Dr Asif Khan, Assistant Professor at the Department of Environmental Sciences, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Cambridge, UK, and Harvard University, USA, has published an original article in the internationally renowned journal ‘Science’ (impact factor 34.6). The title of the research paper is ‘Phytochromes function as thermosensors in Arabidopsis’ (Science 27 Oct 2016: DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf6005).

They have discovered phytochrome B (phyB) directly associates with the promoters of key target genes in a temperature dependent manner. This paper provides a major advance and a breakthrough in the science of understanding the molecular basis of temperature responsiveness in plants. This is a major achievement for Dr Asif Khan, the Department of Environmental Sciences and the University of Peshawar.

His study of the interplay between ambient temperature and genetic variation in the control of plant growth is very important in this era of rapid climate change. His research aims at understanding how plants in different climates adapt to temperature. This is a key area of research to understand how crop yields may be safeguarded in the face of climate change. His previous paper was published in 2015 in the internationally reputed journal ‘Current Biology’ (impact factor 9.9) and was titled, ‘ELF3 controls thermoresponsive growth in Arabidopsis’.

Link:

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2016/10/26/science.aaf6005?rss=1