Bioscience and its impact on developing countries

The beginning of the third millennium will be remembered as a milestone in scientific history as it marks the publication of the Human Genome sequence. Indeed, we are at the beginning of a century that will most likely be shaped by advances in the life sciences. This has enormous repercussions, not only for further exploring the frontiers of bioscience, but also in offering exciting promises to help the health and welfare of mankind. Yet the countries that are best positioned to make use of this knowledge are those with a well‐developed scientific infrastructure and sufficient manpower in research. Further advances in this post‐genomic era are also expected to lead to the development of new biotechnology products that will further boost an already existing billion‐dollar industry. Again, the countries that will benefit most are those with developed technological capability and established links between academia and industry. So the question must be raised as to whether the dramatic new advances in biosciences will really benefit developing countries and improve the quality of life of their people, or whether they will widen the economic and social gap between the rich, developed countries and poorer, developing countries even further.> The question must be raised as to whether the new advances in biosciences will benefit developing countries and improve the quality of life of their people, or whether they will widen the economic and social gap between the rich and poor countries even furtherHere, I will consider the case of Thailand in illustrating the problems of adjusting to the ‘new bioscience’, since it is an example of a developing country that is striving to progress from an agrarian to an industrial society. Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, with an area of 511 000 km2 and a population of 61.2 million, of which 95% …