A group of scientists from the Dhaka-based Child Health Research Foundation (CHRF) has made a breakthrough by generating the first single-cell genomics data from Bangladesh.
The CHRF is part of an international team with representations from Harvard University, MIT and Boston Children's Hospital.
The team is working to create a pediatric atlas of nasal and oral mucosa, funded by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
Oral and nasal mucosa serve as the primary interfaces for environmental and microbial interactions but lack detailed data across diverse ancestries, said Dr Senjuti Saha, director and senior scientist at the CHRF.
"This project will not only enhance our understanding of pediatric nasal and oral mucosa at a cellular level but also significantly contribute to Human Cell Atlas data from South Asia," she said.
The noted molecular microbiologist added that the CHRF had an equal collaboration with its partners in the research.
In 2021, Dr Senjuti was appointed to serve on the Polio Transition Independent Monitoring Board (TIMB), created by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, to monitor and guide the process of polio transition planning. This is the first time a Bangladeshi has been appointed to this position.