Wheat Biotechnology Lab
Lab Incharge: Dr. Rizwana Maqbool
Contact Information: 0333-5360536, rizwana.maqbool@uaf.edu.pk
For Detail CV click here: 
The Wheat Biotechnology Lab is dedicated to advancing wheat germplasm with higher yields, enhanced nutritional value, and resilience to both biotic and abiotic stresses. Due to recent shifts, Pakistan has gone from being wheat self-sufficient to importing wheat to meet the demands of the growing population. Terminal heat tolerance is a complex trait that adversely affects grain yield and lower concentration of iron and zinc which lead to malnutrition, yet remains relatively unaddressed. Through collaboration with Washington State University, Pullman, USA, facilitated by Dr. Kulvinder Gill, our lab has received valuable wheat germplasm to aid in this mission. Initially, material was introduced and tested at UAF (2021-22) with late sowing in the first week of January for heat screening. Out of 30 shared lines, five lines showed a very tolerant behavior against terminal heat stress when we compared the 100-grain weight and yield of these lines with our local material sown at the same time (Figure 1). Our observations made on this material regarding data and agronomic traits also showed that variation is present which is under trials at different locations of Pakistan for stability and uniformity. Leveraging conventional plant breeding alongside cutting-edge biotechnological tools such as CRISPR-Cas, we are focusing on biofortified, stress-resistant, and climate-resilient wheat lines development. Our key objectives include developing heat stress tolerant, climate-resilient wheat, enhancing yield and quality, and genome editing for improved starch and rust resistance, grain weight, and high zinc and iron contents.
Selected Publications
TITLE :
(1). Morphological diversity and traits association in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
(2). An ethylmethane sulfonate mutant resource in pre-green revolution hexaploid wheat
(3). Heat shock protein and aquaporin expression enhance water conserving behavior of citrus under water deficits and high temperature conditions
(4). Evaluation of citrus rootstocks against drought, heat and their combined stress based on growth and photosynthetic pigments
(5). Heritability, genetic gain and detection of gene action in hexaploid wheat for yield and its related attributes
(6). Mitigation effects of selenium on accumulation of cadmium and morpho-physiological properties in rice varieties
(7). Climate change and citrus
(8). Selection of Pakistani and CIMMYT wheat lines for better grain yield and quality
(9). Genome wide analysis of citrus sinensis heat shock proteins
(10). Nanobioremediation of insecticides and herbicides
(11). Pedigree and SSR data analysis reveal dominant prevalence of few parents in pedigrees of Pakistani wheat varieties
(12). Comparative phylogenomic insights of KCS and ELO gene families in Brassica species indicate their role in seed development and stress responsiveness
(13). Male sterility systems and their applications in hybrid wheat breeding
(14). Genotyping-by-Sequencing Based Molecular Genetic Diversity of Pakistani Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Accessions
(15). Biochemical base of resistance in citrus against canker disease
(16). American-European Journal of Agric
(17). Optimization of Regeneration and Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation Protocols for Bi and Multilocular Varieties of Brassica rapa
(18). Advances in Molecular Markers to Develop Soybean Cultivars with Increased Protein and Oil Content
(19). Genetic Inheritance of Stripe Rust (Puccinia Striiformis) Resistance in Bread Wheat Breeding Lines at Seedling and Maturity Stages
(20). Identification and characterization of morphophysiological and yield-oriented traits for drought improvement in wheat.
The Wheat Biotechnology Lab is dedicated to advancing wheat germplasm with higher yields, enhanced nutritional value, and resilience to both biotic and abiotic stresses. Due to recent shifts, Pakistan has gone from being wheat self-sufficient to importing wheat to meet the demands of the growing population. Terminal heat tolerance is a complex trait that adversely affects grain yield and lower concentration of iron and zinc which lead to malnutrition, yet remains relatively unaddressed. Through collaboration with Washington State University, Pullman, USA, facilitated by Dr. Kulvinder Gill, our lab has received valuable wheat germplasm to aid in this mission. Initially, material was introduced and tested at UAF (2021-22) with late sowing in the first week of January for heat screening. Out of 30 shared lines, five lines showed a very tolerant behavior against terminal heat stress when we compared the 100-grain weight and yield of these lines with our local material sown at the same time (Figure 1). Our observations made on this material regarding data and agronomic traits also showed that variation is present which is under trials at different locations of Pakistan for stability and uniformity. Leveraging conventional plant breeding alongside cutting-edge biotechnological tools such as CRISPR-Cas, we are focusing on biofortified, stress-resistant, and climate-resilient wheat lines development. Our key objectives include developing heat stress tolerant, climate-resilient wheat, enhancing yield and quality, and genome editing for improved starch and rust resistance, grain weight, and high zinc and iron contents.
Selected Publications
TITLE :(1). Morphological diversity and traits association in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
(2). An ethylmethane sulfonate mutant resource in pre-green revolution hexaploid wheat
(3). Heat shock protein and aquaporin expression enhance water conserving behavior of citrus under water deficits and high temperature conditions
(4). Evaluation of citrus rootstocks against drought, heat and their combined stress based on growth and photosynthetic pigments
(5). Heritability, genetic gain and detection of gene action in hexaploid wheat for yield and its related attributes
(6). Mitigation effects of selenium on accumulation of cadmium and morpho-physiological properties in rice varieties
(7). Climate change and citrus
(8). Selection of Pakistani and CIMMYT wheat lines for better grain yield and quality
(9). Genome wide analysis of citrus sinensis heat shock proteins
(10). Nanobioremediation of insecticides and herbicides
(11). Pedigree and SSR data analysis reveal dominant prevalence of few parents in pedigrees of Pakistani wheat varieties
(12). Comparative phylogenomic insights of KCS and ELO gene families in Brassica species indicate their role in seed development and stress responsiveness
(13). Male sterility systems and their applications in hybrid wheat breeding
(14). Genotyping-by-Sequencing Based Molecular Genetic Diversity of Pakistani Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Accessions
(15). Biochemical base of resistance in citrus against canker disease
(16). American-European Journal of Agric
(17). Optimization of Regeneration and Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation Protocols for Bi and Multilocular Varieties of Brassica rapa
(18). Advances in Molecular Markers to Develop Soybean Cultivars with Increased Protein and Oil Content
(19). Genetic Inheritance of Stripe Rust (Puccinia Striiformis) Resistance in Bread Wheat Breeding Lines at Seedling and Maturity Stages
(20). Identification and characterization of morphophysiological and yield-oriented traits for drought improvement in wheat.