 Seeking microorganisms unique
to Mongolia which might have use in the creation of new medications,
Japanese and Mongolian scientists have jointly completed a bio-prospecting
project.
Microorganisms found in Mongolia
often must survive the extreme heat and cold of the local climate. These
microorganisms appear to have developed compounds to help them survive
in such an inhospitable environment.
"Mongolia has different
environmental conditions compared with Japan. My hope is we will isolate
some interesting and new microorganisms," said Ando Katsuhiko,
Director of NITE's Biotechnology Development Centre in an interview
with SciDev.Net.
Microorganisms that live in
acute heat or cold have often evolved compounds or processes that help
them survive in these extreme conditions.
Ando noted that Japanese and
Mongolian companies hope to find uses for these microorganisms in possible
commercial applications, such as compounds that could be used as pharmaceuticals.
The work is a collaboration
between Japan's National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE)
and Mongolia's Academy of Sciences (MAS).
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