China's leading genomics scientist called on governments and researchers in the biotechnology sector to make technology advancements better serve humanity rather than have them be monopolized for private interests.  

Addressing a plenary at the Global Biotechnology Forum in Concepcion, Chile Wednesday, Yang Huanming, director of the Beijing Genomics Institute, said that developing countries should be involved in global efforts to harness biotechnology to have their contributions acknowledged and their needs incorporated in biotechnology development, which so far has basically been dominated by developed nations.

"Equality is the key word here. The achievements should be accomplished by all, owned by all and shared by all," he said.

The four-day forum, which closes today, is organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. It has drawn 400 scientists, governments and international organizations and private sector representatives. Their programs include almost all the touchy issues facing the biotech field, such as bioethics, technology transfer and biosafety.

Yang seemed to be the most sought person present, receiving rounds of inquiries and congratulations from his scientific peers and answering endless questions from journalists.

A task force led by Yang decoded 1 percent of the human genome sequence as a part of internationally collaborated Human Genome Project, officially completed last April by scientists from the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Japan and China.

Yang's team has not only decoded the human genome sequence, it also succeeded in decoding sequences in rice and silkworms.

But what makes Yang more remarkable is that he symbolizes China's open attitude towards biotech discoveries, said Borge Diderishsen, a Belgian scientist who is also the president of the European Federation of Biotechnology.

China makes public all of its research results in the field of genenomics, an approach that many other researchers would never choose to adopt. There are even researchers tampering with the idea of applying for patents for their discoveries.

For Yang and many others, this is not acceptable because it is against the core spirit of science, which should be humanitarian, he said.

Other speakers said that developed countries' economic, commercial, legal, and ethical outlook concerning biotechnology should be blamed for the inhumane aspects of today's biotechnology development.

This framework is also responsible for the fact that the needs, voices and contributions of the developing countries in the biotech sector are basically ignored, Yang said.

Good news is that many scientists from developed and developing countries have realized this and have begun to tackle the problem, he said.

Yang is in close cooperation with some key European scientists in the sector including David McConnell from Trinity University in Dublin and Marc van Montagu with the Gent University in Belgium.

(China Daily March 5, 2004)