A group of Bangladeshi scientists, led by Dr Maqsudul Alam, has sequenced the genome of a local variety of jute alongside already unveiled genome for ‘Tosha’ jute.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came up with the formal announcement at a press conference at her official residence Ganobhaban on Sunday afternoon.
Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni and Dr Maqsudul Alam were present at the briefing.
“Today, we’re revealing with pride that our scientists have finished decoding the genome sequencing for local jute alongside ‘Tosha’ jute. Now the complete data of jute genome is within our grasp,” she told reporters adding, “This is an achievement of the people of Bangladesh, and this is our wealth as the country’s scientists have discovered its mysteries.”
The Prime Minister said with the genome sequencing of local variety of jute alongside ‘Tosha’ variety, now it would be possible to conduct research on jute to improve its standard and ensure its diversified usage.
A group of Bangladeshi scientists, led by Dr Maqsudul Alam, has sequenced the genome of a local variety of jute alongside already unveiled genome for ‘Tosha’ jute.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came up with the formal announcement at a press conference at her official residence Ganobhaban on Sunday afternoon.
Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni and Dr Maqsudul Alam were present at the briefing.
“Today, we’re revealing with pride that our scientists have finished decoding the genome sequencing for local jute alongside ‘Tosha’ jute. Now the complete data of jute genome is within our grasp,” she told reporters adding, “This is an achievement of the people of Bangladesh, and this is our wealth as the country’s scientists have discovered its mysteries.”
The Prime Minister said with the genome sequencing of local variety of jute alongside ‘Tosha’ variety, now it would be possible to conduct research on jute to improve its standard and ensure its diversified usage.
Dr Alam and his team shot to global fame after they discovered the genome sequence for ‘Tosha’ jute in June, 2010.
Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni said an Intellectual Property Cell would be set up under the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) would provide technical assistance to this end. “As a result, we would get opportunity for protecting our all intellectual properties.”
Earlier, on June 16, 2010, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in parliament revealed that Bangladeshi researchers have successfully decoded the jute plant genome opening up a new vista in the development of variety of the world’s most adorned biodegradable natural fibre.
With the successful sequencing of jute genome, Bangladesh has become only the second country after Malaysia among the developing nations to achieve such a feat.
Their triumph continued as they sequenced the genome of a fungus, Macrophomina Phaseolina, which reduces yield of more than 500 species of crops, including jute, soybean, cotton, tobacco, maize and sunflower. Hasina announced both of these groundbreaking achievements to the nation.
Dr Alam, who also teaches at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, has achieved two more milestones in genomics – sequencing the genomes of Papaya and Rubber.
Experts say this gene sequencing would help improve the fibre length and quality, including colours and strength; and develop high yielding, saline soil-and pest-tolerant jute varieties through genetic engineering.
A genome is all of a living thing’s genetic material and it is the entire set of hereditary instructions for building, running, maintaining an organism, and passing life on to the next generation.
Genome sequencing is a laboratory process that determines the complete DNA sequence of an organism’s genome at a single time. The process is often compared to “decoding”, but a sequence is still very much in code.
