Biography
I am a Research Assistant at the Institute of Space Technology (IST), Pakistan, with a strong academic and research background in biotechnology and computational biology. I holds a Master’s degree in Biotechnology, with research focused on integrating reverse vaccinology and subtractive genomics to identify novel drug and vaccine targets in Yersinia enterocolitica. My research interests include microbial pangenomics, immunoinformatics, computational drug design, and molecular dynamics simulations. I authored multiple peer-reviewed research articles and book chapters in the areas of in-silico vaccine design, microbial metabolism, and protein interaction networks. I am experienced in bioinformatics tools such as Prokka, Roary, PanX, GROMACS, and AMBER, along with hands-on expertise in molecular and microbiological techniques.
Research Interests
My research interests lie at the intersection of microbial genomics, computational biology, and therapeutic discovery. I am particularly interested in applying pangenomics and comparative genomics to understand microbial diversity, genome evolution, and the identification of conserved and strain-specific targets relevant to pathogenesis and host interaction. A central focus of my work is reverse vaccinology and immunoinformatics, where I integrate genome-scale data with epitope prediction, immune simulation, and protein structure–function analysis to design next-generation vaccines against bacterial and parasitic pathogens. I am also keenly interested in computational drug design, including molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and drug repurposing strategies to characterize protein-ligand interactions at the atomic level. Moving forward, I aim to integrate multi-omics data (genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) with in-silico modeling to advance precision therapeutics, biomarker discovery, and rational vaccine development for infectious diseases.
Areas of Expertise
1. Microbial Genomics and Pangenome Analysis
2. Reverse Vaccinology and Immunoinformatics
3. Computational Drug Design and Molecular Dynamics Simulations
4. Bioinformatics and Omics Data Analysis
5. Protein Structure–Function Analysis
6. Genome Annotation and Comparative Genomics
7. Scientific Writing, Manuscript Preparation, and Research Reporting
8. Molecular Biology and Microbiology Laboratory Techniques
9. Teaching and Academic Training at Undergraduate and Graduate Level
Member Details
Education
• MS Biotechnology from Nums
• BS biotechnology University of Sargodha
Responsibilities
• Conduct and supervise laboratory experiments in molecular biology, microbiology, and biotechnology.
• Deliver practical and theoretical classes for Bachelor level students, including lab demonstrations and academic guidance.
• Manage day-to-day laboratory operations, including organization, maintenance, and coordination of experimental activities.
• Assist in manuscript preparation, scientific report writing, and data interpretation for ongoing research projects.
• Support research documentation, record keeping, and compliance with institutional research protocols.
Current Projects
• Studying the in-silico protein mechanisms of action involved in periodontitis, with a primary focus on the therapeutic potential of thymoquinone, including molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations against inflammation- and tissue-degradation–related targets.
• Conducting in-silico drug and vaccine design studies using comparative genomics, reverse vaccinology, and immunoinformatics approaches to identify novel therapeutic and immunogenic targets.
• Ongoing computational analyses on multiple clinically and biologically important bacterial species, including:
o Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. nucleatum (ATCC 25586 and related reference strains)
o Bacteroides fragilis
o Escherichia coli (strain K-12)
o Acinetobacter baumannii (strain 1295743)
o Actinobacter varibalis
• Integrating structural bioinformatics, protein–ligand interaction analysis, and omics-driven target prioritization to support rational therapeutic and vaccine development for infectious diseases.
