I am an Assistant Professor at North South University, bringing rich experience across biopharma, research, and innovation ecosystems. My professional journey spans working at UCB Biopharma on transformative medicines for severe diseases, as well as collaborating with industry leaders such as the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Puratos, Magics Instrument, and Urban Crops Solutions.
As part of the pioneering SpaceBakery project in Belgium, I contributed to designing sustainable closed-loop food systems for extreme environments — work that reflects my passion for solving complex challenges at the crossroads of science, technology, and society.
What drives me is building synergy between industry and academia: bringing real-world insights into classrooms and research while enabling academic creativity to fuel innovation. I aim to inspire students and future scientists to think boldly, work collaboratively, and deliver impact that matters.
- From crop left-overs to nutrient resource: growth-stimulating potential of biochar in nutrient solutions
for wheat soilless cultivation systems. Kris Kunnen, Md Muntasir Ali, Amine Lataf, May Van Hees, Robin
Nauts, Nele Horemans, Dries Vandamme and Ann Cuypers. Frontiers in Plant Science (Vol: 15, 2024)
DOI=10.3389/fpls.2024.1414212
- PrsQ2, a small periplasmic protein involved in increased uranium resistance in the bacterium Cupriavidus
metallidurans. Mijnendonckx, Kristel, Tom Rogiers, Francisco J. Giménez Del Rey, Mohamed L. Merroun, Adam
Williamson, Md Muntasir Ali, Daniel Charlier, Natalie Leys, Nico Boon, and Rob Van Houdt., Journal of
Hazardous Materials 444 (2023): 130410.
- First Description of Various Bacteria Resistant to Heavy Metals and Antibiotics Isolated from Polluted Sites
in Tunisia. Samar Ben Miloud, Olfa Dziri, Sana Ferjani, Md Muntasir Ali, Mohamed Mysara, Ilhem Boutiba, Rob
Van Houdt, Chedly Chouchani, Polish Journal of Microbiology 70, no. 2 (2021): 161.
- A comparison of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities among Bangladeshi modern high yielding
and traditional rice varieties. Shanaz Parvin, Maarten Van Geel, Md Muntasir Ali, Tanzima Yeasmin, Bart
Lievens and Olivier Honnay. Plant and Soil (2021). DOI: 10.1007/s11104-021-04858-4
- First report of cross resistance to silver and antibiotics in Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from patients
and polluted water in Tunisia. Ben Miloud, Samar, Md Muntasir Ali, Ilhem Boutiba, Rob Van Houdt, and
Chedly ChouchaniWater and Environment Journal (2020). DOI: 10.1111/wej.12665
- DNA-binding and transcription activation by unphosphorylated response regulator AgrR from Cupriavidus
metallidurans involved in silver resistance. Md Muntasir Ali, Ann Provoost, Kristel
Mijnendonckx, Rob Van Houdt, and Daniel Charlier. Frontiers in microbiology 11 (2020): 1635. DOI:
10.3389/fmicb.2020.01635
- Spontaneous mutation in the AgrRS two-component regulatory system of Cupriavidus metallidurans
results in enhanced silver resistance. Kristel Mijnendonckx, Md Muntasir Ali, Ann Provoost, Paul Janssen, Max
Mergeay, Natalie Leys, Daniel Charlier, Pieter Monsieurs and Rob Van Houdt 2019. Metallomics, 2019, DOI:
10.1039/C9MT00123A
- Genomic and Transcriptomic Changes That Mediate Increased Platinum Resistance in Cupriavidus
metallidurans. Md Muntasir Ali, Ann Provoost, Laurens Maertens, Natalie Leys, Pieter Monsieurs, Daniel
Charlier and Rob Van Houdt. Genes 2019, 10, 63. DOI: 10.3390/genes10010063
- Evolutionary Divergence of Brain-specific Precursor miRNAs Drives Efficient Processing and Production of
Mature miRNAs in Human. Sajib Chakraborty, Md Rezaul Islam, Md. Muntasir Ali and A.H.M. Nurun Nabi
Neuroscience, September 2018, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.09.010
- Cloning, characterization and analysis of the Arabidopsis RD29A promoter for its inducible
expression in rice under salinity and drought stress. Sarah Sarker, Sudip Biswas, Md. Muntasir Ali, Samsad
Razzaque and Zeba I. Seraj Bioresearch Communications, Volume 02, issue 01, January 2016
- Genotypic and phenotypic relatedness of a farmer-discovered variant with high-yielding rice growing in
the same field. Sabrina M. Elias, Rokeya Begum, Md. Sazzadur Rahman, Afroza Ferdouse, Habibul B. Shozib,
Md. Muntasir Ali and Zeba I. Seraj, Plant Systematics and Evolution, 06/2014; DOI: 10.1007/s00606-014-1085
- Federation of European Microbiologist (FEMS) Travel grant (2019), Awarded in the event of 8th Congress of
European Microbiologists, Glasgow, Scotland
- Federation of European Microbiologist (FEMS) Early Career Scientist Award (2017), Awarded in the event of
7th Congress of European Microbiologists, Valencia, Spain
- Ph.D. Fellowship (2015-2019) from Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, SCK•CEN, Mol, Belgium
- VLIR-UOS Scholarship (2013-2015) to study Master of Science in Molecular Biology (IPMB) from Belgian
Government
- National Science & Technology (NST) Fellowship (2011) from Bangladesh Government for Master’s Thesis
work
- Ph.D. in Bioengineering Sciences 2019
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
- Master of Science in Molecular Biology 2015
KU Leuven, Belgium
- Master of Science in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 2012
University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 2011
University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Senior Scientist Sep, 2022 - Aug, 2025
In Vitro Pharmacology, Patient Solutions, UCB Biopharma SRL, Belgium
- Staff Scientist (Post-doc) Feb, 2020 – Aug, 2022
Interdisciplinary Biosciences (BIO), Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol , Belgium
- Staff Scientist Oct, 2019 – Dec, 2020
Microbiology Research Group (MICR), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
Fall 2025
- BIO103 - Introduction to Biology
- BBT314L - Protein and Enzyme Lab
- BBT312L - Molecular Biology Lab
- International Society of Neurochemistry (ISN)
- American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS)
- Federation of European Microbiologists (FEMS)
- Belgian Society for Microbiology (BSM)
Structural Biology, Neuroscience, Pre-clinical research, Protein Biochemistry, Industry-Academy research projects, Research Commercialization, etc.
