Basic Biotechnologies Essential for the Japanese Chemical Industry in the 1990'sand Beyond. Bioreactors, Large Scale Mammalian Cell Culture, Recombinant DNAs, Functional Protein Systems, and Bio-Electronic Devices

摘要

The purpose of the program is to induce private company laboratories to doresearch considered essential for the development of new technologies. One group of projects initially funded under the program was in the field of biotechnology. More specifically, the biotechnology projects were aimed at developing technologies for the chemical industry for the decade of the 1990's. Various projects dealt with bioreactors, large-scale cell culture, and recombinant DNA. These initial biotechnology projects have now been completed. The report reviews their accomplishments and assesses their possible impact on the Japanese chemical industry. A new project on functional protein complexes was added in 1989. Progress on the nine-year project is also reviewed. Finally, an assessment is provided of the biotechnology components of an unrelated group of projects being administered by the Research and Development Association for Future Electron Devices. The relevant components in the program involve bio-electronic devices and functional protein complexes. The objectives are to mimic biological systems for use in microsensors, information transmission and processing, artificial tissues and organs, robotics, and artificial intelligence.