HAVE you heard of the project that would study the DNA of our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal? The Philippine Genome Center (PGC)’s project on historical perspective plans to do a research on Rizal’s DNA to determine his genealogy and genetic ancestry using lineage markers.
Dr. Cynthia Saloma, program director of the DNA Sequencing Core Facility (DSCF) of the center, said studying an individual’s genealogy is important, especially in determining a family’s place in the country’s history, preserving the family’s past for future generations and helping in the “storytelling” of past events.
Moreover, she said the project aims to disclose the maternal and paternal lineage data of Rizal, and analyze these in the context of the current knowledge of Philippine genetics, as well as other groups in Asia.
“We hope we can also study Manny Pacquiao’s DNA in the future so Filipinos will know how he emerged and developed as one of the greatest boxers in the world,” Saloma said in a recent media briefing held at the facility’s office in Quezon City.
With the establishment of the PGC, the country is now capable of engaging in genetic engineering. “I am proud to say that the Philippines can now engaged in genetic engineering in several fields except human cloning,” Saloma said. She said the DSCF, one of the three core facilities of the center, is at the forefront of the research initiatives of the center and provides analytical services to the country’s scientific community.
She said the center is active in research to improve the agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors of the country. For instance, the program on agriculture is leading researches to push the genetic improvement of plant varieties and animal breeds using molecular marker-assisted selection and breeding.
The priority areas are indigenous crops to the Philippines—such as abaca, saba, pili and coconut. It also seeks to discover and develop gene molecular markers for important agronomic characteristics—such as disease resistance, delayed ripening and early detection of sex—to boost the genetic enhancement of the crops.
With the country experiencing rapid population growth, Philippine scientists believe it is high time for the country to upgrade the quality of crops to ensure there is better quality and quantity in response to climate change.
The PGC is also active in the development of new variety of sugarcane.
The usual procedure requires eight to 10 years of breeding work. With genomics, it can now be accelerated through the proper use of marker generated by next-generation sequencing technologies. The center also engages in forensic DNA analysis procedures for human-remains identification. The project seeks to help in identifying missing persons and other forensic investigations.
In health, the PGC is undertaking the Philippine Cardiogenomics Program in search for prospective genetic markers that can be used to predict responses of Filipinos to commonly prescribed drugs for coronary diseases, hypertension and dyslipidemia, as well as to determine genetic variations that can be used to identify disease susceptibility.
In the study of diabetes, the Diabetes Mellitus (DM) program is expected to produce potential genetic and transcriptomic biomarkers that are predictive of Type 2 DM, its related medical conditions and complications, and more important treatment response.
Image credits: Rizal Raoul Reyes