Department of Botany
Dr. Noshin Ilyas
About Department
The Barani Agriculture College established in 1980 and botany is being taught different semesters since then. These supported B.Sc. Agriculture strand till 1996. The College was upgraded to a university status in 1995. Since then, Botany subjects were offered at Masters level.
The department I currently is currently offering various Botany subjects in under graduate and post graduate levels in the morning as well as evening sessions. Currently about 180 students are enrolled in the morning and evening classes in the Botany. Furthermore, since the initiation of Ph.D. program in 2001, 16 students currently enrolled in the Botany department.
Our faculty in currently composed of 9faculty members out of which 6are Ph.D. and the other are M.Phil degree holders and near completion of their Ph.D. The faculty members are specialized in various fields of Botany i.e. plant physiology, taxonomy, ecology ethonobotany, plant pathology, Ecotoxicology, and environmental pollution and gene transformation they have published more than 250 research articles in national and international journals.
History
No facilities were available in the Barani area of Rawalpindi / Islamabad to cater for Botany as a subject. Initially, Barani Agricultural College had agriculture based subjects and there was a need for a basic science subjects like Botany in the newly formulated university in 1995. Keeping this in view M.Sc Botany was started in 1996.
Graduate Students
The department of Botany has produced 528 Botany graduates at Master Level, 46 M.Phil. and 9 Ph.Ds.. Schemes of studies are being constantly reviewed and updated as per HEC’s recommendations.
Research Facilities
The department has 4 research laboratories and one general laboratory for graduate students. These laboratories are well equipped with modern apparatus like HPLC, TLC, Thermocycler, phase contrast microscopes, spectrophotometers, ultra freezer, GPS, etc. All the work relevant to Plant Physiology, Plant Ecology, GIS mapping, Plant Taxonomy and Plant Microbe Interaction can easily be done in these self-sufficient labs at any level. Presently, the department is providing research facilities in all areas of medicinal plants including phyotchemistry, molecular characterization of various compounds & allelopathic screening of plant extracts, phytosociology, ethnobotany, aflatoxin and their integrated management, stress and drought physiology, gene transformation, taxonomic studies in all fields including algal and fungi for perusing M. Phil./PhD studies.
Publications
The faculty members of Botany department have published more than 300 research articles in the journal of national and international repute.
Future Planning
- Establishment of Botanical gardens
- Development of Herbarium
- Development of Phytomedicine & Tissue culture Lab.
- Establishment of Plant Biotechnology Laboratory
- Initiation of BS Program
Achievements
- Completed nine research projects funded by various agencies.
- Generation of trained manpower in the field of Botany
Faculty Members
Dr. Rahmatullah Qureshi
Dean
HEC Approved Supervisor
Phone: +9251-9292117
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Noshin Ilyas
Chairperson
HEC Approved Supervisor
Phone: 0519292117
Email: [email protected]
Dr. M. Naveed Iqbal Raja
Associate Professor
HEC Approved Supervisor
Phone: +92519290235
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Zia-ur-Rehman Mashwani
Assistant Professor
HEC Approved Supervisor
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Saira Asif
Assistant Professor
Phone: +92-51-9290093
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Khafsa Malik
Assistant Professor (TTS)
HEC Approved Supervisor
Email: [email protected]
Degree Programs
Research
Research
The department has 4 research laboratories and one general laboratory for graduate students. These laboratories are well equipped with modern apparatus like HPLC, TLC, Thermocycler, phase contrast microscopes, spectrophotometers, ultra freezer, GPS, etc. All the work relevant to Plant Physiology, Plant Ecology, GIS mapping, Plant Taxonomy and Plant Microbe Interaction can easily be done in these self-sufficient labs at any level. Presently, the department is providing research facilities in all areas of medicinal plants including phyotchemistry, molecular characterization of various compounds & allelopathic screening of plant extracts, phytosociology, ethnobotany, aflatoxin and their integrated management, stress and drought physiology, gene transformation, taxonomic studies in all fields including algal and fungi for perusing M. Phil./PhD studies.
Projects and Research
Following research projects are currently in progress:
- Exploration and ecotaxonomic screening of fodder grass from Thal Desert (Khushab) of Pakistan
- Ethnobotanical study of Mountain Range of Kalla chitta in potohar area
- Ethnobotanical survey of Thal desert, Punjab, Pakistan
- Virulence analysis of Xanthomonoas camestris p.v Sesami and pseudomonas syringe pv. Sesami, the casual organism of Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) bacterial blight
- Exploration of genetic variation under drought tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by some physiological and biochemical attributes
- Screening of mycoflora and mycotoxins from some pulses of arid region
- Isolation, characterization and beneficial effects of wheat associated plant growth promoting bacteria from different moisture regimes
- Correlation of gene expression and disease resistance in transgenic wheat with XA21 gene
- Evaluation of antioxidant activities of Berberis lyceum Royle
