Outline of an Undergraduate Program in Biotechnology at KFUPM

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Outline of an Undergraduate Program in
Biotechnology at KFUPM

• Dr. Amjad Khalil
• Associate Professor of Biotechnology
• Biotechnology Research Group
• College of Science
• KFUPM

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PART A

• BIOTECHNOLOGY AS A STRATEGIC GOAL

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INTRODUCTION

• What is Biotechnology?
• Biotechnology applies scientific and engineering
  principles to living organisms in order to
  produce products and services of value to
  society.
• Biotechnology has been identified as one of the
  frontline technologies today being developed and
  used to understand and manipulate biological
  molecules for applications in medical,
  agricultural, industrial and environmental
  sectors of the national economy.

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INTRODUCTION/CONT

• Biotechnology is not new.
• Examples of the old technologies include
  fermentation (such as in the production of beer
  from malt) and plant propagation and breeding.

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INTRODUCTION/CONT

• However, there is a new biotechnology which has
  emerged in the last 25 years and which has been
  built on new knowledge of DNA structure and
  manipulations.
• In particular, it has allowed geneticists to move
  genetic material from one life form to another in
  a way that was not previously possible.

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Importance of Biotechnology

• Biotechnology is expected to be the engine of
  global economy during the 21st century.
• The growing biotechnology industry and its
  sectors considered the new directions for
  long-term economic growth.

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Importance of Biotechnology

• - Rabid advances in genome science are opening
  up a multitude of new business opportunities in
  the life science-related industries.
• - To accompany this growth, manpower
  appropriately trained and educated in
  biotechnology is certainly needed.

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Need for Biotechnologists in the Kingdom

• Despite the urgent needs for biotechnologists as
  professional manpower, none of the academic
  institutes in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia offers
  any program of biotechnology.
• One of the main objectives of the suggested
  program is to supply the market of the Kingdom
  and the region with well-trained, professional
  biotechnologists.

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Need for Biotechnologists in the Kingdom

• KFUPM could become the first university in the
  Kingdom and the gulf region to successfully
  graduate biotechnologists with strong background
  in different disciplines of biotechnology.
• In the near future ,hospitals, pharmaceutical
  industry, and research institutes will need a
  well trained biotechnology professionals.

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Need for Biotechnologists in the Kingdom

• In the last few years, the gulf region lunched
  two projects on Biotechnology. First, Jeddah
  BioCity as an international pioneering company in
  the transference of biotechnology via the
  creation of projects in research and development
  to produce a high economic return.
• Second, Dubai Biotechnology Park (DuBiotech) is
  designed to be the center of excellence in
  biotechnology that will link government, academia
  and industry through national and international
  collaboration to develop new technologies and
  products to address regional health and
  environmental issues.
• The presence of these biotechnology centers in
  the gulf region will increase the demand for well
  trained and professional biotechnologists in the
  near future.

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Why at KFUPM?

• KFUPM has established a very strong and reputable
  sciences and engineering programs, Thus it
  could play a very important role in preparing
  students with strong science background in the
  field of Biotechnology.
• KFUPM will be the first university in the area
  that has taken the lead in proposing to design
  such a program, which could serve the community
  and the students by transferring the new
  technology to Saudi universities and companies.

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BIOTECHNOLOGY AS STRATEGIC CHOICE

• Taking a strategic decision by KFUPM to go for
  Biotechnology program will be an excellent point
  in its history.
• The opportunity exists for KFUPM to position
  itself as an important contributor to the
  advancement and evolution of biotechnology in
  this century.
• The Biotechnology team believes that KFUPM can
  become known as a major national key player in
  the area of biotechnology.
• The university support for this strategic
  initiative is an opportunity to build excellence
  in an area affecting all forms of life.

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• To achieve success in the area of
  biotechnology KFUPM should do the followings
• Formation of Biotechnology steering committee .
• Build human resources in the area of
  biotechnology.
• Develop scientific and technological
  capabilities.
• Linkages between academic institutions and
  industry.

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• Successful Examples from the rest of the world
• There are a variety of lessons that KFUPM can
  learn from the organization and management of
  biotechnology in other countries, particularly
  developing countries such as Cuba, Brazil,
  Argentina, Thailand and China, which have made
  significant strides in the development and
  commercialization of biotechnology over the past
  two decades.

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Brazil

• Brazil is emerging as one of the developing
  country leaders in biotechnology .
• Excellent achievement in citrus crop diseases and
  cancer .
• Development of vaccines for diseases such as
  tuberculosis, and hepatitis B.

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Nigeria

• Nigeria is one of the African countries that has
  embarked on a determined program to exploit
  biotechnology for the benefit of its peoples and
  to ensure that Nigeria becomes a key participant
  in the international biotechnology arena within
  the next decade.
• The Federal Government provided the National
  Biotechnology Development Agency with US 263
  million per annum for three years as a take-off
  grant to fund the executive programs in
  agriculture, health, industry, environment and
  human resource development.

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Cuba

• - Cuba is a developing country that has
  made significant strides
• in biotechnology.
• - 35 national research institutes dedicated
  to health-related
• biotechnology
• - 25 agricultural centers apply
  biotechnology approaches.
• - Produces the worlds only successful
  anti-meningococcal
• vaccine, which is patented worldwide.
• - Cuba has invested more than US 1000
  million in its
• biotechnology research centers alone.

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USA

• USA has the largest and most profitable
  biotechnology industry, consisting of more than
  1,300 companies, with combined revenues of over
  22 billion and employing 162,000 people.
• Some of the biotechnology companies
• are of the top 15 Nasdaq-listed
• companies .

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Australia

• The number of biotechnology companies 160
  companies.
• The total biotechnology sector generates annual
  revenue of roughly R4 billion.
• The Australian Government spends roughly one
  billion rand a year on biotechnology research.
  Most of this money is spent through the
  universities.

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Jordan

• In the last 10 years, Jordan moved into the area
  of Biotechnology and achieved number of good
  goals such as
• 1- Four universities offer undergraduate
  Biotechnology programs, and one graduate program.
• 2- Two centers of Biotechnology
• A- Biotechnology center at Jordan University
  affiliated with Hamdi Mango Center for Scientific
  Research.
• B- The Virtual Biotechnology Center directed by
  The Higher Council for Science and Technology .
• 3- Two Pharmaceutical Companies work in the area
  of Biotechnology for developing Recombinant
  Drugs.
• 4- Jordan developed a National Biosafety
  Framework as main components of Cartegena
  Protocol on Biosafety.

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Conclusions of Part A

• To achieve a significant progress in the field of
  biotechnology, KFUPM requires a body (committee)
  to champion biotechnology.
• establishing well-funded and staffed agencies
  dedicated to biotechnology is essential.
• The need to build up a scientific and
  technological capabilities.
• Investment in biotechnology must be based on an
  explicit national goal of generating products and
  processes and commercializing these on domestic
  and international markets.

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PART B

• OUTLINE FOR THE UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM IN
  BIOTECHNOLOGY AT KFUPM

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Vision

• The KFUPM undergraduate program of Biotechnology
  aims at taking a leading role in research,
  innovation, education and postgraduate training
  in the Gulf and Middle East regions.
• The program will support and enhance the
  technology transfer, industrial development and
  community services .

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MISSION

• The mission of the program will be provided high
  quality education, research, and community
  service in the area of biotechnology and related
  fields.

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• Specific components of this mission are
• 1- To conduct basic and applied research that
  expands knowledge in the area of biotechnology
  and provides innovative solutions and
  differentiating technologies for the Saudi
  industries and for the healthcare services.
• 2- To provide high-quality education in
  biotechnology and its related sciences, and to
  prepare professionals for the ever increasing
  complexity of the systems in this field and
  extend collaborative links both nationally and
  internationally.
• 3. To provide high-quality professional
  training and consultation in the area of
  biotechnology.

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Program Objectives

• Develop basic laboratory skills, perform standard
  techniques, and work with the state of the
  art-instruments.
• To broadly educate students for positions in the
  biotechnology industry and to prepare students
  for graduate and professional study in the life
  science.
• Students will be able to solve problems in
  biological sciences using biotechnology
  approaches.
• Linking research establishments with economic and
  service sectors by concentrated comprehensive
  marketing to facilitate the creation of new
  highly skilled work force and jobs that will
  benefit the Saudi community.

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• BENEFITS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM

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Benefits to the society

• the biotechnology program is beneficial to
  the society as a whole because KFUPM, a leading
  university in science and technology, will
  contribute to the scientific training of under
  graduate student of this program and provide the
  community with well trained graduates with
  adequate scientific knowledge and skills.

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Benefit to KFUPM

• The University will play an important role in
  creating, developing and advancing research and
  development in biotechnology which benefit the
  Kingdom and the region.

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Benefit to the Industry and Economy of KSA

• Biotechnology is a goldmine in the developed
  economies.
• KFUPM will help in linking research
  establishments with economic and service sectors
  by concentrated comprehensive marketing to
  facilitate the creation of new highly skilled
  work force and jobs that will benefit the Saudi
  industry and economy.
• KFUPM biotechnology program will encourage the
  government to support the investment in
  Biotechnology applications which are expected to
  have futuristic concept that blends innovative
  research and manufacturing in an economic
  container that would contribute to the welfare
  and prosperity of KSA society.

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Benefit to students

• Biotechnology program will help the students to
  acquire a strong foundation in biology,
  chemistry, and physics.
• This program will put heavy emphasis on
  methodology through laboratory experience that
  provides students with state-of-the-art
  biotechnology instruments and skills.
• Students will be able to apply the principles of
  biotechnology to solve problems encountered in
  medicine, public health, research and
  development, agricultural, industrial and
  environmental sciences.

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Major Biotechnology Courses

• This program should expose the students to number
  of core courses in Biotechnology in order to give
  them the knowledge and the experience to be an
  excellent professional Biotechnologists and
  become qualified to into the market of the
  biotechnology positions., such courses include
• General Microbiology
  
• Introduction to Biotechnology
• Principle of Genetics
  
• Biochemistry
  
• Cell Biology
  
• Molecular Biology
  
• Microbial Biotechnology
  
• Molecular Genetics
  
• Methods in Recombinant DNA Tech
  
• Applied Molecular Biology
  
• Proteomics and Protein Technology
• Mammalian tissue culture
  
• Plant Tissue Culture
  
• Ethics in Biotechnology
  
• Bioinformatics
  

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Career Opportunities

• Lab specialist in biotechnology, food,
  pharmaceutical, medical and agrotechnology
  industries .
• Research assistant as part of a larger research
  team, conducting experiments in the laboratory or
  in the field.
• Forensic and medical laboratory specialist.
  Examine DNA and other scientific evidence
  relating to criminal investigations and analyze
  DNA from clinical samples from patients for
  diagnosis of genetics diseases.
• Environmental consultant by assess and monitor
  environmental contamination and help in
  developing and implementing bioremediation
  programs to clean up the environment.
• Scientific journalist and media presenter by
  writing articles and help in preparing broadcast
  programs to communicate the importance of
  scientific development to the public.
• Sales representative / marketing professional
  sell and provide advice about special scientific
  products to clients in research, help to solve
  specific problems related to equipment
  applications and experimental procedures.

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List of Universities

• 1- Drexel University / USA
• 2- Whitehead University/MIT
• 3- University of Queensland / Australia
• 4- North Iowa University / USA
• 5- University of Maryland University College/USA
• 6- Purdue University Calumet / USA
• 7- University College London / England
• 8- Indiana University / USA
• 9- University of Georgia / USA
• 10- Lund University / Sweden
• 11- University of Helsinki / Finland

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CONCLODED STATMENT

• Biotechnology is one of the frontline
  technologies today and considered to be the
  engine of global economy during the 21st century.
• Biotechnology solve problems in biological
  sciences for the benefits of humanity, provided
  high quality education, research, and community
  service.
• Lessons should be learned from the experience of
  other countries , and to start now is better than
  10 or 15 years later.

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• THANK YOU