Bangladeshi scientists have decoded the genome sequence of a local variety of jute.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made the announcement at a press briefing at Ganabhaban on Sunday.
A team of scientists from Bangladesh Jute Research Institute, led by renowned scientist Dr Maqsudul Alam, made the discovery, she said.
Dr Alam earlier unravelled the genome for “Tosha” jute back in 2010. He was present in the briefing that began at Ganabhaban at 4pm on Sunday.
Earlier in 2010, Hasina disclosed in Parliament that Bangladeshi researchers had done genome sequencing of jute which would help develop the jute fibre, production of new jute seeds compatible with hostile weather caused by the climate change, curb diseases and help develop the jute industry.
During the briefing, the prime minister said: “Our scientists have finished decoding the DNA sequencing for local jute alongside ‘Tosha’ jute. Now the data to the complete genome map of jute is within our grasp.”
Hasina thanked everyone involved in the research of jute which is expected to regain its lost glory of being the golden fibre after the two breakthroughs in its genome sequencing.
Thanking the prime minister, Dr Alam said: “We won’t be able to achieve such feat if the prime minister herself did not extend her support towards the project.”
“No one can ignore our achievements. The keys to all its (jute) mysteries are in our hands.”
He invited reporters to visit the research centre at 10am on Monday and witness for themselves the overall progress of the research.She mentioned that Bangladesh's jute has lost out on the international market after an agreement with the World Bank during the BNP regime which led to the closure of the jute mills.
Dr Alam and his team grabbed global attention after discovering the genome sequence for ‘Tosha’ jute in June, 2010.
Experts say this gene sequencing would help improve the fibre length and quality, including colours and strength; and develop high yielding, saline soil-and pest-tolerant jute varieties through genetic engineering.
Later they also sequenced the DNA mapping of a fungus, Macrophomina Phaseolina, which reduces yield of more than 500 species of crops including jute, soybean, cotton, tobacco, maize and sunflower.
Dr Alam himself had achieved two more milestones in genomics - sequencing the genomes of Papaya and Rubber.
Jute is the second largest fibre crop in terms of cultivation and usage next to cotton. Bangladesh is the world's second-largest producer of jute after India, and the world's largest exporter of the fibre.
In modern molecular biology and genetics, the genome is the entirety of an organism's hereditary information. It is encoded either in DNA or, for many types of viruses, in RNA.
The genome includes both the genes and the non-coding sequences of the DNA/RNA.
