(24 Nov 2004)
1. Pan from palm trees to house
2. Tilt down from tree to house
3. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Jose Manuel Cuellar Zometa, Gensa President
4. Wide shot of family gathered outside
5. Various of plants
6. Close up of flower
7. Woman in lab
8. Various of plants in greenhouse where plants are being grown
9. Woman working in lab
10. Woman disinfecting tools
11. Plant extracts being cut to be replanted
12. Jose Manuel Cuellar Zometa in lab
13. Various of plants in tubes
14. Exterior of lab
15. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Jose Manuel Cuellar Zometa, Gensa President
16. Exterior of house
SUGGESTED LEAD-IN:
One family in El Salvador have set up a cloning lab in their home after winning a national science contest.
After successfully producing identical plants, the family now plans to expand their technology to animal biotechnology.
VOICE-OVER:
Surrounded by lush vegetation, the Cuellar family has set up El Savador's first private biotechnological lab.
In a country with few resources, scientific innovation is difficult.
But after winning $US12,500 in a national competition, they have already managed to get the laboratory set up - in the house where they were born and raised.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"This is the house where we were born - the nine brothers and sisters were born just there where the biolab is - many years ago."
SUPERCAPTION: Jose Manuel Cuellar Zometa, Gensa President
At the moment, they are concentrating on cultivating plants.
The aim is to grow desirable species and to clone them.
Cloning plants means that desirable characteristics such as disease resistance, colour or taste can be reliably retained in future generations.
And the fruits of their labour are already crowding into their back garden.
Cloning is a slow, delicate process.
A sample of the plant is placed in a glass container and stored in a light and temperature controlled room.
Next, plant material is selected and is cut up into tiny sections in a sterile environment.
Then, when the plant is firmly established, samples are extracted so that they can be multiplied.
Once the leaf fragment has developed a shoot and root, it is transferred to a deeper culture medium so that its roots can develop further.
The young clones are then transferred into a light, growing medium to further strengthen root growth.
But this is only the beginning.
For these brothers, biotechnology holds a wealth of promises for the future.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"In the near future, Gensa (the company) would like to get involved in animal biotechnology, embryo production, semen production. We would like to get involved in genetic projects - in other words, an up to date biotechnology that competes with the developed world."
SUPERCAPTION: Jose Manuel Cuellar Zometa, Gensa President
But the family's future plans to expand into animal biotechnology could prove difficult.
Without government support, the family is unlikely to have the huge amounts of money such a venture requires.
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