Country Profile

Argentina

SYNBIO PROFILE

Synbio Map as told before in the introdutory "Country Profile" page does not represent the actual panorama for South America. Below you can see the country political map. Argentina is one of the main players in Biotech over South American continent and has companies, universities, research laboratories and developing projects using synthetic biology.

PARTICIPATION IN THE iGEM COMPETITION

Argentina is represented since 2012 by the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) Unfortunately, Buenos Aires University did not registry this year. We, iGEMers from University of Amazonas, send the best of luck for them and we would like to say that they have been a huge inspiration to us! We hope to meet them again next year! , the largest university in Argentina and the largest university entered in iGEM - Latin America. The UBA university was founded on August 12, 1821 in Buenos Aires, consisting of thirteen schools, six hospitals ten museums and is linked to four high schools.

2012 - Project Title: Synthetic ecology

Abstract: We aimed to create a stable community of microorganisms that could be used as a standard tool. Our system would allow the co-culture of several genetically engineered machines in tunable proportions. Hence the engineered organism would be a standard part! This defines a new level of modularity allowing the increase of the complexity of the system by moving to the community level. We´ve come up with several plausible circuits designs and in silico predictions and decided to build a “crossfeeding” system in which each strain produces and secretes an aminoacid the other strains need to grow. We characterized two auxotrophic yeast strains (for tryptophan and histidine) and designed novel biobricks that regulate the export of Trp and His rich peptides. In the future this would allow for other modules to control the proportions of each strain, thus allowing dynamic and stimulus dependent changes in the abundances of each strain.

2013 -Project title: To drink or not to drink

Abstract: Our project is focused on developing a biosensor specific for certain water pollutants, with a modular and scalable approach. This approach would make it easy to adapt the response for the detection of different substances. In contrast to other iGEM biosensors, it does not rely on expensive equipment or qualified people to interpret the results. Being aware that most of the populations affected by consumption of contaminated groundwater don’t have scientific or technical training, we intend the device to be cheap and easily distributed. We have designed it in a way that any user could easily determine the presence and level of the contaminant on drinking water, using image-based instructions. The project will focus on measuring a primary pollutant: arsenic. However, its modular and scalable design provides an easy way to measure various contaminants such as nitrate/nitrite among others.

BIOTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY AND FUNDS

Argentina has around 120 biotech-related companies involved in different areas, among them the production of drugs for human and animal health care, seed production and micro propagation, animal management and assisted reproduction. The companies earn billions annually 3,140 pesos (about 1.0 billion U.S. dollars), exporting approximately ¼ of what they produce and generate employment for about 3,000 people.

Out of the 120 companies that make up the framework of biotechnology in Argentina, 98% are nationals. Only those related to the production of seeds, inoculants and industrial inputs feature multinational companies. The picture is completed with the presence of nearly a dozen joint ventures (both private domestic capital as public). Argentina features 58 micro-enterprises, 52 medium-sized companies and only 10 companies are classified as large. In relation to its billing, micro firms represent 48% of the bill and a little over 7% of the total. In opposition, a dozen major companies (less than 10% of total firms) covers almost half of the total turnover.

The difference of capital origin is only in its innovative billing and conduct. While foreign companies tend to centralize their development at their headquarters, allocating fewer resources to local development, local companies invest less than 10% of its sales in Innovation and Local Development.

Regarding the synthetic biology, there is no specific companies in this area. Companies that produce genetically modified organisms are related to seeds, human health, animal health, industrial supplies, etc.

The biotechnology sector is group composed of several national and international companies. We include in the Argentine panorama BASF, Bayer Crop Science, Dow AgroSciences, Monsanto and Pioneer companies, local as well as international companies AMEGA BIOTECH, Bioceres, Biogenesis-Bago, BioSidus, Cassara, GADOR, INDEAR, PharmADN, and Wiener RIZOBACTER LABORATORIES. The combination of increased public-private efforts and a default position of producing diverse country Argentina became one of the leaders in biotechnological production in Latin America, where it is known by its scientific and innovative potential applications in agriculture and human and animal health .

Public institutions such as the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), the National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI) and the National Agency of Scientific and Technological Promotion, promote biotechnology in partnership with the private sector, contributing to innovation through projects in research and development. Cooperation between public and private institutions reflected in more than 100 biotechnology products funded by 40 companies, generating investments around AR $ 150 million. As the successful experiences of cooperation between laboratories and universities, including the Universidad Nacional del Litoral with Bioceres and the National University of Quilmes with INSUD Group (Chemo).

REGULATIONS FOR SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY

As shown above in the biotechnology industry, Argentina shows no significant production of synthetic biology to be one specific regulation. For producing organisms using techniques of synthetic biology, the regulation for modern biotechnology is used. This regulation was produced in 1991 and is overseen by the following agencies: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries; Board of Biotechnology; National Advisory Commission on Agricultural Biotechnology (CONABIA); National Health Service and Agro Food Quality (SENASA); and the Technical Advisory Committee to the Use of GMOs (CTAUOGM). The goal is to ensure every organ in the oversight of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the experimental parts to the possible commercialization of a new product Argentina has 29 transgenic plants to produce goods derived of cottom,corn and soybeans from companies like Monsanto Argentina S.A.I.C., Dow AgroSciences, Pioneer Argentina S.A, Syngenta Seeds S.A. e Novartis Agrosem S.A..

RESEARCH, PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATION

Applications of biotechnology are many and varied. On one hand, in the field of health are being studied and / or targeted therapies applied to prevention, such as vaccines, in vitro diagnostics and new therapeutic approaches such as gene therapy. Furthermore, the prominent place that Argentina reached the export of biofuels worldwide, marks a turning point in the sustainable production of new energy from basic inputs with different biotechnological processes in which Argentina has a big export. At the same time, the development of plant genetics to offer seeds for crops by locally owned companies that have implemented the best biotechnological processes, ensures new opportunities to continue to be part of world leadership in the production and export of proteins at the same time opening markets for products and quality seed (Câmara Argentina de Biotecnologia).

The National Agency for Scientific and Technological Promotion, through the Argentine Fund Sector (FONARSEC) invites public or public-private partnerships for the presentation of projects to generate biotechnological platforms that allow progress to improve the combination in science: basic research, biotechnological applications and technological innovation, ie, the application of knowledge gained in basic research laboratory to practice. The goal is to partially finance these biotechnology projects based on new technologies and innovations made in science. It prioritize sustainable and viable projects in technical, institutional and organizational terms. It seeks to articulate care practices oriented translational research on biotechnology (Agencia nacional de promocíon científica y tecnológica).

EVENTS RELATED TO SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY

In 2012, courses in Introduction to Synthetic Biology were organized by prof.Dr.Alejandro Nadra, prof.Dr.Ignacio Sanchez and prof.Dr.Alejandro Colman-Lerner, administered by the European Synthetic Biology Organization (EMBO). However, there is still widespread in Argentina one line of Synthetic Biology research itself. There are introductory courses, discussions and exhibits at conferences, such as the REDBIO. REDBIO is the Latin American and Caribbean Meeting on Biotechnology, where many issues are discussed and exposed in relation to the practices and results of biotechnological development in Latin America, including the Synthetic Biology

References

Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería y Pesca. Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Link)

Consejo Argentino para la Información y el Desarrollo de la Biotecnología. Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Link)

ANLLÓ; G., BISANG; R., STUBRIN; L.: Las empresas de biotecnología en Argentina. Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), 2011.

Universidade de Buenos Aires (UBA). Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Link)

Encuentro Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Biotecnologia. Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2013. (Link)

Buenos Aires Team. Internacional Genetically Engineered Machine Competition, 2012. (Link)

Invest in Argentina. Inversiones: Sectores: Biotecnologia (Link)

El potencial de la Biotecnología. Câmara Argentina de Biotecnología.(Link)

Proyectos Biotecnológicos de Investigación Traslacional (PBIT). Agencia nacional de promocíon científica y tecnológica. (Link)