Current status of medical biotechnology in Malaysia.

The main thrust was in the development of diagnostic assays or kits, either for import substitution or to meet diagnostic needs for diseases of importance, Emphasis was on the development of diagnostic probes either using the hybridoma technology for the production of monoclonal antibodies (MABs) or the development of nucleic acid probes, In other instances, more conventional techniques for the production of polyclonal antibodies and their subsequent radiolabelling for radioimmunoassays were carried out The applicability of polymerase chain reaction (peR) in the development of rapid and specific diagnostic assays was investigated,