National Science Complex operates Technology Incubation Core Facilities to serve the research community

On Dec. 8, 2006, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Executive Order 583 establishing the National Science Complex and Technology Incubation Park (NSC-TIP) to be operated by the College of Science in UP Diliman. The NSC-TIP aims to support and strengthen the country’s S&T research and manpower capabilities; to generate new scientific knowledge and technological applications that will benefit various sectors of society; and to serve as a model for other science and technological parks in the country.

Within the NSC, Technology Incubation Core Facilities (TICFs) are now operating to serve the needs of the research community in UP and other universities. Envisioned as an essential component of the NSC, the TICF provides critical R&D equipment and services required to support ongoing, funded academic research projects. Top priority projects are those identified as having the potential to produce drug leads from marine and terrestrial natural products, as well as biotechnology products that can be commercialized in the next few years.

The TICF was primarily established to showcase the importance and relevance of academic research to Philippine society, and to become instrumental in the commercialization of discoveries, inventions and technologies originating from the university. The TICF can provide high-quality technical support for R&D in the following forms: use of equipment, analytical and testing services, methods development and optimization, and consultancy services.

As a second priority, the TICF could provide a link between academe and S&T-based startup companies, entrepreneurs and SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises). TICF recognizes industry’s need for technical support to develop better products and services. Thus, the TICF could provide technical services, involving the use of R&D equipment and the technical expertise of scientists in NSC, to technology business incubators or locators in the NSC Technology Incubation Park. As a third priority, TICF could provide the same services to big private companies and industries in Metro Manila and other parts of the country.

The Bio-physico-chemical TICF, located at the Marine Biotechnology Laboratories of the Marine Science Institute (MSI), is managed by the author and her research group, and consists of two facilities. The first facility supports protein and peptide research and provides equipment for the isolation, characterization, design and pilot scale production of various natural and recombinant proteins and peptides, and the development of therapeutic, diagnostic and preventive care or conservation products with biomedical, nutritional, environmental, agriculture and livestock applications.

The second facility supports natural products and herbals research and provides equipment for the isolation, purification, chemical characterization and modification, bioassay and pilot scale production of compounds and extracts from marine invertebrate animals and plants, terrestrial plants and animals, and microorganisms, that can be used to develop drugs, nutraceuticals and food supplements, fine chemicals, drug delivery agents and biomaterials, cosmetic, agricultural and industrial products. The other major TICF is the Bioimaging and Microscopy Facility (BMF) located at the National Institute of Physics (NIP), which provides the capability to study the biological effects of bioactive materials at the microscopic, molecular, cellular and tissue levels.

To keep the TICF viable, analytical and testing fees and user fees are being charged. Fees are reduced and therefore are affordable to researchers. Revenues generated in the TICF are used to maintain equipment and provide some compensation to persons who operate the TICF. Academic researchers are thus strongly encouraged to obtain funding for their research proposals, and if carrying out the project requires the use of TICF equipment, then the budget of the proposal should include a significant amount that could be used for analytical services (roughly, 10 percent of MOOE) which could be paid to the TICF.

For more information on the TICFs operated by the National Science Complex through the UP Diliman College of Science, visit http://www.science.upd.edu.ph/, or call the Marine Natural Products Laboratory, Marine Science Institute, UP Diliman at 433-2990. The TICF management is committed to processing TICF applications efficiently.

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Gisela P. Padilla-Concepcion, Ph.D., is a professor of the Marine Science Institute, UP Diliman, where she teaches graduate courses and conducts research on marine natural products and related biomedical research. She is the chairperson of the Dean’s Office on Special Initiatives for the Advancement of the Sciences, College of Science, UP Diliman. She is a member of the National Academy of Science and Technology. E-mail her at [email protected].