UST biotech scientists win inventors award

MANILA, Philippines — A University of Santo Tomas (UST) biotechnologist-scientist who developed a rapid detection kit for the deadly White Spot Syndrome virus in shrimps won the top prize in the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) National Invention Contest and Exhibits (NICE) 2018.

Mary Beth Maningas, a professor at the UST Department of Biological Sciences, and Benedict Maralit, to whom Maningas was thesis adviser when he was taking his Master’s in Biological Sciences in 2008 to 2011, won the Tuklas Award 1st prize, which has a P300,000 cash prize and gold medal from the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Maningas and Maralit developed a rapid detection diagnostic kit using DNA probe particularly Loop Mediated Isothermal Application (LAMP) for shrimps.

“I’m happy because our efforts were recognized,” Maningas told The STAR in a phone interview.

Maningas said that she and Maralit had pursued the research and development on the LAMP primer to help the Philippine shrimp industry, which has fallen behind as global supplier.

“This was developed to empower our shrimp farmers,” Maningas said.

Winning second prize was Aurora Amante-El Estwani of Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte for her Veterinary Medical table. She won a cash prize of P200,000.

The NICE 2018 was held at the Le Pavillion Metropolitan Park in Pasay City last Aug. 14 to 16 with the country’s top inventors participating, after being chosen from Regional Invention Contest and Exhibits held in all 17 regions.

The NICE 2018 also had five other categories: the Outstanding Utility Model, Outstanding Industrial Design, Likha Award for Creative Research, Sibol Award for Creative Research for college students and the Sibol Award for Creative Research for high school students.

The first prize winner for the Outstanding Utility Model was engineer Rodrigo Duque for his portable “unihoused” water purification and sterilization apparatus, while second prize were Marissa Paglicawan, Blessie Basilia, Ma. Teresa Navarro, Carlo Emolaga, Delmar Marasigan and Rosita Cerbito of the DOST Industrial Technolody Development Institute for their renewable resource-based biodegradable thermoplastics.

Third prize was Genovevo Sebastian of Angat, Bulacan for his municipal solid waste treatment system.

The first prize winner in the Outstanding Industrial Design contest was Justino Arboleda of Quezon City for his interlocking block or “ecoblock”; second prize was Romulo Sanchez of Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya for his baby chair; and third was Vito Angelo Selma of Cebu City for his multipurpose chair-table with lamp designer.

The Likha Award for Creative Research first prize winner were Michael Gragasin, Romualdo Martinez and Jayvee Illustrisimo of the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization for their research and development on an impeller compact rice mill; second prize were Irene Papa and Teofila Zulaybar for their research on the development and utilization of actinomycetes as biocontrol agents against the Panama Wilt causing fusarium oxysporum TR4 in Cavendish bananas; and third was Joel  Fernando of Western Mindanao State University in Zamboanga City for his research on nano-scaled polyaniline films for smart packaging applications.