1 - BIO-DATA AND CURRENT RESEARCH WORK OF ZAHOOR AHMED NAME ZAHOOR AHMED DESIGNATION ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR PERMANENT ADDRESS Forensic Science Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i- Azam Campus, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. MARITAL STATUS Married: Wife: Naseem, Children: Noreen, Farrah, Sehar PASSPORT NUMBER CN1150601 Booklet Number A1714764 Date of Birth April 13, 1952 E – mail [email protected] [email protected] EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS: University of Agriculture 1977 M.Sc. (Botany) Faisalabad. University of the Punjab, 1990 Ph.D. (Molecular Lahore. Biology) TRAINING and RESEARCH: 1975-1978 Research for Masters thesis on "Effect of Chlorocoline Chloride (CCC) on Protein. Carbohydrates yield of Wheat" and Post M.Sc research at the effect of CCC on the Salt tolerance of Wheat. 1979-1982 Doctoral research on "Isolation, Purification and Characterization of thymine glycol endonuclease from E. coli with Dr. S. Riazuddin at NIAB, Faisalabad, Pakistan. This was one part of doctoral research. 1982- Research for doctoral thesis on "Enzymatic repair of O-alkylated thymidine residues in DNA" with Prof. J. Laval at Institute Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, Paris, France. This was second part of doctoral research. 2 - 1983- Training on the purification of restriction endonucleases from different microorganisms, in Dr. R. J. Roberts Lab., at Cold Spring Harbor Labs., NY. USA. 1983-1985 Research on "The Purification of Restriction Endonucleases from different bacterial strains" at the Centre for Advanced Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. 1986-1987 Post Doctoral research on "The genetic manipulation of hydrocarbon biodegradation" with Prof. S. Riazuddin at Centre for Advanced Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore. 1988-1989 Post Doctoral research in Dr. Marck A. Schell's Lab. University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA. 1990-1991 Post Doctoral research on "The degradation of 2.4-Dichlorophenol and Trichloroethylene by transgenic tobacco and poplar plants, respectively". With Prof. Milton P. Gordon, Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, USA. AWARDS 1982-1983 Research fellowship from Association for Research on Cancer, (France) in the Lab. of Prof. Laval, Institute Gustave Roussy, Paris. 1988-1989 Research fellowship from USAID to conduct postdoctoral research project in the lab. of Dr. Marck A. Schell, University of Georgia, Athens, USA. 2002- Most Productive Scientist By Ministry of Science & Technology INTERNATIONAL STANDING 2004- 2007 Member Ad-Hoc Standing committee, East Mediterranean Regional Network for Human Genomics and Biotechnology established at Tehran by EMRO, WHO TRAINING COURSES ATTENDED 1981- Two week course on "Genetic Engineering and Recombinant DNA" held at Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology, Faisalabad, Pakistan. 1986- A five week course on "Recombinant DNA Techniques" at the Centre for Advanced Molecular Biology, jointly organized by CAMB 3 - and NYU Medical Centre, USA, and Max Plank Institut Zuchtungs forschung, Koln, Germany 1986- A two week training course on "Protein Techniques" at Centre for Advanced Molecular Biology, Jointly organized by CAMB and Hatfield Polytechnic , U.K. 1987- A six week training course on "Introduction to Industrial Biotechnology", organized by GBF, Braunschweig, Germany. 1991- A one month course on “Safety protection in the use of Radioactivity and Radiation”, Department of Environmental health, University of Washington, Seattle, USA. 1997- “BIOINDUSTRY”, a three month course to visit and survey Japanese bioindustry, sponsored by JICA, Japan. SUGGESTED REFERENCES: 1. Dr. J. Laval, Biochimie, Institute Gustave Roussy 39 a 53, Rue Camille Desmoulins-94800 Villejuif, (Val-de-Marne-1), France. T. No. 726-4658-643 . 2. Dr. James Hamby Director, Indianapolis—Marion County Forensic Services Agency 40 S Alabama Street Indianapolis IN 46204 USA 4 - RESEARCH EXPERIENCE: I started my research career in 1975. When I joined Dr. Feroza Baig's laboratory for my M.Sc thesis. During stay in her laboratory I worked on various aspects of effects of Chlorocholine Chloride (CCC, a synthetic growth regulator) on the growth of wheat. This work involved the use of different biochemical techniques commonly employed in research on the biochemistry of protein and DNA enzymes. After my M.Sc thesis in 1979. I joined Dr. Riazuddin's laboratory in Faisalabad to work for my Ph.D thesis on the enzymology of DNA repair. As part of my Ph.D thesis project, I spent one year in Dr. J. Laval's laboratory at Institute Gustave Roussy, Paris and four months in Dr. R. J. Roberts's laboratory at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories, New York, USA. My training in Villejuif and New York exposed me to experiences involving the use of a number of molecular biological techniques commonly used in recombinant DNA research. In 1983, when Dr. Riazuddin moved to Lahore to establish a new laboratory for advanced molecular biology at the University of the Punjab, I moved with him to Lahore and initiated a new programme of research on the biodegradation of long chain hydrocarbons. As a result of input into this programme, 60 bacterial isolates from different ecological environments in Pakistan have been collected, taxonomically identified and their potential to degrade aliphatic/aromatic hydrocarbons are being studied. In 1988, I proceeded to USA for a postdoctoral in Dr. Mark A. Schell's laboratory at UGA, Athens, Georgia, USA under financial support from USAID. During stay in Mark Schell's lab., I studied the expression and excretion of Polyglucoturonase (PGase) of Pseudomonas solanacerum. Different sequences of PGase were deleted with Ba131 to study the role of different sequences in excretion. PGase deletions were fused with alkaline phosphatase or catechol 2.3-oxygenase as reporter gene to detect translocation of deleted PGase into different compartments of E. coli and Pseudomonas. These fusions were constructed into pUC9 and excretion was studied in E. coli JM 107. The fusions were then subcloned into pRK404 (a mobilizable vector). E. coli JM 107 was transformed with these constructions and then conjugated with Pseudomonas solanacerum's PGase to determine the effect of deletions on the excretion. In 1990, I went to Seattle to study molecular biology of degradation of 2,4- Dichlorophenol and Trichloroethylene in plants in Milton P. Gordon,s laboratory. Transgenic tobacco plants were made by Agrobacterium mediated transformation of N. Tabaccum (xanthi) with a Ti vector containing two genes (2,4-DCP Hydroxylase and Catechol 2,3-dioxygenase) for the degradation of 2,4-Dichlorophenol. N. gluaca plants were also transformed with the same constructs. The degradation of 2,4-DCP and TCE was also studied in Poplar plants. Since TCE can contaminate aquifers, therefore, long root system of Poplar can present a remedy to clean the contaminated sites. All these studies were conducted in hydroponic conditions. In 1995, a project was started to study the synthesis of stress proteins induced by xenobiotics (toxic chemicals) in E. coli. The objective is to identify specific pollutants by identifying stress proteins induced by those toxic chemicals. The ultimate aim is to develop ELISA and dip-stick tests for the identification of toxic chemicals. The stress proteins are identified and purified with two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel 5 - electrophoresis. The waste of synthetic plastic poses threats to our ecosystem as well as human health. The concept of biodegradable plastic produced by microbes or plants has become a hot area for research. In 1997, production of biological polymer from bacteria was started. A number of Pseudomonas and Bacillus species were isolated which produces poly hydroxyl butyric acid (PHB) polymers. The composition is analyzed by GC and IR spectroscopy. Large-scale isolation of PHB is in process. A program was launched to upgrade the R&D activities of the Centre. Upgradation contains the capacity building programme for commercial production of value added products i.e. a) production of industrial enzymes, b) production of disease free potato seed and c) increase the number of M.Phil./ Ph.D. students to meet the demand of growing biotechnology industry. With 24 years experience of DNA analysis, a new concept of forensic DNA genotyping of evidence materials of criminal cases has been initiated after validation of SOPs. The infrastructure established at CAMB is comparable to any good laboratory worldwide. After validation, SOP’s have been implemented for casework. Similarly, cutting edge technology of single nucleotide polymorphism, y-chromosome analysis and mitochondrial DNA analysis has been initiated. These state of the art technologies are believed to improve criminal identification tremendously in future. The development of DNA database of convicted offenders has been initiated. This database will help law and order agencies in tracing the criminals and eventually reduction in crime rate is anticipated. Presently, my group of forensic science is constituted of, fivePh.D. students. Presently, involved in the development of multiplex of Y- Chromosome STR‘s which will help not only the identification of sexual offenders as well as population migration of the past. Genotyping is also being validated for the analysis of trisomy or other chromosomal abnormalities. Initiative have been made to develop a discipline of Forensic Science and Molecular Biology at University of the Punjab. Planning and Developmental Experience Construction