Trail-blazing man from Mendi

Everyday people with Malum Nalu
Papua New Guinean scientist Dr Clement Waine is blazing the trail as a research biologist and Principal Investigator with the Du Pont Crop Genetics Research and Development in the USA.
And he feels there is a growing pool of highly trained PNG scientists whose skills can be used for cutting-edge research.
Dr Waine believes pharmaceutical research should be carried out into harnessing our rich biodiversity to develop new medicines,
pharmaceutical and agrochemical products.
Dr Waine — from Kurumugl village, outside Kundiawa, Chimbu Province — has been at Du Point since September 2001, first as a visiting research scientist and from last September as research biologist.
“My expertise is in Structural Biology of Proteins so I lead our group in this area,” he says.
“I am also leading the Plant Protein Discovery Group.
“In both responsibilities, we have international collaborators in several countries that I also
oversee.
“I also provide expert advice to other groups within the company as well as line agencies of USA Government on product registration and regulatory approvals.”
From September 2001 to August 2002, Dr Waine was a visiting research scientist with Du Pont Crop Genetics.
“I was recruited as a visiting scientist in September 2001 and I was involved in building the structural biology facility, especially the computational tools for molecular graphics, display and modelling from the ground up,” he explains.
“We now have in-house capabilities for structural biology — protein structure determination and modelling.
“I have also developed and standardised for in-house use protein extraction protocols for discovering bioactive proteins from plant sources.
“Using these protocols I have discovered several novel protein molecules that destroy specific crop pests and these are now moved up the product development pipeline.
“We hope to develop several products in the next few years.”
Dr Waine was born in Mendi, Southern Highlands, on April 27, 1969.
He attended Agle Primary School in his Chimbu Province from 1977 to 1982, followed by Kerowagi High School from 1983 to 1986.
Grades 11 and 12 followed at Sogeri National High School in 1987 and 1988.
The young Clement Waine completed his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at the University of Papua New Guinea in 1992 and his Honours in 1993.
From 1997 to 2000, the University of Queensland, where he completed his PhD, employed him as a research scholar.
Dr Waine was awarded his PhD degree at the age of 30 years, making him perhaps PNG’s youngest PhD graduate.
He returned to UPNG after completing his PhD and was teaching undergraduate physical chemistry and supervising one post-graduate diploma student until recruited by Du Pont where he has been since.
Dr Waine has established himself as one of the few highly-trained and knowledgeable PNG scientists with an international credibility and reputation; pioneered the discovery of a novel class of protein while undergoing Phd research; figured out how best to solve a highly intractable computational problem while still doing Honours research; and has published over 20 papers in international scientific publications.
“During my PhD research,” he recalls, “I pioneered the discovery of a novel class of protein that I called ‘cyclotide’ in my thesis.
“My thesis was the world’s first comprehensive report describing the discovery and characterisation of these proteins and was reviewed internationally.
“Conventional proteins, as ordinary people know, are long chains but cyclotides are formed like necklace with the two ends stitched together forming a ring structure.
“At this point in time, nobody knows how the ends are stitched together and my best guess is that whoever discovers the mechanism will be a millionaire some day!
“The research I started at University of Queensland is now expanded to involve 17 other students and researchers.
“Several other labs are involved around the world.
“This discovery was patented in USA/Canada, Australia, Japan, China and Europe and two spin-off companies were formed in Australia.”
At UPNG in 1993, Dr Waine figured out how best to solve a highly intractable computational problem.
“The results were patented in Canada and a spin-off company was formed to market the patent,” he recalls. “Applications are numerous and varied, including detection of incoming missiles and ideally suited for the patriot defence system developed by US Defence Department.
“For instance, I was answering such questions like — if several missiles were projected towards a common enemy from different locations, how could the common enemy defend it by sending counter-missiles to intercept the trajectories?
“A paper was published in 1997 — it was initially submitted in 1995 but people never thought such a work could be done in PNG!
“After asking around we located the paper in a professor’s lab in a North American university and retracted it.
“A second submission after we were out of PNG was eventually published.
“Did the world believe that no advanced science could ever come out of UPNG, not to mention PNG?”
Dr Waine believes that PNG, as a nation, needs a paradigm shift in its people’s attitudes based on honesty, respect and hard work.
He also believes that PNG needs politicians who are “lateral thinkers” and not “cyclic thinkers”.
Dr Waine is of the view that since independence, government investment/expenditure on development of pure and applied research in PNG has been non-existent.
“There are two areas that I think the Government should consider as a matter of critical importance and start investing in them — Information Technology (IT) and BioTechnology (BT),” he says.
“There are two products that are currently selling like hot cakes around the world — mobile phones and seeds — both are products of IT and BT, respectively.
“BT-related investments can be channelled into two fronts — pharmaceutical and agriculture.
He continues: “The Government now has a policy — at least a publicly stated view — on the so-called ‘Green Revolution’, which is anticipated to increase investment and productions in agriculture.
“I suggest that they should incorporate a research component and support/fund existing institutions like NARI.
“Pharmaceutical researches should be geared towards harnessing the country’s rich biodiversity in order to develop new medicines/ pharmaceutical and agrochemical products.
“My estimate is this: if the Government invests K10-30 million in both agriculture and pharmaceutical researches every year, PNG scientists could come up with products that could be licensed to large corporations for further development.
“In this way, the nation will gain substantially from licensing fees and royalties.
“This could in fact become one of the biggest exports for the country.
“This notion would be a lateral thinking one!
“There is now a critical mass of highly trained PNG scientists, both in academia and other statutory and private agencies that can be pooled and funded to do cutting-edge research.
“The Government needs to realise this potential and invest in it.”

* For feedback on Everyday People or story ideas, please contact Malum Nalu on telephone 3091091 or email mnalu@spp.com.pg.

Post Courier - Focus
http://www.postcourier.com.pg/

Mi salutim disla mangi Simbu ya!!

Yo,...Kera! It's topnotch brains like you who are causing major brainwaves from PNG down under!

Keep up the extraordinary breakthrough, ANGARA SUU O!!

Kaimo KLagaipT3

This is an extremely good news to PNG. Such level of achievement especially in America proves the multitudes of critics squarely wrong.

Brother, this is really a greatifying news to everyone of us here at home, PNG.

Keep our flag up there. Am sure many youngsters will see the light and give the best shot they can to emulate you.

Ultange.

I really hope the so call politicians read this and invest more into higher research in institutions around the country...

Without innnovation and scientific research the country cannot grow on its extracted resources alone...
scientific research and any other research is the mild stone for development in PNG.

well done Dr. Waine

Certainly this is a turning moment if in the past reseach in scientific studies have been neglected...

It must have already be realised what scientific research can do...and the difference is enormous but because of our ill judgement we loosing human resources...

timely investment into scientific research and human resource is a must for PNG to move forward to produce more break through researchers ....

Outstanding achievement !! congratualtions Dr. Waine

Bro,

Congrats all along heh!

Am dead sure there's more honors to roll out of the mills at Du POnt and elswhere in your favor, so to say!

You make us proud Dr. Waine! Yu r an inspiration!

Keep reaching higher than the skies, coz those who do have next to no imagination!

Go bro; aller, aller mon ami.

@Wama
5 Feb 2003

PS.
Those who bag the PNG education system as sub-standard, sub-optimal should rethink their hypothesis.

PSS.
A stealth message contained within Dr. Waine's storyline is this (especially relevant for parents, and the young brigade of students):

"Roll up your sleeves, get your heads down, tails up, and do the hard things right."

There's absolutely no substitute for hard work!

If you wanna get somewhere, like Dr. Waine, Dr. Wilfred Lus, Prof. John Nonggorr, (all 3 received their first degrees at UPNG!) and others, well, do the hard yakka first.

Coz if you aren't willing to undergo the fatigue and stress associated with studying hard, then, naturally there's no reward.

Greatly appreciate comments from every person re: this article. The intention when Malum Nalu approached me for my CV with the view to write this article in his weekly "Everyday people" column was to insist on an article that will spur on the next generation of intellectuals from PNG to reach for the greater heights, using what has been already as benchmark, as well as to highlight what can be achieved be done with minimal investment in science within PNG to spur the next wave of economic growth (ie. post-mining days). To that end I think the article more than accomplished its purposes.

It always remains my view that investment in bioprospecting in PNG will yield significant returns within 10-15 yrs. For instance, I have made several discoveries in the last two years, which are now progressing along the product development pipeline and we hope to address a multi-billion dollar problem in the next 5-7 yrs. Such discoveries can be made in PNG, in fact two of my MSc students are doing exactly that at UPNG now, as we speak, although, under very trying conditions. On a more exciting note, the two students have discovered four lead molecules which can cure several tropical infectious disease for which there are over a billion people worldwide that are at risk of infection. We are now looking for funding to confirm our discoveries and patent them within the year. I hope the decision-makers in PNG will come to the same conclusion as most of us and start investing in basic and applied scientific research in PNG.

There are several more PNGeans in various walks of life in PNG and abroad whose stories I am sure will inspire most of others.

Clement

Clement! It is indeed inspiring, and very encouraging to read of your achievement. Your achievement has no doubt framed up a story of its own, and has further set apart an exceptional chapter , which i believe all inspiring Papua New Guineans, up coming scholars, will benchmark against their personal career endeavour.

Well done Dr Waine!

Clement's story is a great story and one that should be publicised because it illustrates that with application, dedication and perserverence, a Papua New Guinean can achieve anything that he or she sets his or her mind to, inspite of the cultural and developmental obstacles that PNG has. Clement, Dr Wilfred Lus, Dr Monica Rau, Dr Lason Watai et al are all role models that young Papua New Guineans should look to and seek to emulate.

The paradigm shift that Clement advocates, effected by focusing public investment into IT and Bio technology is also the way to go. India focused public investment into IT in the 1980's and is now realising the fruit of that vision in the migration of factories and plants of a large number of the World's biggest companies to Indian soil.

Realities should be accepted when it comes to looking at the PNG government's apparent priorities. IT and Biotechnology don't have any political capital in PNG these days, sadly as it is, agriculture and mining apparently does. The "green revolution" wins votes and the lure of new mining projects creates the exhiliration of "future growth", in comparison to the parlous political standing of Biotechonology and Info technology. Look at the Institute of Medical Research's budget as a classic example, with its budget cut by successive governments since the 1980's.

But as I said to Clement a couple of years ago, the lack of government funding and government vision should not mean that nothing is done by Papua New Guineans themselves to investigate and commercialise PNG's bioprospectivity potential. Clement says that there are students of his who have made biotechnological discoveries but are waiting funding to develop these discoveries further. Well, let it be known, that there are other Papua New Guineans who have access to domestic and international capital, that can be tapped to assist in commercialing these discoveries. Why should we wait for the multinational pharmaceutical giants to come in and develop PNG's bioprospectivity, when PNGeans can do it themselves, for the good of PNG, and the greater good of humanity.

To Clement Waine, Wilfred Lus, Monica Rau, and the budding scientists and scholars out there who are inspired by the story of Clement Waine, keep up your hard work, because as you rise up in the pantheon of human endeavour and achievement, you take all of PNG with you!

Clement's story is a great story and one that should be publicised because it illustrates that with application, dedication and perserverence, a Papua New Guinean can achieve anything that he or she sets his or her mind to, inspite of the cultural and developmental obstacles that PNG has. Clement, Dr Wilfred Lus, Dr Monica Rau, Dr Lason Watai et al are all role models that young Papua New Guineans should look to and seek to emulate.

The paradigm shift that Clement advocates, effected by focusing public investment into IT and Bio technology is also the way to go. India focused public investment into IT in the 1980's and is now realising the fruit of that vision in the migration of factories and plants of a large number of the World's biggest companies to Indian soil.

Realities should be accepted when it comes to looking at the PNG government's apparent priorities. IT and Biotechnology don't have any political capital in PNG these days, sadly as it is, agriculture and mining apparently does. The "green revolution" wins votes and the lure of new mining projects creates the exhiliration of "future growth", in comparison to the parlous political standing of Biotechonology and Info technology. Look at the Institute of Medical Research's budget as a classic example, with its budget cut by successive governments since the 1980's.

But as I said to Clement a couple of years ago, the lack of government funding and government vision should not mean that nothing is done by Papua New Guineans themselves to investigate and commercialise PNG's bioprospectivity potential. Clement says that there are students of his who have made biotechnological discoveries but are waiting funding to develop these discoveries further. Well, let it be known, that there are other Papua New Guineans who have access to domestic and international capital, that can be tapped to assist in commercialing these discoveries. Why should we wait for the multinational pharmaceutical giants to come in and develop PNG's bioprospectivity, when PNGeans can do it themselves, for the good of PNG, and the greater good of humanity.

To Clement Waine, Wilfred Lus, Monica Rau, and the budding scientists and scholars out there who are inspired by the story of Clement Waine, keep up your hard work, because as you rise up in the pantheon of human endeavour and achievement, you take all of PNG with you!

Anthony Smare

Tony;
You are correct in saying that the political capital to initiate public investment in BioTech (BT) and IT is not there in PNG. At present the emphasis is strongly placed on Agriculture and Mining. While mining dominates all political discussions, in relation to Somare's export-driven economic recovery, it remains a short-term measure, because mining companies operate as enclaves within the economy with very limited benefit to the economy. The prevailing notion is what I call "cyclical thinking" and we need to move out of this entrenched view very fast as a matter of national interest.

Investment in IT-related areas should be targeted towards meeting the evolving demands of integrating existing technologies to better serve the govt, and the country at large. At this point in time, the digital divide separating countries like India/USA/Japan and the rest of the world is putting PNG on the extreme spectrum of that divide.

BT remains the next big frontier but PNG needs a concerted effort and the govt needs to spearhead this since it costs alot of money to invest in it. Any bioprospecting in PNG, if done properly, will generate immense long term benefits. There are efforts underway now to attract foreign investment and there are some successes. The ultimate benefits depend on how best the govt negotiates for its stake. Both National and International laws (such as CBD and law of the sea) adequately protect indigenous ownership of IPs. Japan is planning to become a "Nation of Intellectual Property" in order to spur the next growth of their economy and a committe on IP is directly set up by the PM's department to advice him on that. I have just returned from a company meeting with directors and we were told in no uncertain terms that we need to generate 800 patents by this year - 2004! PNG may not be in this league but we must endeavor to start somewhere, where we can control our own pace of growth and development and, to this end, BT offers the best advantage to do so because of the abundant diversity of our flora and fauna.

There are two countries that are poised to outpace the rest of the world in terms of their GDP growth and are dominating the BT and IT fields - India thru IT and China thru BT. When the field of BT started in '80s Chinese students embraced it wholeheartedly and now most labs in USA that are involved in BT-related science are dominated by these graduates. I work with most of them and I am of the strongest view that PNGeans can very easily catch up with their skills and outsmart them!

I am optimistic that the discoveries by my two MSc students will become big pharmaceutical drugs but I do not know of any person in PNG who would want to invest in our efforts to develop them. We hope to solicit external funding to develop them further.This does not preclude any interest/s locally to support us.

You have also pointed out some of the great achievers of our times and I am also inspired by them. I am sure there are countless others silently making their way up to the top and to them I wish them all the best.

Clement

Clement

I agree with nearly everything you have said. Regarding the availability of capital, you should not discount PNG. I know of several people who have assisted mining and fishing projects raise finance to upgrade production, sometimes in the form of equity rather than debt; all of it coming from local sources. I also know of at least one outfit that has available US$100,000 seed funding available for initiatives that fit its criteria of "pioneering" project. A bio tech initiative fits the criteria of "pioneering" project.

PNG has several individuals who are worth over K100 million, with one also included in Australia's top 200 wealthiest people. Many of them have excess cash which they would consider putting into projects of the nature of the ones we are discussing. PNG also has strong links with an individual who got his start in PNG and is in the top 5 of Australia's richest with an estimate net worth in excess of K 4 billion.

Another high achiever I would like to mention is Arnold Moi. He produced the riverine sediment modelling accurately predicting the sediment build-up & movement in the Ok Tedi, which was cutting edge at the time he developed it and is now used all over the world in riverine systems that are to be impacted by an infusion of sediment such as a mining project or a landslide.

Tony;
I will be happy to get in touch with some of these people and put forward my proposals for possible funding.

Clement

Clement

I agree with nearly everything you have said. Regarding the availability of capital, you should not discount PNG. I know of several people who have assisted mining and fishing projects raise finance to upgrade production, sometimes in the form of equity rather than debt; all of it coming from local sources. I also know of at least one outfit that has available US$100,000 seed funding available for initiatives that fit its criteria of "pioneering" project. A bio tech initiative fits the criteria of "pioneering" project.

PNG has several individuals who are worth over K100 million, with one also included in Australia's top 200 wealthiest people. Many of them have excess cash which they would consider putting into projects of the nature of the ones we are discussing. PNG also has strong links with an individual who got his start in PNG and is in the top 5 of Australia's richest with an estimate net worth in excess of K 4 billion.

Another high achiever I would like to mention is Arnold Moi. He produced the riverine sediment modelling accurately predicting the sediment build-up & movement in the Ok Tedi, which was cutting edge at the time he developed it and is now used all over the world in riverine systems that are to be impacted by an infusion of sediment such as a mining project or a landslide.

I wonder what happened to that PNG hero?

I salute Dr. Waine. Great achievements and an inspiration for our next generation of young PNGans.

Well done CW

I support this story. I arrived at the University of Queensland 1 and half years ago as a research scholar (phd)and have heared about Dr Waine's impressions in UQ while he was a postgrad student here. I am not suprised he is in the US. This is just the begining for PNG.

Regards,
Anas

I Salute you Dr. Waine for your achievements in Science. It shows that our Education system is not bad or of low quality as most people would like to say. It just means that we need to work harder and keep our brains focused in what we want to achieve. As a ex student from Kerowagi High School,I am proud of your achievements.

CONGRETULATIONS DR. WAINE.

Nenokande ene suk aimande moran, konkun etga wakai panam bi wa. wakai we.

I read the piece on Dr Waine in the Newspaper and thought to myself, this is the same guy from PNGScape. It was like a feeling of having known someone but not knowing him, if you know what I mean.
It was an inspirational piece, and I'm sure more Papua New Guineans will follow in their footsteps. Congrats Dr Waine.

Drug search a big plus for PNG

PAPUA New Guinea may be close to tapping into the world market for natural products estimated at more than $US26 billion a year.
The University of Papua New Guinea is taking the lead in PNG in the K13 million International Co-operative Biodiversity Groups (ICBG) project aimed at the search for marine organisms and plant species that contain chemical properties for the development of drugs to treat diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, cancer and HIV.
UPNG and the University of Utah in the US, with support from the US National Institute of Health, are working together in this project as major collaborating partners, assisted by a cluster of other institutions, both in PNG and overseas.
UPNG and the Forest Research Institute’s roles in this consortium include an inventory of plants; collection of ethno medicinal plant species; preparation of extracts and screening them; conduct of an economic valuation of natural products; develop intellectual property rights legislation (in collaboration with PNG BioNET, the School of Law, and Department of Environment and Conservation) and conduct outreach programs to educate communities.
A random plant collection and inventory for anti-tuberculosis, anti-malaria, anti-HIV, and anti-cancer drugs in the last three years has resulted in the collection of 250 plant samples from about 120 plant species for testing.
The plant inventory and biodiscovery team led by Dr Lohi Matainaho of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, includes Dr Simon Saulei, Dr Osia Gideon, Reddy Kuama and Pius Piskaut, and Robert Kiapranis from the Forest Research Institute.
Several other projects in traditional medicine are also undertaken at UPNG that involves students and academics.
The specimens collected are stored at the UPNG Natural Sciences Herbarium. These will later be studied and tested for their chemical contents and pharmacological properties.
In related preliminary studies, a total of 126 marine invertebrates have also been collected.
Extracts from these marine organisms are being prepared for screening in the HIV assay when the laboratories are set up and equipped.
Dr Matainaho, a leader of the PNG team of scientists and specialists is very excited with the way the program has progressed so far because his collaborations between institutions in PNG and the US has been realised.