide Development
    b) Molecular identification of native entomo-pathogenic nematodes and their bacterial symbionts PCR PNGUoT-GAP Anne Warra-Daniel & M. Mainobio-pesticide Development
    ii) Pathogen tested plant production
    a) Micro-propagation of plantlets and micro-tubers for seed potato production UBC/ FPDA T. Daniel Geob, T. Kamen & T. Okpul Potato plantlet production
    iii) Biodiversity assessment
    a) Investigating gene flow between populations of wild and cultivated taro NARI-EU J. Waki, Birte Komolong & T. Okpul Long term
    b) Extent of genetic diversity in Coffee and diallel analysis for major agronomic traitsCIC T. Kukhang T. Okpul & Robert Henry (UQ) PhD Proposal (2015)
    iv) Genetic manipulation
    a) Standardising protocols for rice plant regeneration and transformation UBCTotave Kamen & T. Okpul Genetically modified plant
    v) Gene and gene product discovery
    a) Identification of gene(s) controlling shattering in the wild rice PNGUoT-GAPC. Bugajim & T. OkpulGene discovery
    b) Investigating late-acting self-incompatibility and its association with Cherelle wilting in cocoa.UBCJ. Mathias & T. OkpulLong term
    vi) Clonal forestry
    a) Micro-propagation of the endemic eaglewood speciesPNGUoT - GAPJ. Beko, K. Mulung & T. OkpulClonal forestry
    b) Identification of plant pathogens associated with agarwood formation in eaglewoods PNGUoT-GAP/ OTDFM. Pitiki, M. Maino ^ T. OkpulFungal inoculation Kit