I’ve tried to make all of my previous postings of general interest, knowing that I would bore most people if I only wrote about work. But my final entry will summarize what I actually did professionally in Kathmandu. Otherwise you’ll think that I just played tourist since July!
Although it wasn’t always possible (due to strikes or extended holidays), I tried to go into Biotechnology Department at Kathmandu University (K.U.) five days a week. I was responsible for teaching about 1/4 of the 3rd-year Recombinant DNA Technology course. I also taught 2/3 of a Masters-level Research Methods course. Both courses met twice a week for two hours each day.
I was asked to give several presentations. I talked about my redwood genetics work at K.U. and at Tribhuvan University (T.U.), and my spineflower genetics work at T.U. and the Center for Molecular Diagnostics-Nepal. I also gave a lecture on the use of RAPD-PCR at K.U. Since many Bachelors graduates in Nepal are eager to attend graduate school in the U.S., I gave a talk at the U.S. Educational Foundation and at K.U. on how to select and apply to U.S. graduate schools in biotechnology and related disciplines.
Biotechnology research is in its infancy in Nepal.
1) DNA fingerprinting of Nepali potato varieties using microsatellite analysis.
2) Sex determination of lapsi, an indigenous fruit tree using RAPD-PCR analysis.
3) Identification of arsenic-resistant bacterial isolates from well water by 16S rDNA sequencing.
DNA fingerprinting can be used as a tool for potato breeding. The ability to identify female lapsi seedlings using molecular methods will help lapsi farmers increase the number of fruit-bearing trees that they plant. Arsenic toxicity in drinking water is a big problem in South Asia, so
I’m very indebted to Janardan Lamicchane, my official host and the head of the K.U. Biotechnology Department. He bent over backwards to make my visit fun and productive. All of the faculty took me under their collective wing and made me feel like a part of their family.