Dr. Zafar Iqbal | Molecular Biology | Research Excellence Award

Published on by Life Science

Dr. Zafar Iqbal | Molecular Biology | Research Excellence Award

King Faisal University | Saudi Arabia

Dr. Zafar Iqbal is a biotechnologist and academic researcher with extensive expertise in plant molecular virology, biotechnology, and bioinformatics. He obtained his PhD in Biotechnology from the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences in collaboration with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, following advanced degrees in biochemistry. Currently serving as Assistant Professor at Central Laboratories, King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia, he brings over a decade of experience in university-level teaching, research leadership, laboratory quality management, and international collaboration. His research interests encompass plant–virus–vector interactions, whole-genome and microbiome sequencing, CRISPR/Cas-based resistance development, nanoparticle-mediated stress mitigation, biofuels, and sustainable agricultural innovations. He has led and contributed to more than 25 funded research projects, including prestigious RDIA support for establishing a Hi-Tech Next Generation Sequencing facility, and has published extensively in high-impact international journals with more than 1100 citations. Dr. Iqbal actively contributes to the scientific community as a peer reviewer, trainer, and mentor, while playing key roles in ISO 17025 laboratory quality systems and capacity-building programs. Through an integrated approach combining molecular biology, computational analysis, and applied biotechnology, he continues to advance translational life science research and sustainable solutions for agriculture and environmental resilience.

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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Meryem Şenay Şengül Demirak | Molecular Biology | Women Researcher Award

Published on by Life Science

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Meryem Şenay Şengül Demirak | Molecular Biology | Women Researcher Award

Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University | Turkey

M. Senay Sengul Demirak, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics with expertise in insect molecular genetics, chemical ecology, and molecular systematics. She completed a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Virginia Tech and advanced postdoctoral training in Chemical Ecology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, where she worked on mosquito olfaction, odorant-binding proteins, and vector biology. Her academic career includes faculty roles in molecular biology laboratories, extensive teaching at graduate and undergraduate levels, and coordination responsibilities in international research and exchange programs. She has contributed to multiple research projects supported by national and international funding bodies, including NIH, FORMAS, TUBITAK, and university research coordination units, with a focus on mosquito genomics, barcoding genes, OBP gene characterization, and molecular identification of insects and macrofungi. She has supervised graduate theses in molecular taxonomy and insect genetics and has received recognitions such as scholarships from Virginia Tech, Keystone Symposia, and the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey. Her research aims to advance molecular tools for species identification and genetic analysis that support disease vector management and biodiversity studies. She remains dedicated to developing molecular biology capacity and fostering collaborative research in vector biology and genomics.

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Featured Publications

Şengül Demirak, M. Ş., & Canpolat, E. (2022). Plant-based bioinsecticides for mosquito control: Impact on insecticide resistance and disease transmission. Insects, 13(2), 162.

Sengul, M. S., & Tu, Z. (2010). Identification and characterization of odorant-binding protein 1 gene from the Asian malaria mosquito, Anopheles stephensi. Insect Molecular Biology, 19(1), 49–60.

Sengul, M. S., & Tu, Z. (2010). Expression analysis and knockdown of two antennal odorant-binding protein genes in Aedes aegypti. Journal of Insect Science, 10(1), 171.

Sengul, M. S., & Tu, Z. (2008). Characterization and expression of the odorant-binding protein 7 gene in Anopheles stephensi and comparative analysis among five mosquito species. Insect Molecular Biology, 17(6), 631–645.

Şengül Demirak, M. Ş., Işık, H., & Türkekul, İ. (2022). Molecular and morphological identification of Cortinarius eucaeruleus Rob. Henry (Subgenus Phlegmacium) from Türkiye. Anatolian Journal of Botany, 6(1), 27–33.

Demirak, M. Ş. Ş., & Türkekul, İ. (2021). Cortinarius lilacinovelatus (Agaricales, Cortinariaceae) – A new record for Turkey. Nova Hedwigia, 113(1–2), 217–227.

Sengul Demirak, M. S., Turkekul, I., & Isik, H. (2021). Conocybe romagnesii and Gerronema subclavatum (Basidiomycota: Agaricales) in the Central Black Sea Region of Turkey. Nordic Journal of Botany, 39(12).

Demirak, M. Ş. Ş., Işık, H., & Türkekul, İ. (2020). Morphological and molecular phylogeny of Cortinarius rufo-olivaceus (Pers.) Fr. (Subgenus Phlegmacium sect. Calochroi) collected from Tokat region. Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi Tarım ve Doğa Dergisi, 23(3), 600–605.