(Feb. 5, 2025) The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has selected BIOTEC as the host organization for the Thailand-U.S. Agricultural and Trade Mission, led by Mr. Patrick Packnett, Associate Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), USDA, Washington, D.C. The delegation includes representatives from the USDA offices in Washington, D.C., and Thailand, the U.S. Department of State, and the Department of Agriculture of Thailand, totaling 40 participants. The mission aims to discuss agricultural cooperation, particularly in genome editing technology in plants, and to visit laboratory facilities.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Chaowaree Adthalungrong, Executive Director of BIOTEC, welcomed the delegation and expressed gratitude to the USDA for its support. This support includes the Regional Agriculture Innovation Network (RAIN) project, led by Winrock International Institute for Agricultural Development, in which BIOTEC is a partner, as well as training fellowships provided to Dr. Parichart Burns and Dr. Yeetoh Dabbhadatta, researchers from the Plant Factory and Medicinal Plants Innovation Research Team, under the Borlaug Fellowship Program. This program has enabled BIOTEC researchers to enhance their skills and establish research collaborations in plant genome editing with experts at U.S. universities for a 3-month period.
Additionally, Dr. Sithichoke Tangphatsornruang, Acting Deputy Executive Director for Agricultural Biotechnology Research and Development, presented an overview of BIOTEC’s agricultural biotechnology research activities to the delegation. The delegation also visited the Plant Phenomics Facility and the National Biobank of Thailand.
