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My research covers the area of improvement of fiber quality characteristics of cotton plants. Fiber quality and yield is the ultimate goal of my research especially in area of gene transformation. There are two ways to enhance fiber quality goal via plant breeding of fiber improved varieties or to boast the fiber quality of plants via genetical modification. In this research methodology was adopted to transfer two genes, one from Calotropis procera species and other from Gossypium species, in order to improve the fiber parameters of cotton plants. The results have been promising in view that they show increased expression of CpEXPA3 as well as GhEXPA8 mRNA ultimately boosting fiber length, fiber strength and fiber micronaire values, increased boll size and cotton yield. The results of this study support the idea that improving agricultural performance by altering fiber expansin genes is feasible.

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Postdoc Fellow and Research AssociatePlant Biotechnology LabNational Centre of Excellence in Molecular BiologyUniversity of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.

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