- Written by Ivan Dulgerov
Dr. Akhtar Ali
Position: CAFTA Project Leader
Department: Molecular Stress Physiology, CPSBB
Education:
PhD, 2016: Plant Molecular Biology, Gyeongsang National University, South Korea
MS, 2012: Plant Molecular Biology, Gyeongsang National University, South Korea
BSc, 2009: Biotechnology, University of Malakand, KPK, Pakistan
Research Projects (accomplished)
– Molecular mechanism of ABA- and drought-signaling in plants (2017-2020),
– Functional Analysis of HKT1 in Eutrema parvula (halophyte) (2016~2018),
– Regulation of salt stress in glycophytes and halophytes (2013~2016),
– Role of HKT1 in Halophytic behavior of Thellungiella salsuginea (halophyte) (2010~2013)
– Molecular connection between phytohormone ABA and flowering time in Arabidopsis (2018~2021).
Technical Skills
• Plant species of expertise: Arabidopsis, Thellungiella salsuginea (halophyte), Thellungiella parvula (halophyte), Nicotiana benthamiana.
• CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing,
• Generation of Transgenic plants (Arabidopsis and T. salsuginea),
• Genotypic and phenotypic analysis of transgenic plants,
• Abiotic stress responses in plants including High Salinity, Cold, Drought (and ABA),
• DNA, RNA and Protein isolation and purification (Plants and Bacteria),
• Cloning, Microbial Cells culturing and Transformation techniques,
• RT and qRT-PCR, Ch-IP assay, Western blotting, Confocal microscopy,
• Protein-protein interaction; Co-Immunoprecipitation, Y2H, BiFC and Luciferase assay,
• Bioinformatics – Sequence retrieval & alignment, Similarity searches, NEB Cutter tool.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:
-
Zareen S., Ali A., Park J., Kang S.M., Lee I.J., Pardo J.M., Yun D.J., Xu Z.Y. (2025)
-
HOS15 impacts DIL9 protein stability during drought stress in Arabidopsis. New Phytolologist. DOI: 10.1111/nph.20398. (IF 8.3)
-
-
Ali A., Zareen S., Park J., Khan HA., Lim CJ., Bader ZE., Hussain S., Chung WS., Gechev T., Pardo JM., Yun DJ.(2024)
-
ABI2 promotes flowering by inhibiting OST1/ABI5-dependent FLC activation in Arabidopsis. Journal of Experimental Botany. 75(8): 2481–2493. (IF 6.9)
-
- Ali A., Petrov V., Yun DJ., Gechev T. (2023)
- Revisiting plant salt tolerance: Novel components of the SOS-pathway. Trends in Plant Science. 28: 1060–1069. (IF 22.012)
- Khan N.Z., Ali A., Ali W., Aasim M., Khan T., Khan Z., Munir I. (2023)
- Heterologous expression of bacterial dehydrin gene in Arabidopsis thaliana promotes abiotic stress tolerance. Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-023-01358-w. (IF 3.90)
- Hussain T., Shoaib M., Shah B., Ali A., Ullah A., Alenezi F., Gechev T., Farman Ali F., Syed I. (2022)
- Deep learning-based model for plant lesion segmentation, subtype identification, and survival probability estimation. Frontiers in Plant Science.13: 1095547. (IF 6.627)
- Zareen S., Ali A., Lim C.J., Khan H.A., Park J., Xu Z.Y., Yun D.J. (2022)
- The transcriptional corepressor HOS15 mediates dark-Induced leaf senescence in arabidopsis. Frontiers in Plant Science. 13: 828264. (IF 6.627)