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Sifelani Tsiko Agric, Environment & lnnovations Editor
Zimbabwe has been urged to strengthen and harmonise innovation and emerging technologies to promote efficiency and the development of technology that responds to the country’s demands.
National Biotechnology Authority chief executive and registrar, Dr Tonny Savadye told The Herald on the sidelines of a genome editing workshop that integration would enhance efficiency and research outcomes.
“We need to integrate all the emerging technologies so that they bring out efficiency and digitalisation,” he said.
“Even if its biotechnology, it must be linked with medicine, agriculture, pharmacy and ICTs to come up with a new package on a platform that links all scientific interventions that respond to local needs.”
The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and the National Biotechnology Authority organised the workshop to help the country to increase and scale up the use of biotechnology, in particular genome editing.
Zimbabwe is among other selected countries such as Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mozambique, Kenya and Malawi that were chosen to pilot the application of genome editing research towards product development.
Gene-editing science and technology is in early stage in Zimbabwe and most African countries and the potential of this technology was still to be harnessed.
Gene editing technology allows scientists to edit any gene they target, enabling them to find and change or replace genetic defects.
Dr Savadye called for an overhaul of Zimbabwe’s approach to research and innovation to break away from outdated interventions that work in isolation from the other.
“Doctors make diagnosis, pharmacists give prescription and through the use of drones, the medicine can be taken to a patient in a remote area,” he said.
“Ethiopia and Rwanda are doing this well, integrating all technologies to enhance efficiency and delivery of interventions that fully respond to the needs to their people.
“This is what we want to do here and this should lead Zimbabwe to the attainment of its fourth industrial revolution.”
The NBA and AUDA-NEPAD were holding the workshop to consider how genome editing can support Zimbabwe’s efforts to achieve an inclusive and integrated implementation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and Agenda 2063.
Under the Second Republic, biotechnology is no longer seen as an option but as a necessity that should be deployed alongside other conventional methods to improve genetic gains for enhanced crop productivity and agriculture value chain transformation.
Zimbabwe and other African countries are gradually evolving in advances in breeding from classical to genetic engineering that now covers genomic editing.
Experts at the workshop said challenges remain addressing gaps in financing, laboratory infrastructure, materials and trained personnel.
Zephaniah Dhlamini, an academic and director of the National University of Science and Technology’s (Nust) Applied Genetics Testing Centre said improving skills was important for the development and uptake of genome editing applications.
“We need to see the skills set if we are to work in genomic work,” he said.
“There is no one institution that has all the skills set. We need to form synergies on our skills set to have a vibrant genomic editing system in Zimbabwe.”
Zimbabwe allows gene editing science technologies at research level.
Dr Savadye said the country was now developing a regulatory framework to harness the full potential of gene editing technologies.
Zimbabwe has set up Genomics Centre at the University of Zimbabwe Innovation Hub that has a state-of-the-art sequencing unit.
The NBA regulates the use and application of modern biotechnologies to minimise the impact of these on human and animal health as well as the environment.
Online Reporter