Qualifications:
- PhD (Microbiology & Molecular Genetics), University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
- M.Sc. (Botany), University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
- B.Sc. (Botany, Zoology), Forman Christian College, Lahore, Pakistan
Research Interests:
- Development of synthetic genes (encoding spider toxins, Bt toxins) and their transformation into plants for developing insect resistant transgenic plants
- Engineering plants for salt and drought stress tolerance
- Transgenic plants for herbicide tolerance
- Tissue culture and transformation of rice, tomato and potato
Selected Publications:
- 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
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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.
- 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
- 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)
- Niaz, A. and Mukhtar, Z. (2017). Genetic modifications of crop plants: issues and challenges. Genomics, 109(5-6): 494-505.
- 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
- 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.
- 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
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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