简介
M. Tofazzal Islam is a Professor and Founding Director of the Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (IBGE) of BSMR Agricultural University in Bangladesh. He obtained B. Sc. Ag. (Hons.) and M. Sc. (Ag.) degrees from BAU securing the First Position in the First Class in both cases. He received several prestigious awards and medals including the Chancellor Award and a Gold Medal from BAU. He also kept the same trend of outstanding academic attainments in his MS and Ph D studies (1997-2005) at Hokkaido University, Japan under the Japanese Govt. Monbukagakusho scholarship. He did Postdoctoral research at Hokkaido University (Japan), the University of Goettingen (Germany), the University of Nottingham (UK), Gifu University (Japan), and West Virginia University (USA) under the fellowships from the JSPS, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Commonwealth, JSPS and Fulbright Foundation, respectively.
Prof. Islam is an elected Fellow of the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences (FBAS). He is an elected Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (FTWAS), and a Fellow of the American Phytopathological Society (APS), USA.
During his considerably longer period (10 years) of innovative works in the labs of state-of-the-art facilities in Japan, Germany, the UK, USA, he has been familiarized with all modern research methods and techniques used in microbiology, genomics, natural products chemistry, and molecular biology. He developed some new bioassay methods and techniques currently used in bioassay-guided isolation of bioactive natural products against peronosporomycete zoospores. Over the past 28 years, he has conducted excellent research works on one of the most important classes of microorganisms, the Peronosporomycetes.
Currently, Professor Islam's group is working on genomic and postgenomic analyses of wheat blast fungus, which recently emerged as a devastating pathogen of wheat in Bangladesh. He is leading a dream project titled "Mining biogold from Bangladesh" where they identified more than 700 plant probiotics potential for use as biofertilizers and biopesticides. Another important focus of Prof. Islam's group is to analyze the genomes of several plant probiotic bacteria potential for biocontrol of major phytopathogens and biofertilization of rice and wheat. In collaboration with Prof. Sophien Kamoun, Prof. Islam is dedicated to the promotion of open science and open data sharing (e.g., open wheat blast www.wheatblast.net) which they think is very critical for rapidly addressing emerging plant diseases.
Prof. Islam is the Chief Editor of two series of books, Bacilli in Agrobiotechnology and CRISPR-Cas Methods published by Springer. He also serves as an Editor of Physiologia Plantarum, Academic Editor of PLOS ONE, Associate Editor of Frontiers in Microbiology, Advisory Editor of CABI Reviews, and reviewer of many leading international journals.
In recognition of his outstanding research accomplishment and application of his findings in the food security of his country, Prof. Islam received many prizes, medals, and awards including a Gold Medal from the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, University Grants Commission Research Awards (twice), a Silver Medal from the JSBBA, Japan, Commonwealth Innovation Award, Islamic Development Bank Innovation Award, Vocational Excellence Award from the Rotary International, ATN Bangla Unnayane Bangladesh Award, Chancellor's Prize & a Gold Medal from Bangladesh Agricultural University, etc.
