engleski

Biotechnology and Genetics in Croatia: from past to future

The potential of biotechnology and the future role of genetics in biotechnology have been recognized very early in our academic environment. Back in 1956 the students at the Faculty of Chemistry, Food and Mining at the University of Zagreb could specialize in biotechnology and from 1960/61, at the new-opened Faculty of Technology, Biotechnology was a separate department that grew into the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology in 1978. At its beginnings, biotechnology primarily occupied the space between pure microbiology and chemical engineering, but had already a strong interdisciplinary and international character and the founder and the architect of biotechnology in Croatia, prof. Vera Johanides, co-signed The Foundation Document of European Federation of Biotechnology. In the late 60-ies, the central dogma did not change only our way of seeing the living matter, but also pointed out biotechnology as one of the most promising technologies of the future and genetics was identified as a powerful tool that will be used to control cellular processes. At our Faculty, a collaborative research project on streptomyces genetics was launched involving PLIVA, which was at that time one of the world leaders in the production of oxitetaycline. Within several years, a small group of enthusiasts gathered around prof. Marija Alačević achieved international recognition and reputation offering a model for collaboration between academic institutions and industry, fundamental and applied research. Today, more then 30 years later, this model seems to be more an exception then a rule and our biotechnology is still mainly oriented towards traditional processes. This can not be explained only by a delay in the application of recombinant DNA technology and limited financing of research. Successful projects in modern biotechnology require creative, well-trained and competent scientists and strong industry to support and develop research towards potential applications. Fruitful interactions are of mutual interest, but can occur only within stimulative institutional framework. Although we now routinely use rDNA techniques in research and molecular diagnostics we still have to learn how to establish such interactions. What can we do to retrieve competitiveness and to bring biotechnology to the position it occupies in knowledge-based societies?

biotechnology; molecular genetics

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