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Members' Input for Biotech
Development
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(1) GNOBB
and YoungBB can make it happen
Dhaka 11th Oct.,'08. As
the moderator who initiated the topic and brought the burning issue
to
the attention GNOBB members and young BB, I picked up one of the
letters
written in response to Dr. Abidur Rahman, Mustak and Monir. Said
writer
has suggested solutions how we can get out of this rut by
quoting
examples of the
USA where
both Republican and Democrat senators work together in times of
crisis
such as their current
joint
endeavor to tide over the economic crunch; and the relentless
struggle a
few scientists in Thailand have made to reap the benefit of
S&T.
As a first step I would
suggest
Young BBs led by Mustak, Monir and a few other volunteers meet
the
President of BAS and urge upon him to have more frequent dialogs
with
the Adviser and Secretary of the Ministry of Science, Information
and
Communication Technology on vital issues confronting science in
general
and biotechnology in particular. For instance, BAS can put pressure
on
GoB regarding
implementation of the set of recommendations
on Biotech Policy prepared by the distinguished NRB and
local
scientists through consensus at
the end of an International Biotech Conference held one year
and half
ago.
What
reaction will it
create in the outside world when it will be known
that none of the senior posts at the ONLY National Institute
of
Biotechnology (NIB) have been filled up; and a few junior scientists
who
are working there have not got their pay for the last few months. Pl
read the letter.
(2)
Suggestion
for Creating Awareness among PUBLIC and Govt. Functionaries
Dhaka 14th Oct., 08. We think of a lot
of
innovations such as ‘generation of electricity’ from tonnes and tones of garbage from the metropolitan
cities but
at the end of the day it is forgotten until someone else raises the
issue
again. Prof. Zeba Seraj has suggested that young BB think of such
projects
and create awareness among the public and wake up the policy
makers to the
exploitation of such technologies which are no longer under patent
protection. Take two examples one from Japan and the other from
Wisconsin,
Minnesota.
The Ministry of Environment, the Government
of Japan,
is planning to
raise the
megawatts of electricity to 2,500, by burning garbage.
which is
equivalent to an amount that can be produced by one nuclear power
plant. And
in the USA
the
garbage from Hennepin County's hundreds of
thousands of homes and businesses gets hauled to the Hennepin
Environmental Recovery Center. There, the garbage is turned into
usable
electricity, generating enough energy each year to
light
25,000 homes. Landfill gas-to-energy facilities will be built in
six
more states, namely,
in Texas, Virginia, New
York, Colorado, Massachusetts, Illinois and Wisconsin.
With the cooperation of the Government of Japan and the USA
it will
be possible to build such facilities in the six city corporations?.
Increasing importance of biotechnology in the face of frequent
natural
calamities:
Dhaka, the 27th Sept., ’08. What was once thought to be a junk of
DNA such
as ‘introns’ or untranslated region has turned out to be vitally
important
in the functioning of genes, some of which have proven to be
regulatory in
their nature. Significant progress in the field of biotechnology has been
possible due to powerful innovative molecular tools coupled with
highly
advanced sophisticated bioinformatics software. Some of these
developments
are in direct response to food security and reduction of global
warming.
Bangladesh and
many parts
of the world experience periodically natural disasters such as
cyclones,
drought and flood which bring in their wake near famine conditions
and
epidemics claiming countless lives. Ever mounting carbon dioxide
emissions
are contributing to global warming, threatening our existence from
the
planet. All these contingencies have increased the world demand for
flood-, drought tolerant and disease and pest resistant crops. The
application of multitude of techniques offered by biotechnology may
pave
the way toward its satisfactory solution.
Read the whole article and comments by
Dr.
Parvez Haris.
_______________________________________________________ Unversity and Politics in the Daily Star
Dhaka, 11th Sept.,08.A letter to the Editor under the title,
University and
Politics, by the Moderator has been published in the Daily Star in its
10th Sept. Edition. It highlights the principal causes that have led to the
fall of standard in both education and research in the highest seats of
Learning in the country, namely, universities. The article suggests ways
and means how to restore the lost glory of some some universities which
was once the pride of the Indian subcontinent.
________________________________________
____________
Professor Ahmad
Shamsul Islam's wife passed away
Dhaka, the 6th
of June, ’08.With deep regret and sorrow we announce the passing
away of Professor Ahmad Shamsul Islam's wife and Professor Zeba Islam
Seraj's Mother. She had an attack of acute Myocardial Infarction
(irreversible) and left us on June 4th, 2008 evening in a hospital in
Dhaka. May Allah give her soul eternal peace in heaven and the strength
to her family to bear this tragic loss.
With profound grief we also have to announce that this
tragic shock has deteriorated the health condition of Professor Islam and
he will not be able to update the Gnobb web site for a period. Anyone
willing to take the
responsibility of the web site for these days are welcome to drop a
note
_________________________________________________
Recent
Success of
Gene Therapy in the Treatment of Blindness.
Austin
May 7, 2008.
When
the gene RPE65 becomes
defective,
the
retina of the eye is
gradually destroyed
before the patients cross thirty years, leaving them totally
blind.
Using
a harmless virus as a vector the British surgeons administered a
single
injection of the normal version of a single gene, RPE65
at the back of the eye, where retina is located. By this procedure
requiring extraordinary surgical precision, surgeons were able to
restore
the eye sight of a near blind man. The risk of such an extremely
delicate
surgery is that a slight human error damaging the retina could lead to
total vision loss of the patient.
This
success, although on a small sample of 6 patients, has prompted the
scientists to predict that the Gene therapy has a bright future. After
the
death of a few patients following gene therapy, initially hailed as an
effective treatment for congenital diseases, was discontinued. The
results
reported last week in the New
England Medical Journal about the restoration of sight in a
patient
who had a rare congenital disease called Leber's amaurosis rekindles
the
hope that with the improvement of the delivery system, Gene Therapy
can be
applied to repair faulty genes. Read
also previous news on the subject by
clicking
here.
____________________________________________________ <
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What
Kind of Projects be submitted to Intl. funding?
Austin
14th April, '08. Forum
Members are urged to read the attached letters as to what kind of
projects
be submitted to the International Funding Agencies.
Dr.
Shah Md. Faruque, a Senior GNOBB member and Scientist
& Head, Molecular Genetics Unit, ICDDR,B has addressed a letter
to a
few Forum members, suggesting how proposals for
international
funding be prepared and submitted to Donors to
enhance
their chances of acceptance. Press the words in blue fonts to read
Dr.
Faruque's letter and
the
reply
thereto. Since the issue is very important, may we urge
forum
members to take a few minutes off from their extremely busy
schedule to
express their opinion. [See above for comments by GNOBB
members.]
-
Suggestions for accelerating Biotech Research in BD:
Talat Nasim
-
Prothom-Alo Chooses GNOBB to be the Science
Organization of the Year.
-
Comments by GNOBB member, Zaheed
Husain
-
GNOBB Member’s help Build up
Res. Unit at
Ahsania Mission Cancer Hospital
Austin Sep. 25,
’07.
Forum members may recall that Dr. Zaheed Husain offered
his expert help to
any institutes in BD to establish/upgrade their mol.
Biology facility
during his year-long stay in
BD/KL. In expressing their
keenness to take Dr. Husain’s technical help, Kazi
Rafiqul Alam, the
Moderator wants to share with GNOBB members.President and CE
of Ahsania Mission writes
a heart
warming acceptance
letter which the
Click
here to read it. In his reply,
Dr. Husain has
indicated the kind of help he can render
to set up the research unit including diagnostic and
creening facility
at Ahsania Mission Cancer Hospital (AMCH). Let us hope and
pray that the
plan materializes culminating in the realization of our cherished
dream,
namely, an accredited
Cancer Hospital with all modern facility for both
treatment and research.
Read more ……
______________________________
Further Progress toward Construction of Jute
Genomic Library
Dhaka Feb. 16, '08. Prof.
Yusuf Haider, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Dhaka University, when approached,
has agreed to let the premises of the Centre of Excellence (CoE) with all
its facility used for Jute Genomic Library construction Project if grants are
available from the Agricultural Biotech Project. It was agreed that the
application for grant to UGC will be submitted by Prof. Qadri, the Director
of the CoE. Those who will be involved in the project will use both their
individual laboratory as well as the lab space in CoE. Prof. Maqsudul Alam
at Hawaii University and his associate Prof. Ray Ming at University of
Ohio, at Urbana-Champaign will act as Foreign advisors. Dr. Abed
Chaudhury has assured his help us garner additional funding that will
necessary to complete the mega-project. There will be
30 areas in which work needs to be initiated.
GNOBB members are requested to contact the moderator in case they
have
expertise in any of these areas and whether they can help in
any
manner toward implementation of the Jute Genomic Project.
With a sense of great pleasure, profound gratitude and sincere thanks are
being expressed to GNOBB members who have extended their
wholehearted support and assured their help in the preparation of a
mega-project on the construction of jute genomic library. In all
likelihood, the University Grants commission will support the project
provided we come up with an excellent write-up covering up all aspects
including how the project, upon its completion, will benefit Bangladesh
economically.
Because of
eco-friendliness of this natural fiber, jute is slowly but surely regaining its
lost market. The recent enthusiasm by industrialists both from West and
East has infused new life for finding ways and means to put it to
diversified use such as in the paper manufacture industry, in protecting
embankments from erosion by use of Geo-fabrics, or its use as a
substitute for plastic for upholstery, its mix with cotton in textile industry.
Over-expression or down regulation of concerned genes such as those
responsible for lignin biosynthesis, or metallothionein, RSH2 (Rela-spoT),
chitinase will help the breeders to evolve cultivars fortified with such
traits that may be used to reach our target. Pl
Click here to see the recent correspondence between the
concerned GNOBB members including Professor Maqsudul Alam who
joined the Forum very recently.
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