Researcher in Phytomedicine
B.Sc. (Honours) & M.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Working across experimental wet-lab biology and computational drug discovery.
Recent academic accomplishments, published research, and project milestones.
Molecular Pharming: Advances, Applications, and Future Prospects in Biotechnology and Medicine published in Engineering in Life Sciences (DOI: 10.1002/elsc.70075).
Completed flagship thesis: "In silico and in vivo study of antioxidant activity of phytochemicals from Houttuynia cordata, a perennial herb using molecular docking and Caenorhabditis elegans model."
Co-authored submitted research on multi-epitope monkeypox (MPXV) vaccine design, Marburg virus VP40 matrix protein inhibitors, and validation of the Academic AI Usage & Dependency Scale (AAIUDS).
Leading a 4-month advanced research internship at BioPC covering CADD, DFT, CAVD vaccine design, cancer bioinformatics, and manuscript writing. Registration deadline: 20 Sep 2026. Learn more →
A brief introduction to my scientific journey, background, and multidisciplinary focus.
Md. Mustak Khan — Researcher in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Phytomedicine, and Bioinformatics at the University of Chittagong.
I work across the Laboratory of Applied Biosciences and the Laboratory of Food Science & Nutraceutical as a Research Assistant and Lab Manager, overseeing operations, mentoring students, and executing in vivo C. elegans assays (37 °C thermal survival across hours, thrashing locomotion, lifespan curves, and brood size toxicity checks). Concurrently, I serve as a founding member and Research Project Lead at BioPC, where I develop computational drug discovery pipelines, lead training workshops in CADD and network pharmacology, and build digital tools for the scientific community.
My flagship MS thesis investigated the antioxidant activity and therapeutic potential of phytochemicals from Houttuynia cordata (a perennial herb) by integrating in silico molecular docking with comprehensive in vivo longevity, 37 °C thermal survival, thrashing locomotion, and brood size toxicity evaluation in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Chronological milestones in education, leadership, and research discoveries.
Built a solid foundation in experimental biochemistry, molecular genetics, enzymology, cellular physiology, and biophysical methods that support ongoing research in natural products and model-organism studies.
Directing computational biology initiatives in drug design, vaccine informatics, and network pharmacology. Leading structured training programs (110+ students trained across BioPC cohorts) and designing computational workflows.
Managing laboratory operations, chemical inventories, and biosafety protocols. Performing C. elegans culture maintenance, longevity assays, fluorescence microscopy, and mentoring undergraduate thesis students.
Gained hands-on experience in computational genomics, vaccine design, sequence alignment, and the applications of AI and machine learning in biomedical and healthcare research.
Evaluating bioactive phytochemical profiles, Total Phenolic/Flavonoid Contents (TPC/TFC), and multi-parameter in vitro antioxidant capacities (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP) of indigenous plant species.
Pursuing graduate research centered on the interdisciplinary evaluation of medicinal plant extracts using C. elegans model genetics, spectrophotometric assays, and computational drug discovery.
Carried out thesis: "In silico and in vivo study of antioxidant activity of phytochemicals from Houttuynia cordata, a perennial herb using molecular docking and Caenorhabditis elegans model."
Published review article on molecular pharming and biopharmaceuticals in Engineering in Life Sciences (Wiley), bridging plant biotechnology with modern translational medicine.
Proficiencies across experimental wet-lab biology, computational CADD, data science, and academic outreach.
C. elegans culture & lifespan assays, fluorescence microscopy, phytochemical extraction, and in vitro antioxidant assays (DPPH/ABTS/FRAP).
AutoDock Vina, PyRx, SwissADME, Discovery Studio, Cytoscape, STRING, and network pharmacology target prediction pipelines.
Python, R programming, tidyverse/ggplot2, statistical modeling, ImageJ biological image analysis, and Git/GitHub.
Peer-reviewed manuscript writing, literature synthesis, thesis drafting, citation management, and academic presentation.
Curriculum design, hands-on workshop facilitation, student mentorship, and bio-community leadership via BioPC.
Interdisciplinary investigations across phytochemical nutraceuticals, computational biology, and in vivo model systems.
A Perennial Herb Using Molecular Docking and Caenorhabditis elegans Model
Phytochemical extraction, total phenolic/flavonoid profiling, and multi-assay antioxidant evaluations of indigenous plant samples.
Leading multi-epitope vaccine design (Monkeypox MPXV), antiviral drug discovery (Marburg virus VP40 inhibitors), psychometric AI scale modeling (AAIUDS), and network pharmacology via BioPC Lab.
Conducting 37 °C thermal stress survival assays across different hourly timepoints, thrashing assays for locomotion movement, solid-media lifespan curves, and brood size / progeny toxicity screening.
Peer-reviewed contributions in leading scientific and biotechnology journals.
Engineering in Life Sciences | Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA
Open for research collaborations, academic exchanges, and computational biology projects.
I welcome research collaborations, student inquiries, speaking invitations, and peer discussions. Reach out directly or connect across academic platforms.
Status: Open to collaborative research projects and computational workflows.