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UWI TODAY
– SUNDAY 9 OCTOBER, 2016
RESEARCH
The UWI Cocoa Research Centre (UWI CRC)
has
found a new recipe for success with the signing of a
project agreement with funding from the Inter-American
Development Bank (IDB) to support the development of
successful private sector business models within the cocoa
sector. Additionally, Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs)
were signed mid-September, at the Office of the Campus
Principal to launch collaborations between Belmont Estate
in Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago Fine Cocoa Company
to foster cooperation and provide technical support.
The IDB-funded project titled
ImprovingMarketing and
Production of Artisanal Cocoa from Trinidad and Tobago
(IMPACTT)
aims to improve the livelihoods for cocoa
growers by integrating small farmers and community co-
operative producers into the value chain for the supply of
premium cocoa and cocoa products, facilitating access to
high-value domestic and international markets. Pro-Vice
Chancellor and Campus Principal ofThe UWI St. Augustine
Campus, Professor BrianCopeland; Campus Bursar, Andrea
Taylor-Hanna; Director of The UWI CRC, Professor
Pathmanathan Umaharan and Vashtie Dookiesingh,
Multilateral Investment Fund Senior Specialist for IDB
Trinidad and Tobago co-signed the project agreement
between the IDB and The UWI CRC.
In addition, Ashley Parasram, CEO of the Trinidad and
Tobago Fine Cocoa Company, signed an MOU with UWI
CRC for the joint pursuit of sector development projects.
To support the transition from cocoa growers to
chocolate makers, The UWI CRC also signed an MOU
with Belmont Estate, Grenada, which will aid the estate’s
development as a successful bean-to-bar producer, and
establish amodel for cocoa development inGrenada. Shadel
Nyack Compton, owner andCEOof Belmont Estate Limited
emphasised the significance of The UWI CRC’s scientific
know-how and the agro-tourism model of Belmont Estate
for the region. She noted that its tree-to-bar operation
makes Belmont Estate unique, and differentiates it from
the competition. “CRC can provide us with the benefits
of research, science and technology for every step of the
process from plant propagation to chocolate making and
we intend to extend Belmont Estate’s services to act as a
platform to train farmers and processors, offer a resource
centre for research, as a learning centre for children, and
as a model to foster agri-business entrepreneurs in the
region,” she said.
Cocoa Research Centre
makes ‘sweet deals’ to
advance cocoa sector
Commenting on the nature of the partnerships,
Dookiesingh remarked that these agreements were made
possible thanks to a synergistic approach with the IDB. “The
combination of Ashley’s firm, CRC’s depth of experience and
passion and the eco-tourism of Belmont Estate would aid
both private and public development and help ensure that
the high-grade cocoa beans would be produced to create
the ‘champagne’ of chocolate.” She commended Campus
Principal, Brian Copeland and The UWI for making
this leap with respect to innovation. Professor Copeland
acknowledged, saying “Part of the strategy is in fact to
build that relationship with the private sector… it is key to
moving forward”.
Also present at the signings were Caroline Alcock,
Deputy British High Commissioner; Kavita Terri-Ann
Maharaj from the IDB; Jay Kang, Chocolatier at Belmont
Estate and Arvind Mahabirsingh, Operations Director
at the Trinidad and Tobago Fine Cocoa Company. From
The UWI Cocoa Research Centre were International
Fine Cocoa Innovation Centre Project Manager, Karen
Lee Lum and Research Fellow/Food Technologist, Darin
Sukha. Other UWI representatives included Sharan Singh,
Director of the Office of Institutional Advancement and
Internationalisation and Debra Coryat-Patton, Campus
Attorney.
(L-R): Arvind Mahabirsingh, Operations Director at the Trinidad and Tobago Fine Cocoa Company; Dr Darin Sukha, Research Fellow/
Food Technologist at The UWI Cocoa Research Centre; Ashley Parasram, CEO of Trinidad and Tobago Fine Cocoa Company Ltd.; Vashtie
Dookiesingh, Multilateral Investment Fund Senior Specialist for the Inter-American Development Bank Trinidad and Tobago; Professor
Copeland, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of The UWI St. Augustine; Professor Pathmanathan Umaharan, Director of The UWI
Cocoa Research Centre; and Kavita Terri-Ann Maharaj of the Inter-American Development Bank Trinidad and Tobago.
About CRC:
The Cocoa
R e s e a r c h Ce n t r e i s
a campus centre of
The University of the
West Indies (UWI). It is
responsible for maintenance of the International
Cocoa Genebank, Trinidad (ICGT) around which on-
going research activities of characterisation,evaluation
and utilisation are centred. The management of
CRC is under the leadership of Director, Professor
Pathmanathan Umaharan. Research activities
include germplasm conservation, morphological and
molecular characterisation of cocoa,screening of cocoa
germplasmfor resistance todiseases,cocoa germplasm
enhancement (pre-breeding for desirable traits), and
quality and flavour assessment.In addition to research,
CRC offers training to visitors and facilities for scientists
from other organisations.
The rapid emergence of antibiotic
resistance
among bacteria occurring worldwide is endangering
the efficacy of antibiotics, including even the last
resort antibiotics. This has become the greatest
health threat and challenge in treating bacterial
infections. In the recent years the high prevalence
of antibiotic resistant human bacterial pathogens in
the Caribbean and in Trinidad and Tobago is on rise.
Antibiotic resistant infections are one of the
chief reasons for extended medical treatments
and hospitalisation times causing huge economic
burdens among communities. Diagnoses of
antibiotic resistant infections are time-consuming,
involving clinical, microbiological and biochemical
methods of identification. The UWI, St. Augustine’s
Faculty of Science and Technology (FST),
Department of Life Sciences, in partnership with
the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FMS) have started
a ground breaking initiative in undertaking research
on the important drug resistant bacterial pathogens.
This work is being funded by The UWI- Trinidad
and Tobago Research and Development Impact
Fund (RDI Fund).
TheUWI researchgroup, ledbyProfessor Jayaraj
Jayaraman, Dr Adesh Ramsubhag (Department of
Life Sciences, FST) and Professor Patrick Akpaka
(Department of Paraclinical Sciences, FMS) along
with their students and research associate Farah
Selina Mohammed, have undertaken the ambitious
task of developing advanced antibiotic-detection
test procedures. The main goal of this project is to
develop rapid and high throughput DNA-based tests
called Polymerase-Chain Reaction (PCR) – tests for
detection antibiotic resistance. The study has been
carried out in collaboration with the San Fernando
General Hospital, the Sangre Grande General
Hospital, the Eric Williams Medical Sciences
Complex, the Scarborough General Hospital and
the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.
Recently the RDI research team conducted a
workshop on
bacterial antibiotic resistance and new
molecular methods for identification of antibiotic
resistance
, at the Dept. of Life Sciences. More than
40 delegates from various institutions including
Regional medical authorities, Health Institutes,
Medical Laboratories, Health facilities attended
the workshop. Dr Adesh Ramsubhag (Head,
DLS) welcomed the participants and Prof Jayaraj
Jayaraman chaired the lecture sessions. The lectures
were delivered by Prof Patrick Akpaka (FMS, UWI),
Dr Rajeev Nagassar, ERHA, Dr Adesh Ramsubhag
and Farah Mohammed.
Focus on
ANTIBIOTIC
RESISTANCE
A section of delegates checking extracted DNA
concentration in a nanodrop spectrometer during
the workshop training session
