Balik Scientist, Dr. Ma. Rosario M. Diaz of California, USA, recently conducted a scientific forum on “Taxonomy and culture of Philippine microalgae” and on “Scientific writing and molecular techniques on microalgal taxonomy.”
The forum was held at the Institute of Biological Sciences of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB).
Providing a venue for interaction and linkaging, the forum gathered researchers from eight different universities who are currently recipients of the Commission on Higher Education research grants on Philippine microalgae.
The Balik Scientist Program (BSP) was established in 1975 to encourage overseas Filipino scientists, professionals, and technicians to return or reside in the Philippines and share their expertise to accelerate the scientific agro-industrial and economic development of the country.
The program was revived and instituted under the Department of Science and Technology in October 1993 by former President Fidel V. Ramos through Executive Order No. 130.
In the workshop on algal molecular techniques, Dr. Diaz demonstrated the freeze thaw/glass powder method using supplies that are cheap and easily available. Broken test tubes were made into glass powder. Blue tips with melted ends were used instead of micropestles. Only 20 ml algae broth culture was used instead of the 50 ml that is used with DNEasy Plan Kit. The participants were able to extract DNA from chlorella and chlamydomonas.
Dr. Diaz finished her undergraduate degree in biology at UPLB and her masters and PhD degrees in biology at Nagoya University in Japan.
Some of her achievements include the discovery of Concanavalin A that can mimic not only the neural-inducing effect of the living organizer in the amphibian embryo, but also in the dorso-ventral gradient formation. She also received the Outstanding Teacher Award from the University of California and Teacher Appreciation Award from Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society of West Valley College.