Status of Biotechnology in Ethiopia

bio-earn.org -- Biotechnology research in Ethiopia is still at its infancy. However a number of institutions have instituted modest R&D activities. These include:

* Addis Ababa University (AAU)
* The Institute of Biodiversity Conservation and Research (IBCR).
* Ethiopian Health and Nutritional Research Institute (EHNRI)
* Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization (EARO)
* National Veterinary Institute (NVI),
* Institute of Pathobiology (IPB).
* National Veterinary Institute at Debre Zeit

Highlights of institutional activities are as follows:

Addis Ababa University (AAU) Biology Department

* Is working on a project on Ethiopian flora and has so far described and made an inventory covering at least 60,000 Ethiopian plants.
* Screening, isolation and characterization of key cereal crops using protoplasm fusion and somaclonal variations.
* DNA sequencing for genetic characterization and micro-propagation of indigenous plants and tree species.
* Localization on the chromosome quantitative trait loci (QTL) in teff using RFLP techniques.
* Genetic and biological approach towards producing clean and disease free Enset ventricosum.
* Micropropagation of Hagenia abyssinica with reference to rooting.
* Diagnosis and detection of viral pathogens in crops.
* Biological nitrogen removal from tannery waste water in Ethiopia.
* Development of various biological waster treatment systems, including:
* evaluation of substrate and microorganisms for biogas production.
selection of sulphur oxidizing bacteria from a tannery waste treatment system.
*efficient removal of sulphur and chromium; and co-production of biogas from a tannery wastewater, bio-manipulation in the improvement of eutrophic lake and purification of wastewater.

National Health and Nutrition Institute

*Screening of pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli, Shigella, using DNA probes.

National Veterinary Institute at Debre Zeit

*Development of animal vaccines against rinderpest, sheeppox, newcastle, African horse sickness, foot and mouth disease and bovine pleuropneumonia.

The Institute of Biodiversity Conservation and Research (IBCRI)

*Applying cytogenetic, biochemical and tissue culture techniques in the identification and characterization of collected germplasm accessions existing in the gene bank.

The Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization (EARO)

*Using biotechnology to improve teff, coffee, fruit cultivars and forest trees for commercial purposes.


Teff growing in the fields

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