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10 September 2007

Cape Town - South Africa today became the first country in Africa and only the third in the world to host a laboratory of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB).

South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki this morning officially opened the third ICGEB Component at the Institute for Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IIDMM) at the University of Cape Town, where the laboratory will be housed.

The two other existing international Components are in Trieste, Italy, and New Delhi, India.

The ICGEB is an inter-governmental organisation that operates in close contact with the United Nations (UN) Common System as a centre for excellence for research and training in biotechnology and genetic engineering with special attention to the needs of the developing world.

In line with this, the immediate focus of the Cape Town Component will be on diseases that predominate in developing countries, and in particular with a view to study the reaction of the body's immune system to infections and chronic diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and various cancers.

These efforts will go a long way in supporting the global search for breakthroughs in the understanding of these diseases and could possibly also lead to the identification of diagnostic tools and specific drugs or vaccines.

The decision to establish an ICGEB component in Africa was spearheaded by the G8 governments during the 2005 Gleneagles summit, in support of an initiative that focuses on Africa.

South Africa's Minister of Science and Technology, Mosibudi Mangena, told guests at the official opening in Cape Town this morning that it was his 2006 visit to the ICGEB in Trieste, Italy, that convinced him of the need to have a similar facility in Africa.

"I knew then that an ICGEB Component in Africa will help ensure that we build our capacity in the field of genetic engineering and biotechnology as well as position the continent in such a way that we effectively meet our developmental targets," said Minister Mangena.

"Furthermore, the research conducted at the Cape Town Component will enable us to better address the disease burden of the developing world, the agricultural challenges of poor yields, producing in difficult climatic conditions and enhancing our post-harvest capacities, as well as the use of biotechnology to further develop our manufacturing and industrial sectors toward the enhancement of the quality of life of all our people," he added.

The Department of Science and Technology has already made available R10 million of the R40 million earmarked to fund the Cape Town Component of the ICGEB.

Due to the lack of adequate infrastructure for research and development and the shortfall in human capabilities to tackle modern science, African countries currently do not derive full benefit from the opportunities made available by the ICGEB

According to the ICGEB head office in Italy, the Cape Town Component will help to break this vicious cycle and significantly enhance international research networks by developing tailor-made programmes focused on health and agricultural biotechnology. In addition, the Component will serve to expand the successful formula for capacity-building which the ICGEB has experienced in other parts of the world during the last twenty years. "The establishment of a third component in Cape Town represents a concrete example of how the international community can take advantage of advanced research to meet the targets of the Millennium Development Goals, and providing the ICGEB with an exceptional tool to fulfil its mandate" according Professor Francisco Baralle, Director-General of the ICGEB in Trieste. Professor Baralle added that, "Trieste, New Delhi and Cape Town are three Components of a single mission: developing knowledge and scientific excellence, as well as their access worldwide."

Professor Iqbal Parker, from the Medical Biochemistry Division at the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IIDMM) at the University of Cape Town (UCT) was appointed Director designate of the Cape Town ICGEB Component, pending the official endorsement by the ICGEB Board of Governors this October.

Professor Parker will be joined by up to three other group leaders, students and research fellows who will be appointed at the Component between now and early next year.

The Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UCT, Professor Njabulo S. Ndebele reaffirmed UCT's commitment to the success of this project. "We are research-led institution which has a very long history of producing pioneering health research." Professor Ndebele added that the ICGEB will further strengthen UCT's efforts to train top researchers and produce excellent research which contributes to bettering the lives of the people of South Africa and Africa.

For more information contact:
Celeste Tema
Deputy Director: Communication and Media Liaison
Tel: 012 843 6784
Cell: 083 399 0765
E-mail: celeste.tema@dst.gov.za

Kristin Klose
Director: Communication and Media Liaison
Tel: 012 843 6785
Cell: 082 902 9503
E-mail: kristin.klose@dst.gov.za

Nelvis Qekema
Ministerial Liaison
Tel: 082 571 2571
E-mail: nelvis.qekema@dst.gov.za

Decio Ripandelli
Director, Administration and External Relations
International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
Tel: +39 040 375 7345/+39 3356 311561
E-mail: decio@icgeb.org

Issued by: Department of Science and Technology
10 September 2007
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