The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) approved a grant of P23 million for the University of the Philippines-Mindanao Biotechnology Research Program and the establishment of a biotech facility. This was disclosed by UPMin Chancellor Gilda C. Rivero to faculty members and staff recently when she reported significant accomplishments of the first 200 days of her administration. The grant is for the conservation and sustainable utilization of selected bio-resources in Mindanao.

Among those that will be funded by the grant is the sago project which will use advances in biotechnology to benefit indigenous peoples.

Dr. Flores, program coordinator, said the research program will use sago starch to make value-added products such as lactic acid, ethanol, and biodegradable plastics. "Sago is just the first, but other abundant indigenous resources like nipa, kaong, and some forest species ornamentals will be included in the program," Flores added.

The project consists of conserving existing sago palms growing in the wild in Mindanao and other places in the country and studying pests and natural friends of the wild sago palms, plant growth regulators from rhizobacteria, the ecology of sago in the wetlands, and the micro-propagation of sago palms.

It includes molecular profiling ñ useful in determining the sago species with higher starch yield ñ and developing enzymes from microorganisms.