A seminar on the 'Genetics of Potato Storage Starch Metabolism under Abiotic Stress' has been organized at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) aimed at the development of new varieties and improvement of potato nutritional value by enhancing the gene source, structure, and addressing genetic defects of purple potato. 

The course content and research methods were discussed during the seminar held on Tuesday.

The seminar was organized by Prof. Dr. Jobadatun Naher at the MS conference room of the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding of BAU.

Prof. Dr. habil. Joerg Fettke discussed biomass as biofuel; sugar and carbohydrates are used to make biofuel. 

He said, “The food-fuel-environment trilemma involves competition for land. Potatoes, such as Starch Corp, are used for making biofuel. Many processes are needed to convert carbs into fuel, but genetically engineering the plant and isolating specific genes will streamline this process.”

Prof. Dr. Mohammad Rashed Hossain, Head of the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, chaired the seminar. Special guests were Prof. Dr. Md Golam Rabbani, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, and Prof. Dr. Mahfuza Begum, Director of Bangladesh Agricultural University Research System (BAURES). The participants of the seminar were faculty members of the Agriculture of BAU.

The keynote speakers of the seminar were: Prof. Dr. habil. Joerg Fettke, Biopolymer Analytics, University of Potsdam, Germany; Prof. Dr. Chayon Goswami, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, BAU; Prof. Dr. Jobadatun Naher, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, BAU; and Dr. Julia Compart, Biopolymer Analytics, University of Potsdam, Germany. They discussed their course content and research methodologies.