John T A
Department of Pharmacology, Lagos Sate University College of Medicine, Lagos.
Niger Postgrad Med J. 2010 Mar;17(1):6-14.
Across the world, basic medical scientists and physician scientists work on common platforms in state-of-the-arts laboratories doing translational research that occasionally results in bedside application. Biotechnology industries capitalise on useful findings for colossal profit.1 In Nigeria and the rest of Africa, biomedical science has not thrived and the contribution of publications to global high impact journals is low.2 This work investigated facilities available for modern biomedical research in Lagos public universities to extract culprit factors.
The two public universities in Lagos, Nigeria were investigated by a cross sectional questionnaire survey of the technical staff manning biomedical science departments. They were asked about availability of 47 modern biomedical science research laboratory components such as cold room and microscopes and six research administration components such as director of research and grants administration.
For convenient basic laboratory components such as autoclaves and balances, 50% responses indicated "well maintained and always functional" whereas for less convenient complex, high maintenance, state-of-the-arts equipment 19% responses indicated "well maintained and always functional." Respondents indicated that components of modern biomedical science research administration were 44% of expectation.
The survey reveal a deficit in state-of the-arts research equipment and also a deficit in high maintenance, expensive equipment indicating that biomedical science in the investigated environment lacks the momentum of global trends and also lacks buoyant funding. In addition, administration supporting biomedical science is below expectation and may also account for the low contributions of research articles to global high impact journals.
在全球范围内，基础医学科学家和医学医师科学家在最先进的实验室的共同平台上开展转化研究，这些研究偶尔会应用于临床。生物技术产业利用有用的研究成果获取巨额利润。1在尼日利亚和非洲其他地区，生物医学科学并未蓬勃发展，在全球高影响力期刊上发表的论文数量也很少。2本研究调查了拉各斯公立大学中可用于现代生物医学研究的设施，以找出问题所在。
通过对尼日利亚拉各斯两所公立大学中生物医学科学系技术人员的横断面问卷调查进行研究。询问他们47种现代生物医学科学研究实验室组件（如冷藏室和显微镜）以及6种研究管理组件（如研究主任和资助管理）的可用性。
对于诸如高压灭菌器和天平这类便利的基础实验室组件，50%的回复表明“维护良好且始终可用”，而对于不太便利、复杂、维护要求高的最先进设备，只有19%的回复表明“维护良好且始终可用”。受访者表示，现代生物医学科学研究管理组件仅达到预期的44%。
调查显示，最先进的研究设备存在不足，维护要求高、价格昂贵的设备也存在短缺，这表明在被调查的环境中，生物医学科学缺乏全球发展趋势的动力，也缺乏充足的资金。此外，支持生物医学科学的管理工作未达预期，这也可能是研究论文在全球高影响力期刊上发表数量较少的原因。
