Research Interest:
Dr. Khan’s research interest includes chemical, biotechnological and environmental engineering. His research group: ‘BET Group’ (Bio and Environmental Engineering Group), aims to address different scientific, engineering and socio-economic issues related to Health, Food, Biofuel, Wastewater Management, Electronic Waste Management, and Cleaner Production.

Currently BET Group is working on different biotech and environmental issues which include food processing and preservation, artificial fruit ripening, low-cost detection of biomarkers and toxins, and 3D molecular modelling of antibody structure and antibody-antigen interactions.

Research Background:
Dr. Khan completed his PhD in “Bioactive Papers: Printing, Activity and Stability”, from the Dept of Chem Eng, Monash University, Australia in 2010. His research team has pioneered the bioactive paper research in Australia, an activity now growing to a multi-million $ interdisciplinary platform where Monash University is recognized as one of the world leaders. For his PhD research, he received the Mollie Holman Doctoral Medal for the best Monash PhD thesis and the Kenneth Hunt Medal for the best Engineering PhD thesis. As a recognition of Research Excellence in his PhD, he received ‘Post Doctoral Fellowship Award’ from the Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada to continue my work on Bioactive Papers as a part of NSERC-CRSNG’s Bioactive Paper Network, the largest network in this area in the world. His Post-Doctoral research work encompassed Theoretical and Experimental research. The Theoretical research work aimed to perform molecular modelling of building blocks of Picloram antibody, 3D Homology modelling of Antibody Binding Fragments, and Quantum Calculation of Antibody-Antigen Interaction Energies at different physiological conditions. The Experimental research work aimed developing Antibody active paper and cellulose beads to detect and filter bacteriophage ‘T7’.

Bioactive paper is a revolutionary technology as the price of the device is typically 1000 times cheaper than competitive technologies. Dr. Khan’s main contribution in this research has been to significantly improve the concept, and to enable large scale manufacturing by developing efficient processes based on functional printing on paper. He has made his discovery and insured its proof of concept/development by leading a multi-disciplinary team involving senior experts in rural medicine/haematology, biochemistry/immunology, chemistry, surface science and chemical engineering. In his PhD and Post-Doctoral research, he has initiated, often in a team, a series of projects that have been both critical and strategic. Dr. Khan’s research work on bioactive papers is highly quoted and highlighted in over 10 countries and 25 journals/organizations including the Royal Society of Chemistry Journal “Chemistry World”, MIT Technology Review, American Chemical Society, NY Times, India Times, and Science Daily. For his research work in Bioactive paper, Dr. Khan won the ‘Young Innovator Award 2012’ entitled ‘TR35@Singapore Awards’ organized by the ‘MIT Technology Review Inc’ to recognize the top innovators in the Asia-Pacific regions under the age of 35.

Dr. Khan’s research interest also lies in Environmental Engineering. He worked (2004-06) in an international Pollution Abatement Research Project in Bangladesh funded by USAID (USA), DFID (UK), European Commission and Govt. of Bangladesh. The work was undertaken by Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, Stockholm Environment Institute and University of Leeds, UK. Under that project, he got the opportunity to work inside the industry to identify and reduce pollution from sources. He also worked as an independent Environmental Consultant to design the ‘Effluent Treatment Plant, ETP’ and to develop the ‘Waste Management Plan’ for local industry.

Dr. Khan’s research interest extends to Engineering Education. He has pioneered ‘Undergraduate Thesis Competition’ and ‘Poster Competition’ in the Dept of Chem Eng, Bangladesh Uni of Eng and Tech (BUET). Besides, he is the founder and the Editor of ‘ChE Thoughts’, the first Chemical Engineering and Science Magazine in Bangladesh and South-East Asia.