Post Graduate

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

1. 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   3

& Disease Resistance

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 Elective                                6

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.