Qualifications:

1. B. Sc (Hons). 1989. PBG, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
2. M. Sc (Hons). 1991. PBG, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
3. Ph. D (Plant Molecular Biology). 2005. The University of Newcastle, Australia.

Research Interests:

1. Wheat crop improvement through biotechnology: These include identification and cloning of drought, salts, rust, fertilizer use efficiency, nutritional enhancement etc genes, and their transformation, genome editing through CRISPR and testing in wheat.
2. Crop diversification through introduction of wheat exotic germplasm and selection/pyramiding for yieldtraits through molecular genomic tools.
3. Teaching biotechnology to Ph.D/M.Phil classes. Supervised: 7 PhD and 6 M. Phil students.
4. PI of several research projects awarded by HEC, PARB, IFS, PC1s on wheat (drought, salt and other traits).
5. Collaborations with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia

Research Publications: Total: 72 

1. Ahmed, M., Rauf, M., Akhtar, M., Mukhtar, Z., and Saeed, N. A. 2020. Hazards of nitrogen fertilizers and ways to reduce nitrate accumulation in crop plants. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 16 March. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08236-y.
2. Ahmad, M., Saeed, N. A., Ashraf, Y., Mukhtar, Z., Habib, I., Rauf, M and S. Mansoor. 2020. Expression of synthetic alanine aminotransferase gene improves nitrogen uptake and response in transgenic cotton. Intl. J. Agric. Biol. 23:744-750.
3. Haq, R.F.U., N.A. Saeed, M. Ahmed, Z. Arshad, S. Mansoor, I. Habib and M. Tester 2019. Barley vacuolar pyrophosphatase (HVP1) gene confers salinity tolerance in locally adapted wheat (Triticumaestivum). Intl. J. Agric. Biol., 22: 1338?1346.
4. Ahmed M, Shah AD, Rauf M, Habib I, Shehzad K, Mukhtar Z and Saeed N.A 2017.Ectopic Expression of the Leptochloafusca and Allium cepa Lectin Genes in Tobacco Plant for Resistance against Mealybug (Phenococcussolenopsis). J. of Genet and Genom 1(1):1-6.
5. Ahmed M, Rauf M, Mukhtar Z and Saeed N. A. 2017. Excessive use of nitrogenous fertilizers: an unawareness causing serious threats to environment and human health. Environ Sci. Pollut. Res (2017) 24:26983–26987.
6. Rauf, M; Saeed, N. A; Imran Habib, I; Ahmed, M; Shahzad, K; ShahidMansoor,M and Ali, R. 2016. Isolation and in silico analysis of a novel H+-pyrophosphatase gene orthologue from the halophytic grass Leptochloafusca. Journal of Molecular Structure Ref: MOLSTRUC-S-16-00019R2.
7. ShahzadK; Rauf, M; Ahmed, M, Malik, Z. A; Habib, I, Zaheer Ahmed^, Z; , Kashif Mahmood^, K, AliR, Masmoudi^, K; Lemtiri-Chlieh^, F, Gehring, C, Gerald A. Berkowitz, G. A and Saeed, N. A. 2014.Functional characterization of an intron retaining K⁺ transporter of barley reveals intron mediated alternate splicing. Plant Biology 17(4):840-851 (2014).
8. Ahmed M, Shah AD, Rauf M, Habib I, Shehzad K, Mukhtar Z and Saeed NA. 2017. Ectopic Expression of the Leptochloafusca and Allium cepa Lectin Genes in Tobacco Plant for Resistance against Mealybug (Phenococcussolenopsis). Journal of Genetics and Genomes 1(1):1-6 (2017)
9. Ahmed M, Rauf M, Mukhtar Z and Saeed NA. 2017. Excessive use of nitrogenous fertilizers: an unawareness causing serious threats to environment and human health. Environ Sci. Pollut. Res (2017) 24:26983–26987 (Springer) DOI 10.1007/s11356-017-0589-7.
10. Javaid, S; Amin, I; Jander, G; Mukhtar, Z: Saeed, N. A and Mansoor, S. 2016. A transgenic approach to control hemipteran insects by expressing insecticidal genes under phloem-specific promoters. Sci. Rep. 6, 34706; doi: 10.1038/srep34706. 2016.
11. ShahzadK; Rauf, M; Ahmed, M, Malik, Z. A; Habib, I, Zaheer Ahmed^, Z; Kashif Mahmood^, K, AliR, Masmoudi^, K; Lemtiri-Chlieh^, F, Gehring, C, Gerald A. Berkowitz, G. A and Saeed, N. A. 2014. Functional characterization of an intron retaining K⁺ transporter of barley reveals intron mediated alternate splicing. Plant Biology 17(4):840-851 (2014).
12. Ali, F., M. Ahsan, N.A. Saeed, M. Ahmed, Q. Ali, N. Kanwal, M.M. Tehseen,U. Ijaz, I. Bibi and N.K. Niazi. 2014. Establishment and optimization of callus-to-plant regeneration system using mature and immature embryos of maize (Zea mays). Int. J. Agric. Biol., 16: 111?117 (2014).
13. Nolan, K. E; Song, Y; Liao, S; Saeed, N. A; Zhang, X and Rose, R. J. 2014. An unusual abscisic acid and gibberellic acid synergism increases somatic embryogenesis, facilitates its genetic analysis and improves transformation in Medicagotruncatula. PLoS ONE 9(6) (2014).
14. Habib, I., Rauf, M., Ahmad, M., Mansoor, S., Saeed, N. A. 2014. Optimization of somatic embryogenesis and Agrobacterium mediated transformation of elite wheat (Triticumaestivum L.). Int. J. Agri. Biol. 16(6):1098-1104 (2014).
15. Zaheer, A; Saeed, N. A; Ahmed, M; Habib, I; Arslan Ashraf, M. A; Mahmood Rasool, M; Asif, M. 2014. Cloning and analysis of NBS-LRR super family of resistance (R) genes in wheat (Triticumaestivum L.). Life Sci. Journal: 11(6s):1-7.
16. Rauf, M; Shahzad, K;   Ali, R;  Ahmad, M;  Habib, I; Mansoor, M; Berkowitz,  G. A; Saeed, N. A. 2014. Cloning and characterization of Na⁺/H⁺ antiporter (LfNHX1) gene from a halophyte grass Leptochloafusca for drought and salt tolerance. Molecular Biology Reports 41(3): 1669-1682.
17. Malik, Z. A., Hensel, G; Qureshi, J. A; Mansoor, S; Sreenivasulu, N; Kumlen, J and Saeed, N. A. 2013. Improved agronomic and physiological performance of cultivar Punjab-11 derived transgenic wheat under drought stress. Jokull J: 63(9).
18. Shah, A. D., Ahmed, M., Mukhtar, Z., Khan, S. A., Habib, I., Malik, Z. A., Mansoor, S. and Saeed, N. A. 2011. Spider toxin (Hvt) gene cloned under phloem specific RSs1 and RolCpromoters provides resistance against American bollworm (Heliothisarmigera). Biotechnology Letters: 33 (7): 1457-1463.
19. Mantiri, F. R., Kurdyukov S., Lohar, D. P., Sharopova, N., Saeed, N. A., Wang, X, D., VandenBosch, K. A., and Rose, R. J. 2008. The transcription factor MtSERF1 of the ERF subfamily identified by transcriptional profiling is required for somatic embryogenesis induced by auxin plus cytokinin in Medicagotruncatula. Plant Physiology 146(4):1622-1636.
20. Nolan, K. E., Saeed, N. A. and Rose, R. J. 2006. The stress kinase gene MtSK1 in Medicagotruncatula with particular reference to somatic embryogenesis. Plant Cell Reports 25: 711-722.
21. Imin, N., De Jong, F., Mathesius, U., Noorden, G. V., Saeed, N. A., Wang, X-D., Rose, R. J and Rolfe, B. G. 2004. Proteome reference maps of Medicagotruncatula embryogenic cell cultures generated from single protoplasts. Proteomics 4(7):1883-1896.
22. Saeed, N. A., Zafar, Y and Malik, K. A. 1997. A simple procedure of Gossypium meristem shoots tip culture. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 51: 201-207.
23. M. J. Iqbal, N. Navid, Saeed, N. A and Y. Zafar. 1997. Genetic diversity evaluation of some cotton varieties by RAPD analysis. Theor. Appl. Genet. 94: 139-144.
24. Saeed, N. A., Chowdhry, M. A and Khan, M. I. 1994. Induction of callus and Organogenesis in bread wheat (T. aestivum L.) through anther culture. Pakistan J. of Agri. Research. 15 (1):108-114.