Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences
Researches AntiBacter Research Group

AntiBacter Research Group

AntiBacter Research Group

The AntiBacter Research group is mainly working on AMR in bacterial isolates from human, animals and the surrounding environment to establish any possible link between the three as triad of One Health, that helps in understanding the disease and resistance transmission from one host to another.  The group is also working on antibacterial therapies like phage therapy, antibacterial compounds, CRISPR/CAS and the synthetic sRNA based antibacterials. The group is also investigating the zoonotic potential of various bacterial infections, the resistome and virulence profiling of the MDR bacterial strains. Details of our projects can be found on antibacter.pk

 

Group Lead           

Dr. Fazal Adnan         

Dr. Adnan is PhD in Molecular Microbiology from University of Giessen, Germany and currently serving as Head of Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology at ASAB, NUST. He is leading the AntiBacter group since 2015 and has acquired several national and international research grants. Currently there are two international and two national projects running in the lab.

Lab Members

PhD Scholars 

Amna Jalil, Sidra Hafeez, Hira Niaz, Gul Naz, Hira Ikram, Hafiza Toba Tahir

MS Scholars

Mustafa Naeem, Kanwal, Sumera, Abeera, Muhammad Osama

Research Associates:

Aqsa Ahsa, Quratulain Farooq, Misha Zaib

Research Focus

1.Investing the antibiotic resistance and zoonotic potential of avian and bovine pathogenic E. coli

2.Phage therapy; molecular characterization of bacteriophages to use them against bacteria

3.CRISRP-CAS mediated genome excision to target virulence/antibiotic resistance genes

4.Silencing of the bacterial toxins/virulent genes of E. coli via synthetic sRNA

Research Grants Awarded

International Grants (total amount around 51 million PKR)

  • ZHAW Leading House research grant, Switzerland: Grant amount 35,000 CHF (12.5 million PKR) awarded as PI for the project “Therapeutic phage cocktail to control colibacillosis infection in poultry” in collaboration with Prof. Jeorge Jores, University of Bern Switzerland. Grant duration two years: Jan. 2024 – Dec. 2025)
  • HIDA Research Grant Germany: Grant amount 5.0 million PKR (17,500 USD) awarded by the Helmholtz Information and data science academy (HIDA), Germany for Investigating resistome, virulence and zoonotic potential of Mammary Pathogenic E. coli (MPEC) isolates from mastitic milk. Grant duration two years: Mar. 2023 – Dec. 2024)
  • K2A (Knowledge to Action) program, Switzerland: Grant amount 5000 CHF (1.5 million PKR) is awarded as PI by SUDAC (Swissuniversities Development and Cooperation Network) to our zoonotica.pk project where local farmers will be educated about various zoonotic infections and mitigation strategies. Grant duration one year: June. 2023 – June. 2024)
  • Genome Trackr grant FDA/FAO USA: Grant amount 40,000 USD (10.5 million PKR) awarded as member of the genome Trackr project in collaboration with Dr. Edward Dudley, PennState University USA for whole genome sequencing of 400 bacterial isolates from animals and humans. June. 2024 – Dec. 2025)
  • PEPSICO International grant: Grant amount 25 million PKR (88,000 USD) is awarded as Co-PI by PEPSICO International to improve soil health via biochar which causes soil microbial flora enrichment. Grant duration two years: Jan. 2024 – Dec. 2025)
  • K2A (Knowledge to Action) program, Switzerland: Grant amount 5000 CHF (1.5 million PKR) is awarded as Co-PI by SUDAC (Swissuniversities Development and Cooperation Network) to the “crop residue to revenue at farm (R2R)” project. 2023 – June. 2024)

 National Grants (total amount around 7.3 million PKR)

  • NUST Flagship Project: Grant amount 1.0 million PKR was awarded as PI by RIC NUST for the project “Establishment of Phage Therapy Center at NUST” Sep. 2024 to Dec. 2025.
  • NRPU grant from HEC Pakistan: Grant amount 3.1 million PKR was approved as PI by the HEC (higher education commission) for the project entitled “CRISPR-CAS3 mediated whole genome excision of the Avian Pathogenic coli (APEC); a novel strategy to combat colibacillosis in poultry birds.”
  • NRPU grant from HEC Pakistan: Grant amount 2.7 million PKR was approved as a Co-PI. Project title is “Combating biofouling in the reverse osmosis membrane via Rhamnolipids; a novel greener alternative approach”.
  • Startup HEC grant: Grant amount 0.5 million PKR was awarded by HEC Pakistan, for the project “Silencing of the antibiotic resistance gene MecA gene via a synthetic non-coding RNAs in the coli 0157”.

Honors and awards

  • NUST Start Award 2023, awarded by RIC NUST for most international projects in the calendar year 2023.
  • Best Teacher Award 2018-19 at NUST- Islamabad
  • Best Community Services award 2019-20 at NUST – Islamabad
  • Awarded DAAD Short term Fellowship Dec. 2020 for two months research stay at the Greifswald University, Germany
  • Awarded with “Talented young scientist program” (TYSP) postdoctoral fellowship at the Zhejiang University China. Sep. 2019.
  • Awarded with “DAAD fellowship” for PhD studies in Germany, 2011-2015
  • Lab rotation fellowship from GGL for Newcastle university Australia in 2012
  • Honored to attend South Asian Youth convention, 2005 at New Delhi, India.

Awards as Research Supervisor

  • Rector Gold Medal for the best BS FYP (Final year project) year 2018-19
  • Rector Gold Medal for the best BS FYP (Final year project) year 2021-22
  • Best project for the SDG-2 “Zero Hunger” at FICS 2022, with cash prize.
  • Best project at ASAB Open House four-time winners (2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2025)

 Selected Publications published from Antibacter lab

  • Niaz, H., Skurnik, M. & Adnan, F*. (March 2025) Genomic and proteomic characterization of four novel Schitoviridaefamily phages targeting uropathogenic Escherichia coli Virol J 22, 83 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-025-02691-0 (IF 4.0)

 

  • Hafeez S, Rasool Z, Hafeez S, Paracha RZ, Adnan F*. (Oct. 2024) Imidazolium, pyridinium and pyrazinium based ionic liquids with octyl side chains as potential antibacterial agents against multidrug resistant uropathogenic  coli. Heliyon. 24;10(22):e39829. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39829.

 

  • Hafeez S, Zafar Paracha R, Adnan F*. (Jan 2024) Designing fragment-based inhibitors with improved activity against  coliAmpC β-lactamase compared to the conventional antibiotics. Saudi J Biol Sci. 2024 Jan;31(1):103884. doi: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2023.103884. Epub 2023 Nov 25. PMID: 38125736; PMCID: PMC10730856. (IF 7.14)

 

  • Syeda Hadeesa Kazmi, Sidrah Hafeez, Fazal Adnan, Mudassir Iqbal, (May 2024) Synthesis, evaluation, and in silico studies of imidazolium and pyridinium-based ionic liquids with Dioctyl succinamic acid anion for enhanced antibacterial applications, J. of Molecular Liquids, Volume 401, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2024.124714

 

  • Maria Kanwal, Fazal Adnan*, Rao Khushnood, Amna Jalil, (April 2024), Biomineralization and corrosion inhibition of steel in simulated bio-inspired self-healing concrete, Journal of Building Engineering, 108224, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2023.108224 (IF 6.4)

 

  • Jalil A, Masood S, Ain Q, Andleeb S, Dudley EG, Adnan F*. (Jun. 2023) High resistance of fluoroquinolone and macrolide reported in the Avian Pathogenic E. coli (APEC) isolates from the humid subtropical regions of Pakistan. J Glob Antimicrob Resist. 8:S2213-7165(23)00012-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgar.2023.01.009 . (IF 4.03)
  • Maria Kanwal, Rao Arsalan Khushnood, Amna Jalil, Fazal Adnan*, (March. 2023) Assessment of the MICP potential and corrosion inhibition of steel bars by biofilm forming bacteria in corrosive environment, Cement and Concrete Composites, Volume 137, ISSN 0958-9465, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2023.104937. (IF 9.70)
  • Nafeesa Shaheen, Rao Arsalan Khushnood, Fazal Adnan, ( 2023) Feasibility assessment of newly isolated calcifying bacterial strains in self-healing concrete, Construction and Building Materials, Volume 362, 2023, 129662, ISSN 0950-0618, doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.129662. (IF 7.6)
  • Jalil, A.; Gul, S.; Bhatti, Adnan, Fazal*. (Dec. 2022) High Occurrence of Multidrug-Resistant  coliStrains in Bovine Fecal Samples from Healthy Cows Serves as Rich Reservoir for AMR Transmission. Antibiotics 2023, 12, 37. doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12010037 (IF 5.2)
  • Elias Eger, Michael Schwabe, Lukas Schulig, Fazal Adnan, Katharina Schaufler (July 2022) Extensively drug-resistantKlebsiella pneumoniae counteracts fitness and virulence costs that accompanied ceftazidime-avibactam resistance acquisition, Microbiol Spectr. 2022 Jun 29;10(3):e0014822. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.00148-22. Epub 2022 Apr 18. PMID: 35435751; PMCID: PMC9241641. (IF 9.05)

 

  • Javariya Shirazi, Quratul Ain, Sher Jamal Khan, Amna Jalil, Fazal Adnan* (Mar. 2022) Targeting Acyl Homoserine Lactones (AHLs) by the Quorum Quenching Bacterial Strains to Control Biofilm Formation in Pseudomonas Aeruginosa. Saudi J. Biol sciences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.10.064 (IF 4.05)

 

  • Abdullah S, Ain Q, Jalil A, Khan D, Khan A, Qasim M, Badshah M, Adnan F*. (May. 2022) Silencing of Curlin Protein via M13 Phagemid-mediated Synthetic sRNA Expression Reduces Virulence in the Avian Pathogenic coli (APEC). Curr Microbiol. 14;79(4):105. doi: 10.1007/s00284-022-02791-y. PMID: 35157141 (IF 2.3)

 

  • Adnan*, Amna Jalil, Tahir Ahmed, Afra Rahman, Nawal Dawood, Muhmmad Faisal, Sebastian Guenther. (Aug. 2021) TRAP-T transporter TakP; a key player in resistance against selenite-induced oxidative stress in Rhodobacter sphaeroides. J. Microbiological Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micres.2021.126828 (IF 5.45)

 

  • Abubakar Siddique, Sara Azim, Amjad Ali, Fazal Adnan, Abdur Rahman* (Nov. 2021) Lactobacillus reuteri and Enterococcus faecium from poultry gut reduce mucin adhesion and biofilm formation of cephalosporin and fluoroquinolone-resistant Salmonella enterica (Accepted in Animals) (IF 3.35)

 

  • Qurrat ul ain, Amir Ali Shah, Fazal Adnan, and Malik Badshah. (Dec. 2019) Starved Spirodela polyrhiza and Saccharomyces cerevisiae: A Potent Combination for Sustainable Bioethanol Production” Biomass Conv Bioref doi:10.1007/s13399-019-00540-z. (IF  02)

 

 

  • Fazal Adnan, Weber and G. Klug, (2015) The sRNA SorY confers resistance during photooxidative stress by affecting a metabolite transporter in Rhodobacter sphaeroides. RNA biology 12:5, 569-577. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15476286.2015.1031948 (IF 5.65)

 

  • Nuss, A.M., Adnan, L. Weber, B.A. Berghoff, J. Glaeser & G. Klug, (2013) DegS and RseP homologous proteases are involved in singlet oxygen dependent activation of RpoE in Rhodobacter sphaeroides. PloS One 8: e79520. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0079520(IF 3.75)