Department of Life Sciences

Research Group Title

ANTIMICROBIALS AND BIOFILMS

Area of research: 

Microbiology & Biotechnology

Theme:

Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology, Health Biotechnology, Nanobiotechnology

SDGs covered: 

3: Good Health and Well-being; SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Faculty Members: 

 Dr. Iftikhar Ali, Ghadir Ali, Miss Mehreen Fatima, Miss Anam Amir, Dr. Quratulain Hanif

Area of research: 

Microbiology & Biotechnology

Names of students

Naseem Parwash, Yumna Hidayat, Maria Bukhari, Rahima Rana

Description

Antimicrobials are naturally occurring molecules, often produced by microorganisms, that help prevent infection and sepsis. However, microbial biofilms—surface-attached communities encased in an extracellular polymeric matrix—play a critical role in antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Bacteria within biofilms can exhibit 10–1,000-fold higher resistance than their planktonic counterparts, making infections difficult to treat. Of particular concern is the emergence of resistance to high-tier, last-resort antibiotics such as linezolid, which are used to treat severe multidrug-resistant infections. Resistance to these antibiotics severely limits therapeutic options and increases morbidity and mortality, highlighting the urgent need to develop strategies to disrupt biofilms and curb the escalating AMR crisis.

National Collaborators:

University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore; Garrison University, Lahore,  Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore, Bajwa Hospital Lahore

International Collaborators:

China Agricultural University Beijing

Relevant Publications:

1. Hanif, Quratulain, Muhammad Izhar Shafi, Parvez Khan, Zia Ullah, and Tufail Shah. "Enhancing Growth and Yield of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using Organic and Inorganic Phosphatic Fertilizers: Enhancing Growth and Yield of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)." TSF Journal of Biology 3, no. 1 (2025): 49-62.

Wadood, H. Z., Latif, A., Mukhtar, H., Javed, M., Mukhtar, H. and Rehman, Y. 2021. Planktonic cells of Staphylococcus and Bacillus species capable of faster chromium reduction in short incubation times as compared to their biofilms. Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 14:1797. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-08226-5

2. Saba, Rehman, Y., Ahmed, M. and Sabri, A. N. 2019. Potential role of bacterial extracellular polymeric substances as biosorbent material for arsenic bioremediation. Bioremediation Journal, 23(2): 72-81. https://doi.org./10.1080/10889868.2019.1602107.

3. SammanIkram, Adam Heikal, Sarah Finke, Antje Hofgaard, Yasir Rehman, AnjumNasimSabri, Ole Andreas Økstad. 2019. Bacillus cereus biofilm formation on central venous catheters of hospitalised cardiac patients. Biofouling, 35(2): 204-216. https://doi.org./10.1080/08927014.2019.1586889.

4. Tanvir, R., Javeed, A. and Rehman, Y. 2018. Fatty acids and their amide derivatives from endophytes: New therapeutic possibilities from a hidden source. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 365(12):fny114. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsle/fny114

5. Tabassum, R., Shafique, M., Khawaja, K. A., Alvi, I. A., Rehman, Y., Sheik, C. S., Abbas, Z. and Rehman, S. u. 2018. Complete genome analysis of a Siphoviridae phage TSK1 showing biofilm removal potential against Klebsiellapneumoniae. Scientific Reports, 8:17904. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-36229-y.

6. Younas, N. S., Ali, I., Ashraf, H., & Bukhari, N. (2022). Antimicrobial potential of ethanolic leaf extracts of parkinsonia aculeate using response surface methodology. Biological and Clinical Sciences Research Journal, 2022(1).