Dr Ayesha Latif
FACULTY
Dr. Ayesha Latif is a highly ambitious and experienced researcher with expertise in plant molecular biology, gene cloning, CRISPR/CAS, plant transformation, plant tissue culture, and molecular techniques. She joined CEMB in 2005 as a Research Officer cum Lecturer, accumulating over 18 years of experience in the biological research field. Her primary research area is dedicated to the production of insect and herbicide-resistant cotton varieties with improved fiber quality traits.
Dr. Ayesha is driven by her passion for identifying novel cotton genes to address the challenges associated with low cotton production, which poses a significant threat to Pakistan’s economy. One of her notable achievements is the development of glyphosate-resistant cotton plants, and the transgenic germplasm she has developed is now accessible in the form of cotton varieties available in the market as CKC technology.
Her long-term aspiration is to excel in biological research and contribute to the enhancement of cotton fiber quality, a crucial requirement for Pakistan’s textile industry, which currently imports high-quality cotton to meet its demands.
Selected Publications:
- Latif, A., Rao, A. Q., Khan, M. A. U., Shahid, N., Bajwa, K. S., Ashraf, M. A., … & Husnain, T. (2015). Herbicide-resistant cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) plants: an alternative way of manual weed removal. BMC research notes, 8(1), 1-8
- Din, S. U., Azam, S., Rao, A. Q., Shad, M., Ahmed, M., Gul, A., … & Shahid, A. A. (2021). Development of broad-spectrum and sustainable resistance in cotton against major insects through the combination of Bt and plant lectin genes. Plant Cell Reports, 40, 707-721.
- Sufyan Tahir, M., Latif, A., Bashir, S., Shad, M., Khan, M. A. U., Gul, A., … & Ali Shahid, A. (2021). Transformation and evaluation of Broad-Spectrum insect and weedicide resistant genes in Gossypium arboreum (Desi Cotton). GM Crops & Food, 12(1), 292-302.
- Qamar, Z., Nasir, I. A., Abouhaidar, M. G., Hefferon, K. L., Rao, A. Q., Latif, A., … & Shahid, A. A. (2021). Novel approaches to circumvent the devastating effects of pests on sugarcane. Scientific reports, 11(1), 12428.
- Shakoor, S., Samiullah, T. R., Shahid, N., Rao, A. Q., Yasmeen, A., Tahir, S., … & Husnain, T. (2021). In Silico Prediction and Evaluation of E. coli Expressed Recombinant HA Protein of Avian Influenza Virus.
- Latif, A., Azam, S., Shahid, N., Javed, M. R., Haider, Z., Yasmeen, A., … & Rao, A. Q. (2022). Overexpression of the AGL42 gene in cotton delayed leaf senescence through downregulation of NAC transcription factors. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 21093.
- Akhtar, S., Shahid, A. A., Shakoor, S., Ahmed, M., Iftikhar, S., Usmaan, M., … & Rao, A. Q. (2023). Tissue specific expression of bacterial cellulose synthase (Bcs) genes improves cotton fiber length and strength. Plant Science, 328, 111576.
- Yasmeen, A., Shakoor, S., Azam, S., Bakhsh, A., Shahid, N., Latif, A., … & Rao, A. Q. (2022). CRISPR/Cas-mediated knockdown of vacuolar invertase gene expression lowers the cold-induced sweetening in potatoes. Planta, 256(6), 107.
- Tanveer, S., Malik, H. A., Shahid, N., Salisu, I. B., Ahmed, N., Latif, A., … & Rao, A. Q. (2023). Production of proinflammatory cytokines by expressing Newcastle disease vaccine candidates in corn. Journal of King Saud University-Science, 35(3), 102537.
- Yasmeen, A., Bakhsh, A., Ajmal, S., Muhammad, M., Sadaqat, S., Awais, M., … & Rao, A. Q. (2023). CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing in diploid and tetraploid potatoes. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum, 45(2), 32.