Profile
Plant Metabolic Engineer, Molecular Biologist and Educator
Dr. Usman Arif is an Assistant Professor in the Seed Biotechnology Laboratory at the Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology. His research focuses on plant metabolic engineering, specialised metabolites, and the molecular regulation of biosynthetic pathways involved in plant defence and adaptation to environmental stresses. A major emphasis of his work is the identification and functional characterisation of the key genes and enzymes controlling the biosynthesis of important plant natural products, including gossypol in cotton and steroidal glycoalkaloids in potato.
His research integrates transcriptomics, metabolomics, analytical chemistry, molecular biology and genetic engineering to understand and manipulate complex metabolic pathways. A key objective is to develop strategies for rewiring metabolic networks and redirecting carbon flux toward desired compounds, while maintaining an optimal balance between the protective roles of specialised metabolites and their safety for human use.
Dr. Arif earned his PhD from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden, followed by postdoctoral research at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm. He subsequently worked as a researcher at the School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA, before joining CEMB as a faculty member. He also has biotechnology industry experience, where he contributed to developing and optimising methods for metabolite analysis using GC-MS and HPLC.
His broader research interests include functional genomics, natural-product biosynthesis, plant defence mechanisms and molecular approaches for crop improvement. Beyond his academic and research work, he enjoys sports, travel, reading and music.
Selected contributions
Science translated into capability
Rewiring plant metabolic networks
Redirects carbon flux toward target compounds while keeping specialised metabolites within limits safe for human use.
International research career
PhD at SLU Uppsala, postdoctoral research at KTH Stockholm, and a research post at the University of Arizona before joining CEMB.
Industry analytical experience
Developed and optimised GC-MS and HPLC metabolite-analysis methods in a biotechnology industry role.