Qualifications: 

1. PhD (Microbiology & Molecular Genetics), University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
2. M.Sc. (Botany), University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
3. B.Sc. (Botany, Zoology), Forman Christian College, Lahore, Pakistan

Research Interests: 

1. Development of synthetic genes (encoding spider toxins, Bt toxins) and their transformation into plants for developing insect resistant transgenic plants
2. Engineering plants for salt and drought stress tolerance
3. Transgenic plants for herbicide tolerance
4. Tissue culture and transformation of rice, tomato and potato

Selected Publications: 

1. Khan, M. H., Jander, G., Mukhtar, Z., Arshad, M., Sarwar, M. and Aftab, S. (2020). Comparison of in vitro and in planta toxicity of Vip3A for lepidopteran herbivores. Journal of Economic Entomology, 113(6): 2959-2971. DOI: 10.1093/jee/toaa211
2. Zafar, K., Sedeek, K., Rao, G.S., Khan, M.Z., Amin, I., Kamel, R., Mukhtar, Z., Zafar, M., Mansoor, S. and Mahfouz, M. (2020). Genome Editing Technologies for Rice Improvement: Progress, Prospects, and Safety Concerns. Front. Genome Ed.,DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2020.00005 
3. Zafar, K., Khan, M.Z., Amin, I., Mukhtar, Z., Yasmin, S., Arif, M., Ejaz, K. and Mansoor, S. (2020). Precise CRISPR-Cas9 mediated genome editing in Super Basmati rice for resistance against bacterial blight by targeting the major susceptibility gene. Front. Plant Sci., 11:575. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00575.
4. Ahmad, M., Rauf, M., Akhtar, M., Mukhtar, Z. and Saeed, N.A. (2020). Hazards of nitrogen fertilizers and methods of reducing nitrate accumulation in crop plants. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res., http://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08236-y.
5. Farooq, N., Nawaz, M.A., Mukhtar, Z., Ali, I., Hundleby, P.A.C. and Ahmad, N. (2019). Investigating the in vitro regeneration potential of commercial cultivars of Brassica. Plants, 8(12), 558; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants8120558
6. Siddiqui, H.A., Asif, M., Asad, S., Naqvi, R., Ajaz, S., Umer, N., Anjum, N., Rauf, I., Sarwar, M., Arshad, M., Amin, I., Saeed, M., Mukhtar, Z., Bashir, A. and Mansoor, S. (2019). Development and evaluation of double gene transgenic cotton lines expressing Cry toxins for protection against chewing insect pests. Scientific Reports, 2019; 9:11774 doi:10.1038/s41598-019-48188-z
7. Ahmad, N., Rahman, M., Mukhtar, Z., Zafar, Y. and Zhang, B. (2019). A critical look on CRISPR-based genome editing in crops.  Journal of Cellular Physiology, 2019: 1-17. DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29052
8. Imran, M., Barboza, A.L., Asad, S., Khalid, Z.M. and Mukhtar, Z. (2019). Expression patterns of cp4-epsps gene in diverse transgenic Saccharumofficinarum L. genotypes. PhysiolMolBiol Plants, 25(3): 779-786. DOI: 10.1007/s12298-019-00650-y
9. Rauf, I., Javaid, S., Naqvi, R.Z., Mustafa, T., Amin, I., Mukhtar, Z., Jander, G. &Mansoor, S. (2019). In-planta expression of insecticidal proteins provides protection against lepidopteran insects. Scientific Reports, 9, 6745.  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-41833-7
10. Mukhtar, Z. and Hasnain, S. (2018). Optimization of particle bombardment conditions for rice (Oryza sativa L.) transformation. Pak J Agri. Sci., 55(2): 271-278.  
11. Khan, M.O., Mahmood, M.A., Mukhtar, Z. and Ahmad, N. (2018).Chloroplasts as cellular factories for the cost-effective production of cellulases. Protein & Peptide Letters, 25: 1-7. DOI: 10.2174/0929866525666180122115210  
12. Ahmed, M., Rauf, M., Mukhtar, Z., Saeed, N.A. (2017)Excessive use of nitrogenous fertilizers: An unawareness causing serious threats to environment and human health. Environ SciPollut Res Published Online 14 Nov. 2017 (https://doi: 10.1007/s11356-017-0589-7)  
13. Niaz, A. and Mukhtar, Z. (2017). Genetic modifications of crop plants: issues and challenges. Genomics, 109(5-6): 494-505.  
14. Imran, M., Asad, S., Barboza, A.L., Galeano, E., Carrer, H. and Mukhtar, Z. (2017). Genetically transformed tobacco plants expressing synthetic EPSPS gene confer tolerance against glyphosate herbicide. PhysiolMolBiol Plants, 23(2); 453-460. (April, 2017) DOI 10.1007/s12298-017-0424-0
15. Mukhtar, Z. and Hasnain, S. (2017). Transgenic basmati rice transformed with the Xa21 gene shows resistance against bacterial leaf blight. Turk. J. Bot., 41(1): 1-10.
16. Naqvi, R.Z., Asif, M., Saeed, M., Asad, S., Khatoon, A., Amin, I., Mukhtar, Z., Bashir, A. and Mansoor, S. (2017). Development of a triple gene Cry1Ac-Cry2Ab-EPSPS construct and its expression in Nicotianabenthamiana for insect resistance and herbicide tolerance in plants. Front. Plant Sci. 8:55. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00055
17. Javaid, S., Amin, I., Jander, G., Mukhtar, Z., Saeed, N.A. and Mansoor, S. (2016). A transgenic approach to control hemipteran insects by expressing insecticidal genes under phloem-specific promoters. Sci. Rep. 6: 34706 DOI: 10.1038/srep34706
18. Ahmad, N. and Mukhtar, Z. (2013) Green factories: plastids for the production of foreign proteins at high levels. Gene TherMol Biol., 15 14-29Karimi, S.M., Sohail, M.N., Amin, I., Mansoor, S. and Mukhtar, Z. (2013). Molecular characterization of a new synthetic cry2Ab gene in Nicotianatabacum. Biotechnol. Lett., 35: 969-974.
19. Sohail, M.N., Karimi, S.M., Asad, S., Mansoor, S., Zafar, Y. and Mukhtar, Z. (2012). Development of broad-spectrum insect resistant tobacco by expression of synthetic cry1Ac and cry2Ab genes. Biotechnol. Lett., 34: 1553-1560.
20. Shah, A.D., Ahmed, M., Mukhtar, Z., Khan, S.A., Habib, I., Malik, Z.A., Mansoor, S. and Saeed, N.A. (2011). Spider toxin (Hvt) gene cloned under phloem specific RSs1 and RolC promoters provides resistance against American bollworm (Heliothisarmigera). Biotechnol. Lett., 33(7): 1457-1463.
21. Ghaffar,A., Khan, S.A., Mukhtar, Z., Rajoka, M.I. and Latif, F. (2011). Heterologous expression of a gene for thermostable xylanase from Chaetomiumthermophilum in Pichia pastoris GS115. Mol. Biol. Rep., 38(5): 3227-3233.
22. Haq, I-U., Chang-Xing, Z., Mukhtar, Z., Jaleel, C.A. and Azooz, M.M. (2009). Effect of physical desiccation on plant regeneration efficiency in rice (Oryza sativa L.) variety super basmati. J. Plant Physiol., 166: 1568-1575.
23. Ghaffar, A., Khan, S.A., Mukhtar, Z., Latif, F. and Rajoka, M. I.  (2009). Optimized expression of a thermostable xylanase 11 A gene from Chaetomiumthermophilum NIBGE 1 in Escherichia coli. Protein & Peptide Letters, 16(4): 356-362.
24. Asad, S., Mukhtar, Z., Nazir, F., Hashmi, J.A., Mansoor, S., Zafar, Y. and Arshad, M. (2008).  Silicon carbide whisker-mediated embryogenic callus transformation of cotton (Gossypiumhirsutum L.) and regeneration of salt tolerant plants. Mol. Biotechnol., 40(2), 161-169.
25. Khan, S.A., Zafar, Y., Briddon, R.W., Malik K.A. and Mukhtar, Z. (2006). Spider venom toxin protects plants from insect attack. Transgenic Research 15: 349-357.