News

Special Committee hosts specialists from SQU & SRC to discuss regulating biotech use

The Special Committee on Thursday, at its fourth meeting hosted specialists from National Bioethics Committee of Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) and Scientific Research Council (SRC) to gain inputs for its proposal to regulate the application of biotechnology and its products and the protection of genetic data in the Sultanate.
 
Hon.Dr.Wafa Salim Ali Al Harrasy headed the meeting in the presence of the honourable members of the Committee and Secretariat staff.
The group from SQU included Dr.Ahmed Bin Khalifa Shekeli, Prof.Ahmed Bin Smith Al Badwi and Prof.Taher Bin Abdul Rahman ba Amar. Dr.Ali Bin Hussain Al Lawati attended from SRC. 
The specialists from SQU  responded to questions relating to  the organization of  the use of biotechnology, controls regulating the exchange of genetic data with the concerned authorities within and outside the Sultanate, areas of biotechnology applications, quality of the types of genetic material that fall within the competence of the Committee, the legislations applicable to the circulation of genetic materials within and outside the Sultanate, legislation and regulations regulating the acquisition and circulation of genetic materials (including their storage, treatment, dissemination and disposal), the competent authority in organizing the work of biotechnology in the Sultanate, as well as concerns regarding the misuse of this technique and ways to  avoid them.
The Committee discussed with SRC specialist, the legislation and regulations governing the topics of the Committee’s study in terms of the use of biotechnology, the protection of genetic data, the regulation of the circulation and protection of genetic materials, and the regulation of the use and impact of bio-applications, scientific research in the field of technology.
During its meeting, the Committee raised several questions about the types of materials, samples and genetic data in the field of the Scientific Research Council, and what applications resulted from their work in field of biotechnology, the areas of  biotechnology applications, its quality, the existing laboratories in the field of biotechnology research and quality, the geographical framework for the use of biotechnology, if it is confined within the Sultanate or extends outside  the Sultanate, the human factor  in the field of biotechnology (scientific qualifications, experience, nationality), in addition to the number of researches approved and supervised by the Scientific Research Council, which has been implemented.