Head of Division EBD

Dr. Samina Iqbal

Dy. Chief Scientist

Mandate

As a consequence of rapid increase in population,industrialization and urbanization, Pakistan is seriously confronted by many complex and difficult environmental challenges related to air, water, soil pollutionand depleted natural resources. Up to 35% of the burden of disease is attributable to environment hazards and risk factors.Mandate of Soil &Environmental Biotechnology is to carry out research and develop technologies and productsin the context of environmental protection.

Key areas of focus:  

• Development of floating and constructed wetland technologies for treating industrial and municipal wastewaters to protect water resources, ecosystems, and human health.
• Development of NEW integrated wastewater treatments technologies.
• Restoring sites contaminated with hazardous materials using advanced bioremediation technologies.
• Development of environmentally benign products to be used in agriculture.
  • Development of indigenously formulated bio-control agents for plant diseases e.g. bacterial blight and brown spot of rice.
  • Development of third generation bio-fertilizers by incorporating promising microbial consortia to reduce the use of chemicals/to enhance crops production for sustainable agriculture and environment.
• Risk assessment and toxicology, to determine potential risks caused by the introduction of GM plants, the use of certain substances in food, feed, medicine and plant protection products etc. and chemical contaminants present in the environment.
• Livestock genomics and diagnostics

Services/Commercial Activities: 

  1-  Application of floating treatment wetlands (FTWs)and constructed wetlands (CWs) for domestic and industrial wastewater treatment

            . OGDCL sites, WASA Faisalabad, and Toyota Motors Faisalabad.

  2- Environmental monitoring

            . Analysis of drinking water, wastewater, soil, sludge and fabric etc.

  3- Toxicity testing,

            . Toxicological profiling of industrial chemicals and formulation, e.g.,pesticides and transgenic crops

  4- Biofertilizers production& sales

            . BioPower^SUPER®& Phosphorus Pool^®

  5- Animal House Facility

           . In house research facility involving lab animals