BIOTECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT
The Department offers a graduate program leading to MS degree.
Equipments and facilities are available for research in fundamental and applied research in the field of biotechnology. Current major research foci include (i) studies on chemical ecology of the fungus-like microorganisms, oomycetes including signal transduction pathways; (ii) isolation and characterization of novel bio-functional microorganisms and studies on their usage in agriculture, health and environment; (iii) bioactive natural products in agriculture and medicine; and (iv) purification, characterization and application of microbial enzymes.
Faculty: Dr. Md. Tofazzal Islam, Professor, Dr. Md. Mahbubur Rahman Associate Professor, Dr. Md. Ashraful Haque, Associate Professor and Shah Mohammad Naimul Islam, Assistant Professor
Courses
BTL 501 Introduction to Molecular Biology (3 cr.): Fine structures of cells; structure and composition of membranes, transport systems including signal transduction; cell cycles; structures of chromosome, DNA and RNA; DNA replication; organization of eukaryotic genome; dynamic genome, and regulation of gene expression.
BTL 502 Gene Structure, Function and its Expression (3 cr.): Prokaryotic and eukaryotic gene structure, transcription, post transcriptional splicing and modification, operon systems, processing of mRNA, rRNA, tRNA; path from gene to proteins, colinearity of gene and protein structure; genetic code, specificity, translation, redundancy control of translation, post-translational modifications and transport, protein targeting, non-ribosomal polypeptide synthesis.
BTL 505 Laboratory Techniques in Biotechnology (3 cr.): Theory and application of centrifugation; isolation of plasmid DNA, genomic DNA, RNAs and proteins; Theory and application of electrophoresis; molecular technique including PCR, Southern, Northern and Western blotting, bioassay tests, sequencing; various chromatographic techniques; radio isotopic techniques; spectroscopic methods including MS & NMR; purification of enzymes, and proteins; and proteomic analysis.
BTL 517 Enzyme and Enzyme Technology (3 cr.): Nomenclature, classification and basic principles of enzymes; mechanism of enzyme catalysis; kinetics of enzyme catalyzed reactions; regulation of enzyme activity; and food and industrial application of enzyme technology.
BTL 520 Food and Industrial Biotechnology (3 cr.): Fermentation technologies; bioprocessing; production of single cell protein; recovery, extraction and purification of fermentation products; application of biopolymer in food and industry; probiotics and their application; nature, composition and application of biofilms.
BTL 521 Computational Genomics and Systems Biology (3 cr.): Genetic and physical map of a genome, genome sequencing and assembly of contigs; comparative analysis of genomes from multicellular eukaryotes; sequence analysis and evolution of RNA genes; applications of genome analysis; systems biology; molecular; cellular systems; developmental and comparative systems biology; biological networks; protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks; metabolic networks; microarray analysis and its application.
BTL 523 Biopharming and Bioengineering (3 cr.): Pharmaceuticals and therapeutics; vaccines; commercial product from recombinant microorganisms; biorecombination and biomass utilization, primary and secondary metabolites; industrial and fermentation products.
BTL 527 Introductions to Ecological Chemistry (3 cr.): Concept of ecological chemistry; various kinds of ecochemicals, biochemistry of pollination; plant toxins and their effects on animals; hormonal interactions between plants and animals; feeding performances of invertebrates (including insects) and vertebrates including men; plant defense and animal response; animal pheromones and defense substances; ecochemimcal interactions between higher plants, higher plant-lower plant interactions; molecular plant-microbe interactions, phytoalexins and plants immune systems.
BTL 530 Bioactive Natural Products (3 cr.): Secondary metabolites in plants, animals and microorganisms; biosynthetic pathways; traditional herbal medicines; various kinds of bioactive natural products: phenols and polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, peptides and others; extraction, screening and bioassay methods; isolation, purification and characterization of bioactive secondary metabolites from plants, microorganisms and animals; large scale production of targeted natural products from plants and microorganisms; mode of actions including receptor, signal transduction and gene expression; application of natural products in agriculture, health and environment.
BTL 531 Genetic Engineering (3 cr.): Conventional and modern concepts of transgenecity- importance and limitations; screening novel genes, gene cloning, methods for genetic transformation; genetic engineering in plants, fish, animals and microorganisms; genetic engineering in medicine and industry; biosafety of living modified organisms (LMOs).
BTL 532 Environmental Biotechnology and Biosafety (3 cr.): Microbial and thermodynamic concepts and quantitative tools: stoichiometry and bacterial energetic, microbial kinetics, biofilm kinetics, application design, activated sludge and aerobic biofilm; processes of nitrification, denitrification, phosphorus removal, anaerobic treatment and detoxification of hazardous chemicals, bioremediation.
BTL 534 Fisheries Biotechnology (3 cr.): Molecular techniques for detecting genetic variation; cryopreservation of fish spermatozoa; chromosome
manipulation in fishes; manipulation of sexual phenotypes; stock improvement of fish and shell fishes; genetic engineering and its application in fisheries; molecular and immunogenetics in fishes; management of fish health through biotechnology.
BTL 535 Animal Biotechnology (3 cr.): History and scope for animal biotechnology; somatic cell and germ cell; spermatogenesis and sperm technology; folliculogenesis and oogenesis; endocrinology; biotechnological tools in animal agriculture: AI, Estrus synchronization, MOET, IVP of embryos, cloning, transgenenics, sexing of spermatozoa and embryos; cryopreservation and other techniques; biotechnology in disease diagnosis and treatment; evolution biotechnology.
BTL 560 Physiological and Metabolic Engineering (3 cr.): Introduction to regulation of metabolism and physiology of microbes and plants, hands-on analytical techniques for measuring metabolites and ion levels, mechanisms for homeostasis, influence of environmental changes, including nutrition, salt stress, temperature and drought, genetic pathways for stress response and adaptation in plant and microbial systems, crop improvement and biotechnology, gene expression and cell-based expression laboratory, gene over-expression strategies, biocatalysis and metabolic engineering.
BTL 575 Genomics and Bioinformatics (3 cr.): Prokaryotic versus eukaryotic genome structure, conservation (gene order / sequence / structures / regulatory sequences), approach to mapping / sequencing genomes, DNA sequencing, DNA sequencing technologies, approach to genome annotations, SNPs, microarray technology, gene expression microarrays, antibiotics, chromatin immuno-purification, high throughput perturbation studies, problem solving / data handling / critical thinking / journal club sessions.
BTL 590 Immunology and Immunobiotechnology (3 cr.): Introduction to immunity and immune system; cells and organs of immune system; humoral immunity; innate and cell mediated immunity, immune disorder and diseases; hybridoma technology; vaccine strategies; immunological techniques; and immunity and immunoprophylaxis.
BTL 592 Protein Structure and Functions (3 cr.): Introduction to protein structure and technologies used to study protein structure; X-ray crystallography; protein NMR; protein folding; post transcriptional modification; protein sorting; enzyme structure and function; study of different protein expression; proteomics; protein interactions; methods to study interactome; problem solving/data handling/critical thinking/journal club sessions.
BTL 595 Visualization of Biological Systems (3 cr.): Hands on training in, light microscopy: bright field, fluorescence and interference contrast modes, stains and labels, fluorescent proteins, image processing, quantitative imaging, 3D visualization and segmentation, TEM, SEM, and cryomicroscopy, tomography, scanning probe microscopy, imaging project.
BTL 596 Reading and Conference (Credits arranged but not more than 3 cr.): Special study assigned by the Major Professor on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee and /or interest of the student.
BTL 597 Special Problems (Credit to be arranged but not more than 3 cr.):
Investigation of special problems in biotechnology not related to a dissertation problem.
BTL 598 Seminar (1 cr.): Discussion on an assigned topic in the field of Biotechnology.
BTL 599 Thesis Research (Credit to be arranged but not less than 12 cr.): Original thesis research.
Note : Students having CGPA below 3.00 will not allowed to enrol BTL 596 or BTL 597 until he/she rained the CGPA to 3.00 or above.
Table10 Minimum Course and Research Requirement for MS Degree1
A. Major Courses Cr. Minor Courses Cr.
1a. Core 12 2a Minor Core 6
BTL 501 Introduction to Molecular Biology 3 PLP 505 Genetics of Plant Pathogens & Disease Resistance 3
BTL 502 Gene Structure, Function and it’s Expression 3 PLP 540 General Microbiology 3
BTL 530 Bioactive Natural Products 3
BTL 531 Genetic Engineering 3
1b. Major Elective 9 2b. Minor Electi¬ve 6
BTL 505 Laboratory Techniques in Biotechnology 3 PLP 531 Plant Virology 3
BTL 517 Enzyme and Enzyme Technology 3 GPB 510 Genetics 3
BTL 520 Foods and Industrial Biotechnology 3 ENT 508 Biological Control 3
BTL 521 Computational Genomics and Systems Biology 3 CBT 510 Plant Growth Regulators
BTL 523 Biopharming and Bioengineering 3 AGR 505 Crop Physiology 3
BTL 527 Introduction to Ecological Chemistry 3
BTL 532 Environmental Biotechnology and Biosafety 3
BTL 534 Fisheries Biotechnology 3 Other Courses2
BTL 535 Animal Biotechnology 3
BTL 560 Physiological and Metabolic Engineering 3
BTL 575 Genomics and Bioinformatics 3
BTL 590 Immunology and Immunobiotechnology 3
BTL 592 Protein Structure and Functions 3
BTL 595 Visualization of Biological Systems 3
B. Seminar 1
BTL 598 Seminar 1
C. Thesis Research 12
BTL 599 Thesis Research Variable
Total 43
1Degree requirements may be changed on the recommendation of the Board of Studies and the Advisory Committee.
2Approved by the Advisory Committee.