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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Featured Publications

Saurabh Pandey | Plant Biology | Best Researcher Award

Published on by Life Science

Assist. Prof. Dr. Saurabh Pandey | Plant Biology | Best Researcher Award

Indira Gandhi Agricultural University | India

Dr. Saurabh Pandey, Assistant Professor at the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Raipur, is a distinguished plant biotechnologist with a Ph.D. in Plant Biotechnology from the National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi (awarded by JNU). His research focuses on molecular mechanisms of plant stress tolerance, RNA helicases, and genome editing for crop improvement. Dr. Pandey has made significant contributions to understanding plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, publishing over 40 high-impact research papers and book chapters in reputed journals such as Physiologia Plantarum, Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Environmental and Experimental Botany, and Functional & Integrative Genomics. He has also co-edited several international books including Toward Sustainable Plant Adaptation to Climate Change and Climate-Resilient Agriculture under CRC Press and Springer. According to verified databases, his research record reflects an h-index of 17, with over 1147 citations across 59 Scopus-indexed documents, demonstrating his strong scientific influence in plant molecular biology. Dr. Pandey’s pioneering work on the role of RNA helicases in tomato-virus interactions gained national recognition, being featured by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and covered in The Hindu and Rajya Sabha TV. His contributions exemplify innovation, leadership, and global impact in agricultural biotechnology.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid | LinkedIn 

Featured Publications

Pandey, E., Kumari, R., Faizan, S., & Pandey, S. Linking the interaction of salicylates and jasmonates for stress resilience in plants. Stress Biology. Advance online publication.

Meena, V. K., Thribhuvan, R., Dinkar, V., Bhatt, A., Pandey, S., Abhinav, Ahmad, D., Kumar, A., & Singh, A. aplotype breeding: Fast-track the crop improvements. Planta.

Kumar, P., Pandey, S., & Pati, P. K. Interaction between pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins and phytohormone signaling pathways in conferring disease tolerance in plants. Physiologia Plantarum.

Singh, S. K., Jha, R., Pandey, S., Mohan, C., Chetna, Ghosh, S., Singh, S. K., Kumari, S., & Singh, A. Artificial intelligence-based tools for next-generation seed quality analysis. Crop Design, 100094.

Dev, D., Antre, S. H., Nandni, S., Pandey, S., Singh, M. K., & Singh, A. Accelerated crop domestication: Candidates, advanced tools and prospects. South African Journal of Botany, 171, 237–244.