【报告题目】 RICE BIOTECHNOLOGY, PERSPECTIVE: INSECT RESISTANT, DROUGHT  TOLERANCE, NUTRITIVE AND PHARMACEUTICAL QUALITY

【报告人】Prof. Dr. Firoz Alam

Department of Botany

University of Rajshahi

Rajshahi-6205，Bangladesh

【报告时间】 2013年1月11日（星期五）10:00 am

【报告地点】维多利亚老品牌76696vic1－105会议室

 

【研究领域】

Agricultural biotechnology, Environmental biotechnology, Microbiology, Tissue culture, Ethno-medicine especially antimicrobial and antitumor drugs, Molecular genetics & genetic engineering

Research (Biotechnology and Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh)

Isolation and Identification of Agrobacterium tumefaciens:

Wild type  Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains were isolated and identified from different host plants on the basis of   their morphological & physiological features; biochemical, antibiotic sensitivity & phytopathogenicity tests, and agarose gel analysis of plasmid DNA in comparing with standard Agrobacterium tumefaciens (ATCC23308).

Evaluation of Antitumor Activity:

Antitumor activity of various types of plants extract has been conducted through infection of Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains (AtTa0112, AtAc0114, AtSl0105 and AtTp0120) using potato disc bioassay. This will help to develop plant based new drug for cancer treatment in human beings.

Isolation and Identification of Human Pathogenic and Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria, and Test on Antibacterial Activity of Plant Extracts:

Native human pathogenic and antibiotic resistant bacteria were isolated from different samples (viz. diarrhea, dysentery, typhoid of human patients; poultry wastes, shrimp farm wastes and hospitals final effluent). Bacterial identification was done on the basis of their morphological & physiological features; biochemical & antibiotic sensitivity tests, agarose gel analysis of plasmid DNA and DNA sequencing. Different medicinal plants (herbs, shrubs and trees) were identified having active antibacterial properties against the above mentioned bacteria.

Isolation and Identification of Skin Disease (ringworm) Causing Fungi and Evaluation of Antifungal Activity:

Antifungal activity of the selected plant extracts has been performed against the following fungi: Aspergillus sp.; Microsporum sp., Trichophyton sp., Candida sp. Isolation and Identification of Trichoderma spp.

Five native Trichoderma strains viz. T. virens, T. pseudokoningii, T. harzianum, T. harzianum and T. harzianum were identified from kitchen wastes. Among the studied strains T. harzianum (IMI-392432) was found most effective in solid wastes decomposition for preparing organic manure. Besidee this, different solid waste decomposing bacteria has also been identified.

Tissue Culture and Plant Transformation:

Reproducible protocol has been developed for production of virus free vine for commercial production of sweet potato. Studies on callus induction and somatic embryogenesis have been done on rice and wheat for developing somaclonal variants. Beside this, protocol has been developed for micropropagation of different medicinal, orchids and garden plants. Gene transformation work has been done on maize and other crops using Agrobacterium-mediated system.

Fe homeostasis and biofortification:

Iron (Fe)-deficiency is a common abiotic stress in many parts of the world. There have been few studies of the screening and mechanisms underlying Fe deficiency tolerance in crop plants, hampering efforts to breed new Fe deficiency-tolerant genotypes using traditional or transgenic approaches. The group has started working on micropropagation and mechanisms of Fe deficiency tolerance in crop plants.

Collaborative Program:

Under the collaboration among the Biotechnology and Microbiology Lab of this Department, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS), two students have completed their Ph.D. research work on rice biotechnology. Besides this three other students have also completed their Ph.D on maize breeding and wheat agronomy under the collaboration with Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI). Currently one fellow is working on sugarcane biotechnology at Bangladesh Sugarcane Research Institute (BSRI). Under the agreement between Universita’ Politechnica Delle Marche (UNIVPM), Italy and University of Rajshahi currently one of our students pursuing his Ph.D program on Cell Biology.

【摘要】

With the advent of IRRI and development of IR-8, rice genotypes have been improved tremendously to feed ever increasing population of our world. Still many important traits especially against biotic and abiotic stress and for nutritional aspects need to be incorporated into rice genomes. Recent development of tissue culture and rDNA technologies has opened opportunities to incorporate gene(s) into rice genome from diverse biological systems towards the development of trans or cis genic rice genotypes. Here same of our works have been reported as an example of using biotechnological tools for further improvement of rice genotypes.

The transgene, cryIA(b), driven by different promoters showed a wide range of expression (low to high) of Bt proteins stably inherited in a number of rice varieties with enhanced yellow stem borer resistance. The OsDREB gene family characterization and genome engineering with OsDREB1A to indica rice cultivars resulted better drought stress tolerance in rice plant.  This finding suggested that the rice line with enhance capacity of drought tolerance by genome engineering may contribute to solve the uneven drought stress related yield loss problem of the population that consumes rice as a major staple food. Transformed BR29 with ferritin gene may help to overcome iron deficiency for rice eating people. Combination of iron (ferritin) and beta-carotene gene in one rice line would contribute a potential value to improving human nutrition where rice is consumed as a staple. In addition, rice genotypes with increase production of antioxidant and antitumor properties would be a good source of nutraceuticals.