Ertan Yıldırım Lab · Türkiye

Saad Zafar

PhD Fellow — researching plant biotechnology and crop improvement within the lab’s horticulture and stress-biology programmes.
Plant BiotechnologyMolecular GeneticsCrop Improvement

Biography

Saad Zafar is a PhD Fellow in the Ertan Yıldırım Lab within the Department of Horticulture and Agricultural Biotechnology at Atatürk University. His doctoral research explores plant molecular genetics, functional genomics, and antioxidant defense cascades in horticultural crops subjected to environmental stress conditions.

Research Interests

  • Plant molecular genetics and recombinant DNA screening
  • Abiotic stress physiology: cellular mechanisms of salinity and drought tolerance
  • Functional genomics, RNA-seq transcriptomics, and differential expression analysis
  • Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) and biostimulant interactions
  • Plant tissue culture and in vitro regeneration systems

Education

2023–Present · PhD

Plant Biotechnology / Horticulture

Atatürk University · Ertan Yıldırım Lab
MSc

Plant Breeding & Genetics / Biotechnology

Graduate School of Natural & Applied Sciences
BSc

Agricultural Sciences

Faculty of Agriculture

Academic Career

2023 – Present

PhD Fellow & Researcher

Atatürk University · Ertan Yıldırım Lab
Graduate Researcher

Plant Biotechnology

Department of Horticulture

Projects, Supervision & Teaching

  • Lab Abiotic Stress Trials: Conducting experimental molecular assays examining enzymatic antioxidant systems (SOD, CAT, APX) under salt and drought stress.
  • Biostimulant Assays: Evaluating organic humates and microbial bio-fertilizers on vegetable physiology.

Sustainable Development Goals

  • SDG 2: Zero Hunger — Advancing climate-resilient crop genotypes for sustainable food production.
  • SDG 13: Climate Action — Elucidating plant adaptive mechanisms against global warming and drought.
  • SDG 15: Life on Land — Soil conservation and eco-friendly biological crop inputs.

Contact

RolePhD Fellow
LabErtan Yıldırım Lab

At a Glance

RolePhD Fellow
LabErtan Yıldırım Lab
SpecializationMolecular Genetics & Stress Physiology
InstitutionAtatürk University

Scientific Profiles

AffiliationAtatürk University · Erzurum

Google Scholar Publications

Publications will appear here once a Google Scholar profile is linked.