OIL & GAS

Biotechnology research in the rainforests and its flora and fauna is a catalyst for new Grid computing being set up in Malaysia. To this end, government agency Mimos Bhd has begun to pool computing resources under the National Grid Infrastructure. Chief executive Tengku Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen said Mimos was also developing national supercomputing technology roadmaps for research using clusters and grid computing for bioinformatics. Malaysia’s rainforest, home to three-quarters of the world’s animal and plant species, was worth US$33 trillion or almost 270 times the value of the economy, he said. "There is potential for great synergy," he said in his paper on "Computational Biology: Convergence of ICT and Life Sciences" at BioMalaysia 2005 (APRIL 28-30), citing Malaysia’s long history of R&D in biology, agriculture and medicine, and more recent initiatives such as Multimedia Super Corridor, SIRIM and Technology Park Malaysia. Grid computing enables research institutions to get more out of hardware investments, and computing resources can be allocated on demand. There is a BioGrid at University Kebangsaan Malaysia, and an E-Science Grid at University Sains Malaysia. Biotechnology has been identified as a new engine of growth for Malaysia. It is envisioned that biotechnology will be able to improve the quality of life, generate new wealth and income for both rural and urban population and improve the socio-economic status of the people as a whole. The country’s rich flora and fauna provide a potentially rich reservoir of natural resources for healthcare applications, agri-food production and clean environment solutions. Together with manufacturing excellence and adaptable human capital, Malaysia offers great potential for strategic partnerships, international investment opportunities, agro-biotech business development and pharmaceutical discoveries. Organised by MOSTI, BioMalaysia 2005 is an excellent platform for Malaysia to share and solicit ideas on harnessing the potential of biotechnology for the nation’s prosperity, healthcare and wellness. Incorporating Conference, Showcase and Business Networking, BioMalaysia 2005 is a strategic focal point for biotechnology industry players, government officials, researchers, financiers and academia to meet and update themselves on the latest industry trends, technologies and discoveries, besides networking and exploring the vast business opportunities that biotechnology offers. The main highlight of the event will be the launching of National Biotechnology Policy by the Prime Minister, YAB Dato’ Seri Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi.