Institute of Food and Radiation Biology

Phone: 880-2-7789340, Fax: 880-2-7701620
Email: ifrbdirector@yahoo.com

Director: Dr. Harun-Or-Rashid

The IFRB was established in 1979 for the peaceful application of nuclear energy in the field of biological sciences. The core facility of the Institute is a Cobalt-60 gamma irradiator of 1850 TBq (50kCi). This sensitive irradiator is operated and maintained by Gamma Source Division. The most R&D activities of the institute are based on gamma irradiation. In addition to research, this source renders limited scale commercial service to private stakeholders particularly to pharmaceutical industries. Other important lab facilities include GCMS, HPTLC, HPLC, PCR etc. The institute is successfully implementing two TC projects: (i) Plant Quarantine by Irradiation and (ii) Sterile Insect Technique to control blow fly, two CRPs and two RCA Projects in cooperation with International Atomic Energy Agency. In addition two FNCA (Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia) projects are under implementation in collaboration with Japan and one ADP project is near completion. The Institute offers its laboratory and other ancillary facilities to students of different universities in the country for conducting academic programs leading to B.Sc. (Hons), M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees.

Divisions

• AERU - Agrochemical and Environmental Research Unit
• FTD - Food Technology Division
• IBD - Insect Biotechnology Division
• MIID - Microbiology and Industrial Irradiation Division
• PBGED - Plant Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Division
• READ - Radiation Entomology and Acarology Division
• GSU - Gamma Source Unit

Aims and Objectives

1. To develop effective and environment friendly control measures of insect pests for protection and preservation of stored and field crops
2. To monitor pesticide residues in food and environment for safeguarding human health
3. To sterilize medical products and pharmaceuticals by gamma radiation
4. To process and product development for food preservation by radiation and combination treatment
5. To conserve agro-wastes into food, feed and chemicals through the combination of nuclear and microbial biotechnology
6. To apply plant tissue culture and biotechnology for clonal propagation and improvement of plants of interest

Achievements

• Generation of some sporadic information on pesticide residues status, their fate and distribution in water, fish, vegetable and environmental samples of Bangladesh, which are of useful for pesticide regulation in the country.
• Process development for the preservation of mango, jackfruit, pineapple and papaya by osmotic drying and dehydration
• Development of low cost bio-pesticide for mosquito larvae from the entomopathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis and B. sphaericus using solid-state fermentation
• Development of nutritionally improved animal feed by upgrading agro-wastes using radiation and solid state fermentation on a laboratory scale
• Regeneration of plants from anthers of diploid banana cultivar (reported for the first time in the country).
• Mass rearing of blow fly and fruit fly on natural host and artificial diet
• Commendable progress in the field of Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) specifically for controlling blowfly, Lucilia cuprina, infesting marine fish during the process of sun drying in Sonadia Island at Cox's Bazar.
• Rendering services to the private pharmaceutical companies and national in the field of sterilization of medical products, tissue grafts for improving medical treatment and food items for safe food supply & increasing export qualities

Publications

1. M. Nizam Uddin, Abdullah-Al-Mahin, Rehana Begum and Anisur Rahman Khan. Assessment of Microbiological Quality of some Fast foods in relation to safety & Hygiene. Bangladesh journal of Microbiol Vol. –22, No.-1, June-2003.
2. A. B. M. Raisul Alam, Abdullah-Al-Mahin, Rehana Begum and Anisur Rahman Khan, 2004. Microbiological Analysis of Some Common Raw Vegetables Collected from Different Kancha Bazar of Dhaka City. Bangladesh Journal of Microbiology 21 (2): 65-67.
3. Rehana Begum, Naiyyum choudhury and Z. U. Mahmud Khan. A Quick Method for Detecting Bacterial Isolates that Produce Lysine. Nuclear Science and Applications Vol-14, No.1, June 2005.
4. Monir Uddin Ahmed, Rehana Begum, Dipak Kumar Paul, Md. Rezuanul Islam and M. Masihul Alam. Ginger Preservation by Sodium Chloride at Refrigeration Temperature. Journal of Applied Science and Technology Vol-04, No.1, June 2005.
5. M.N.K Chowdhury, A.K. Alam, N.C.Dafader, M.I.Haque, F. Akhter, M.U Ahmed, H.Rashid and R.Begum. Radiation processed hydrogel of Poly Venyl alcohol with leisdegradable polysaccharides. Bio-medical Materials and Engineering. Vol. 16, No.-3, pp 223-228, 2006.
6. Rehana Begum, Naiyyum choudhury and Z. U. Mahmud Khan . Screcnig of lysine producing bacteria from soil. Bangladesh Journal of Microbiology Vol-22, Number 2 Dec-2005.
7. Abdullah- Al- Mahin, Alamgir Z. Chowdhury and Rehana Begum. Relationship of Quantity of Citric Acid and Protein Content of Mycelia during Citric acid Production by Three Strains of Aspergillus niger. Nuclear Science and Applications. Vol-15, No.1, June 2006.
8. Abu Hossain Sardar, Harun-or-Rashid and Rehana Begum.2007 Extraction of Chitin and Chitosan from Squid Pens and Shrimp Shells using Chemical Treatment. Accepted in Nuclear Science and Applications. Vol-16, No.1, June 2007.
9. H. Sardar, H. Rashid, M. K. Munshi and R. Begum.2008. Shelf-life Extension of Mango by using Natural Preservative Chitosan at Room Temperature. Accepted in the Journal of Environmental Sciences, JU.