GLOBAL NETWORK OF BANGLADESHI BIOTECHNOLOGISTS

Chhana Ullah

Chhana Ullah

Postdoctoral Researcher

2018: Ph.D. in Biochemistry Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany.

2013: M.Sc. in Nematology, Dept. Molecular Biotechnology and Dept. Biology, Ghent University, Belgium.

2010: M.Sc. in Plant Pathology, Dept. Plant Pathology, Bangladesh Agricultural University.

2009: B.Sc. in Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University.

  • Jul 2018. Award: ASPB Travel Grant Award

  • Oct 2016 to Sept 2018, Scholarship: Max Planck Society for Doctoral Research

  • Jul 2015, Award: "Best Poster Award" at the ISCE Conference 2015 in Stockholm, organized by International Society of Chemical Ecology

  • Oct 2013 to Sept 2016, Scholarship: JSMC Fellowship for Doctoral Research

  • Aug 2013, Award: Gold Medal Award (given by Education Minister, Bangladesh)

  • Sep 2011, Scholarship: VLIR-UOS Master's Scholarship

  • Mar 2011, Award: University Gold Medal Award (given by Honorable President of Bangladesh)

  • Jul 2009, Scholarship: National Science and Information and Communication Technology (NSICT) Fellowship

Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
Postdoctoral Researcher

Plants and pathogens have been battling each other for millennia, but we still know little about what determines the outcome of these encounters. My research interests have been focused on plant-pathogen interactions especially chemical defenses in the woody host against fungal infections, phytohormone signaling, and regulation of such defense reactions. I use a range of biochemical and molecular techniques to understand the defense mechanism of the woody host Another important aspect of my research is to understand more about the interaction between poplar and its fungal pathogens to determine other, molecular strategies used by the tree in its defense and investigate how the pathogen can evade the tree defense.

12. Chen, J., Ullah, C., Giddings Vassão, D., Reichelt, M., Gershenzon, J., Hammerbacher, A. (2021). Sclerotinia sclerotiorum infection triggers changes in primary and secondary metabolism in Arabidopsis thalianaPhytopathology, 111(3), 559-569. doi:10.1094/PHYTO-04-20-0146-R.

11. Chakraborty, M., Mahmud, N. U., Ullah, C., Rahman, M., Islam, T. (2021). Biological and biorational management of blast diseases in cereals caused by Magnaporthe oryzaeCritical Reviews in Biotechnology, 18. doi:10.1080/07388551.2021.1898325.

10. Chen, J., Ullah, C., Reichelt, M., Beran, F., Yang, Z.-L., Gershenzon, J., Hammerbacher, A., G. Vassão, D. (2020). The phytopathogenic fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum detoxifies plant glucosinolate hydrolysis products via an isothiocyanate hydrolase. Nature Communications, 11(1): 3090. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-16921-2OPEN ACCESS gold (pdf)

9. Chen, J., Ullah, C., Reichelt, M., Gershenzon, J., Hammerbacher, A. (2019). Sclerotinia sclerotiorum circumvents flavonoid defenses by catabolizing flavonol glycosides and aglycones. Plant Physiology, 180(4), 1975-1987. doi:10.1104/pp.19.00461OPEN ACCESS gold (pdf pdf)

8. Ullah, C., Unsicker, S., Reichelt, M., Gershenzon, J., Hammerbacher, A. (2019). Accumulation of catechin and proanthocyanidins in black poplar stems after infection by Plectosphaerella populi: hormonal regulation, biosynthesis and antifungal activity. Frontiers in Plant Science, 10: 1441. doi:10.3389/fpls.2019.01441.OPEN ACCESS gold (pdf)

7. Lahari, Z., Ullah, C., Kyndt, T., Gershenzon, J., Gheysen, G. (2019). Strigolactones enhance root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne graminicola) infection in rice by antagonizing the jasmonate pathway. New Phytologist, 224(1), 454-465. doi:10.1111/nph.15953OPEN ACCESS gold(pdf)

6. Hammerbacher, A., Kandasamy, D., Ullah, C., Schmidt, A., Wright, L., Gershenzon, J. (2019). Flavanone-3-hydroxylase plays an important role in the biosynthesis of spruce phenolic defenses against bark beetles and their fungal associates. Frontiers in Plant Science, 10: 208. doi:10.3389/fpls.2019.00208OPEN ACCESS gold (pdf).

5. Ullah, C., Tsai, C., Unsicker, S., Xue, L., Reichelt, M., Gershenzon, J., Hammerbacher, A. (2019). Salicylic acid activates poplar defense against the biotrophic rust fungus Melampsora larici-populina via increased biosynthesis of catechin and proanthocyanidins. New Phytologist, 221(2), 960-975. doi:10.1111/nph.15396OPEN ACCESS gelb (pdf)

4. Luu, V. T., Weinhold, A., Ullah, C., Dressel, S., Schoettner, M., Gase, K., Gaquerel, E., Xu, S., Baldwin, I. T. (2017). O-acyl sugars protect a wild tobacco from both native fungal pathogens and a specialist herbivore. Plant Physiology, 174, 370-386. doi:10.1104/pp.16.01904. (pdf).

3. Ullah, C., Unsicker, S., Fellenberg, C., Constabel, C. P., Schmidt, A., Gershenzon, J., Hammerbacher, A. (2017). Flavan-3-ols are an effective chemical defense against rust infection. Plant Physiology, 175(4), 1560-1578. doi:10.1104/pp.17.00842. OPEN ACCESS gelb (pdf)

2. Crous, P. W., Wingfield, M. J., .......... Ullah, C., ........ Groenewald, J. Z. (2015). Fungal Planet description sheets: 320–370. Persoonia: Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi 34, 167-266. doi:10.3767/003158515X688433. OPEN ACCESS gold (pdf)

1. Ji, H., Gheysen, G., Ullah, C., Verbeek, R., Shang, C., De Vleesschauwer, D., Höfte, M., Kyndt, T. (2015). The role of thionins in rice defense against root pathogens. Molecular Plant Pathology, 16(8), 870-881. doi:10.1111/mpp.12246.