- Five Korean research teams have been selected for the "Global Center Program," which includes participation from Korea, USA, UK, Japan, Canada, and Finland

- The program will support five years of international joint research on 'Biodiversity Utilization' and 'Biofoundries.'



The Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister: Yoo Sang-im, hereinafter referred to as the 'MSIT') announced that five research projects have been selected under the Global Center Program. This program supports advanced biotechnology research in collaboration with six countries.



The Global Center Program, newly established by the National Science Foundation (NSF) of the United States in 2023, aims to foster international joint research to tackle global challenges. The program’s first theme, which involved the USA, UK, and Canada, focused on developing technologies to respond to climate change and promote clean energy. For the first time, Korea has joined the 2024 Global Center Program, which focuses on addressing global challenges by developing core technologies related to the bioeconomy. Six countries—Korea, the USA, UK, Japan, Canada, and Finland—will collaborate on international research in 'Biodiversity Utilization' and 'Biofoundries.' This initiative is expected to become a significant milestone in international scientific cooperation.



After discussions on detailed topics and program timelines, the participating countries signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) on February 15, 2024.



※ Participating Organizations:

(Korea) Ministry of Science and ICT, (USA) National Science Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, (UK) UK Research and Innovation, (Japan) Japan Science and Technology Agency, (Canada) Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, (Finland) Research Council of Finland, Finland Innovation Support Organization.

※ Research Areas:

(Subtopic 1: Leveraging Biodiversity Across the Tree of Life to Power the Bioeconomy)

Research on discovering and utilizing valuable substances and genetic information produced by microorganisms, plants, and animals. This includes developing biosynthetic materials and exploring organisms in extreme environments.

(Subtopic 2: Biofoundries, using the Design-Build-Test-Learn process in biology)

Research to accelerate R&D efficiency in fields such as new drug development, eco-friendly materials production, and biofuels, using the biological system research process through the DBTL cycle.



In September, after final agreements between participating countries, six research projects were selected. Five of these projects include Korean research teams from Korea University, Sunmoon University, POSTECH, KRIBB (Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology), and Hanyang University. With participation in five out of six projects, Korea will play a leading role in using biotechnology to solve global challenges.

※ USA: 6 teams, UK: 5 teams, Japan: 4 teams, Canada: 3 teams, Finland: 2 teams.