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Published : 21 Dec 2014, 08:24 AM
His brother Mahbubul Alam told bdnews24.com that he died at the Queens Hospital in Hawaii early on Sunday (Bangladesh time) after suffering from cirrhosis of the liver.
Dr Alam and his team became globally famous for discovering the genome sequence of ‘Tosha’ jute -- the Jute Plant Draft Genome – in June, 2010. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina broke the news in the Parliament on Jun 16 that year.
Their triumph continued as they sequenced the DNA make-up of a fungus, Macrophomina Phaseolina, which reduces yield of more than 500 species of crops including jute, soybean, cotton, tobacco, maize and sunflower.
In Aug last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina , flanked by Dr Alam, announced that the team have sequenced the DNA of the traditional variety of jute called ‘Tosha’ .
A genome is an organism’s complete set of DNA, including all its genes. Each genome contains all the information needed to build and maintain that organism.
The decoding enables Bangladesh to own all the genetic documents of the natural fibre which has reappeared as a crucial resource in the campaign for environment friendly fibres.
Experts say this gene sequencing will help improve the fibre length and quality, including colours and strength; and develop high yielding, saline soil-and pest-resistant jute varieties through genetic engineering.
Dr Alam, who taught at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, has achieved two more milestones in genomics - sequencing the genomes of papaya in the US and rubber in Malaysia in 2008.
He was the director of the Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics Department at the university's College of Natural Sciences.
President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have expressed their condolence over the death of the scientist.
Alam was born on Dec 14, 1954 in Faridpur. His father, a martyr of the 1971 Liberation War, was an official of the then East Pakistan Rifles and mother Lyrian Ahmed a teacher.
He left for Russia after independence and completed his post graduate degree in microbiology in 1979 and a PhD in 1982 from the Moscow State University.
Five years later, Alam completed his second doctorate in biochemistry from Germany's Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry.
Before joining the University of Hawaii, he worked as a researcher and taught at the Moscow State University, the Academy of Sciences in Moscow, Max-Planck-Institute and Washington State University in the US.
Family members said that Alam will be buried at the Hawaii Memorial Park Cemetery as per his last wishes.
