In 2004 Pornchai, who had been serving as president of the prestigious Mahidol University since 1999, was approached by the government to spearhead the setting up of the Thailand Centre for Excellence in Life Sciences (Tcels), a non-profit organisation tasked with promoting coordination between government, scientists and business. This is seen as crucial to establishing Thailand as the regional hub for the biotechnology industry and related services.

Following the successful mapping of the entire human genetic code in 2003, the future of medicine - the diagnosis of illnesses as well as the pharmaceuticals used to treat them - is heading toward substantial advances never seen before in the history of mankind. Besides the promise of great improvements in people's daily lives, life sciences, or modern biology aided by rapid advancement in digital technology, have opened up new opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs worldwide.

As for Thailand, Pornchai, who graduated with a PhD in microbiology from the University of Wisconsin in 1968 prior to which he was granted a Borden Research Award in Medicine, says the right infrastructure and management system are needed to further develop the biotech industry and services.

In particular, Thailand holds the potential to compete in the field of diagnostic kits for new diseases such as avian flu or equipment to test individual patients' reaction to certain drugs based on their genetic code. In addition, the country can compete in the field of pre-clinical (lab and animal) and clinical (human volunteer) testing of medicines developed by multinational pharmaceutical firms, many of which have outsourced this work to Asian and Pacific countries.

"In terms of human resources, we've tens of thousands of researchers with a graduate degree in life sciences and related fields, as well as several thousand doctoral and post-doctoral scientists. Many have been doing work for foreign drug companies for years, especially for clinical tests, because we also have a high-standard national healthcare system with many reliable state hospitals," Pornchai says.

"Now, the point is to further expand the value chain with the government providing support and financial incentives to the private sector so that they can work with academic institutions and researchers to develop the industry and services more systematically."

"In other words, we hope Tcels will be the commercial arm for various basic research done by other state-funded institutions such as the National Science and Technology Development Agency or the Thailand Research Fund. At Mahidol University, we've already set up Satang Co as an arm to commercialise some of our basic research in a way similar to world-renowned universities such as Oxford, which has ISIS as its commercial arm," he says.

As a microbiologist and immunologist, Pornchai was an honorary research associate at Harvard University in 1975, an honorary professor at the University of Toronto, a fellow of the International Institute of Biotechnology in the United Kingdom, and a visiting professor at Osaka University.

In the 1970s his research on why there is no immunological rejection of the foetus by the mother was published in the scientific journal Nature.

Prior to taking up the Mahidol University presidency in 1999, Pornchai was dean of the Faculty of Science and chairman of the deans of science conference of Thailand, as well as an executive member of the International Microbiological Societies.

Having worked for Mahidol for more than four decades as its lecturer and top manager, Pornchai is proud to have witnessed the steady growth of this long-established institution of higher learning, which has two top state hospitals and medical schools under its umbrella.

"Undoubtedly, both Siriraj Hospital and Rama Tibordee Hospital have long been the country's first-rated reference centres for medical treatment. They are trusted by His Majesty the King and members of the Royal Family," he says.

Nophakhun Limsamarnphun

nop1122@yahoo.com