New life sciences research center to open

When the new, state-of-the-art home for the Delaware Biotechnology Institute (DBI) opens this summer in Newark, Del., it will represent a unique partnership in the First State of higher education, government and industry.

This significant, interdisciplinary research center for the life sciences is the result of focused efforts by the University of Delaware, Delaware State University, Delaware Technical and Community College, the state and private sector interests. Its mission is to engage in leading-edge scientific discovery, provide biotechnology-based education and create high-quality job positions.

David S. Weir, director of the DBI and former vice president of global research and development at DuPont, says, "The study of the life sciences and the development of biotechnologies are aimed at understanding how natural systems function, then applying that understanding to improve the quality of life."

The University will offer an undergraduate program in biotechnology through the Department of Biological Sciences and a collaborative program of study for a master's degree or a Ph.D. Drawing on the expertise of faculty from seven academic departments in four colleges, graduate students can conduct research in such areas as plant and cell biology, genetics, pharmacogenomics, protein structure and function, computational biology, cell/tissue engineering and poultry genetics.

In addition to full-time study, plans are under way to create graduate internship programs, allowing students to complete projects in the life sciences or biotechnology research.

Research

According to Weir, the work of the DBI has its roots in an important discovery that occurred in 1953 at Cambridge University in England when two scientists--one English and one American--unraveled the structure of a very long, naturally occurring molecule called DNA that is found in the nucleus of cells.

"Today, DNA is known to contain the operating instructions, or recipe, for all organisms, including animals, plants and bacteria," Weir says. A double helix, DNA unravels during reproduction to transfer the genetic information found in genes from one generation to another.

"This understanding of DNA, along with genomics, which is understanding where genes are located and how they function, has led to a revolution in biology and promises to change our social, economic and cultural landscape as radically as any previous technological development.

"For example, genomics holds the promise of curing diseases that have plagued humans since the beginning of time," Weir says. "It holds the promise of repairing environmental damage and of improving the quality and quantity of agricultural production. It also allows us to begin the transition to a sustainable, biologically based production system, as opposed to the current petroleum-based system that is nonsustainable and inherently wasteful."

Weir points to a growing number of naturally occurring pharmaceuticals, such as interferon, insulin and hepatitis vaccines, that are being produced in genetically engineered microbial systems.

"Of special importance are the great advances being made in human genetics where gene therapy is leading to the treatment of such genetically based disorders as enzyme deficiencies, arthritis and cancer," he says.

Weir says he believes biotechnology could become the Industrial Revolution of the 21st century, moving society from the "century of physics" to the "century of biology." And, some of the greatest benefits are in agriculture and food production, he says.

Under the umbrella of the DBI is the Center for Agricultural Biotechnology and Environmental Science, in which research is centered on pharmaceuticals for the poultry industry, on plant molecular biology and on the environmental sciences.

Donald L. Sparks, Distinguished Professor of Soil Science in UD's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, says he believes biotechnology offers tremendous benefits for society.

"One of the advantages to biotechnology in agriculture is that it can enhance environmental quality," Sparks says. "By modifying our crops, we can make them resistant to pathogens as well as to herbicides and pesticides, which makes us much less dependent on chemicals than we are with conventional farming practices.

"Also, plants can be modified for site remediation by taking up heavy metals such as lead and nickel from the soil," he adds. "While we have remediated soil with a few natural plants in the past, now we can design plants that take up more than one metal at a time. After removing contaminants from the soil, the plants can then be incinerated and the metals collected. Also, super microbes can be designed to degrade contaminants. The bottom line is that plants can be enhanced in many ways to benefit our environment."

"These examples give some sense of the potential of this technology and illustrate how biotechnology holds great promise in improving the quality of our lives," Weir says.

Education, economic development and job creation

In addition to becoming the hub for biotechnology research in the state, the DBI is committed to providing biotechnology-based education, to promoting economic development and creating high-quality jobs for Delawareans.

The education program includes an undergraduate internship program, which began with eight students during the summer of 1998. That number doubled last summer, reports Carl Schmidt, an assistant professor in UD's Department of Animal and Food Sciences and one of about 10 faculty members who work with student interns in the program.

"The intent of the program is to train students in biotechnology skills, regardless of their future plans," Schmidt says. "In some cases, we are training undergraduates to continue in this field. In other cases, we are contributing toward a workforce with bachelor's degrees.

"I've been extremely pleased with this program," Schmidt says. "It's a good opportunity for students to see if they enjoy basic research. Just as important, it's a good way for students who don't like research to discover that now."

Risk/balance concerns

Addressing the growing resistance to genetically modified food, Weir says that "the technology has gotten ahead of society's understanding of the risks, benefits and options."

This resistance is based on a variety of economic, social, ethical, cultural and health issues, Weir says. In agriculture, for example, there is some fear of moving genes across kingdoms and about unpredictable allergic reactions from biotech-derived foods. There also is a concern that cross-pollination could produce inter-crop contamination or that super, indestructible weeds might be created.

"In my opinion, there is today little scientific evidence to support those concerns," Weir says. "With any technological revolution, however, there are going to be some risks. But, we have to deal with them. We have to identify and minimize these risks, then balance and control them against the enormous benefits and increased options that they provide.

"To my mind, for example, there is no other way to provide for the future food and nutritional needs for the world's increasing population--particularly in the developing worlds--than through biotechnology."

Weir says that often scientists are not good communicators. "We have done a poor job here, and we have lost some trust because of this," he says.

"Biotechnology will present to the world huge increases in options and in my view, the benefits will far outweigh the risks. But, the benefits, as well as the risks, have to be clearly understood by society and the marketplace because these are the ones who are going to make the decision.

"Confidence comes only through education, and this is a huge educational challenge for all of us," says Weir.

To learn more about the Delaware Biotechnology Institute, visit the web site at [www.dbi.udel.edu].