Biotechnology and genetic engineering in Bangladesh

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Biotechnology and genetic engineering in Bangladesh is one of the thriving fields of science and technology in the country.

History

The research for biotechnology in Bangladesh started in the late 1970s. The root cause behind the initiation was the significance of agricultural sector, which had been the backbone of the national economy since the ancient times. The research first started in the department of Genetics and Plant Breeding in

Islamic University, Kushtia, Jagannath University, Jahangirnagar University, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Bangladesh Jute Research Institute, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Sylhet Agricultural University, Bangabandhu Shiekh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Bangladesh Forest Research Institute, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture, Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute and Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission. In 1990, Bangladesh Association for Plant Tissue Culture (BAPTC) was formed which has been organising several international conferences since its inception. In September 1993, the government of Bangladesh formed a National Committee on Biotechnology Product Development to select potential biotechnological projects which could be leased out for commercialisation. In collaboration with BAPTC, the Ministry of Science and Technology organised a workshop on Biosafety Regulation in 1997, after which a task force was formed to formulate biosafety guidelines and biosafety regulations in the light of the regulation of the workshop. In the late 1990s, Bangladesh became a member of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB). In 1999, the National Institute of Biotechnology was established as the centre of excellence in biotechnological education.[1] To accelerate multidimensional biotechnological research, in 2006, the government adopted the national policy guidelines on biotechnology which was approved by the National Task force on biotechnology.[2] In 2012, the cabinet approved the draft of National Biotechnology Policy, 2012 which was aimed at eradicating poverty through increasing productivity in agriculture and industrial sectors.[3][4]

Genome sequencing projects

Jute genome

In 2008, with the funding of the government, the

sequenced the genome of jute, through which, Bangladesh became only the second country after Malaysia, among the developing nations, to have successfully sequenced a plant genome.[6][7]

Fungus genome

In 2012, the same group of scientists decoded the genome of Macrophomina phaseolina, a Botryosphaeriaceae fungus, which is responsible for causing seedling blight, root rot, and charcoal rot of more than 500 crop and non-crop species throughout the world. The sequencing took place at the laboratory of Bangladesh Jute Research Institute and was done as part of The Basic and applied Research on Jute project.[8][9][10][11][12][13]

Biotechnology industry

The biotechnology industry is yet to be a major contributor on the

BRAC Biotechnology Center, Square Agric-tech and Aman Agro Industries are producing virus-free potato seeds in substantial quantities, gradually reducing the dependency on imported potato seeds. Proshika Tissue Culture Center is now exporting varieties of tissue culture derived orchid plants. Pharmaceutical companies like the Incepta Pharmaceuticals have begun to produce and market insulin and preparing to export abroad. Incepta has also signed an agreement with ICGEB to receive the technological know-how for commercially manufacturing hepatitis B vaccine.[1][14][15]

References

  1. ^ .
  2. ^ "Govt. approves national biotechnology policy guidelines". Bdnews24.com. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  3. Financial Express
    . Dhaka. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  4. ^ "Cabinet okays draft of National Biotechnology Policy, 2012". Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  5. ^ "Jute Genome project". The Daily Star. 25 September 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  6. ^ "Jute genome decoded". The Daily Star. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  7. ^ "Dhaka to get jute genome intellectual property right by mid-2012". New Age. Archived from the original on 7 July 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  8. ^ "Bangladeshi scientists decode genome of jute fungus". Daily Sun. Archived from the original on 7 July 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  9. ^ Reaz Ahmad (20 September 2012). "Alam does it again". The Daily Star. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  10. Financial Express
    . Dhaka. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  11. ^ "Decoding fungal genome: Salute to Dr Maqsudul Alam". Dhaka Courier. Archived from the original on 28 September 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  12. ^ "BD scientists crack genome sequencing of fungal pathogen". The Financial Express. Dhaka. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  13. ^ "Bangladeshi scientists invent fungus gene". New Age. 20 September 2012. Archived from the original on 13 November 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  14. ^ a b Naiyyum Choudhury and Md. Riajul Hossain. "Biotechnology and genetic engineering". The Daily Star. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  15. ^ Ahmed, Zia Uddin (2012). "Biotechnology". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.