Since
the birth of The Bangladesh Association
for Plant tissue Culture (BAPTC) in
1990, it organized five international conferences, the last one being held in
December 2004 under a slightly different name BAPTC&B, ‘B’ standing for Biotechnology. The current one from April 11 through 13, is
the sixth of its kind. Only three years
have elapsed since the last conference had concluded, but within this short
span of time biotechnology has undergone
revolutionary change including the concept of a gene.
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.
Increasing
importance of biotechnology in the face of frequent natural calamities:
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.
Hybrid rice cultivation in Bangladesh,
a product of biotechnology is on the
increase: Thanks
to the effort of the Government that rice farmers have grown hybrid rice in the ‘boro’
season in over seven lakh hectares compared to 3.9 lakh ha last year. Farmers
were motivated to grow more rice to ensure food security and to face the
challenge of food shortage in the wake of devastating flood and the cyclone
‘Sidr’. The yield of hybrid rice such as Hira, Aloron, Jagoron, Sonar Bangla
and Moina, has been found to be 20-30% higher than HYV’s, input of fertilizers
and other practices remaining the same.
Hybrid rice is one good
example as to how biotech helps us in enhancing production of staple food crops
such as rice during the time of emergency, when food supply falls short of the
country’s requirement. It is a good news that BRRI experts have successfully
applied appropriate techniques, namely, maintenance of three lines, namely, a
male sterile line (CMS), a maintainer line and a restorer line to produce
BRRI-Hybrid Dhan-1. It is hoped that
instead of importing, more and more private seed suppliers will grow their own
hybrid seeds under the expert guidance of BRRI experts to keep the supply
steady. while offering hybrid seeds at a price within the buying capacity of
ordinary farmers.
Partial
fulfillment of the objectives: Some of the objectives as set
out in 1990 during the formation of
BAPTC&B have been realized. Three commercial companies under the management
of BRAC Biotechnology
Center, BRAC, Gaizpur; Square Agric-tech, Uttara; and Aman Agro Industries at Rajshahi are producing virus-free seed potato in substantial
quantities, reducing our dependency gradually on imported potato seeds. Aman Group claims to be able to
supply 3920
M.T. of HYV and disease free foundation
potato seeds in 2008-09 to the farmers. Proshika Tissue Culture Center is
now exporting varieties of tissue culture derived orchid plants.
Sometime back ‘Neem’ seedlings were produced in large numbers at BCSIR Tissue
Culture Lab. Dhaka. It is high time that the protocol developed there be scaled
up to a commercial level. There is a huge market of this bio-pesticide
throughout the world.
Some promising salt tolerant rice- and cold tolerant jute
varieties.
Using molecular markers, Dhaka University
scientists, Prof. Zeba I. Seraj and Prof. Haseena Khan at the Department of
Biochemistry and Mol. Biology have made commendable progress in achieving their
goals in rice and jute, respectively. While the advanced progeny of the cross
of the coastal saline rice (Oryza sativa
L.) landraces of Bangladesh
such as ‘Pokkali’ .and popular HYV rice variety have reached field trial stage
at Satkhira, a large number of jute
varieties from Gene Bank of Bangladesh Jute research Institute were screened
for cold tolerance. Suffice it to say that salt tolerant rice cultivars, when released,
will go a long way to close the gap between shortage and autarky in food
grains, while cold tolerant jute cultivars can be planted
during winter seasons, thereby providing raw material for value added products
such as in paper and pulp making.
Working with Prof. H.
Jacobsen and associates at Hanover
University, Germany,
Prof. M. Imdadul Hoque and Prof. Rakha Hari Sarker at the department of Botany,
DU have made impressive headway to evolve disease- and insect resistant pulse
varieties, regarded as poor man’s meat.
Trial with GM crops should continue in spite of their initial low
level performance: We
should not lose heart when initially GM critics make adverse comments on the
performance of some bio-engineered products such as Golden rice. Not finding
fault with the method of its
transformation, they are now criticizing
it on the plea that its vitamin A content is too low, requiring an average
intake of 1.5 kg per person to meet the daily requirement of this essential
vitamin as against his normal diet of
2-3 hundred grams per day. Thanks to the
effort of the Ingo Potrykus-led biotech group
that now a normal diet of just 200 to 300 grams of Golden Rice per day
is enough to avoid the life-threatening consequences of a lack of b-carotene
in food.
Biosafety
Rules are to be Enforced Soon: At long last there has been
a gazette notification by the Ministry of Environment and Forests about the
Biosafety Guidelines, allowing the trial of imported transgenic crops under
stringent containment conditions. The Gazette notification of the other
important document, namely, National Biosafety Framework (NBF) is expected to
be published soon. Jointly organized by Bangladesh
Agricultural Research Council and South Asia Biosafety Program (SABP), two workshops
were held in Dhaka last February to
discuss in depth about
implementation of the Biosafety Guidelines.
Containment
trials with GM crops have already started. Following examination of reports submitted by the expert subcommittees
about GM crops, the concerned Ministries gave clearance to BARI and BRRI to conduct greenhouse trials of
imported Bt egg plants, late blight resistant potato plants, indica version of golden rice under stringent containment conditions. If
the results of these trials are satisfactory and do not pose any threat to the
environment, they are expected to be released to farmers for their large scale
cultivation in the near future. Of relevance in this connection is India's
success with Bt cotton varieties which are now occupying more than 50%
of the land under the world's number one
natural fiber crop. Suffice it to say that strains of Bt cotton, if developed in Bangladesh, will not only do well here but will gradually
reduce our dependence to foreign countries for supply of cotton to feed our
textile industries.
Termination
of containment trial of a PRSV (papaya ring spot virus) resistant after four
years: The papaya
variety
developed by Prof. Denis Gonsalves at Cornell University was to have started last year
following a 5-year agreement between USDA
under their Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II (ABSPII) and
Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council (cf.). The damage caused by this virus
ranges between 30 and 70 % crop loss besides inferior fruit quality. Since
nutritious vitamin- and mineral-rich papaya are easy to grow in elevated
non-flood prone land, the glitch that stopped its implementation after four
years, should be removed and the trials be resumed forthwith under containment
conditions. If successful, healthy GM papaya plants will not only accelerate
their productivity, bringing down the price within the reach of common man but also prove to be a good source of income to
homestead growers as well school children who could grow them in their school
premises under the supervision of their teachers. Once approved by the
Biosafety Enforcing Agencies, interested private companies such as East West Seeds
are likely to come forward to grow these popular fruit trees.
If the problem cannot be settled, BARC may make an alternative arrangement. It may negotiate
with the US Multinational Seed Company,
Monsanto to secure a package deal,
on somewhat similar lines as executed between the above company and Tamil
Nadu Agriculture
University. Under an MoU agreement Monsanto will supply
PRSV resistant seeds without payment of any royalty for a period of 10 years along with technical
know-how on the development of local
PRSV resistant varieties. According to a
TNAU spokesman, it would take four years or so covering the trial period and
the release of local GM papaya varieties
in the market.
Technology transfer from ICGEB to
pharmaceutical companies in Bangladesh. Ever
since Bangladesh joined the
International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) as a
member country in late 1990’s, Bangladesh Biotech Community, under the
leadership of Professor Ahmed Azad have been trying to impress upon pharmaceutical companies of
the country to take advantage of the recombinant DNA technology for vaccine
production, developed by the Delhi Unit of ICGEB. Although quite a while ago, the
technology was ready to be transferred to an interested member country at a low
cost, it is only recently that INCEPTA, a leading BD pharmaceutical company came forward to
sign an agreement with ICGEB. Under this
Technology Transfer agreement INCEPTA will receive from ICGEB technical know-how for commercially manufacturing hepatitis B
vaccine.
Although belated this development will mark the
beginning of a new era where recombinant DNA-based vaccines of highest purity
will be manufactured locally at a cost within the reach of common man of this
region. Besides, setting up of such a large project will create job
opportunities for the young graduates and post graduates in genetic engineering
and allied subjects.
According to Mr. Abul
Muktadir, Managing Director, INCEPTA, the facility that will be created in his
company to carryout pharmaceutical research including vaccine production, will also
be thrown open to academia affiliated to universities and other institutions
for basic research, subject to an agreement with an individual or a group of researcher(s)
that INCEPTA will be the first one to examine the possibility of
commercialization of any encouraging laboratory research findings.
Production of cheap feedstock for biofuels: The responsibility to produce biofuels using cheap feedstock without disturbing arable lands, has devolved on the shoulders of biotechnologists. Without such measures, global warming is bound to be on the increase imperiling our existence from this planet. In a recently held conference (October 2007) in Houston, Texas, a large number of experts and administrators, representing world’s largest biofuel companies voiced that a solution must be found without further delay to decrease our dependency on fossil fuel and at the same time prevent further global warming. It need not be over-emphasized that Bangladesh should join hands with the global team, endeavoring to produce biofuels at a cheaper cost using indigenous non-food plants such as Jatropha species. Success in this area will prove to boost up the economy of the country as it will be a means to save foreign exchange to a considerable extent.
Biotechnology and Biopharming: The
area of biotechnology known as ‘Biopharming’ has in recent years gained considerable importance. Results so
far obtained on the laboratory scale have shown that pharmaceuticals or specific chemicals produced in genetically modified plants may
be used orally to immunize susceptible
population without pricks at an affordable price. Obviously, who else will be more benefited
than the poverty-stricken population of developing countries. Besides being
much less costly, Biopharming has another advantage. Biopharmed
crops can be transported without
refrigeration keeping its potency in tact to a remote village of a
developing country without electricity. Furthermore, there is no risk of
contamination with dangerous pathogens, which is often a threat with animal
produced pharmaceuticals. However, much more intensive study under stringent
conditions must be carried out before
the release of any biopharmed crops so that at no subsequent stages, normal food supply chain is contaminated by biopharmed crops.
Successful Biopharming is possible through
joint venture of local & NRB scientists:
Here is an area where Bangladeshi biotech scientists from
home and abroad can join hands to carry
out further research, try the promising candidates in the pipeline on a
semi-pilot scale and release those which can commercially pass the test. Ready made research laboratory space with core facility
may be found in the recently built National Institute of Biotechnology at
Savar. All is needed is funding and approaching BD experts working abroad to
initiate such extremely useful research projects. The Ministries of Health and
Science, Information and Communication Technology with the World Health
Organization can jointly launch this noble mission and can approach USDA and
other funding agency which has sufficient funding to contribute for implementing
such a useful project.
Every transgenic crop must be
subject to scrutiny before it is released in the market. In order to produce pea weevil (Bruchus
pisorum) resistant peas, CSIRO scientists in Australia transferred a defense
gene from kidney beans. The gene transferred was an amylase inhibitor - the
enzyme that prevents the breakdown of starch in the digestive system of pea
weevils, thereby causing their death due to depravation of life-sustaining
food. The transgenic line of peas was found to be 99.5% resistant to the
infestation by the pea weevil, but when tested for immunogenicity using
molecular characterization, genetically modified pea cultivar was found to
cause an immune response in laboratory mice.
This was an unexpected
finding because a number of earlier laboratory and field trials
indicated that the transgenic line was safe to eat. Molecular tests showed that
the amylase inhibitor protein produced by kidney bean is qualitatively
different, when produced in the background of pea’s genotype. The lesson
learned in Australia,
where the wisdom of CSIRO scientists, not to release a weevil resistant pea
cultivar before the final allergen test results were known, saved the country
from being affected by an unsuspected allergen, preventing its mixing into the
normal food chain.
Now that Bangladesh is entering the era
where more and more GM food crops are expected to enter the country following
their clearance by biosafety enforcing agency, we must do everything within our
means to be absolutely sure that any GM crop in the pipeline does not create
more problems than it solves after its release in the market.
Global
Network of Bangladeshi Biotechnologists (GNOBB): A
web-based Forum called, “GNOBB” was
created in 2004. Its primary objective was to establish a global network
of Bangladeshi Biotechnologists (BB) for the purpose of networking and
utilizing the expertise of BB
both from home and abroad in promoting biotechnology in BD. Within a short span
of time, the membership rose from a mere 30 to almost 300 – a three fold
increase indicating how keen and enthusiastic are BB from both local and non-resident
Bangladeshis (NRB) to make substantial contribution toward bringing Bangladesh
in the world map of biotechnology. The website provides a search engine which
may be used to retrieve valuable information regarding member scientists
individually, their field of specialization, achievements and important
publications.
At the suggestion of some GNOBB members an
international conference was organized in April
last year (2007) with the main
focus on preparing a draft suggesting improvement of the national policy
document on Biotechnology, announced in 2006 by the Government of Bangladesh.
The draft recommended among others, creation of the National Council of
Biotechnology (NCBT) with an autonomous status including freedom to spend
within the approved budgetary provision. We hope that during the tenure of the
present regime, the recommendations will be approved by GoB giving a new lease
of life to this emerging science of the 21st century.
GNOBB has been able to bring together many
outstanding NRB biotechnologists who have extended their help to promote
biotechnology in BD. They are: Dr. Abed
Chaudhury, Dr. Zaheed Husain, Professor Ahmed Azad, Dr. Parvez Haris, Dr. Abul
Ekramoddoullah, Dr. Abul Hussam. Latest to join with offer of help is Professor
Maqsudul Alam. In the current conference three of the above distinguished
scientists, namely, Dr. Abed Chaudhury, Dr. Zaheed Husain, Professor Ahmed Azad
are presenting papers to enrich its deliberations.
Urgent
necessity of launching a mega-project on the construction of genomic library of
jute. In order for jute to regain its world market, molecular tools-based
breeding needs to be resorted to for improveing its agronomic characters such
as fiber qualities with better luster, lesser lignin content, photoperiod
insensitivity, tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Molecular breeding
should also target conferring a wide variety of value added traits to jute
fibers to put it to diversified uses.
Launching of such a project will require construction of a genomic
library of jute. Considering the number of genes that the genome of a higher
organism may consist of (35,000 to 40,000), only a small fraction have so far
been reported in jute and deposited in GenBank by only a few scientists of Bangladesh, India
and the USA. Therefore, launching of a mega-project by a
large number of specially trained scientists using latest technology such as Roche 454 GS-FLX system and pulse field gel
electrophoresis, is the only realistic way to
construct jute genomic library. Completion of the jute genomic project will not
only help evolving custom-made jute
fibers but also build up skilled manpower in the country and put Bangladesh in
the World Atlas of biotechnology. Fortunately, such outstanding manpower
is available within our community to
fulfill our dream.
Globalization of scientific projects: Gone are
the days when scientists worked in isolation; and peer-reviewed journals
published work of only a few authors. That environment has radically
changed. For instance, any paper on
genomic library construction of an organism is authored by 50 or more authors
affiliated to as diverse countries as USA,
UK, European Countries, China, Japan,
Australia,
India etc. The Internet connectivity has
closed the gaps between scientific communities separated by geographical
boundaries. Bangladeshi Scientists should imbibe that spirit of not only
working united within the country but also work shoulder to shoulder with
scientists of the same or related fields to achieve a common goal such as
working for construction of genomic library of jute or other economic crops
sparingly known to geneticists.
A. S. Islam
