Identified, isolated and characterised differentially expressed drought-, heat- and salt-tolerance genes from different crop and plant species
Research laboratory
Plant Genomics
The lab identifies, isolates and characterises genes that are differentially expressed in crop species, and has engineered drought, heat and salt tolerance in cotton.
Research with real-world impact
From stress-responsive genes to resilient crops.
The Plant Genomics group uses conventional and modern molecular approaches to understand how crop species respond to stress. Drought-, heat- and salt-tolerant traits have been successfully engineered in cotton, local transgenic cotton with higher epicuticular wax and resistance to CLCuV has been developed, and the lignin gene is being studied for biofuel production.
Abiotic stress genomicsTransgenic cottonBiofuel crops
- 9
- research scholars
- 8
- funded research projects
- 4
- international plant science symposia hosted
- 3
- stress traits engineered in cotton
Research programme
Four routes to climate-resilient crops.
The group moves from gene discovery and characterisation to engineered cotton lines tolerant of drought, heat, salinity and viral disease.
- 01
Gene discovery in crop species
Identification, isolation and characterisation of genes that are differentially expressed in crop and plant species under stress.
- 02
Drought, heat & salt tolerance
Engineering drought-, heat- and salt-tolerant traits in cotton using conventional and modern molecular approaches.
- 03
Cotton wax & CLCuV resistance
Local transgenic cotton with higher epicuticular wax content and tolerance to Cotton Leaf Curl Virus.
- 04
Lignin & biofuel production
Genetic modification of the lignin gene for biofuel production, currently in progress.
Translation & outcomes
Genes discovered here are already in transgenic plants.
Stress-tolerant cotton, wax-rich CLCuV-resistant lines and a biofuel gene programme.
Developed transgenic cotton plants tolerant or resistant to drought, heat, herbicide and salinity
Developed local transgenic cotton with higher epicuticular wax content and tolerance or resistance to CLCuV
Identification, isolation and characterisation of the lignin gene for biofuel production is in process
Research group
Faculty leading the programme.
Expertise across plant genomics, cotton transformation, stress physiology and crop molecular biology.
Research students
The questions shaping tomorrow’s cotton.
8 PhD scholars1 MPhil scholars
PhD research scholars 8
Faheem Akram
Genetic transformation of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) with the cer3 gene against whitefly infestation
Muhammad Ahmad
Development of genetically modified heat- and drought-tolerant cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)
Sijjil Shafiq
Genetic manipulation of Gossypium hirsutum L. with a heat shock protein gene (HSP70) to tolerate drought stress
Sadia Zafar
Genetic transformation of Gossypium hirsutum with the Agave sisalana universal stress protein gene AsUSP3 against drought and salt stress
Shazma Toheed
Genetic modification of Gossypium hirsutum with the Agave sisalana sucrose non-fermenting related-protein kinase SnRK to endure abiotic stresses
Ayesha Yousaf
Integrative genomic and transcriptomic identification of drought-responsive genes in Agave sisalana and their functional validation in transgenic cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)
Isha Aslam
Analysis of HSP20 gene expression in Agave sisalana under heat and drought stress
Junaid Aziz
Isolation and characterisation of drought-responsive WRKY transcription factor transcripts in Agave sisalana
MPhil research scholars 1
Maida Shahbaz
Morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular analysis of transgenic T1 cotton under cold and salinity stress
Research funding
More than a decade of competitive funding.
Projects funded by HEC and the Pakistan Science Foundation, plus international collaboration with China and Japan.
Completed projects
Collaborate with the lab