CAREERS AND RECRUITMENT

The past, present, and future of biotechnology in Mexico

Mexico is struggling to catch up with its North American neighbors.

roducts
of
traditional
Most biotechnologists in
biotechnology,
such
as
Mexico are members of Socpulque, an alcoholic beverage
iedad Mexicana de Biotecobtained from the fermentation
nologia y Bioingeneria, a society
of agave juice and pozol, made
that promotes a national event
from maize, have been made and
every year at which approxiconsumed in Mexico since premately 600 contributions are
Hispanic times. Mexico has also
presented. Besides their academcontributed a great deal to the
ic activities, Mexican biotechadvent of modern biotechnology
nologists have participated in
in the late 1970s: young scientist
several social and legal aspects
Francisco Bolivar participated in
concerning biotechnology, parthe development of the first
ticularly in recent discussions
genetically engineered protein
with the Mexican Congress
(human growth hormone) and
regarding critical issues such as
the development of the first
laws which limit the developcloning vectors at the University
ment of the field and the discusof California, San Francisco, and
sion of law initiatives for
Luis Herrera-Estrella worked The plant genetic engineering department at the Center for Research and biosafety regulation, according
with Marc Von Montagus group Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV) in
to Enrique Galindo, head of the
in Belgium on the development Irapuato, Mexico.
cellular engineering and bioof the first gene transfer techcatalysis department at the
mately 750 professors and investigators are Biotechnology Institute of UNAM.
niques for plants.
Both scientists returned to Mexico to officially registered in the National System
The financing situation is probably the
found and direct the Biotechnology of Investigators (SNI); 61% of the institu- most important issue for the development
Institute of the National Autonomous tions have people working in the field of of Mexican biotechnology. Most of the
University of Mexico (UNAM) in agriculture, 30% in health, 30% in food resources come from entities such as the
Cuernavaca and the Center for Research and raw materials, 19% in environmental National Council for Science and
and Advanced Studies of the National areas and control of contamination, 13% in Technology (CONACyT), which is now
Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV) in cattle-rearing activities, and 9% in marine directly dependent on the countrys presiIrapuato.
Additional
initiatives
at biology1.
dent. From 1999 to 2001, CONACyT supAmong the institutions dedicated to ported projects and special initiatives in
Metropolitan Autonomous UniversityIztapalapa have been performed in the field biotechnology, 15% are consolidated cen- the field with approximately $26 million2.
of wastewater treatment. Since then, gov- ters, 28% have a medium level of develop- International support is also important,
ernmental agencies and universities have ment, and 57% are considered low-level such as the financing given by the Howard
concentrated their efforts on the develop- development (low-level being defined as Hughes Medical Institute and the
ment of human resources in scientific cen- institutions where there are only one or European Community (ECOS and Alpha
ters and institutions dedicated to biotech- two groups or only one or two projects are projects) to several research groups in
nological research, rather than on the being conducted). Thus, the general Mexico.
There are, in addition, a small number of
establishment of companies or industries panorama for the country is quite reduced,
dedicated to the production of biotechno- and many activities are poorly represented. private initiatives whose effort and ecoMexico has 58 programs for masters nomic expenditures on biotechnological
logical products, with rare exceptions.
degrees in science (MS) and 42 doctoral production is significant. Companies such
The present
(PhD) programs for biological sciences as Instituto Bioclon/Laboratorios Silanes
There are currently 98 institutions dedicat- (biotechnology included). However, only 37 are producing anti-venoms (horse Fabed to various aspects of biotechnological MS and 28 PhD programs are officially rec- fragment of immunoglobulins) and develresearch and development, and approxi- ognized as at the level of excellence. About oping new technologies for the diagnoses
400 MSs and 100 PhDs graduate annually. of metabolic disorders. Probiomed is proAs an example, the Biotechnology Institute ducing generic-version hormones and
Lourival D. Possani is a professor of
of UNAM (with 100 professors/investiga- bioactive products for human use. IBTch,
biochemistry at the Biotechnology
tors) has about 200 students, including 30% which has licensed its technology to several
InstituteUNAM, Avenida Universidad,
at the undergraduate level, and during each industrial plants, and Group CYDSA are
2001, Apartado Postal 5103, Cuernavaca
of the last four years has graduated an aver- both developing systems for treatment of
62210, Mexico (possani@ibt.unam.mx).
age of 35 students at the MS and PhD levels. water and industrial effluents, and

courtesy Luis Herrera-Estrella

2003 Nature Publishing Group http://www.nature.com/naturebiotechnology

Lourival D. Possani

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CAREERS AND RECRUITMENT

2003 Nature Publishing Group http://www.nature.com/naturebiotechnology

Agrobionsa is currently producing biologically obtained insecticides. Finally, a list of

companies too numerous to include are
dedicated to more traditional processes of
fermentation with huge volumes of production: alcoholic beverages (beer),
yogurt, yeast, and colorants, among others.

The future
There is a promising future in certain
areas, such as the initiative to create a
National Institute for Medicine Genomics
and the establishment of a new college carrier in Genomic Science. This was supported by Juan Ramon de la Fuente, president
of UNAM, and recently approved by the
University Council. It should begin this
year at both the Biotechnology Institute
and the Nitrogen Fixation Center of
UNAM in Cuernavaca. There are also a few
initiatives to create new biotechnological
centers: one in the field of pharmaceutical
and medical aspects, and the other on environmental protection and microbiology
using the biodiversity of Mexico. However,
at present these remain on the drawing
boards and hard drives.
The bottom line is that in Mexico, no
new institutions have been created in recent

years and only one or two in the past

decade, so there are few, if any, jobs available for the young people who are completing their degrees. Many are forced to look
for temporary postdoctoral fellowships in
the United States, Canada, or Europe, and

The bottom line is that in

Mexico, no new institutions
have been created in recent
years and only one or two in
the past decade, so there are
few, if any, jobs available for
the young people who are
completing their degrees.
their prospects upon returning are dim.
Mexico has no general plans for hiring people, contrary to what is happening in
Canada3. There is no support, even at the
university level, for patenting: the level of
technology transfer is low, and some companies have no resources to pay for the clin-

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VOLUME 21

ical trials required for new products. Thus,

potentially lucrative productssuch as
some fibrinolytic enzymes and anti-clotting
agents discovered by Mexican scientists in
collaboration with transnational companies are in the possession of foreign companies4. UNAM has neither sufficiently
trained personnel, nor, apparently, the
interest to fight for its share on the patents.
It is a matter of urgency that the government of Mexico now make a proactive
decision to support science and technology
development with the aim of providing
employment for our young scientists, if
Mexico is to become an equal partner in
the commercial pact with the United
States, Canada, and Europe. If not, it will
continue to be known as a service provider,
one that can be had on the cheap.
1. Bolivar, F. (ed.). Biotecnologia Moderna para el
Desarrollo de Mexico en el Siglo XXI, Retos y
Oportunidades. 1339 (CONACyT and Fondo de
Cultura Economica, Mexico, 2002).
2. Arriaga, E. & Larqu, A. in Biotecnologia Moderna
para el Desarrollo de Mexico en el Siglo XXI, Retos
y Oportunidades. (ed. Bolivar, F.) 4570
(CONACyT and Fondo de Cultura Economica,
Mexico, 2002).
3. Watson, P. Nat. Biotechnol. 19, 489490 (2001).
4. Bialy, H. Nat. Biotechnol. 18, 1123 (2000).

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