I have completed my PhD in “Bioactive Papers: Printing, Activity and Stability”, from the Dept of Chem Eng, Monash University, Australia in 2010. My research team has pioneered the bioactive paper research in Australia, an activity now growing to a multi-million $ interdisciplinary platform where Monash University is recognized as one of the world leaders. Paper based diagnostics are estimated to represent a 14 billion $/year business opportunity (ref: Monash University). For my PhD research, I have received the Mollie Holman Doctoral Medal for the best Monash PhD thesis and the Kenneth Hunt Medal for the best Engineering PhD thesis. As a recognition of Research Excellence in my PhD, I have received ‘Post Doctoral Fellowship Award’ from the Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada to continue my work on Bioactive Papers as a part of NSERC-CRSNG’s Bioactive Paper Network, the largest network in this area in the world. My research work will contribute to the development of low cost disposable diagnostics for biotechnology, health and environmental applications that will offer an opportunity for developing countries to access basic diagnostics that are too expensive or required highly sophisticated technical supports. 

Bioactive paper is a revolutionary technology as the price of the device is typically 1000 times cheaper than competitive technologies, enabling large scale-high impact applications that were previously unthinkable. Bioactive papers were pioneered in 2006 by Prof. Whitesides of Harvard University whose team developed elegant paper prototypes using sophisticated processes and techniques, unfortunately only available in the best equipped laboratories. My main contribution in this research has been to significantly improve the concept, and to enable large scale manufacturing by developing efficient processes based on functional printing on paper. I have made my discovery and insured its proof of concept/development by leading a multi-disciplinary team involving senior experts in rural medicine/haematology, biochemistry/immunology, chemistry, surface science and chemical engineering. In my PhD and Post-doctoral study, I have initiated, often in a team, a series of projects that have been both critical and strategic. These include the definition of bioactive paper, developing novel methods of bioactivity measurement combining optical properties and advanced image analysis, modelling the kinetics of enzyme deactivation, inkjet printing biomolecules on paper, investigating concentration gradients of peptides as driving force for guiding cell regeneration, measuring the morphology of adsorbed enzyme on paper by Synchrotron SAXS, developing bioactive filter paper and paper sensors to detect and deactivate of viruses, and 3D molecular modelling of antigen-antibody interaction. I have demonstrated the potential of paper based diagnostics by inventing: “instantaneous paper blood typing diagnostics” described in Analytical Chemistry. My research work on bioactive papers is highly quoted and highlighted in over 10 countries and 25 journals/organizations including the Royal Society of Chemistry Journal “Chemistry World”, MIT Technology Review, American Chemical Society, NY Times, India Times, and Science Daily. I have also received Australian national award: ‘State Winner (VIC) AusBiotech-GSK Student Excellence Award’, for my research contribution in biotechnology. 

My research interest extended to Environmental Engineering and Engineering Education. I worked (2004-06) in an international Pollution Abatement Research Project in Bangladesh funded by USAID (USA), DFID (UK), European Commission and Govt. of Bangladesh. The work was undertaken by Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, Stockholm Environment Institute and University of Leeds, UK. Under that project, I got the opportunity to work inside the industry to identify and reduce pollution from sources. I have authored several national and international publications (journal, conference proceedings, booklet and industrial reports) on Environmental Engineering. I have also authored journal and conference publications on Engineering Education. I am the founder and the Editor of ‘ChE Thoughts’, the first Chemical Engineering and Science Magazine in Bangladesh and south-east Asia. I have pioneered ‘Undergraduate Thesis Competition’ and ‘Poster Competition’ in the Dept of Chem Eng, Bangladesh Uni of Eng and Tech (BUET). I have received ‘Award of Appreciation’ from the International Conference on Chemical Engineering 2008, Dhaka, Bangladesh, for the contribution to introduce and organize ICChE2008 Poster Competition. At present I am running few undergraduate research projects in Bangladesh in collaboration with local faculties from BUET.