Siriraj team wins award for vaccine
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A team from Siriraj Hospital's Faculty of Medicine has an outstanding technologist award from the Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Technology for creating a vaccine against dust-mite allergens.
The foundation, which comes under the patronage of His Majesty, announced its list of awardees yesterday.
“We have handed out two outstanding technologist awards this year,” Assoc Prof Dr Sakrin Bhumira said in his capacity as chairperson of the foundation’s selection panel.
The other winner was a team from SCG Cement and the Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment (JGSEE) for creating the SCG Fluidised Bed Gasifier that can be used to support the production of alternative energy.
The foundation started handing out the outstanding technologist awards since 2000 to encourage technological development in the Kingdom. Up to 34 projects were submitted for the competition this year.
Assoc Prof Vanna Mahakittikun, who is part of the winning team from Siriraj Hospital, said their new vaccine had reduced Thailand’s dependence on imports. “Our version is much cheaper.
The country can save between Bt36 million and Bt360 million a year,” she said proudly. Thailand is one of the four countries that have the technology to commercially produce vaccines against dust-mite allergens.
“We are producing the vaccine for use locally and for Asean countries,” Vanna said.
Her team and other recipients will be attending an award-presentation ceremony on October 19 at Bangkok’s Siam City Hotel.
Also at the ceremony will be winners of the Young Technologist Awards, including Dr Nitsara Karoonuthaisiri, who is chief of the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology’s Microarray Laboratory; and Kasetsart University’s Asst Prof Dr Apiniti Jotisankasa.
