Washington DC (VNA) – Vietnam has significant advantages for making breakthroughs in plant biotechnology if it can effectively harness its rich genetic resources, apply new technologies, and strengthen links between research and businesses, said Dr Quach Truyen, a plant biotechnology scientist and the founder of PlantEdits, a US-based specialised plant transformation and genome editing service.
Talking to a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in the US, the expert said one approach Vietnam should prioritise is the application of Big Data, AI and bioinformatics in genetic resource research, thereby shortening the time needed to identify genes of economic value. This direction is particularly suitable for the Southeast Asian country, which possesses rich plant genetic resources, including many specialty crops, medicinal plants and genetic resources with the potential to withstand adverse conditions.
He affirmed that precise gene-editing technologies such as CRISPR also offer major opportunities for Vietnam, particularly as costs continue to fall.
He said combining new technologies with indigenous genetic resources could help Vietnam develop products with high intellectual property value. Vietnam could focus on crops in which it has distinctive advantages, such as aromatic rice, fruit crops, industrial crops and medicinal plants, while leveraging its diverse natural conditions to research varieties adapted to drought, flooding and saltwater intrusion.
According to him, mechanisms should be strengthened to encourage businesses to invest in research and development, enhance technology transfer and intellectual property management capacity, and digitalise the agricultural extension system to better connect field data with research institutes and businesses.
The scientist suggested Vietnam use Big Data to identify genetic resources with valuable qualities, medicinal properties or resistance traits, and then apply next-generation genetic techniques to precisely improve desired characteristics.
This approach would not only increase the value of agricultural products but could also create crop varieties and technologies suited to local conditions, while opening up opportunities to transfer varieties and licences to countries with similar climatic conditions, he said. This could provide a pathway for the country to turn its advantages in genetic resources and natural conditions into advantages in science and technology and greater added value in agriculture./.
VNA
