DAVAO CITY — The University of Mindanao (UM) has launched a state-of-the-art laboratory for synthetic biology and metabolic engineering. The UM Biomolecular Engineering Laboratory (UMBEL), located inside the UM Bolton Campus, is one of the first laboratories in the Philippines to conduct research on synthetic biology and metabolic engineering. It was established mainly through expert assistance from Dr.
Angelo B. Bañares, a short-term “Balik Scientist” under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)’s Balik Scientist Program (BSP). The P8-million facility funded by the UM is dedicated to advancing studies to address pressing environmental issues through the study of non-pathogenic microorganisms.
Excessive reliance on non-renewable resource During his Exit Report Presentation as Balik Scientist held before the inauguration of the UMBEL, Bañares said that as much as 10 billion tons of fossil fuel is used yearly in the production of various products, driving climate change due to carbon dioxide emission. “If you trace the products we use every day like clothes and medicine, you will find that they were made using oil or fossil fuel. For instance, two-thirds of our clothing comes from fossil fuel,” he explained.
Subsequently, 80 percent of these clothes will later end up in a landfill, making the clothing industry one of the most polluting industries in the world. However, “we do not need to rely on fossil fuel anymore,” Bañares said. Rather than usin.