Department of Life Sciences

Research Group Title

Plant & Animal Biotechnology

Area of Research

Biotechnology, Genetic Engineering, Agriculture

Theme of Research / Goals

Plant Biotechnology, Plant Genetic Engineering, Plant Microbiology, Plant Breeding, Plant Pathology, Botany, Plant Virology

Faculty Members

Dr. Muhammad Ali, Dr. Muhammad Irfan Fareed, Dr. Quratulain Hanif, Mr. Aqib Nazar

Collaborating UMT Departments

Department of Physics, Department of Mathematics, School of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Collaborating National Institutes

Government College University, Lahore, University of Okara; University of Agriculture Faisalabad; University of Lahore; Minhaj University, Lahore. National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faisalabad

Collaborating International Institutes

McGill University, Canada; Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), Morocco; Sungkyunkwan University, Korea; University of Science & Technology, China; University of Padua, Italy. Northwest Agricultural and Forestry University, Yangling, Shanxii, China

Names of Active Senior Students

Kainat Rauf, Sana Nasim, Sadia Imran, Muhammad Imran, Muhammad Awais, Amna Mazhar.

Names of Alumni

Maria Kamran, Hania Istiaq and Nimra Hameed

Short Description of the Research Theme

Novel crop varieties play vital roles in agricultural production and are largely dependent on the exploration and application of key germplasm resources. To date, crop germplasm and variety development has relied primarily on conventional breeding strategies, which are often time-consuming and labor-intensive. With the advent of advanced plant biotechnology techniques, the time required for breeding new crop varieties and developing elite germplasms can be greatly shortened. Accordingly, this focus aims to collectively report recent achievements in the application of fast and efficient plant biotechnology technologies for genetic improvement and functional genomics studies across diverse plant species.

In parallel, animal biotechnology—particularly in livestock species—has experienced rapid progress through the application of high-throughput omics technologies. Approaches such as whole-genome sequencing (WGS), transcriptome analysis (RNA-seq), and other multi-omics strategies have significantly enhanced our understanding of genetic architecture, gene regulation, and complex traits related to productivity, disease resistance, reproduction, and environmental adaptation in livestock. These technologies provide powerful tools for accelerating genetic improvement, identifying functional genes and regulatory networks, and supporting precision breeding programs.

Therefore, this collection also welcomes studies that highlight the integration of genome sequencing, transcriptomics, and functional genomics in animal and livestock biotechnology, emphasizing their roles in accelerating breeding efficiency, improving economically important traits, and advancing sustainable agricultural systems. By bringing together advances from both plant and animal biotechnology, this focus aims to provide a comprehensive perspective on modern biotechnological strategies for agricultural innovation.

SDGs Covered

SDG 1: No Poverty; SDG 2: Zero Hunger; SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

List of 5 Relevant Publications

U Mithal, WA Metlo, A Javaid, M Yasin, MI Fareed. The Role of Pesticides in Fruit Fly Management, Balancing Efficacy and Environmental Concerns. (2025). Annual Methodological Archive Research Review, 3(6), 418-428.

Li, Yushan, Xinyi Li, Xinxin Sui, Li Liu, Quratulain Hanif, Fuwen Wang, Li Luo et al. "Rumen Epithelial Transcriptome Analysis Revealed the Regulatory Mechanism of Host Adaptation to Nitrogen Source Replacement Diet in Simmental Cattle." Food Science & Nutrition 13, no. 10 (2025): e71041.

Wasiq Ikram, Ansa Rebi, Muhammad Irfan Fareed, Mehwish Sattar, Guan Wang, Abdul Qadeer Wahla, Jinxing Zhou, Effect on biomass production and phosphorus use efficiency of maize by using citric acid amended di-ammonium phosphate fertilizer, Ecological Frontiers, Volume 44, Issue 5, 2024, Pages 909-915.

Chen Ningbo*, Xiaoting Xia*, Quratulain Hanif*, Fengwei Zhang, Ruihua Dang, Bizhi Huang, Yang Lyu et al. "Global genetic diversity, introgression, and evolutionary adaptation of indicine cattle revealed by whole genome sequencing." Nature Communications 14, no. 1 (2023): 7803.(* are the first authors)

Ali, M.., Asif, N., Pirzada, A.R. et al. Genome wide study of cysteine rich receptor like proteins in Gossypium sp.. Sci Rep 12, 4885 (2022).

H. ULLAH, “SauaedaFruticusa is Hyperaccumulator of Chromium and Lead”, JTES, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 13-17, Oct. 2022.

Ali, M., Anwar, S., Shuja, M.N. et al. The genus Luteovirus from infection to disease. Eur J Plant Pathol 151, 841–860 (2018).

Ali, M., Hameed, S. & Tahir, M. Luteovirus: insights into pathogenicity. Arch Virol 159, 2853–2860 (2014).