Assessment of the scientific-technological production in molecular biology in Brazil (1996-2007): the contribution of genomics programs

Rogério Meneghini,Estêvão C. Gamba

doi:10.1590/s0001-37652011005000004

Abstract

Several genome sequencing programs were launched in Brazil by the end of the nineties and the early 2000s.The most important initiatives were supported by the ONSA program (http://watson.fapesp.br/onsa/Genoma3.htm) and aimed at gaining domain in genomic technology and bringing molecular biology to the state of art. Two main sets of data were collected in the 1996-2007 period to evaluate the results of these genome programs: the scientific production (Scopus and Web of Science databases) and the register of patents (US Patent and Trademark Office), both related to the progress of molecular biology along this period. In regard to the former, Brazil took a great leap in comparison to 17 other developed and developing countries, being only surpassed by China. As to the register of patents in the area of molecular biology, Brazil's performance lags far behind most of the countries focused in the present study, confirming the Brazilian long-standing tendency of poor achievements in technological innovations when compared with scientific production. Possible solutions to surpass this inequality are discussed.

Highlights

Molecular biology of the gene is an area of contemporary science that permeates several other areas of life sciences
The lack of research groups in Brazil with proficiency in these areas was certainly a decisive factor for the slow progress of molecular biology in the following decades. Taking these circumstances into consideration, this work aims at describing the evolution of scientific-technological production in molecular biology in Brazil and comparing it to international results, focusing the period of 1996-2007
In defense of the implementation of the ONSA genomics programs, there was the proposal of rescuing molecular biology (Perez 2002), maybe more important than genome sequencings themselves

Summary

Introduction

Molecular biology of the gene is an area of contemporary science that permeates several other areas of life sciences. The United States published 6439 articles and a great number of Taking these circumstances into consideration, this work aims at describing the evolution of scientific-technological production in molecular biology in Brazil and comparing it to international results, focusing the period of 1996-2007. In defense of the implementation of the ONSA genomics programs, there was the proposal of rescuing molecular biology (Perez 2002), maybe more important than genome sequencings themselves. The success of the latter is evident through the publications that they originated. The recovery of information related to the national scientific production shows that the molecular biology area has achieved a very meaningful growth in Brazil. No technological spin off developments occurred paralleling the scientific progress and, the great impulse in molecular biology had no impact in terms of technological innovations

Objectives

Findings

Methods