CAB

The Center of Excellence on Agricultural Biotechnology (AG/BIO-PERDO) is a consortium of 10 universities with a mission to foster a collaborative research between state universities and the agricultural production sector, and to upgrade higher education in agricultural biotechnology. It is financially supported by the Sciences & Technology Postgraduate Education and Research Development Office, Commission on Higher Education of Thailand. The Center for Agricultural Biotechnology (CAB) at Kasetsart University, Kamphaeng Saen is the flagship coordinator.

CAB strengthens the cooperation among researchers and provides teaching and research capabilities. The research activities focus on basic and advanced biotechnology and aims to alleviate production bottlenecks in the agricultural sector. Clusters of specialized laboratories are set up in six areas:

Plant Biotechnology.
The research includes the study of genetic diversity in germplasm, introducing traits from wild relatives, molecular markers, cells and tissue culture, and genetic engineering. Economic crops such as rice, legumes, solanaceous crops, eucalyptus, and oil palm are intensively studied. This cluster is collaborating with the Global Partnership Initiative Project in Plant Breeding (GIPB) project in launching short- and medium-term trainings in plant breeding.

Animal Biotechnology.
The Faculties of Veterinary Medicines and Agriculture work closely in developing vaccines, techniques in detecting pathogens, and marker-assisted animal breeding. Laboratories are equipped for research on embryo technology and artificial insemination of wildlife such as elephants, tigers, and deer, along with felids and domesticated animals.

Fisheries Biotechnology.
This group offers expertise in molecular marker and genomics technologies for fish breeding and disease diagnostics. DNA markers are used in the assessment of genetic diversity, sustainable management of fisheries resources, and management of hatchery brood stock.

Plant Biophysics and Biochemistry.
This cluster bridges disciplines of plant biophysics and biochemistry in verifying the limitation factors that control the growth and development of plants under field settings. Research results help solve the fruit quality problems of mangosteen and salacca, yield increase in oil palm, and minimizing chlorosis in eucalyptus on alkaline soils and bottlenecks in several other crop production.

Plant-Microbe Interactions.
Facilities are available for evaluation of the molecular basis of plant defense and the identification and detection of plant pathogens and symbionts. Emphasis is on the monitoring of disease epidemic and pathogen surveillance.

Biosafety.
The recent outbreaks of SARS and H5N1 bird flu verify that early detection and effective monitoring is essential for their containment. Researchers in the group are at the forefront in this rapidly changing field. Biosafety assessments are currently conducted in genetically modified papaya for resistance to the papaya ringspot virus and low ethylene production in genetically modified orchid plants.

Research outputs are published in peer-reviewed journals, and reported at local and international conferences. At present more than a thousand communications have been disseminated by CAB researchers.

CAB offers MSc and PhD degrees in agricultural biotechnology. CAB has a well-equipped central teaching laboratory facility that can host up to 50 students, where students can try their hands at a variety of protocols of modern molecular biotechnology during an intensive 4-week training. The facility has also been used for training of external parties such as the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) with support of FAO and the Future Harvest Project of Biodiversity International/CGIAR.

CAB and its member institutes have awarded degrees to the largest number of students in the field of agricultural biotechnology in Southeast Asia. Close to 900 MSc and PhD students have been admitted up to the present.

Kasetsart University Kamphaengsaen Campus | Nakhonpathom, 73140 Thailand | T: +66 (0) 3428 2494-8 | agrsrc@ku.ac.th
www.cab.ku.ac.th