Postdoctoral Scientist
Maheen Alam
Bio
I am interested in the development of durable disease resistance in major crops. My aim is to clone gene(s) that confer resistance to Phytophthora infestans from wild diploid relative of potato, Solanum americanum.
Additionally, I am working on breaking the restricted taxonomic functionality (RTF) of plant NLRs. The functional transfer Disease resistance (R) genes, NB-LRRs, in taxonomically different families has proven to be difficult. For example, transfer of an NLR Bs2 from pepper (Solanaceae family) in Arabidopsis (Brassicaceae family) failed to recognize the effector, AvrBs2 from Xanthomonas campestris (Tai et al.,1999).
“Sensor” NLRs from the Solanaceae family, including Bs2, require the NRC “helper” NLRs. We hypothesize that co-delivery of sensor and helper NLRs could break the RTF of the sensor NLRs in crops that lack their corresponding helper NLRs such as the Brassicaceae family. The functional interfamily transfer of R genes would serve as a powerful strategy for providing resistance to a broad range of pathogens.
Job history
-
2022 -
Postdoctoral Scientist
The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK -
2022 - 2022
Senior Research Assistant
The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK -
2020 - 2021
Research Scholar
Department of Horticulture and Crop Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus -
2019 - 2020
Visiting Researcher
Department of Biology, NYU Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island Campus -
2019 - 2019
Research Scholar
Department of Horticulture and Crop Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus -
2015 - 2022
PhD Student
Department of Biology, Lahore University of Management Sciences -
2014 - 2015
Research Assistant
Department of Biology, Lahore University of Management Sciences -
2012 - 2014
MPhil Student
Department of Biological sciences, Forman Christian College University, Lahore -
2012 - 2013
Research Officer
Department of Biological sciences, Forman Christian College University, Lahore -
2008 - 2012
BSc Student
Department of Biological sciences, Forman Christian College University, Lahore