CREATION OF THE MULTINATIONAL SYSTEM OF
SPECIALIZED INFORMATION ON BIOTECHNOLOGY AND FOOD TECHNOLOGY FOR LATIN AMERICA
AND THE CARIBBEAN (SIMBIOSIS)
PRESENTATION
The orientation thematic areas for the ninety
(90) decade of the Regional Program for Science and Technology (PRDCyT)
were mandated by the Inter- American Council for Education, Science, and
Culture (CIECC) during its Nineteenth Annual Regular Meeting, in Washington
D. C. from September 20-22, 1988.
The orientation areas were Environment-Natural
Resources, Microelectronics-Informatics, Materials, and Biotechnology-Food
Technology. For each area a multinational project was created. In the case
of the Multinational Project on Biotechnology and Food Technology (MPBFT)
there were 25 participating countries. Nine Caribbean countries participated
in this Project: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint
Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Vincent and The
Grenadines, and Suriname. The rest of countries were: Argentina, Bolivia,
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico,
Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Each multinational project included the "Information
and Diffusion Category" as part of the project activities. During
the definition of MPBFT activities, a proposal was presented to create
a Multinational System of Specialized Information on Biotechnology and
Food Technology. The objective of the multinational system was to establish
a cooperative network among the different institutions participating in
the Project. The participants believed this to be one of the most effective
ways to manage all the information and its application to the Project.
The creation of the "Simbiosis"
System was initiated with the realization of several technical events,
which are described ahead in this document. PRDCyT's years of experience
in managing projects and disseminating technical results to the industry
in the region were taken into consideration. This experience served as
the impetus for the creation of the "Simbiosis" System by the
biotechnology and food technology country project coordinators.
This document presents the creation process
for the "Simbiosis" System, which makes reference to the Multinational
System of Specialized Information on Biotechnology and Food Technology
for Latin America and the Caribbean. This System was named "Simbiosis"
since this Spanish word -the same as "Symbiosis" in the English
language- can also signify an association, the members of which -by virtue
of their participation- enjoy reciprocal benefits. Thus, throughout this
document the word "Simbiosis" will be used.
The document includes: background of the MPBFT;
activities supporting the creation of the system; publications distributed
to the participants, which formed the materials for discussion on the creation
and operation of the system "SIMBIOSIS". In summary the document
presents a systematized and chronological history of facts that promoted
the creation of SIMBIOSIS.
1. BACKGROUND RELATED TO THE MULTINATIONAL
PROJECT ON BIOTECHNOLOGY AND FOOD TECHNOLOGY (MPBFT) AND ITS RELATION WITH
THE INFORMATION ISSUE
The MPBFT was created to accomplish the mandate
set in Resolution CIECC-770/88 "Recommendations arising from the evaluation
of the resolution of Maracay; and CIECC 772/88 "New System for the
Programming, Execution, Administrative Control and Evaluation System of
Projects". These resolutions were adopted by CIECC during its Nineteenth
Regular Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., OAS Headquarters, from September
20-22,1988. The resolutions encouraged the organization of meetings for
the programming of multinational projects of the PRDCyT.
The meetings were held at the headquarters
of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS)
from December 11-15, 1989.
In these meetings, each country indicated
its topics of interest in detail, pointing to concrete research and development
project proposals. On the basis of the proposals, it was decided by consensus
that the Project on Biotechnology and Food Technology should focus on Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology, Bioprocesses and Food Preservation and Processing.
These topics were kept in accordance with CIECC Resolution 770/88 which
states: "The project will promote the adaptation and development of
new technologies with a view to opening up other possibilities for increasing
farm production, and mastering and disseminating new techniques, in both
rural and agroindustrial sectors. In addition, the Project will also help
surmount problems of post-harvest losses and improve the amount and quality
of the food industry's end products."
The Project activities were programmed in
consideration of the designated following four categories:
- Design of strategies and policies for the
public and private sectors;
- Formation and training of human resources;
- Research and studies;
- Information and diffusion: gathering, processing
and transmission of specialized information.
The Information and Diffusion category facilitated
adaptation of techniques and information theories for the specific necessities
of development of biotechnology and food technology. The category allowed
systematic and efficient management of information as well as the use of
computers, informatic and telecommunications within the framework of the
project. The category also promoted the transfer of knowledge and technology
at a regional level.
1.1 Information and Diffusion
1.1.1 Objectives 1990-1995
Establish information units in institutions
to support the creation of "SIMBIOSIS" and participation in the
Multinational Project on Biotechnology and Food Technology.
Train human resources in information management
for biotechnology and food technology.
Create and operate the Multinational System
of Specialized Information on Biotechnology and Food Technology (SIMBIOSIS).
Conduct studies on the monitoring and analysis
of project topic information and create databases specialized on biotechnology
and food technology.
1.1.2 Goals
Conducting a workshop for the establishment
of information units in biotechnology and food technology.
Conducting a study for the establishment and
operation of information units on biotechnology and food technology.
Preparing an inventory of databases on biotechnology
and food technology.
Creating a guide on sources of data on biotechnology
and food technology, at a regional and global level.
Creating a thesaurus for biotechnology and
food technology.
Conducting a seminar on the monitoring, identification
and analysis of information on biotechnology and food technology.
2. ACTIVITIES SUPPORTING THE CREATION
OF"SIMBIOSIS"
2.1 Course-Workshop
Monitoring, identification and analysis of
information pertaining to biotechnology and food technology (This was the
first International Course- Workshop organized in Latin America and the
Caribbean with the simultaneous participation of the information, biotechnology
and food technology specialists).
City and Country: Caracas, Venezuela
Date: November 5-10, 1990
2.1.1 Objective
To reunite specialists of the biotechnology
and food technology field with information specialists to promote interaction.
Under these circumstances, use information technology to develop biotechnology
and food technology.
2.1.2 Program and Calendar of the
Course-Workshop
Day 1- The importance of establishing systems
of monitoring information on Biotechnology and food technology was emphasized,
in order to know the trends, activities and projects on information and
its diffusions.
Day 2- Creation of databases (decision factors,
design and operation.)
Day 3- Work meetings to find information and
access compact disk (CDROM).
Day 4- Index topics to structure and use the
thesaurus.
Day 5- Commercialization of information services.
2.1.3 Recommendations from the course-workshop
mentioned.
The recommendations are the result of the
discussions from the following work groups:
Group I: The biotechnology and food technology
specialists who discussed their relation with information technology (Only
the specialists in biotechnology and food technology were present)
Group II: The information specialists who
discussed their relation to biotechnology and food technology (Only the
specialists in information were present)
Group III: Analysis and integration of group
I and group II recommendations (Group III contained information specialists
and biotechnology and food technology specialists)
The three groups made the following recommendations:
a) To formulate project proposals that applies
information technologies to biotechnology and food technology
Project Topics
Elaboration of country level diagnostics that
will assist in implementing information systems forthe use of managing specialized information related to
biotechnology and food technology ineach
country.
Creation of a biotechnology and food technology
thesaurus.
Creation of biotechnology and food technology
databases.
b) Activities
Production of electronic materials.
Training of human resources in information
technology.
Examples:
Seminar on "Management and commercialization
of Information" with the participation ofdeveloped
countries that are working on the mentioned topics.
Training in telecommunications.
Course-workshop on administration and management
of the databases at regional level.
Course-workshop on development and evaluation
of information projects.
Seminar on norms and standards for preparing
diagnostics and referential informationconcerning
biotechnology and food technology.
Distribution of materials originated during
the different projects.
c) Countries should support the projects and
activities of information technology through National ScienceCouncils.
2.2 Regional seminar on new information
technologies applied to thedevelopment and diffusion of biotechnology and food technology.
City and country: Montevideo, Uruguay
Date: October 1991
2.3 Regional workshop related to the
creation of biotechnology and foodtechnology information units.
City and country: Montevideo, Uruguay
Date: October 1991
2.4 Technical meeting for developing
the Multinational System ofInformation for Biotechnology and Food Technology.
City and country: Guatemala, Guatemala
Date: November 1993
2.5 Coordination meeting for the Multinational
Project on Biotechnologyand Food Technology.
City and country: Santiago, Chile
Date: November 1993
In the Santiago coordination meeting, the
country representatives who participated welcomed thecreation of the information system on biotechnology and
food technology for Latin America and the
Caribbean.
The specialists' group of the Multinational
Project on Biotechnology and Food Technology createdthe System in November 1993 with the collaboration on
information specialists during the meeting atthe
Instituto Centroamericano de Investigación y Tecnología Industrial
(ICAITI), in Guatemala.
Since 1990 the work and initiatives of the
country participants facilitated the creation of the System.
The creation of the System took into consideration
the proposal within "The Basic DiscussionDocument-Information
System on Biotechnology and Food Technology, Multinational Project onBiotechnology and Food Technology, OAS-ICAITI,
November, 1993." This document wasdiscussed
at ICAITI in November 1993. During the ICAITI meeting, information, biotechnologyand food technology specialists were present.
Considering the observations of the participants
at the ICAITI meeting another document,"SIMBIOSIS-Multinational
System of Specialized Information on Biotechnology and FoodTechnology for Latin America and the Caribbean,
Basic Document-OAS, July, 1994" wasprepared
and published for "SIMBIOSIS" which contains the fundamental
aspects and operation ofthe system.
This BASIC DOCUMENT has been distributed to
the countries.
2.6 Meeting for specialists in information,
biotechnology and food technology.
The purpose of the meeting was to put in operation
the Information System using Internet facilities established in the countries.
In this meeting the MPBFT home page was created, as well as the Discussion
List for "SIMBIOSIS."
City and country: Campinas, Brazil
Date: December 11-13, 1995
2.7 Meeting for the elaboration of
country home pages of the MultinationalProject on Biotechnology and Food Technology.
The home pages of eachcountry will be incorporated to Internet. The countries'
home page hasincluded the technical
results of the OAS Multinational Project.
City and country: Santafé de Bogotá,
Colombia
Date: May 13-17, 1996
3. PUBLICATIONS PREPARED AND DISTRIBUTEDTO THE PARTICIPANT INSTITUTIONS OF THEMULTINATIONAL PROJECT ON BIOTECHNOLOGYAND FOOD TECHNOLOGY DURING
THEDEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF THE CREATION OF"SIMBIOSIS"
Food Technology Thesaurus
Organization and operation of technical information
units
Boolean Operators in information retrieval
On line access to databases
Strategies to find information
Local computer networks and their applications
in information units
Database Design
Use and enrichment of thesaurus
Indexing
Electronic databases in biotechnology and
food technology
Guide to sources of information in the food
industries
Use of CD-ROM optical diskettes in documental
information systems in Colombia: researchand
recommendations
Referential databases, information on: institutions,
researchers, activities,publications-Multinational
Project on Biotechnology and Food Technology, OAS- ICAITI,
November, 1993
Basic Discussion Document-Information System
on Biotechnology and Food
Technology-Multinational Project on Biotechnology
and Food Technology, OAS-ICAITI,
November, 1993
SIMBIOSIS-Multinational System of Specialized
Information on Biotechnology and Food
Technology for Latin America and the Caribbean,
Basic Document-OAS, July, 1994
4. "SIMBIOSIS" SYSTEM
"SIMBIOSIS" is an institutional
mechanism sponsored by the countries and the OAS to connectpersons and organizational centers with interest
in Biotechnology, Food Technology and relatedareas.
Also, through the centers, "SIMBIOSIS" adds value to information
generated by the researchand development
centers and promotes the diffusion of technical results.
The Information System Specialized on Biotechnology
and Food Technology was named"SIMBIOSIS"
since the Spanish word may mean an association of participating members
that havereciprocal benefits.
The "SIMBIOSIS" system is using
the following server for its operation: Listserv@bdt.org.br
(Theserver
has been provided by the "Fundação Tropical de Pesquisas
e Tecnología- André Tosello",Campinas,
Brazil).
The objective of "SIMBIOSIS" is
to connect people and organizational centers, interchange,provide access and add value to information of interest
to the connected people and centers,especially
the existing information on biotechnology and food technology in Latin
America and theCaribbean.
The objective is being achieved by facilitating
the monitoring, analysis, and interchange ofinformation
and transfer of knowledge and technological developments.
4.2 Goals
Training in information technology for biotechnology
and food technology specialists.
Creation and diffusion of databases related
to biotechnology and food technology, using theinformation
of the region.
Improvement of data communication: harmonization
of protocols and thesaurus.
The goals are accomplished with the execution
of activities such as:
Strengthening of the information units specialized
in biotechnology and food technologyinformation.
Promoting the interchange of information and
knowledge.
Standardization or compatibility of methodologies.
Identification of human resources.
Organization of workshops, seminars, conferences
on line, and contacts.
Cooperation with other organizations, networks
or groups.
Cooperation, training, communication and diffusion
of biotechnology and food technologyinformation.
4.3 Results of "SIMBIOSIS"
(1990-1996)
-Training of professionals of the region in
information management for biotechnology and foodtechnology.
-Design of regional databases: a database
of the Multinational Project of Biotechnology, FoodTechnology, and Related Projects of the OAS (14 annexes)
was prepared, as well as theMexican
database for biotechnology. The Mexican database is composed of 150 CD-ROMdiskettes. These diskettes have been distributed
to the institutions that are participating in"SIMBIOSIS."
-Use of Internet to gather, process and diffuse
information. Preparation of country home pages
to show the activities and technical results
of the Multinational Project on Biotechnology and
Food Technology.
-Establishment of mechanisms for compilation,
processing, analysis and diffusion ofinformation.
An example that can be presented is the design and operation of the FoodTechnology Information Center at the Food Technology
Institute located at the CentralUniversity
of Venezuela.
-Elaboration of supporting tools such as thesaurus,
standards, and communication formats.
4.4 Document entitled "SIMBIOSIS-Multinational
System of SpecializedInformation
on Biotechnology and Food Technology for Latin America andthe Caribbean,
Basic Document, OAS-Multinational Project onBiotechnology and Food
Technology, July, 1994."
This document describes the creation process
of "SIMBIOSIS." The document is divided into thefollowing chapters:
Chapter 1
Presentation
Chapter 2
Introduction
Background
The OAS Multinational Project of Biotechnology
and Food Technology
The OAS Multinational Project of Microelectronics
and Informatics
The OAS Regional Project for Technological
Management and Modernization of the Micro,Small,
and Medium Enterprise in Latin America and the Caribbean
The OAS Hemisphere Wide Inter- University
Scientific and Technological InformationNetwork
Project
Chapter 3
The Specialized Information System on Biotechnology
and Food Technology"SIMBIOSIS"
Fundamentals
Objectives
Scope
Type of information
Users
Chapter 4
Specific Actions to be Developed
Cooperative acquisitions
Monitoring
Prospectives
Exchange of basic information
Exchange of results and experiences
Information about financial resources
Knowledge of Informatics, Biotechnology and
Food Technology Environments
In the aforementioned topics the following
aspects were considered:
