Gene technology top specialists come to Estonia

TALLINN - An international gene technology forum organized by the Estonian Genome Center Foundation and Parnu Conferences will take place Sept. 21-22 in Tartu.

Population-based health databases, gene technology in the Baltics and Scandinavia, and bioinformatics are the main topics to be discussed at the forum, which is aimed to scientists, investors, managers and politicians, according to the organizers.

Jaanus Pikani, chairman of the Estonian Genome Center Foundation (EGCF), thinks the forum is the best way for Estonia to establish and improve the international cooperation in the field.

"Our main goals are to find out the position of Estonian biotechnology science in the world, and discuss the ethical and financial aspects of genetics," Pikani said.

"Such noted scientists do not gather often," said Pikani, regarding the participants invited to the forum.

Indeed, Professor C. Thomas Caskey from Houston's Baylor College of Medicine and Mathias Uhlen from the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology are considered among the most influential specialists on gene technology in North America and Europe.

Other participants are from Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, Finland, France, the Czech Republic - 12 countries in all.

Estonian Prime Minister Mart Laar will present the government's point of view.

Piret Salmistu, project manager from Parnu Conferences, said the number of people registered was about 200 on Sept. 11.

"The ring of participants is rather wide, but the audience of the conference mostly comes from Estonia," said Salmistu.

The fee for the forum varies from 6,962 kroons ($386) for regular visitors to less than 1,000 kroons ($55) for students.

The Estonian genome project, the latest achievement of Estonian genetic scientists, is one of the main subjects of the forum.

Andres Rannamae, EGCF's board member, commented on the project. "The Canadian law office that certified the project gave a positive report," he said.

On Aug. 8 the government approved the law on studying human genes, and the law is being discussed in Parliament.

According to Rannamae, EGCF is very concerned about the legal side of the genome project. "We will follow the international practice if any juridical problems occur during the discussion and realization of the project," said Rannamae at a press conference on Sept. 6.