Sarawak Biodiversity Centre
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bioprospecting
Bioinformatics[2]
 Entrance into Sarawak Biodiversity Centre | |
| Established | 1997 |
|---|---|
| Mission | To Decode Biodiversity for the Benefit of Sarawak[1] |
| Focus | Traditional knowledge documentation Bioprospecting Bioinformatics[2] |
| Chair | Jaul Samion[3] |
| Chief Executive Officer | Yeo Tiong Chia[4] |
| Owner | Sarawak state government |
| Location | KM 20, Jalan Puncak Borneo , Kuching , Sarawak , Malaysia |
| Coordinates | 1°23′33″N 110°19′23″E / 1.39250°N 110.32306°E |
 Interactive map of Sarawak Biodiversity Centre | |
| Website | https://www.sbc.org.my/ |
Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) is a statutory body that was set up by the government of Sarawak in 1997 for the regulation of access and collection of biological resources for research or commercial purposes. In 2004, the centre was relieved of its regulatory role and started to get involved in biotechnology-based research on the biological resources in the state.
Sarawak Biodiversity Centre was established in 1997 following the enactment of the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre Ordinance by the Sarawak state government for conservation, utilization, protection and sustainable development of biodiversity in the state. This was followed by the enactment of Sarawak Biodiversity Regulations in 1998. In December 2003, the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly passed the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (Amendment) Ordinance 2003. The state assembly also revised the Sarawak Biodiversity Regulations in 2004. Following these revisions, Sarawak Biodiversity Centre was relieved of its previous role and assumed a new role of research and development of the state biological resources and documentation of indigenous knowledge of utilising biological resources.[5] In 2017, SBC hosted BioBorneo and Bioeconomy Day.[6][7]
SBC collaborated with Mitsubishi Corporation on cultivating indigenous algae since 2012.[8] In 2019, SBC and Mitsubishi launched one of the largest algae cultivation facility in Southeast Asia. It is expected to produce 60 tonnes of dried algae biomass per hectare per year.[9]
Programmes
Traditional Knowledge Documentation Programme
This programme exists to prevent the loss of traditional knowledge in indigenous communities because knowledge is passed to the next generations only through oral tradition. This programme is carried out through capacity-building workshops where local communities are trained with documentation techniques as well as growing and management of useful indigenous plants. As of 9 November 2020, a total of 6,420 plants were documented with 1,713 species of plants identified.[10]
Research and Development (Bioprospecting) Programme
This programme is supported by seven laboratories with the aim to screen for anti-cancer, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-protease compounds from its natural products library. This programme also isolates and sequences genes from useful microbes that have medicinal and industrial applications. This programme is also developing plant tissue culture capabilities for mass propagations and genetic transformation of plants.[11]
Bioinformatics Programme
This programme aims to provide an integrated database storage and maintenance system on biological resources in the state and traditional knowledge on growing indigenous plants.[12]
Biodiversity Garden Programme
This programme collects, propagates and plants the indigenous flora of Sarawak that are used by the indigenous communities in the state. This garden provides raw plant materials for research and development. This garden is also open for public education and tours.[13]
Awareness and Appreciation Programme
Through seminars, workshops, conferences, forums, public lectures, dialogue sessions, and exhibitions, this programme aims to disseminate accurate information on biodiversity and biotechnology to the general public, policymakers, government officials, members of academia, researchers, industry representatives and the media.[14]
