KAM-School of Life Sciences
Extension Number: 519
Office Number: S-442

BRIEF PROFILE
Dr. Muhammad Irfan is a Professor of Biotechnology/Molecular Biology at the Forman Christian College (A Chartered University)’s Kauser Abdulla Malik School of Life Sciences. He has a vast experience of 15 years at FCCU in the field of biotechnology. His research interests include the genomics, recombinant DNA Technology, development of transgenics and climate smart agriculture. Dr. Irfan also has an extensive research experience and has published twenty-eight research articles in national and international journals.

EDUCATION

• PhD in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore
• Masters in Botany, University of Arid Agriculture, Rawalpindi

RESEACH & PUBLICATIONS

1. Waheed Z, Iqbal S, Irfan M, Jabeen K, Ilyas N and Al-Qahtani, WH. 2024 Isolation and characterization of PGPR obtained from different arsenic-contaminated soil samples and their effect on photosynthetic characters of maize grown under arsenic stress. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 
2. Mohsin S, Irfan M, Malik KA and Maqbool A. (2023). Metabolic Engineering of Wheat for Enhanced Vitamin B6 to Combat Hidden Hunger. Plant Mol Biol Rep. 
3. Rehman HM, Sajjad M, Ali MA, Gul R, Irfan M, Naveed M, Bhinder MA, Ghani MU, Hussain N, Said ASA, Al Haddad AHI, Saleem M. (2023). Identification of NS2B-NS3 Protease Inhibitors for Therapeutic Application in ZIKV Infection: A Pharmacophore-Based High-Throughput Virtual Screening and MD Simulations Approaches. Vaccines (Basel). Jan 5;11(1):131. doi: 10.3390/vaccines11010131. PMID: 36679976; PMCID: PMC9862652.
4. Irfan, M., Iqbal, S., Farooq, U., Tasneem, T., Maqbool, A. and Waheed, A. (2023). Comparative biochemical attributes of maize varieties to salt stress. Advancement of Life Sciences (Accepted)
5. John E, Irfan M, Ali SF, Maqbool A, Bashir A and Malik KA. (2022). Development of low lignin eucalyptus camaldulensis through down regulation of endogenous cinnamoyl CoA reductase (CCR) Pakistan Journal of Botany 55(3): DOI: (36)
6. Mohsin S, Irfan M, Saeed A, Malik KA, Maqbool A (2022). Enhanced expression of PDX1 accumulates vitamin B6 in transgenic wheat seeds. Journal of Cereal Science, 107: 103502
7. Ijaz, S., Vivian, M., Maqbool, A., Irfan, M., Mehnaz, S., Malik K.A. and Bashir, A. (2022). Stacking of Hordeum vulgare vacuolar sodium/proton antiporter and a bar gene in wheat for salt and herbicide tolerance. Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology 
8. Khaliq, A., Ravindran, R., Afzal, S., Jena, P.K., Akhtar, M.W., Ambreen, A., Wan, Yu-Jui Y., Malik, K.A., Irfan, M. and Khan, I.H. (2021) Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis and Correlation with Blood Biomarkers in Active-Tuberculosis in Endemic Setting. Plos One PONE-D-20-24483R2
9. Akhtar A, Irfan M, Maqbool A and Malik K.A. (2021). A study of PTF1 interaction with phosphorus stress inducing genes and its influence on root architecture of transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana. Advancement of Life Sciences 8(3): 210-214.
10. Razzaq A, Zafar M M, Li P, Qun G, Deng X, Ali A, Hafeez A, Irfan M, Liu A, Ren M, Shang H, Shi Y, Gong W and Yuan Y. (2021). Transformation and Overexpression of Primary Cell Wall Synthesis-Related Zinc Finger Gene Gh_A07G1537 to Improve Fiber Length in Cotton. Frontiers in Plant Sciences. 12:777794. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2021.777794
11. Akhtar, A., Rizvi, Z., Irfan, M., Maqbool, A., Bashir, A. and Malik, K.A. (2020) Biochemical and morphological risk assessment of transgenic wheat with enhanced iron and zinc bioaccessibility, Journal of Cereal Science, 91: 102881
12. Hasnain A, Irfan M, Bashir A, Maqbool A & Malik K.A. (2020). Transcription Factor TaDof1 Improves Nitrogen and Carbon Assimilation Under Low-Nitrogen Conditions in Wheat. Plant Molecular Biology Reporter 38: 441–451
13. Abid, N., Khatoon, A., Maqbool, A., Irfan, M., Bashir, A., Asif, I., Shahid, M., Saeed, A., Brinch-Pedersen, H. and Malik, K.A. (2017). Transgenic expression of phytase in wheat endosperm increases bioavailability of iron and zinc in grains. Transgenic Res 26: 109.
14. Razzaq, A., Shamsi, S., Nawaz, A., Irfan M. and Malik K.A. (2016) Identification of Shiga toxin producing E. coli from raw meat. Pure and Applied Biology. 5(2): 255-262
15. Hussain, A., Afzal, A., Irfan, M. and Malik, K.A. (2015). Molecular Detection of Aflatoxin Producing Strains of Aspergillus Flavus from Peanut (Arachis hypogaea). TURJAF. 3(5): 335-341.
16. Afzal, A., Hussain, A., Irfan, M. and Malik, K.A. (2015). Molecular diagnostics for foodborne pathogen (Salmonella spp.) from poultry. Adv. Life Sci. 2(2): 91-97.
17. Razzaq, A., Irfan, M., Mohsin, M. And Malik, K.A. (2013). Molecular diagnostics of foodborne pathogens. Pure Appl. Bio., 2(2): 69-75.
18. Akhter, S., Saeed, A., Irfan, M. and Malik, K.A. (2012). In vitro dephytinization and bioavailability of essential minerals in several wheat varieties. Journal of Cereal Science 56: 741-746.
19. Zahur, M., Maqbool, A., Irfan, M., Jamal, A., Shahid, N., Aftab, B. and Husnain, T. (2012). Identification and characterization of a novel gene encoding myb-box binding zinc finger protein in Gossypium arboreum. Biologia Plantarum. 56 (4): 641-647.
20. Rao, A.Q., Irfan, M., Saleem, Z., Nasir, I.A., Riazuddin, S. and Husnain, T. (2011) Overexpression of the phytochrome B gene from Arabidopsis thaliana increases plant growth and yield of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). J Zhejiang Univ-Sci B (Biomed & Biotechnol). 12(4): 326-334.
21. Maqbool, A., Abbas, W., Rao, A.Q., Irfan, M., Zahur, M., Bakhsh, A., Riazuddin,S. and Husnain, T. (2009) Gossypium arboreum GHSP26 enhances drought tolerance in Gossypium hirsutum. Biotechnology progress. 26(1):21-25.
22. Qaisar, U., Irfan, M., Maqbool, A., Zahur, M., Barozai, M.Y.K., Rashid, B., Riazuddin, S. and Husnain, T. (2009) Identification, Sequencing and Characterization of a stress induced homologue of Fructose Bisphosphate Aldolase from Cotton. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 1(90): 41-48.
23. Zahur, M., Maqbool, A., Irfan, M., Barozai, K, M. Y., Qaiser,U.,Rashid, B., Husnain, T. and Riazuddin, S. (2009) Functional Analysis of Cotton Small Heat Shock Protein Promoter Region in Response to Abiotic Stresses in Tobacco Using Agrobacterium-Mediated Transient Assay. Molecular biology reports. 36:1915–1921
24. Zahur, M., Maqbool, A., Irfan, M., Barozai, M.Y.K., Rashid, B., Riazuddin, S. and Husnain, T. (2009). Isolation and functional analysis of cotton universal stress protein promoter in response to phytohormones and abiotic stresses. Molecular Biology 43(4): 628-635.
25. Maqbool, A., Zahur, M., Irfan, M., Barozai, M.Y.K., Rashid, B., Husnain, T. and Riazuddin, S. (2008) Identification and expression of six Drought responsive transcripts through differential display in Desi Cotton (Gossypium arboreum). Molecular Biology 42 (4): 559-565.
26. Barozai, M.Y.K., Irfan, M., Yousaf, R., Ali, I., Qaisar, U., Maqbool, A., Zahoor, M., Rashid, B., Hussnain, T. and Riazuddin, S. (2008) Identification of micro-RNAs in cotton. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry. 46 (8-9): 739-51.
27. Maqbool, A., Zahur, M., Irfan, M., Qaiser, U., Rashid, B., Husnain, T. and Riazuddin, S. (2007) Identification, Characterization and Expression of Drought related alpha-Crystalline Heat Shock Protein gene (GHSP26) from Desi Cotton (Gossypium arboreum L.). Crop Sci.2007; 47: 2437-2444.
28. Irfan, M., Husnain, T., Tricker, P.J., Taylor, G. and Riazuddin S. (2005). Gene-Chip Technology and Its Application. Pakistan Academy of Sciences. 42(3): 199-204.