Ph.D. (2002)
Punjab University Lahore - Pakistan
M.Sc. (1987)
Govt. College, Lahore.
B.Sc. (1983)
Queen Mary College, Lahore.
F.Sc. (1981)
Queen Mary College, Lahore.
Matriculation (1978 )
Govt.Girls High School. Shad Bagh, Lahore
- Ist. Position and Role of Honor from Govt. College Lahore in 1987.
- Fourth position in M.Sc (Botany) from Punjab University
- Approved HEC Ph.D supervisor
SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCES/SKILLS:
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I have expertise and command over the following techniques, methods and procedures:
- All general laboratory techniques, protocols and instrumentation.
- Microbiological techniques including isolation, purification and preservation of microbes (Fungi & bacteria)
- DNA, RNA and protein extraction and purification
- vector construction
- Screening of recombinant plasmid
- Mini and large scale plasmid preparation
- Expression of foreign gene through transformation in bacteria and yeast,
- Gene cloning.
- Site directed mutagenesis in SUI 2 gene at S51 site in yeast.
- Restriction enzyme analysis.
- Agarose and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE)
- Hybridization techniques, Southern blot analysis, Western blot analysis, Dot blot analysis, ELISA (Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay), DNA finger printing (Genetic diversity analysis of DNA by the use of PCR / RAPD-PCR), RT-PCR etc,
- Transformation of bacterial gene in plants by Agrobacterium- mediated and biolistic gun method and its expression
- Protein expression and purification.
- Experience of biotechnological techniques used for the improvement of strains (by mutation) to enhance the production of commercial important enzymes like Alkaline proteases from Bacillus thringenesis and Proteinase K from Tritirachium album.
- Characterization of toxic compounds by different bioassays, Organic and solid phase extraction of toxic compounds, Kinetic studies of toxic compounds.
- TLC, HPLC, Spectrophotometery, microscopy (light and fluorescent).
- Established protocols.for the detection of six potato viruses by ELISA
- RAPD analysis of mutated crop of potato cultivars.
- Established protocols for the” molecular characterization of transgenic crops (cotton, rice and tobacco) transformed with different Bt genes.
- Supervised the research and training program of the students enrolled in M.Phill and Ph.D in the field of biochemical, molecular biological techniques and instrumentation.
- Basic and applied plant tissue culture techniques including cell suspension, isolation of meristem, acclimatization of regenerates etc. and other plant tissue culture techniques.
- Isolation of cells/protoplasts and their viability tests
- Developed protocols for the production of synthetic seeds in carrot. for the “Production of synthetic seeds of commercially important hybrid vegetables”
- Worked on the project “detection of HCV in blood samples by RT-PCR”
Toxicology, Recombinant DNA technology, Molecular plant virology & Molecular Biological techniques (PCR, southern blot analysis, western blot analysis, ELISA etc.) to M.Phill & Ph.D students in CEMB, Lower fungi, Soil & Agricultural Microbiology, Diseases of fruit & vegetables, Plant Pathogens other than fungi, Disease resistance, Phytopathogenic bacteria, viruses, and nematodes, Phytobactoriology and recombinant DNA technology to B.Sc (Hons.), M.Sc. (Hons.), and Ph.D students in the Department of Mycology and Plant Pathology
I have sufficient experience and skill in MS Word, Power Point, Paint, Excel, Email, search for required information through Internet using various search engines like GOOGLE, YAHOO, MAMMA, MSN, NCBI, GENE BANK, PRIMER 3, REPEAT MASKER,etc.
PLANT PATHOLOGY:
Department of Biology, University College, London.
I have attended the nine months training at Department of Biology, University College, London for Plant Pathology from November 1989 to August 1990.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY:
Jawaharlal Nehru University. New Delhi, India
Training in Molecular Biology field at Jawaharlal Nehru University. New Delhi, India from 14th January to Ist February 1994.
MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY:
Faculty of Life Sciences, The University of Manchester, UK
Worked as fellowship from Jan. to May, 2007, in the University of Manchester, on the project “ Kinases that phosphorylate eIF2 and eIF2B” Funded by Biotechnology and Biological Research Council (BBSRC), UK.
Other Training
- Training course on "Expression of bacterial genes in Plants" held at National Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, Lahore, Pakistan from 10th-24th Oct, 1992.
- COMSTECH course on "Plant Tissue Culture Techniques" at National Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, Lahore, Pakistan from 10th Oct. to 10th Dec.. 1992.
- SAARC training workshop on Gene Cloning held at CEMB, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan from 29th April to 12th May 1994.
- Training course on “Maintenance of eukaryotic cell lines, transfection of eukaryote cells and its expression” held at Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore Pakistan from 26th Aug.1998 to 10th Sep.1998.
- Training course on “Awareness workshop for familiarization of teachers on farmer field school approach and training of facilitators “organized by Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, National IPM Programme NARC Islamabad from Feb. 7-9 2005 in Lahore.
- Training course on “Radiation safety awareness“ on 21st. Feb. 2007 at University of Manchester, Uk
University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
Associate Professor
Department of MicroBiology & Molecular Genetics
University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
(Department of Mycology and Plant Pathology)
Research Officer/Lecturer
Punjab University is the oldest and largest University in Pakistan established in 1882 and spread over an area of 1800 acres. The University comprises of 4 Campuses, 13 Faculties, 9 constituent colleges, 64 Departments, Centres, Institutes, and 412 affiliated colleges. It has 623 permanent faculty members involved in teaching/research and over 24000 on campus students
I worked as a Research Officer .
Duties and responsibilities:
- To teach graduate, post-graduate and Ph.D students in different techniques and instrumentation.
- To run research projects.
- To maintain and upgrade the labs.
- Member of purchase committee (for equipments and chemicals for labs.)
University of Manchester, UK
Faculty of Life Sciences, The University of Manchester, UK
I worked on the project “Kinases that phosphorylate eIF2 and eIF2B” Funded by Biotechnology and Biological Research Council (BBSRC), UK
Duties and responsibilities:
Fellowship:
(Jan.2007to May 2007)
1) Site Directed mutagenesis using the “Quickchange” method targeting residue Ser51 of the yeast Saccharomyces SUI 2 gene
2) Transformation of plasmid DNA in Bacteria (E.coli) and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae
3) Restriction edonuclease mapping of plasmids.
4) DNA sequencing determination
5) Expression and purification of proteins from E.coli using nickel affinity chromatography
6) SDS PAGE gel and western blotting detection of proteins.
7) Set up of a novel in vitro kinase reaction to crosslink kinase and substrates together using peptide and full length protein substrates and protein kinase
University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
(Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology) (CEMB)
Research Officer
(Aug, 1990 to July 2003)
I worked as a Research Officer at Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB).
Duties and responsibilities
- Genetic diversity of nine different isolates of Ascochyta rabiei varying in virulence and RAPD analysis of mutated potato cultivars.
- Worked in rice and cotton biotechnology labs. and established protocols and techniques required to confirm the GM crops
- In-charge of research and training program of the students enrolled in M.Phil and Ph.D in the field of biochemical and molecular Biological techniques.
- Developed protocols for the production of synthetic seeds of commercially important hybrid crops
- Standardized protocols for the detection of six potato viruses
- Performed duties as a co supervisor for the project “detection of HCV in blood samples by RT-PCR”
- Established commercially important enzymes production lab (alpha Amylase and Proteinase K
- Maintained and up grade labs.
- Taught graduate, post graduate, M.Phil and Ph.D students.
University College London, Gower street, London WCIE 6BT
(Department of Biology)
Research Assistant
(Nov.1989 to Aug.1990)
I worked as a research assistant at Department of Biology at University College London.
Duties and responsibilities
- Worked on the project” Chemical and molecular basis of chickpea resistance against Ascochyta rabiei”.
- Training on HPLC, TLC and microscopy (light and fluorescent)
- Isolated, purified and discovered new phytotoxic compound ”Cytochalasin D” that was new for the species, Ascochyta rabiei and conformed by NMR and mass spectrophotometery
Received training in other different techniques:
University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
(Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology) (CEMB)
Research Fellow
(May, 1988 to Nov.1989)
I worked as a Research Fellow at Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB).
Duties and responsibilities
- Research/ training in the general laboratory techniques, use and maintenance of instruments, microbiological techniques and in the bacterial, fungal and plant biotechnology lab.
(Conducted Research)
- Molecular basis of chickpea resistance against Ascochyta rabiei (granted by EEC)
- Chemical & Molecular characterization of chickpea blight. (granted by NSRDB)
- Improvement of Tritirachium album to enhance the proteinase K production. (Principle Investigator, granted by PU)
Membership of the Learned Societies:
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- Pakistan Botanical Society (life time member)
- Pakistan Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
- Mycopathological society of Pakistan (life time member)
- Phytopathological society of Pakistan (life time member)
Scientific Symposia/ Conferences:
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- International Symposium-Workshop on DNA technology in the improvement of Oil Seed Crop. November, 07-08, 1989 at NARC, Islamabad
- International Conference on Molecular aspects of Plant Microbial interactions, July 09-10, 1990 at University of Warwick, U.K.
- International Tele-communication Symposium on Plant Biotechnology in August 16-19, 1990 at NARC, Islamabad.
- SAARC Symposium workshop on the biological control of agriculturally important Plant Pests December 16-18, 1991 held at National Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, Lahore, Pakistan.
- Third International Symposium/Workshop on the Application of DNA Technology to Agriculture and Health.25th-28th Oct.1992 held at CEMB.
- Fourth International Symposium/Workshop on the Application of Molecular Biological Research in Agriculture, Health and Environment held in CEMB from 8-11 April 1995.
- International Symposium workshop on Genomics and Computational Analysis organized by the National Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, Lahore, Pakistan.(Oct. 16-18, 1997)
- Fifth International Symposium on the Application of Molecular Biological Research in Agriculture, Health and Environment held at the National Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, Lahore, Pakistan.(Oct. 14-15, 1997).
- Third Biennial conference of Pakistan Society for Microbiology organized by Departmental of Microbiology, University of Karachi in collaboration with National Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, held in Lahore. (March 28-30, 2000).
- Organized and attended and an HEC Symposium on “Awareness of Parthenium Weed”, held on 6th to 7th August 2004 at Department of Mycology & Plant Pathology, University of the Punjab, Lahore.
- Member of Organizing committee and attended HEC Workshop on “Identification and Conservation of Micromycetes”, held from 23rd to 28th August 2004 at the Department of Mycology & Plant Pathology, University of the Punjab, Lahore.
- Member of organizing committe and attended international symposium on “Biofertilizer and Biocontrol Technology” at the Department of Mycology and Plant Pathology, University of the Punjab from 25th to 17th July, 2005.
- Member of Organizing committee of workshop “Identification and Conservation of Micromycetes “held from August 20-25, 2007at the Department of Mycology & Plant Pathology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, sponsored by HEC –National Core Group Life Sciences and HEC.
- Member of Organizing committee of 3rd. International Conference on Plant Pathology & 7th. Biennial meeting of Phytopathological Society held from 19-21 November 2007. at Department of Mycology and Plant Pathology, University of the Punjab, Lahore Pakistan.
PAPERS PRESENTED TO SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS:
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- Strange, N. Richard, Alam, S. S.., Chen. Y. and Latif, Z. (1990). Current knowledge of the toxins produced by species of ascochyta. In abstract book on: Molecular aspects of Plant/ Microbial interaction at University of Warwick U.K 11-12.
- Latif, Z., Shahid, A. A. Rahman. Z. and Riazuddin, S.(1991). Molecular and chemical basis of virulance in chickpea blight caused by Ascochyta. rabiei. In proceeding of SAARC Symposium "Biologoical Control of Agriculturally Important Plant Pests" at National Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, Lahore, Pakistan pp 15-27.
- Zakia Latif; Ahmad Ali Shahid and S. Riazuddin (1995). Role of Ascochyta rabiei virulence factor in breeding resistance to chickpea in Fourth International Symposium/Workshop on the Application of Molecular Biology Research in Agriculture Health and Environmental held in CEMB from 8-11 April, 1995.
- T. Hussain, A. Jan., T. Fatima, N. Riaz, Z. Latif, A. Yasmeen, K. Malik and S. Riazuddin (2000). Transformtaion of Basmati Rice with CryIAb, CryIAc and Cry2A gene. 4th International rice genetic symposium Oct. 22-27, 2000.
- Zalia Latif (2004) Lecture/Practical on “ Mycotools of new Millennium” in HEC training workshop “Identification and Conservation of Micromycetes” held from 23-28 August, 2004 at the Department of Mycology & Plant Pathology, University of the Punjab, Lahore.
- Zalia Latif (2007). Lecture/Practical on “Characterization of fungi on molecular and biochemical basis” in training workshop “Identification and Conservation of Micromycetes” held from August 20-25, 2007 at the Department of Mycology & Plant Pathology, University of the Punjab, Lahore , sponsored by HEC –National Core Group Life Sciences and HEC.
