Maqsudul Alam

Maqsudul Alam (; 14 December 1954 – 20 December 2014) was an East Bengal-born life-science scientist who is known for his work on genome sequencing. His work on genome sequencing started with bacteria Idiomarina loihiensis in 2003. He came into the focus of Bangladeshi people after his work on genome sequencing of jute species and jute attacking fungus.

Early life Alam was born in Madaripur, Faridpur, East Pakistan. His parents were Dalil Uddin Ahmed, a martyr of the 1971 Liberation War and an official of East Pakistan Rifles; and Lyrian Ahmed, a teacher, and social worker. In 1992, the family moved to United States. The couple was divorced in 1997. Alam later married Rafia Hasina in 2009.

Education Alam completed secondary and higher secondary education from Government Laboratory High School and Dhaka College, respectively. He completed his master's degree in microbiology from Moscow State University in 1979; and earned his first Ph.D. degree in microbiology from the same university in 1982. He earned his second Ph.D. in biochemistry from Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in 1987.

In 2007, Alam worked in the Hawaii Papaya Genome Project which aimed to sequence the complete genome of the transgenic 'SunUp' papaya. The SunUp papaya was genetically modified to confer resistance to the Papaya ringspot virus, but Hawaiian farmers could not sell the transgenic papaya in Japan; Alam and his team sequenced the transgenic papaya to help the farmers get through the regulatory process.

Alam set up the Center for Chemical Biology at Universiti Sains Malaysia in 2009. There he established research facilities, research programs, and worked on genome sequencing of rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis).

Bangladesh Jute Genome Project In 2009, Alam joined the Basic and Applied Research on Jute Project of Jute Research Institute, Bangladesh, as principal investigator. He hoped genome sequencing of a cash crop like jute would help Bangladesh economically because jute can be made disease resistant if the genome sequence is known. Alam's team worked on genome sequencing of tossa jute (Corchorus olitorius O4) Alam's team went on to work on sequencing a jute attacking fungus (Macrophomina phaseolina)

Awards Alam was awarded excellence of research award from University of Hawaiʻi in 2001, NIH Shannon Award in 1997, Humboldt Research Fellow in 1987 from German Science Foundation.

"Maqsudul Alam Graduate Research Award Fund" was created by University of Hawaii Foundation to support the education of graduate students and to honor Alam. Protoglobin and globin-coupled sensors (2008).