The Department of Biotechnology has very strong and effective collaboration with many international research groups in USA, UK, Australia, Japan, Germany, South Korea, China, Singapore, Switzerland, France, and India.
When first emergence of wheat blast devastated more than 15,000 hectares of wheat in Bangladesh, Prof. Tofazzal Islam in collaboration with Prof. Sophien Kamoun, Prof. Nicolas Talbot and other 30 researchers from 4 continents determined the genetic identity and origin of the disease as a lineage of South American wheat blast within weeks. They used a novel field pathogenomics and open data sharing approaches through a dedicated website called Open Wheat Blast (www.wheatblast.net) to combine global scientific community to combat wheat blast disease in Bangladesh. Currently, the team developed are conducting collaborative research for the development of novel blast resistant wheat varieties using genome editing through CRISPR/Cas9 technique.
Another successful international collaboration of Prof. Tofazzal Islam with Prof. Yusuke Yamauchi and Dr. Shahriar Hossain of Wollongong University in Australia. By applying cutting-edge nanotechnological approaches, they are trying to produce high valued biochemicals from natural fiber jute and other biomasses. They also trying to apply nanotechnology in crop protection, enhancing growth of plants and useful materials for the remediation of environment.
An active collaboration of Prof. Islam’s team with Dr. Mahfuzur Rahman of West Virginia University in USA on development of a convenient diagnostic molecular protocol for detection of anthracnose pathogen in the asymptomatic strawberry seedling.