Dr. K. M. Golam Dastogeer is a highly skilled Plant Pathologist and Microbiologist with over a decade of experience in studying plant-microbe interactions. Currently serving as an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Dr. Dastogeer obtained his bachelor's and master's degrees from the same institution. He further expanded his research expertise as a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley and Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology.
During his postdoctoral tenure, Dr. Dastogeer focused on unraveling the complexities of plant-microbe, microbe-microbe, and microbe-environment interactions, aiming to harness the potential of microbiomes for sustainable agricultural practices. He believes that understanding the dynamics and functions of plant-microbiome relationships can lead to the development of improved strategies for crop disease management, tailored biological control methods, and effective utilization of biofertilizers.
Dr. Dastogeer earned his PhD degree from Murdoch University, supported by an IPRS Scholarship from the Australian Government. His doctoral research, conducted at the Western Australian State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre (SABC) under the supervision of Dr. Steve Wylie, involved exploring diverse fungal endophytes from native Australian Nicotiana species. His findings demonstrated the host specificity of these endophytes and their contributions to host adaptation in water-limited environments.
With over thirty scientific articles to his credit, Dr. Dastogeer has made significant contributions to the field. Many of his research papers have been published in esteemed international journals. His work has been acknowledged through numerous prestigious awards, including the 'Prime Minister Gold Medal' for his academic excellence. He has also been granted travel awards to present his research findings at international conferences in Australia, Singapore, the UK, and the USA.
Dr. Dastogeer is an active member of several international scientific organizations, such as the Australasian Plant Pathology (APPS), British Ecological Society (BES), International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interaction (IS-MPMI), International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME), and the West Coast Microbiome Network (WCMN, Australia), among others. Additionally, he serves on the editorial board of the journal "Frontiers in Microbiology" and regularly contributes as a reviewer for esteemed journals including New Phytologist, Frontiers in Plant Science, Frontiers in Microbiology, Planta, Symbiosis, Forests, Tree Physiology, Annals of Microbiology, Journal of the American Society of Horticultural Science,
Fungal Ecology, and the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.
Outside of his professional endeavors, Dr. Dastogeer is a loving husband and a proud father of a son and a daughter. As a faculty member at BAU, he is dedicated to continuing his high-quality research in collaboration with relevant organizations and farmers, with the ultimate aim of solving practical challenges in plant production.
14
Microbial symbionts enhance water stress tolerance in Nicotiana plants by modifying host physiology and metabolism
K. M. G. DASTOGEER, H. LI, K. SIVASITHAMPARAM, M. G. K. JONES, X. DU, Y. REN, S. J. WYLIE
Department of Plant Pathology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh.
Plant Biotechnology Research Group – Plant Virology and Ecosystem Metagenomics, Western Australian State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia,
Post-harvest Biosecurity and Food Safety Laboratory, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia
Microbial symbionts, including endophytic fungi and plant viruses, have been found to enhance the growth and eco-physiological performance of plants under abiotic stress. We evaluated the water stress tolerance of Nicotiana benthamiana plants inoculated with two fungal endophytes (resembling Cladosporium cladosporioides and an unidentified ascomycetous fungus) and the yellowtail flower mild mottle virus (genus Tobamovirus). Our results showed that the presence of these microbial symbionts significantly delayed the wilting of shoot tips, increased biomass, and relative water content, and enhanced soluble sugar, soluble protein, and proline content in the plants under water stress. The inoculation with fungi and virus also increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, peroxidase, and polyphenol oxidase) and decreased the production of reactive oxygen species and electrical conductivity in the plants. Moreover, the co-infection of the plants with both fungi and virus did not have an additive effect on water stress responses. These findings suggest that the presence of fungal endophytes and a plant virus can trigger plant responses to water stress in a similar way, leading to increased water stress tolerance. This study highlights the potential of microbial symbionts as a means of improving the inherent water stress tolerance of crops.