Barbados is to secure patent protection for three microorganisms discovered in sargassum seaweed after pharmaceutical companies expressed interest in acquiring them, the University of the West Indies scientist behind the discovery has said, with the government seeking to retain the discoveries’ potential commercial and environmental value.
Professor Bidyut Mohapatra said the Mia Mottley administration would seek to obtain patents for the discoveries rather than allow multinational corporations to buy the organisms outright. He said the aim was to retain in Barbados the potential commercial, environmental and financial benefits arising from the research.
After presenting his research at an American Society for Microbiology conference in Washington, DC, he was approached by major pharmaceutical firms interested in acquiring the microbes, said Professor Mohapatra.
Professor Mohapatra shows a microorganism (actinomycetes) commonly found in soil in his lab at the Department of Biololgical and Chemical Sciences at UWI Cave Hill. It is the same lab where he discovered the three novel microbes. (Photo Credit: Ricardo Roberts)
He told Barbados TODAY: “Three companies were interested in procuring the microorganisms from us, purchasing them and starting industries.
“One is a very big multinational pharmaceutical industry. But my interest is to keep this particular intellectual property in Barbados. The prime minister showed strong interest, and we met with the attorney general to decide how to go for the patent so maximum commercialisation stays in Barbados rather than giving it to a multinational company.”
Selling the rights immediately to foreign corporations, he said, would provide a short-term payout while depriving the country of longer-term assets.
“If we sold it, the company would buy it for some thousands of dollars, and we would keep our mouth shut because we sold out the organisms,” Professor Mohapatra added. “They would get millions of dollars from it. But if we keep the patents, spending under US$ 50 000, the government can benefit by almost a million dollars later, managing who we deal with.”
Three novel microorganisms were discovered in sargassum seaweed, two of which were named in honour of Barbados: Chrysobacterium barbadense and Arthrobacter bajanensis. The third, Streptomyces sargassi, holds significant pharmaceutical potential, according to Professor Mohapatra.
“Streptomyces is the group of microorganisms where pharmaceutical industries put multi-million dollars to find antibiotics, as 70 per cent of our antibiotics come from them,” Professor Mohapatra said. “Finding a novel one has chances of about 0.001 per cent. Streptomyces sargassi produces 19 novel antibiotics and antivirals. We are lucky enough to find a new species here.”
The microbes may also have environmental and industrial applications. Arthrobacter bajanensis shows potential for cleaning up marine oil spills, while Chrysobacterium barbadense produces enzymes that may be useful in biofuel production, methane remediation and nitrogen fixation.
Prime Minister Mottley has been a prominent advocate for a global treaty to reduce methane emissions, arguing that voluntary industry pledges are insufficient.
She has frequently cited the 1987 Montreal Protocol as a possible model for such an agreement, calling for strict and enforceable international standards for the oil, gas and agricultural sectors rather than voluntary commitments.
Mottley has also argued that, because methane is more potent than carbon dioxide but remains in the atmosphere for a shorter period, rapid reductions could give countries more time to transition their economies and introduce longer-term carbon-reduction measures.
Securing a United States patent typically takes three to five years, according to the UWI professor. During that period, the legal framework and research will be developed here through access to the state-of-the-art Barbados Living Lab initiative, which is supported by the prime minister, he added.
“The Prime Minister asked me to use that lab and told me it is accessible at any time,” Professor Mohapatra said. “We are making it a research hub so future students can work there and younger generations can be motivated towards science. Instead of giving the technology to overseas multinational companies, my main goal is for local Barbadian companies to take this, start industries and retain the technology on our own land.”
The naming of the species has raised Barbados’ scientific profile internationally, generating interest in collaboration from regional neighbours, including the US Virgin Islands and Martinique, as well as global scientific bodies.
“The first time a microorganism has been named in honour of Barbados, I felt proud to contribute,” Professor Mohapatra said.
“We now have two microbes present carrying the country’s name in the microbial world. Once the patent process is finalised, the intellectual property remains ours, ensuring the discovery that originated from our land continues to benefit our people.”
(RR)
