Research Interest

• My research activities are mainly focused on chemical and green synthesis of silver, selenium and other types of metal nanoparticles and evaluation of its biological and industrial applications. Other research interest includes investigating the role of repurposed drugs as well as drugs nano-formulations in the pathogenesis of different diseases and investigating the role of natural and synthetic compounds in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis and other immunological disorders using in vitro and in vivo models.

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Research Publications

• • Gul, A, Ahmed, D, Fazil, MM, Aslam, T, Rashid, MA, Khan, H, Ali, A, Ali, S. Biofabrication of silver nanoparticles using Spirulina platensis: In vitro anti‐coagulant, thrombolytic and catalytic dye degradation activity. Microscopy Research and Technique. 2023, May 26.
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• • Gul, A, Khan, S, Arain, H, Khan, H, Ishrat, U, & Siddiqui, M. 2022. Three phase partitioning as an efficient one step method for the extraction and purification of bromelain from pineapple crown waste. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, Aug 12
   
• • Gul, A, Khan, S, Siddiqui, M, Khan, H, Arain, H, & Ishrat, U.  2021. Extraction, Partial Purification and Characterization of Bromelain from Pineapple (Ananas Comosus) Crown, Core and Peel Waste. Brazilian archives of Biology and Technology, 64, 1-10
   
• • Gul, A, Kunwar, B, Mazhar, M, Faizi, S, Dania, A, Shah, MR, & Simjee, SU. 2018. Rutin and rutin-conjugated gold nanoparticles ameliorate collagen-induced arthritis in rats through inhibition of NF-κB and iNOS activation. International Immunopharmacology, 59, 310-317.
   
• • Mazhar, M, Faizi, S, Gul, A, Kabir, N, & Simjee, SU. 2017. Effects of naturally occurring flavonoids on ferroportin expression in the spleen in iron deficiency anemia in vivo. RSC Advances, 7(38), 23238-23245
   
• • Gul, A, Kunwar, B, Mazhar, M, Perveen, K, & Simjee, SU. 2017. N-(2-Hydroxyphenyl) acetamide: a Novel Suppressor of RANK/RANKL Pathway in Collagen-Induced Arthritis Model in Rats. Inflammation, 40(4), 1177-119.
   
• • Gul, A, Kunwar, B, Mazhar, M, Faizi, S, Dania, A, Shah, MR, & Simjee, SU. Protective Effect of Rutin and its Gold Nanoparticles on Oxidative Stress Markers and Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Production in Collagen Induced Arthritis (CIA) Model. Journal of Pharmacological and Toxicological Methods, Volume 88, Part 2, November–December 2017, 205-206.

Others

Poster Presentations

• • Maha Nizar Noorani, Hanzala Khan, Anum Gul. ‘Biosynthesis of Citrus limon zest mediated Silver Nanoparticles and Analysis of its Anti-biofilm Activity as an Endodontic Irrigant’ In: Annual Research Week 30 Nov, 2023 at DUHS Ojha Campus.
   
• • Uzma Imtiaz, Anum Gul, Hanzala Khan. ‘Bio-fabrication of Silver Nanoparticles Using Plackett- Burman Design of Experiment and Their Potential Application as an Endodontic Irrigant’ In: Annual Research Week 30 Nov, 2023 at DUHS Ojha Campus.
   
• • Zainab Najam, Tooba Aslam, Anum Gul and Nida Dastagir. ‘Attenuation of NLRP3 Inflammasome Pathway in Human Synovial Cells using Ticagrelor Nano-formulation’ In: Annual Research Week 30 Nov, 2023 at DUHS Ojha Campus.
   
• • Fatima Farrukh, Anum Gul, Humera Waheed. ‘Titanium dioxide nanoparticles as snake venom neutralizing agents’. In: 8th International Symposium- cum-Training Course on Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (MMDR- 8), Nov 27-30, 2023.
   
• • Syeda Mahnoor, Anum Gul, Humera Waheed. ‘Silver nanoparticles as snake venom neutralizing agents’ In:  8th International Symposium- cum-Training Course on Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (MMDR- 8), Nov 27-30, 2023.
   
• • Dania Arif, Humera Waheed, Anum Gul, and Mahera Moin. ‘Phytochemical Profiling and In-vitro Evalutation of Anti-snake Venom Activity of Ipomea pes caprae (Linn.)’ In: 1st 3D-Science Model and Research Poster Exhibition, DCoB, 10th January 2024

• • Anum Gul, Madiha Muhammad Fazil, Tooba Aslam, Hanzala Khan, Warisha Saeed, Anusha Siddiqui, Tabassum Hussain. ‘Biofabrication of Silver Nanoparticles and its Potential Applications: A Greener Approach for a Cleaner Future’ In: 7th DUHS-DICE Health Innovation Exhibition, 4th November 2022.
   
• • Anosha Siddiqui, Warisha Saeed, Hanzala Khan, Madiha Muhammad fazil, Fatima Anjum, Tabassum Hussain, Anum gul. ‘Green synthesis and characterization of silver Nanoparticles using Salsola imbricata and its potential antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus mutans And Lactobacillus acidophilus’ In: 3rd International Conference on Applied Biosciences organized by the Biosciences department, Mohammad Ali Jinnah University on 28-29th December, 2022.
   
• • Zainab Najam, Anum Gul, Mushtaq Hussain. ‘Potential of using danio rerio as animal model for sars-cov-2 pathogenesis’ In: 3rd International Conference on Applied Biosciences organized by the Biosciences department, Mohammad Ali Jinnah University on 28-29th December, 2022.
   
• • Nuhail Baig, Anum Gul, Dania Ahmed. ‘Green synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles and evaluation of its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties’ at BIOCON-1 2022 1st International conference of biotechnology, organized by department of biotechnology, University of Karachi on 16-17th March 2022.
   
• • Anum Gul, Bimal Kunwar, Shabana Usman Simjee, Farzana Shaheen Rutin: A Novel suppressor of RANK/RANKL pathway in Collagen induced arthritis model in rats in European Molecular Biology Organization EMBO Workshop: Chemical Biology 2020, 03–05th September 2020, Heidelberg, Germany.

Grants

• •VCSFI Grant (2022-2024) on “Targeting Overexpression of Renal Transcription Factors for the Differentiation of Human Umbilical Cord Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Renal Epithelial-like Cells
   
• •VCSFI Grant (2022-2023) on “Targeting Overexpression of Renal Transcription Factors for the Differentiation of Human Umbilical Cord Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Renal Epithelial-like Cells”
   
• •VCSFI Grant (2022-2023) on “Attenuation of NLRP3 Inflammasome Pathway in Human Synovial Cells using Ticagrelor Nano-formulation”
   
• • VCSFI Grant (2022-2023) on “Osteoinductive potential of selenium nanoparticles via regulation of oxidative stress in human umbilical cord derived-mesenchymal stem cells: A promising therapeutic approach in bone disorders”.
   
• • HEC-NRPU Grant (2021-2024) on “Development of Raloxifene-loaded self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) with enhanced bioavailability potential: A therapeutic implication in osteoporosis”.
   
• • Sindh HEC Grant (2021-2023) “Evaluation of anti-Rheumatic potential of ticagrelor in rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes via modulation of NLRP3 inflammasome’ awarded by Sindh HEC under Sindh HEC research support program”.
   
• • HEC Grant (2018-2019) “Extraction, purification and characterization of bromelain from pineapple waste”

Teaching

• I teach both undergraduate and postgraduate courses of Microbial Biotechnology, Health Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Cell and Tissue Culture, Animal Biotechnology, Genetic Resources and Conservation, Fundamentals of Biotechnology, Advances in health biotechnology.

BS Thesis Supervised

• • Biosynthesis of Citrus limon zest mediated Silver Nanoparticles and Analysis of its Anti-biofilm Activity as an Endodontic Irrigant (2023)
   
• • Bio-fabrication Of Silver Nanoparticles Using Plackett- Burman Design of Experiment and Their Potential Application as an Endodontic Irrigant (2023)
   
• • Extraction and Characterization of Bromelain from Pineapple (Ananas Comosus) Waste (2019)
   
• • Potential of Using Gallus gallus as Model Organism for SAR-CoV-2 Infection (2020)
   
• • Potential of using Danio rerio as Animal Model for SARS-CoV-2 Pathogenesis (2020)
   
• • Synthesis and Characterization of Selenium Nanoparticles and Evaluation of its Biological Properties (2021)
   
• • Synthesis and characterization of chitosan and bovine-serum albumin (BSA) stabilized selenium nanoparticles and evaluation of its biological properties (2021)
   
• • Green synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles and evaluation of its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties (2021)
   
• •Incorporation of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles and antimicrobial additives in GIC for enhanced anti-microbial activity (2022)
   
• •Synthesis, Characterization and Evaluation of Biosynthesized Silver Nanoparticles as Additives in Glass Ionomer Cement for Enhanced Anti-microbial Activity (2022)

Honors & achievements

• •Nominated for Sindh HEC training of trainers, May 2023
   
• •Conducted training session of newly hired lecturers of DUHS, June 2023
   
• •Selection in top 20 posters entitled “Bio-fabrication of Silver Nanoparticles Using Plackett- Burman Design of Experiment and Their Potential Application as an Endodontic Irrigant” In: Annual Research Week 30 Nov 2023 at DUHS Ojha Campus.
   
• •3rd Prize on poster presentation entitled “Titanium dioxide nanoparticles as snake venom neutralizing agents” In: 1st 3D-Science Model and Research Poster Exhibition, DCoB, 10th January 2024.

• •Awarded an EMBL Advanced Training Centre Corporate Partnership Programme Fellowship for attending and presenting poster in European Molecular Biology Organization EMBO Workshop: Chemical Biology 2020 03 - 05 September 2020.
   
• • HEC approved Ph.D. Supervisor.

Professional Learned Society

• • American Society for microbiology
   
• • Healthcare & Biological Sciences Research Association (HBSRA)

Research Fellowship

• • Senior Research Fellow at Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan., University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan (2014-2017).
   
• • Junior Research Fellow at Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan (2011-2013)