The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), via the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) and other partners, taps the potentials of genomics  to come up with better sugarcane varieties through a research that would help boost the sugar industy and improve the livelihood of 62,000 sugarcane farmers all over the country.

Faster, more effective selection via genomics
Through genomics, scientists in the country aim to produce sugarcane varieties  with high sucrose or sugar content, fungal resistance, high tillering and ratooning capabilities.  Ratooning is a method of harvesting in which the roots and the lower parts of the plant are left uncut. Out of this stubble, a new crop is grown which matures earlier and gives the same yield.

Scientists also aim to bring down the breeding cycle of sugarcane from seven years, using traditional breeding techniques, to just two years. This is made possible via a method called marker-assisted selection which involves the identification of  desirable traits in plants at the early stage of the breeding cycle. 

Brown is beautiful… and healthy!

This may as well be the battlecry of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) as its attached agency, the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), leads a nationwide campaign to make sure brown rice is served by more Filipino households as a staple food and promote it as a healthier option to white rice.

Brown rice, one of DOST’s solutions to address food security, will be one of the featured products at the National Science and Technology Week to be held July 23-27 at the SMX Convention Center at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

During a consultative meeting on DOST Brown Rice Program conducted by the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), DOST’s advisory body, NAST President William G. Padolina stressed the importance of the program to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production as well as its consequent health and economic benefits to farmers and consumers.   

Brown rice is any variety of rice that has been dried, cleaned and milled with only the husk removed while leaving the rice kernel coated with bran layer. White rice on the other hand, undergoes a second milling process that removes the bran layer, and is thus referred to as “polished rice.”

The Committee on Research Information and Utilization of the Central Visayas Consortium for Health Research and Development expands their group by inviting non-member institutions to the HERDIN NeON database seminar that was conducted at the Department of Science and Technology 7 Conference Room, S & T Complex, Sudlon, Lahug, Cebu City on June 17-18, 2013.

The seminar with the theme “Providing Fast Delivery of Information: Facilitating Health Research Through HERDIN NeON” drew a number of participants composed of 20 librarians, 1 medical specialist and 3 researchers.

Four new member institutions were represented namely: Cebu Institute of Technology University (CIT-U), University of Cebu (UC) Banilad Campus, Holy Name University in Tagbilaran, Bohol and the University of San Jose – Recoletos (USJ-R).

The seminar was very enlightening and helpful not just to new members but to old members of the consortium as well.  All the participants eagerly and actively involved themselves especially in the encoding of research output during the workshop.

The PCHRD staffs oriented the participants on the HERDIN NeON database through video conferencing and teamviewing.

The very was very successful and earned positive comments from the participants.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) launched a website that provides information on mosquito population per community, a move that will help curb dengue cases in the country. Through the website, health workers can monitor possible dengue sites and recommend interventions to local government officials.

Called the Dengue Vector Surveillance website, the site carries information on mosquito population nationwide, as well as dengue incidence and other mosquito-related facts. Vector refers to an organism, in this case the Aedes aegypti mosquito, that carries disease-causing microorganisms such as the dengue virus from one host to another.

The launch, held June 20, 2013 at the La Breza Hotel in Quezon City, was on livestream at www.science.ph. Before the launch, Science Secretary Mario Montejo, Education Secretary Armin Luistro, and Health Secretary Enrique Ona will install Ovicidal-Larvicidal (OL) Traps at the Kamuning Elementary School to formally set off the interagency collaborative anti-dengue program which includes the said website, among others.