IUB Student Aurpita Wins NST Fellowship for Research on Heat-Resistant Rice

Aurpita Rani Paul, a graduate student pursuing her Master of Science (MS) in the Department of Life Sciences at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), has been awarded the prestigious National Science and Technology (NST) Fellowship for the 2025–2026 academic year. She secured the fellowship under the highly competitive Food and Agricultural Science category.

The NST Fellowship is conferred annually by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Government of Bangladesh. Recipient researchers are selected through a rigorous evaluation process based on academic and scientific merit, as well as the project's strategic alignment with national research priorities—particularly in sectors concerning food security, advanced agriculture, and climate resilience.

Aurpita’s selected research proposal is titled “Improving Heat Tolerance in Rice Variety (Oryza sativa) through CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Knockout of HTA1 Gene.” Her investigative work is being conducted under the direct supervision of Dr. Sabrina M. Elias, Associate Professor in the Department of Life Sciences at IUB.

The core focus of this scientific study leverages advanced CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing technologies to evaluate the functional role of the HTA1 gene in rice crops subjected to high-temperature conditions. By analyzing the precise biological effects of gene knockdown on thermal stress responses in Oryza sativa, the project aims to deliver scalable, application-driven solutions to bolster climate stress adaptation across agricultural cultivation systems in Bangladesh.

Dr. Elias guided the academic development and technical structuring of the research blueprint within IUB’s Life Sciences curriculum, steering its successful submission for national competitive funding. The broader, original research study is fundamentally backed by the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences (BAS) through an institutional research project granted to Dr. Elias.