AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH UNITT

The Agricultural Biotechnology Research Unit focuses on plant and animal biotechnology, with a special emphasis on using biotechnology to improve plant and animal quality to increase the value of commercial products and build up the research’s capacity in biotechnology. The plant biotechnology includes development of plants tolerant of drought and soil salinity, understanding of starch biosynthesis at the molecular level in tuber crops, gene transformation to increase the quality of economic crops and understanding of genes controlling development and yield production in rice. The animal biotechnology aims to understand molecular biology of reproductive maturation and growth of black tiger shrimp in order to improve farming sustainability. In addition, the research program also includes research and development on reproductive management in order to increase reproductive efficiency of dairy cows.

Areas of Expertise

• Plant physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology
• Production and scaling up of monoclonal antibody
• Microarray technology
• Genetic manipulation of virus
• Shrimp molecular biology and genetics
• Embryo transfer (dairy cows)

Services
In addition to research and development, the unit provides a selected range of special services to the private and public sector in order to facilitate R&D in Thailand.

1. Monoclonal antibody production and scaling-up
2. Improvement of bovine reproductive efficiency
   • Advising on reproductive hormones
   • Synchronizing ovulation and fixed-time AI in cattle
   • Embryo transfer/ in vitro production of bovine embryos
   • Induction of lactation in non pregnant dairy cows/heifers
3. Micropropagation service  

Director
Dr. Sirawut Klinbunga


Key Researchers
Dr. Chalermpol Kirdmanee