Survey of Mexican Plant Biotechnology

评估美国和外国研究人员在科学和工程领域富有成效的合作的一个基本标准是，能否建立对美国社会有益的长期关系。墨西哥政府科学政策的一个关键条款是支持几个关键科学技术领域的发展，其中之一就是植物生物技术。此外，墨西哥存在的非美国本土物种可以为美国科学家提供独特的研究机会。Arntzen博士计划对墨西哥现有研究中心在这一领域的能力进行深入评估，这将对促进墨西哥所支持的一个重要和独特领域的科学合作具有相当大的价值。他将带领一个由另外三名美国植物生物技术专家组成的小组前往该国的三个研究地点，与墨西哥调查人员会面，并确定在具体项目上进行研究合作的可行性。如果他们确定合作研究计划最有利于美国在植物生物技术方面的研究，他们也可以开始制定详细的合作研究计划。访问结束后，Artnzen博士将编写一份关于墨西哥在该领域能力的书面评估报告，该报告将提供给美国有关研究界，期望该报告将为规划与墨西哥的合作研究项目提供更广泛的基础。

An essential criterion for assessing fruitful areas of science and engineering cooperation between U.S. and foreign investigators is the probability that long-term relationships beneficial to the U.S. communities can be established. A key provision in the Mexican government's science policy is to support the development of a few key fields in science and technology, one of which is plant biotechnology. Moreover, the existence of species in Mexico that are not indigenous to the United States can provide unique research opportunities for U.S. scientists. Dr. Arntzen's plan to make an in-depth assessment of the capabilities at existing Mexican centers of research in this field will be of considerable value in advancing scientific cooperation in an important and unique area that Mexico has targeted for support. He will lead a team comprised of three other U.S. plant biotechnologists to three research sites in the country to meet with Mexican investigators and to determine the feasibility of research cooperation on specific projects. They may also begin to develop detailed plans for cooperative research if they determine that such plans would be in the best interests of U.S. research efforts in plant biotechnology. Following the visit, Dr. Artnzen will prepare a written assessment of Mexican capabilities in the field that will be made available to the relevant research community in the United States in the expectation that that report will provide a broader basis for planning cooperative research projects with Mexico.