Amjad Iqbal
Personal Details |
|
| Name | : Amjad Iqbal |
| Email address | : s0561277@sms.ed.ac.uk |
| Nationality | : Pakistan |
| Postion | : PhD student (2007-2009) |
Degrees
- Graduation in Agriculture from NWFP Agricultural University Peshawar- Pakistan.
- Masters in Food Science and Technology and Post Harvest Engineering from University of Gent and Katholic University of Leuven- Belgium.
Current research interests
Presence of oligosaccharide and vitamin C metabolites in root exudates: role in allelopathy and vitamin losses.
When roots grow through soil they release soluble polysaccharides and oligosaccharides from the cell walls of the root cap and epidermis. These carbohydrates contribute to the rhizosphere, lubricate roots, signal to specific micro organism, and have an allelopathic effect on neighbouring plant roots (for example lepidimoide from cress seed mucilage). Lepidimoide was identified as an usual unsaturated disaccharide produce by the action of lyases on cell wall polysaccharide. Other substances whose metabolism is governed by enzymes located in the plant cell wall include vitamin C (ascorbate).
In the present study we shall explore the apoplastic metabolism of oligosaccharides and vitamin C in roots, release and longitivity of these metabolites in the soil and the take up of these metabolites by neighbouring plant roots, using radio labelling techniques in living plants.
Awards
- VLIR scholarship awarded by the Belgium Government for higher studies in Food.
- DHPA scholarship awarded by Edinburgh University for PhD
Publications
- Saleemullah, Iqbal A., Khalil I.A. and Shah H. 2006. Aflatoxin content of stored and artificially inoculated cereals and nuts. J. of food Chem. 98: 699-703.
- Iqbal A., Khalil I.A., Ateeq N. and Khan M.S. 2006. Nutritional quality of important legumes. J. of Food Chem. 97: 331-335.
- Shahzad K., Iqbal A., Khalil S.K., and Khattak S. 2005. Response of different chickpea (Cicer aretinum) to the infestation of pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera) with relation to tricomes. Res. J. of Agric. and Biol. Sci. 1: 120-124.
Extracurricular activities
Cricket and field hockey.