Prof. M. Anwar Hossain, Chairman, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Univeristy of Dhaka

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka

Chairman

Faculty and Chairman: M. Anwar Hossain, Ph. D

Personal /Contact Address
Education
Academic Position
Awards
University Administration
Major Research Areas and Academic Activities
Present Research
Publications (selected)
Patent

Establishment of the Department of Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology (Nov-2000-Nov-2001) Visit GEB Home page
Presentations in International Meetings and Seminars

Personal.

Date of birth : August 20, 1950
Address : Professor 880-2-8627073 (Res.)
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,
Phone : 880-2-9666179 (Office) Fax : 880-2-865583
University of Dhaka, E-Mail : anwarh@udhaka.net
Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh

Education

Degree	Year	Institution	Years attended
B.Sc. (Hons.)	1971	Dhaka University, Bangladesh.	1967-1971
M.Sc.	1972	Dhaka University, Bangladesh.	1971-1972
Ph.D.	1985	Kyoto University, Japan	1982-1985

Academic Position

Duration	Position	Institution
1975-1985	Lecturer	Department of Biochemistry, Dhaka University, Bangladesh.
1985-1990	Assistant Professor	Department of Biochemistry, Dhaka University
1987-1990	Biotechnology Career Fellow	Department of Biochemistry, Kyoto Prefectural University, Japan.
1990-1994	Associate Professor	Department of Biochemistry, Dhaka University, Bangladesh.
1991-1994	Visiting Scientist	Department of Botany & Plant Pathology Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
1994-Present	Professor	Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dhaka University, Bangladesh.
1995-1996	Visiting Professor	Kyoto University, Japan.
1996-Present	Adjunct Faculty	Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh.
2000-2001	Project Director	Department of Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, Dhaka University, Bangladesh.
2000-Present	Chairman	Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dhaka University.

Awards

# Japanese Monbusho Scholarship in 1982
# University Grants Commission (UGC) Award 1985 for the research paper entitled,
'Monodehydroascorble reductase from cucumber is a flavin adenine dinucleotide enzyme'
(see List of Publications) which was adjudged as the best publication in 1985 in fundamental
research in the field of Biological Sciences in Bangladesh.
# The Rockefeller Foundation Biotechnology Carrier Fellowship in 1987.
# The Rockefeller Foundation Visiting Scientist Fellowship in 1991.
# Visiting Professorship in Kyoto University, Japan in 1995.
# Justice Ibrahim Gold Medal for the year 1993 for outstanding research in Biological Sciences.

University Administration

Member, Dhaka University Academic Council, 1989-1991 and 1994-Present
Member, Dhaka University Syndicate, 1990-1991.
Member, Dhaka University Senate, 1999-2002
Former Provost, Fazlul Haque Hall, Dhaka University, July 2001-November 2001

Professional Activities

General Secretary of Bangladesh Biochemical Society (1998-1999), Membership in Bangladesh Society of Biotechnologists, Bangla Academy, Bangladesh Microbiological Society, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists, American Society of Plant Physiologists. Chairman, Dhaka University Football Committee (2000-2002).

Major Research Areas and Academic Activities

Ph.D. Studies (1982-1985) : Kyoto University, Japan.

Field of Study : Photosynthesis : Plant's Defense Mechanism Against Photo-Oxidative Damage.
Established the role of ascorbate-regenerating enzymes in the scavenging of highly toxic photo-oxidative product hydrogen peroxide in plants.
Isolated and characterized for the first time, two ascorbate-regenerating enzymes, Dehydroascorbate reductase and Monodehydroascorbate reductase, respectively, from plants.

Biotechnology Carrier Fellowship Program (1987-1990) : Kyoto Prefectural University, Japan.

Field of Study : Plant Genetic Engineering : Rice Storage Proteins : Improvement of rice storage proteins by introducing bovine casein gene into rice.

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Visiting Scientist Program (1991-1994) : Purdue University, USA

Field of Study : Plant Molecular Biology and Plant Transformation : Developing flooding (submergence)-tolerant rice by up-regulating genes involved in anaerobic energy production pathway.
Cloned and characterized pyruvate decarboxylase (pdc) genes from rice for the first time.
Elucidated the rice pdc promoter. Made transgenic rice plants with various constructs of pdc. Continuing this research at home institution.

Visiting Professorship (1995-1996) : Kyoto University, Japan.

This was a distinguished position equivalent to a full Professor in a prestigious University like Kyoto University. Presented a distinguished lecture in the Research Institute of Food Science at Kyoto University on "Towards developing flooding-tolerant high-yielding rice cultivar". Presented guest lectures in two premier Research Institutes in Japan conducting frontier research of 21st century in the field of Biological Sciences.
Field of study : Stress Tolerance in Plants : Post-flooding photo-oxidative damage in plants.

Establishment of the Department of Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, DU, (2000--Nov-2001)

As Project Director of the newly established department of Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology at the University of Dhaka, developed a comprehensive and most up-to-date syllabus for a four-year undergraduate honors degree. The syllabus was highly acclaimed by the Texas A & M University, USA and prompted the University to offer a proposal for developing joint education and research program to employ biotechnology in the improvement of rice, cotton, sugarcane, jute, vegetables, potatoes, and tree crops.

Present Research

Heading a large research team of Scientists, Research Fellows, Ph.D., M.Phil. and Master course students from Dhaka University, Bangabandhu Sk. Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Salna, Gazipur and Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Gazipur. As Principal Investigator of the research project entitled “Genetic Engineering of Rice to Develop Flooding Tolerant High-Yielding Cultivars” funded by the Rockefeller Foundation under the International Rice Biotechnology Program and Ministry of Science and Technology (S&T), GOB, conducting research on large scale destruction of crops, especially rice by flash flood, a very severe problem of Bangladesh agriculture. Initiated work on transferring traits related to pro-vitamin A biosynthesis from golden rice to local rice varieties. Established research collaborations with Professor Thomas K. Hodges, Arthur distinguished Professor of Plant Physiology of the Department of Botany & Plant Pathology of Purdue University, USA, Professor James C. Peacock of CSIRO, Australia and Professor Kozi Asada of the Research Institute of Food Science, Kyoto University, Japan. Conducting research on environmental pollution and its bioremediation.

Presentations in International Meetings and Seminars

International Symposium on Molecular and Genetic Approaches to Plant Stress held at New Delhi, India in 1990.
Annual meeting of Rockefeller International Rice Biotechnology Network held at Tucson, Arizona, USA in 1991.
International Plant Molecular Biology Congress held at Tucson, Arizona, USA in 1991.
Annual meeting of Rockefeller International Rice Biotechnology Network held at Chianmai, Thailand in 1993.
Annual meeting of Rockefeller International Rice Biotechnology Network held at Bali, Indonesia in 1994.
Third International Rice Genetics Symposium held at Manila, Philippines in 1995.
Fifth Annual meeting of National Rice Biotechnology Network held at New Delhi, India in 1996.
National Symposium on Role of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology in Plant Productivity held at Barapani, India in 1997.
General Meeting of the International Program on Rice Biotechnology in Malacca, Malaysia in 1997.
Fourth Asia-Pacific Conference on Agricultural Biotechnology held at Darwin, Australia in 1998.
Attended the workshop “Science and Policy in Risk Assessment of Transgenic Plants: A Case study Approach”. Organized by the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy in 1999.

Patent

One discovery on Anoxia inducible promoter isolated from rice is being patented in 2001 in USA for its potential use in Cancer research.

Publications (selected)

1. Hossain, M.A. and K. Asada (1984) Purification of dehydroascorbate reductase from spinach and its characterization as a thiol enzyme. Plant Cell Physiol 25: 85-92.
2. Hossain, M.A., Y. Nakano, and K. Asada (1984) Monodehydroascorbate reductase in spinach chloroplasts and its participation in regenaration of ascorbate for scavenging hydrogen peroxide. Plant Cell Physiol 25: 385-395.
3. Hossain, M.A. and K. Asada (1984) Inactivation of Ascorbate peroxidase in spinach chloroplasts on dark addition of hydrogen peroxide : Its protection by ascorbate. Plant Cell Physiol. 25 : 1285-1295.
4. Hossain, M.A. and K. Asada (1985) Monodehydroascorbate reductase from cucumber is a flavin adenine dinucleotide enzyme. J. Biol. Chem. 260 : 12920-12926.
5. Hossain, M.A. and K. Asada (1987) Ascorbate-regenerating enzymes in chloroplasts. Ind. J. Biochem. Biophys. 24 : 52-57.

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6. Hossain, M.A and M.A Alim (1990) Photo-dependent correlation between hydrogen peroxide-scavenging and ascorbate-regenerating enzymes in plant. Dhaka Univ. Studies, part E 5: 52-57.
7. Seraj, Z.I., M.A. Samad, A.H. Talukder and M.A. Hossain (1991) Regeneration of six Oryza sativa L. Indica salt-tolerant varieties from mature embryos. Plant Tissue Culture 1 : 51-55.
8. Hossain, M.A., J.D. McGee, E.S. Dennis, W.J. Peacock, and T.K. Hodges (1993) Isolation and characterization of rice pyruvate decarboxylase genes. Supplement to Plant Physiol. 102(1) : 388.
9. Hossain, M.A., E. Huq, and T.K. Hodges (1994) Sequence of a cDNA from Oryza sativa L. encoding the pyruvate decarboxylase 1 gene. Plant Physiol. 106 : 799-800.
10. Hossain, M.A., J.D. McGee, A. Grover, E.S. Dennis, W.J. Peacock, and T.K. Hodges (1994) Nucleotide sequence of a rice genomic pyruvate decarboxylase gene that lacks introns : A pseudo gene? Plant Physiol. 106 : 1697-1698.

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11. Huq, E. M.A. Hossain, and T.K. Hodges (1995) Cloning and sequencing of a cDNA encoding pyruvate decarboxylase 2 gene (Accession no. U27350) from rice. Plant Physiol. 109 : 722-723.
12. Hossain, M.A., E. Huq, A. Grover, E.S. Dennis, W.J. Peacock, and T.K. Hodges (1996) Characterization of pyruvate decarboxylase gene family from rice. Plant Mol. Biol. 31: 761-770.
13. Hossain, M.A., E. Huq, A. Grover, Rue-Chih Su, E.S. Dennis, W.J. Peacock, T.K. Hodges (1996) Characterization of pyruvate decarboxylase gene family of rice and its potential application to submergence tolerance. Int. Rice Res. Notes 21 : 33-34.
14. Huq, E., Hirayama, L., M.A. Hossain, T.K. Hodges (1997) Characterization of a cDNA encoding a polyubiquitin gene in rice (Accession No. U37687). Plant Physiol 113: 305.
15. Hossain M.A., M.A Uddin, M.N. Huda, N. Munim, F. Jahan, R. Fattah (1998) Towards developing submergence tolerance in rice. In: Larkin PJ (ed.) Agricultural Biotechnology : Laboratory, Field and Market. Canberra, UTC Publishing. pp. 213-215.
16. Nasreen M. and M.A. Hossain (1998) In vitro regeneration of six Indica rice cultivars. Bangladesh J. Biochem. 3: 95-99.
17. Ahmed S., M.A. Hossain and P.M. Vadgama (1998) Needle type oxygen electrode for the detection of oxygen tension in tissues. Bangladesh J. Biochem. 4: 71-80.
18. Huq E, S. Harrington, M.A. Hossain, F. Wen, S.R. McCouch, T.K. Hodges (1999) Molecular characterization of pdc2 and mapping of three pdc genes in rice. Theor. Appl. Genet. 98: 815-824.
19. Asada, K., Miyake, C., Ogawa, K. and M.A. Hossain (2001) Microcompartmentation of ascorbate peroxidase and regeneration of asscorbate from ascorbate radical : Its dual role in chlorpolast. Plant Cell Physiol. (submitted).
20. Hossain, M.S., M.A. Uddin, A.R. Gomosta and M.A. Hossain (2001) Effects of ethylene and other phytohormones in some rice (oryza sativa L.) varieties of Bangladesh. Bangladesh J. Biochem. (Accepted for publication in the forthcoming issue).

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