Faruque joined the faculty of the Department of Biochemistry at the
University of Dhaka and taught biochemistry and molecular biology courses. He later joined
ICDDR,B as a scientist, and pioneered molecular biology research in Bangladesh. In recognition of his contributions to the understanding of natural phenomena associated with the dynamics of cholera epidemics, and molecular mechanisms in the evolution of pathogenic Vibrio cholerae, he was awarded the "TWAS Prize-2005" in Medical Sciences, by The World Academy of Sciences
TWAS. Faruque collaborates with scientists from different countries and Institutes in India, Japan, Thailand, Sweden, UK, and the US. He also established the Genomics Centre in
ICDDR,B with financial support by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). Faruque maintained an active research team in icddr,b for over two decades, and then moved to BRAC University to strengthen life science research in one of the nation's premier private universities. Later he joined Independent University, Bangladesh (
IUB), and worked as the Dean of the School of Environment and Life Sciences in IUB. Addressing the health problems of developing countries, Faruque has contributed significantly to the understanding of natural mechanisms associated with the emergence of
bacterial pathogens. Although he has conducted significant work in understanding the epidemiology and transmission of
Shigella and diarrhoeagenic
Escherichia coli infections, his major contribution is in the epidemiology and genetics of
Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera epidemics. In collaboration with John Mekalanos, Adele H. Lehman Professor of Microbiology,
Harvard Medical School, Boston, Faruque has contributed extensively to the recent understanding of the epidemiology, transmissibility and ecology of
Vibrio cholerae. Their work showed the genetic basis for the origin and evolution of new
Vibrio cholerae strains with epidemic potential and the role of bacteriophages in this process. They discovered and characterised several novel
filamentous phages (e.g., KSF-1, RS1 and TLC satellite phages) of
Vibrio cholerae, and contributed substantially to understanding the molecular mechanisms for transmission of these phages, and their role in
Vibrio cholerae evolution. Faruque has proposed models to explain the role of environmental and host factors and
lytic bacteriophages in the ecology of
Vibrio cholerae, that supports a self-limiting nature of seasonal cholera epidemics. His team has also conducted cutting-edge research in CRISPR-Cas systems carried by bacterial viruses such as the JSF series of bacteriophages, isolated and characterized by them. It is vital to generate more knowledge on the underlying diversity and functions of this system to fully realize the potential of technologies like CRISPR gene editing. Currently Faruque and his team have been studying the role of quorum sensing and bacterial communication through molecular signals in the environmental biology and epidemiology of the cholera pathogen. == Awards ==