IRES (Insect Rearing and Experimental Station)
Department of Zoology
Established in 2009 and housed within Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh, the Insect Rearing and Experimental Station (IRES) is a specialized research institution dedicated to advancing entomological science with a focus on medically important vector species. With a core mission to enhance national capacity in vector research and control, IRES has emerged as a leading center for scientific innovation, technical training, and applied fieldwork in mosquito ecology and disease prevention.
Core Work and Capabilities
Supervised by Professor Dr. Kabirul Bashar—a leading entomologist and member of the WHO-SEARO Regional Technical Advisory Group (RTAG) on dengue and other arboviral diseases—with 27 years of experience in vector surveillance and control research, IRES comprises a multidisciplinary team of three research associates, ten student researchers, and two field technicians.
The institute maintains laboratory colonies of key vector species, including Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Phlebotomus argentipes (sand flies), which support both experimental research and applied field activities. IRES has conducted major entomological surveillance, monitoring, and insecticide resistance studies in high-priority settings such as Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Daffodil International University, and the BGB Headquarters.
The facility is equipped with advanced infrastructure for mosquito rearing, morphological identification, molecular diagnostics, and bioassays, enabling the generation of scientifically rigorous and policy-relevant outputs. Currently, IRES is developing innovative, environmentally sustainable integrated vector management tools, incorporating advanced autocidal mosquito traps and AI-driven surveillance systems.
Collaborations
National Collaborations
- Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS): IRES partners with DGHS to conduct vector surveillance, resistance testing, and implementation of control strategies in urban and semi-urban settings.
- Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC): Together with DNCC, IRES contributes entomological data and expert recommendations for municipal mosquito control programs.
- Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport: Support mosquito surveillance and control advice.
- BRAC: In collaboration with BRAC, IRES supports public health campaigns by providing technical input and field surveillance support for integrated vector management.
- Genetica Industry Limited: The collaboration between IRES and Genetica Industry Limited centers on the formulation, laboratory testing, and field-level evaluation of insecticides for effective vector control.
- THiNK Global Limited: IRES, in collaboration with THiNK Global Limited, co-developed innovative mosquito traps and plant-based attractants, contributing expertise in design optimization and field deployment.
- Korean EPZ, Chattagram: Mosquioto surveillance and control support.
- Islamic University, Kushtia & Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University: These academic partners provide additional research facilities and technical collaboration for entomological studies and training.
- North South University: Technical support to entomopathogenic fungi research
- Daffodil International University: Technical support for mosquito surveillance and Control.
- Other Industry Collaborations:
- ACI Limited, Johnson & Johnson, Asiatic Society, Earth Limited, Modina Tech, Genius IT – Worked on various mosquito control solutions, surveillance technologies, and insecticide efficacy testing.
International Collaborations
- World Health Organization: Regional Technical Adviser for Dengue and other Arboviral Diseases
- UNICEF: Partner of the Dengue Management Project in the Rohingya refugee camp in Ukhia.
- Japan National Institute of Infectious Diseases: Partner of the global knockdown resistance (KdR) project to monitor insecticide resistance globally.
- St. Tammany Parish Mosquito Abatement District, USA: A technical collaboration that allows the exchange of surveillance protocols, trap testing techniques, and vector control strategies.
- Singapore National Environment Agency (NEA): IRES works with NEA on mosquito control strategies, including Wolbachia-based vector suppression and technological integration.
- University of Technology Mara (UiTM), Malaysia: This partnership supports joint research in mosquito ecology and vector control innovations, including knowledge sharing on regional vector dynamics and novel intervention models.
- University of Milan, Italy: Genomonitoring of Mosquito Vectors
- Kanazawa University, Japan: Mosquito and sandfly ecology and control research.
- University of Pecs, Austria: Mosquito-borne pathogens, vector competence, and the ecological and microbiological factors influencing arbovirus transmission.
