Mahfuzur R. Sarker
Dr. Mahfuzur R. Sarker is the recipient of the 2004 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). He is currently an Assistant Professor of Microbiology at Oregon State University, has been selected to receive PECASE is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government to the nation's outstanding scientists and engineers who are beginning their independent careers.
The awards were established by President Clinton in 1996, and are intended to recognize "the finest scientists and engineers who, while early in their research careers, show exceptional potential for leadership at the frontiers of scientific knowledge during the twenty-first century".
Dr. Sarker and other winners received their awards on May 04, 2004, at a ceremony in Washington D. C. presided over by Dr. John H. Marburger, III, science advisor to President George W. Bush and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Dr. Sarker was nominated by the US Department of Agriculture, National Research Initiative (USDA-NRI) for the current and potential future excellence of his research. Dr. Sarker's USDA-NRI grant entitled "The Molecular Basis for Clostridium perfringens Spore Heat Resistance". This work on spore heat resistance was recognized by the review panel as being cutting-edge Pathogenic Microbiology in that it will improve our understanding in controlling and preventing the food poisoning caused by bacterial spores. Clostridium perfringens bacteria, which is the cause of third most commonly reported food borne disease in the USA, can form spores. These spores are highly resistant to heat and can survive in pre-cooked or under-cooked food for a long time. When the spore- contaminated food is consumed, these spores enter into the gut where they germinate, sporulate and produce toxin to cause diarrheic symptoms.
Dr. Sarker's spore resistance studies will give insight into some very important questions: why/how bacterial spores survive long time in the environment? what is the basic mechanism of spore heat resistance? how spores can be killed? The long-term goal of Dr. Sarker's research is to understand the mechanism of spore heat resistance, which will help in designing and developing a vaccine against bacterial spore-mediated food poisoning. As a result of the PECASE award, Dr. Sarker's grant was extended to 5 years, enabling him to devote more time to his research.
Sarker said he feels honored. "I am very honored to receive this unexpected God gifted award", Sarker said. This adds a couple of years of guaranteed funding to my current grant and gives me a wonderful opportunity to investigate some very important aspects of Food Safety Issue. There is certainly some peace of mind that comes with the reward in that respect, along with the recognition."
Mahfuzur R. Sarker received his M. Sc. in Biochemistry in 1985 from the University of Dhaka. He worked as a Senior Research Officer at International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) from 1985-1990. He received his Ph. D. in Microbiology in 1995 from the University of Tokushima School of Medicine, Japan. He worked as a Research Scientist at University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium (1995-1997) and at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (1997-2000). He joined Oregon State University in 2001 as Assistant Professor of Microbiology, and adjunct Assistant Professor of Food Science and Technology.
