At a BRIN event here on Tuesday, the agency's head, Laksana Tri Handoko, said that the development of the Merah Putih vaccine, the detection device for the virus that causes COVID-19, and surveillance strengthening efforts began when COVID-19 first emerged in Indonesia.
These efforts will be continued in 2022, he affirmed.
Handoko said he is committed to supporting the Ministry of Health in expanding the capacity of virus surveillance, such as through whole-genome sequencing that detects the presence of SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19.
He further said he expects the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology (PRBME) to create a fundamental basis for a health research organization under BRIN.
BRIN is currently preparing a research organization in the health sector in response to the Indonesian government's call for developing health research and innovation, he added.
PRBME is one of the research centers that will fall under such a health research organization, Handoko noted.
There will be five research centers under the health research organization, which will include researchers from the Ministry of Health's Research and Development Agency, who will join BRIN, he informed.
At the event, PRBME researcher Tedjo Sasmono said that the Merah Putih vaccine seed developed by Eijkman meets the industry's standard.
"According to the industry, the vaccine seed already fulfills the industry standard where the yield matches the industry's demand. It is also immunogenic," he noted.
PRBME is developing the Merah Putih vaccine seed with a recombinant protein platform that utilizes yeast and mammalian cells, he informed.
Both the yeast and mammalian cell platforms meet the industry's requirement, he added.
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Translator: Martha S, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Sri Haryati
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