US-based Pinay researcher: Stem cell technology can improve food sector

A United States-based Filipina researcher said "stem cell technology," a rapidly developing field that offers a cure for cancer, can also be used to improve the food sector. In an international biotech conference,  Candice Ginn Tahimic, a biology researcher in San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center in California said, "A lot of people are lobbying about labeling of food, but nobody seems to be lobbying about the science behind the food industry."

 

Tahimic was one of the presenters in the "9th Asian Reproductive Biotechnology Society (ARBS) conference" held from Oct. 23 to 28 in Edsa Shangri-La Hotel, Mandaluyong City.

 

The conference was attended by experts, scientists and researchers from the Philippines, Thailand, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Australia, and the US. Stem cell technology

 

Tahimic's study, titled "Stem cell technology and applications in livestock propagation and improvement" was featured on the second day of the conference.

 

Her research focused on how stem cell technology could be applied to "livestock propagation, trait improvement, and production of commercial valuable substances  and the creation of large animal models for studying human diseases."

 

She noted that new genetic engineering strategies could be useful for the livestock industry. Tahimic said she is "focusing my research on bone biology involving mesenchymal stem cells."  Ethical questions Tahimic acknowledged that stem cell research still poses ethical questions but said it was important to convey how this relatively new technology can affect different sectors.

 

"(I)t is apparent that we still have a number of issues to address before iPS (induced pluripotent stem cells) technology can be applied for therapy," Tahimic said in an email interview.

 

The issues include the "incomplete reprogramming of the genome which place the epigenetic state of these cells somewhere between embryonic stem (ES) cells and an adult cell."

 

"(T)hey are ES cell-like but at the moment, cannot be considered an equivalent replacement for ES cells whether for research or potential therapy purposes," explained Tahimic.

 

Another issue she mentioned is the lack of technology to convert ES or iPS into desired cell type.

 

Toward the end of her presentation, Tahimic asked, "How do we best communicate the safety of our food to the public who are always skeptical?"

 

She said scientists should ally with policymakers, and other sectors in one goal: to help improve the food sector, including the livestock industry. - VVP, GMA News