DHAKA, Aug 29, 2023 (BSS) - The 5th International Conference on 'Biotechnology in Health and Agriculture' (ICBHA) will begin on September 01 on Dhaka University campus aimed at building capacity and creating awareness of the latest trends in biotechnology for improving health, agriculture, and the environment in Bangladesh. 

This conference is the largest platform of Bangladeshi biotechnologists in the world to meet and exchange thoughts, ideas, and experimental findings in different areas of biotechnology, with the aim of contributing to the sustainable development of the nation.

DU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman will inaugurate the conference as the chief guest while Jagannath University VC Professor Dr. M Imdadul Hoque, Vice Chancellor of Jashore University of Science and Technology Professor Dr Anwar Hossain, Bangladesh Agricultural University VC Dr. Emdadul Haque and BSMMU VC Vice- Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Sharfuddin Ahmed will address the conference as special guests. 

Global Network of Bangladeshi Biotechnologists (GNOBB) in collaboration with the Bangladesh Bio-safety and Bio-security Society (BBBS) as well as the Federation of Asian Biotech Associations (FABA) is organising the three-day conference. 
 
GNOBB president Professor Zeba Islam Seraj, PhD General Secretary Dr Asadul Ghani, and FABA President Dr Chandan Kumar Roy will also address the conference.

The first two days of the conference will be on the current status of Biotechnology in Health and Agriculture with an emphasis on Bio-safety and Bio-security in Biotechnology Applications while third day will be dedicated to discussions on the containment of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). 

Besides, on August 31, a day-long workshop on "Rice Ratooning: a new strategy to ensure food security" and on the 3rd September and on the morning of the 4th, a hands-on training on CRISPR-Cas9 Genome Editing targeting rice, will be jointly organized by GNOBB and DU Biochemistry and Molecular Biology department.

Scientists, researchers, policymakers, businesspersons, product developers or manufacturers working in the field of agriculture, biochemistry, molecular biology, environmental sciences, food sciences, genetics and genomics, medical sciences, microbiology, zoology, or any other branches of biological sciences will participate in the conference.

In recognition of outstanding contribution to research, GNOBB will award four scientists- Dr. Md Tofazzal Islam, Dr. Hasan Zaki, Dr. Mirza Hasanuzzaman and Dr. Mohammad Ariful Islam, in two categories: working at home and abroad. 

For the first time, 12 emerging scientists have been selected and invited for oral presentation. Foreign speakers from USA and India will attend the conference.