Exploiting a genetic advantage

By CARROLL DU CHATEAU

After more than 18 years at the sharp end of international biotechnology research, Jilly Evans, PhD, has one heartfelt message for New Zealand: do not ban genetic engineering.

"I want to be an advocate for the thoughtful use of genetics," says Evans.

Her global perspective is that the potential benefits of biotechnology are virtually limitless - and countries like the United States are already working them hard. With the right controls, she says, biotech can offer unheard-of advances in health care and commercial opportunities spinning off agriculture, horticulture and forestry.

"New Zealand could target high-value products," she says. "I'm thinking things like vaccines in fruits, nutraceutical [medicine-producing] plants. We should use biotech advances to add value to basic products like milk, trees and tamarillos.

"The giant pharmaceutical company SmithKline started in New Zealand at the turn of last century based on the Nathan company selling milk powder to Britain. Imagine what we might do with dried tamarillos!"

She is also in favour of stem cell research. "I strongly hope New Zealand protects the rights of scientists to carry out stem cell research," she says. "Canadian scientists have put human stem cells into diabetics to create more insulin and it's been most promising ... It's a real shame when good things with rigorous science behind them are stopped because of a fear of the unknown."

Evans passionately argues that New Zealand needs a biotechnology sector to keep our scientists here and working.

Brought up in a series of school houses - some without electricity - and first educated by a kindergarten-trained mother and teacher father, Julie and Bob Davis, Evans and her brilliant siblings (the three have six degrees between them) played maths games with their father after school.

The family shifted often as Bob Davis pushed for promotion, finishing at Onewhero District High near Pukekohe, where Jilly studied chemistry by correspondence before moving on to the University of Auckland and a Medical Research Council junior scholarship. The level of teaching, mentoring and passion she encountered throughout the New Zealand system has inspired her career ever since.

But by PhD level Evans had to move to Canada to keep the challenges coming. She has never returned.

Now, at the height of her career, 48-year-old Evans, plus her Canadian explosives scientist husband Bill, "a keen All Black fan," and possibly sons David and Jon "depending on girlfriends," are planning a return home "within five years" to support the society that gave her a marvellous start.

Her aim? To make students' eyes light up at the opportunities out there; to help biotech improve our agricultural, horticultural and pharmaceutical performance. "We have to be cleverer, use our advantages - climate, soil, established agricultural bloodlines, our bit of uniqueness - and attract top international brains here with our wonderful quality of life."

The apolitical Evans is willing to help New Zealand to tread the tricky path around legislating for genetic engineering.

"We can stay clean and green while producing biotech products that'll improve people's lives and health. It shouldn't be greens versus scientists. It needs government to put together carefully crafted legislation to put brakes on abusers of technology. For example, no one must ever be allowed to clone a human being."

Last November, when she was in New Zealand visiting her mother and buying a house near Warkworth, Evans was invited on to the board of Fletcher offshoot company Rubicon, which finances and directs biotech applications based on our horticultural, agricultural and forestry industries.

"Our hope is to commercialise really good New Zealand ventures, create jobs for young New Zealanders. I'm hoping we'll become a nucleus for a premium high-tech environment of the Asia Pacific."

Next week she will try her own magic - "yes, I'm quite good at pulling people together" - to get New Zealanders behind biotechnology, starting with lectures at Rangitoto College and Manurewa High.

And when she returns for good? "Maybe work on legislation and with companies like Rubicon, make youngsters passionate about careers in science. Spend time with Mum."

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