Research Activities

Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute (ABRI) is engaged in research work for the improvement of agricultural crops using latest tools of biotechnology in collaboration with other crop institutes of Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad. Application of biotechnological tools to facilitate plant breeding is on top priority in activities of ABRI. Presently research work is being carried out on following crops in various disciplines of biotechnology indicated below:

Tissue Culture

• Sugarcane

Exploitation of somaclonal variation in redrot susceptible sugarcane varieties.

• Wheat

Exploitation of somaclonal variation in high yielding but disease susceptible wheat varieties to develop yellow and brown rust resistance.

• Rice

Development of somaclones rice genotypes and invitro screening for salinity and drought tolerance.

• Brassica

Mutation breeding and invitro screening of Brassica juncea for improved oil quality and harvest index.

• Stevia

Micro-propagation of Stevia for rapid and economical multiplication.

• Banana

Micro-propagation of banana for rapid multiplication and obtaining disease free plants.

• Potato

Micro-propagation of potato for generating disease free and high yielding plants.

Molecular Breeding

• Wheat

Molecular Marker Assisted screening of micro wheat yield trials and institutional advanced lines for drought tolerance and rust disease resistance.

• Rice

Molecular marker based screening and breeding of rice genotypes for Bacterial Blight disease resistance.

• Cotton

Detection of Cotton Leaf Curl Virus resistance in cotton genotypes and integration of disease resistance in newly developed lines through molecular assisted breeding.

• Sunflower

Marker based screening of sunflower gene pool for head rot resistance.

• Chickpea

Micro-satellite marker aided screening of chickpea germplasm against blight disease.

• Tomato

Molecular marker based screening of tomato germplasm at Vegetable research Institute for Tomato Mosaic Virus (TMV) disease.

Genetic Engineering

• Brassica

Development of transgenic brassica having improved oil quality and higher yield index.

• Cotton

Genetic engineering of cotton cultivars for integration of herbicide tolerance gene through pollen tube mediated transformation technique.

• Sugarcane

Development of genetically modified sugarcane having gene conferring tolerance to herbicide glyphosate.

• Wheat

Transgenic wheat development for the integration of synthetic glyphosate (Roundup) herbicide tolerance gene EPSPS.

Diagnostics

• GMO detection

PCR and ELISA based testing of GMO elements and gene expression in various crops.

• Bt identification & Quantification

PCR and ELISA based identification and quantification of Bt genes in cotton.

• Basmati Rice

Discrimination of basmati rice from non-basmati on the basis of molecular marker analysis.

• Purity in Rice

Molecular marker based purity analysis of basmati rice for export purposes.

• Hybrids

Confirmation of hybrid crosses on the basis of DNA fingerprints of parental genotypes.

 

Following are the experiment wise salient research activities being executed at ABRI:

 Detection and quantification of Bt toxin in various parts of cotton plant

Shakra Jamil, Rahil Shahzad, Shamsa Kanwal, M. Zaffar Iqbal

• Pollen tube pathway mediated genetic transformation for herbicide tolerant gene in cotton

Scientists involved: Imran Habib, Shahid Nazir, Shakra Jamil & M. Zaffar Iqbal

• Genetic transformation and expression analysis for drought tolerance in sugarcane

Scientists: Rahil Shahzad,  Shakra Jamil & M. Zaffar Iqbal

• Integration of modified Glyphosate Tolerance gene (EPSPS) in wheat.

Scientists involved: Imran Habib, Muhammad Waqas Jamil, M. Aslam Javed, Shakra Jamil, Sajid ur Rehman and M. Zaffar Iqbal

• Integration  of Modified Gt Gene in Brassica Juncea Through Agrobacterium Mediated Transformation Method

Scientists involved: Shakra Jamil & M. Zaffar Iqbal

• CRISPR/CAS9-Mediated Knock Out of FON4 Gene in Rice for Induction of Multi-Floret Character

Scientists involved: Shakra Jamil, Rahil Shahzad, Shamsa Kanwal, Shahid Nazir & M. Zaffar Iqbal

• Testing of Biotech Crops.

Scientists: Shakra Jamil, Rahil Shahzad, Shahid Nazir, Shamsa Kanwal & M. Zaffar Iqbal

• Identification of redrot resistant sugarcane genotypes through linked molecular markers

Scientists: Imran Habib, Muhammad Younas, M Aslam Javed, M. Jamshed Anwer and M. Zaffar Iqbal

• Identification of Cytoplasmic Male Sterile and Maintainer Lines in Onion Genotypes

Scientists involved: Shakra Jamil, Rahil Shahzad & M. Zaffar Iqbal

• Molecular Marker assisted selection of drought tolerant wheat genotypes

Scientists Involved: M. Younas, Imran Habib, Sajid-ur-Rahman and M. Zaffar Iqbal

• Multiple rust resistance gene pyramiding in wheat using linked DNA markers

Scientists Involved: Shahid Nazir, Sajid-ur-Rahman, M. Younas & Muhammad Zaffar Iqbal

• Exploitation of somaclonal variation in Wheat for yield improvement and rust resistance

Scientists: Muhammad Waqas Jamil, Sajid UR Rehman, M Aslam Javed, M Jamshed Anwer and M. Zaffar Iqbal

• Maintenance & utilization of Wheat genepool for crossing & use in tissue culture

Scientists: Muhammad Waqas Jamil, Sajid Ur Rehman, M Aslam Javed, M Jamshed Anwer, Imran Habib and M. Zaffar Iqbal

• Somaclonal variation studies in Wheat regenerations (R1 – R6)

Muhammad Waqas Jamil, M Aslam Javed, M Jamshed Anwer, Imran Habib, Sajid Ur Rehman and M. Zaffar Iqbal

• Preliminary Wheat yield trials (A-trials)

Muhammad Waseem Sabir, Muhammad Waqas Jamil, Imran Habib, M Aslam Javed, M Jamshed Anwer, Sajid Ur Rehman and M. Zaffar Iqbal

• Regular Wheat yield trials (B-trials)

• Development of drought tolerant Wheat Somaclones through tissue culture

• Effect of different media for callus induction and optimization of proficient regeneration system in Rice

• Screening of Wheat advance lines of ABRI against leaf, strip and stem rusts

• Screening of Sugarcane somaclones/lines against Red Rot under field conditions

• Utilization of DNA Markers Based on Microsatellite Polymorphism for Identification of Potato Varieties

• In-Vitro Studies in Sugarcane for Inducing Salt Tolerance

• Testing of Bio-Fertilizers / Bio-Stimulants as Reference Lab