President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of March 11 with the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate Dr. Sydney Brenner. The president expressed a cordial welcome and his deepest appreciation to Dr. Brenner on his visit to Taiwan.
In remarks, the president noted that Dr. Brenner is recognized throughout the world as a leader in the fields of genetics and molecular biology. In the 1960s, he said, when research in molecular biology was in its infancy, Dr. Brenner was responsible for a number of groundbreaking research discoveries. In addition to confirming the existence of "messenger RNA," Dr. Brenner also demonstrated how the order of amino acids in proteins is determined. These discoveries not only solidified the theoretical foundation for modern molecular biology, but also helped establish Dr. Brenner as one of the most distinguished figures in this field, the president said.
The president furthermore stated that another of Dr. Brenner's most pioneering contributions was his use of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism in the investigation of developmental biology, for which Dr. Brenner was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, he said. President Ma commented that despite being 86 years old, Dr. Brenner is still actively involved in research work. He has been studying vertebrate gene and genome evolution. His work in this area has resulted in new ways of analyzing gene sequences, which has developed a new understanding of the evolution of vertebrates, the president noted. The commitment to continued innovative research despite his advanced age has made Dr. Brenner a model for and a source of inspiration for a new generation of scientists, the president remarked.
President Ma mentioned that in addition to Dr. Brenner's outstanding accomplishments in his research work, he has also dedicated himself to assisting nations throughout the world in formulating and implementing science and technology policies. For instance, Dr. Brenner once served as director of the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology at Cambridge in the UK. He also served as chairman of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research's (A*Star) scientific advisory board in Singapore to spearhead the development of biotechnology in Singapore, he said. The president also noted that Dr. Brenner founded the Molecular Sciences Institute in Berkeley, California, and also was instrumental in the founding of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology in Japan and served as that institution's first president. All of this points to Dr. Brenner's standing as one of the most important educators in the international scientific arena, he stated.
President Ma pointed out that the development of biotechnology and basic research is vital to the nation's sustained development, as well as to the wellbeing of the public, so the government has always placed enormous emphasis on it. And the government has also worked continuously to improve legislation and the business environment, and has devoted considerable resources with the hope of attracting even more international talent to Taiwan to work with local counterparts in carrying out research in this regard, he said.
President Ma also praised Academia Sinica President Chi-Huey Wong (翁啟惠) for his work to establish the Taiwan Biobank at the institution, as well as participating in the Pan Asian Population Genomics Initiative and the Breast Cancer Association Consortium. At the same time, the Academia Sinica and the US Infectious Disease Research Institute, the US National Institutes of Health and Eli Lilly and Company, one of the world's 10 largest pharmaceuticals manufacturers, are engaged in cooperation and have joined in the global non-profit cooperation project called The Lilly TB Drug Discovery Initiative, he stated.
Lastly, the president expressed his hope that there will be opportunities for Dr. Brenner to use his influence and standing in the international biological community to help Taiwan cultivate highly qualified research talent and enhance visibility for Taiwan in the international academic community, Thereby helping to forge scientific advances that aid in the sustainable development of mankind.
Dr. Brenner was accompanied to the Presidential Office by National Science Council Minister Cyrus C. Y. Chu (朱敬一) and Academia Sinica President Wong to meet President Ma. Also attending the meeting was National Security Council Advisor Chung Chien (鍾堅).