QAU Faculty | Microbiology | Prof. Dr. Javid Iqbal Dasti

Functional Genomics and Epidemiology of ESKAPE Pathogens

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Javid Iqbal Dasti was selected by the German Research Foundation (DFG) to work under the supervision of Prof. Dr. med. Uwe Gross in the Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Goettingen for his doctoral research work. The project focused on the functional genomics of C. jejuni, particularly Signature Tagged Transposon Mutagenesis. During his post-doctoral work at the University of Goettingen, novel genes of C. jejuni related to motility, chemotaxis, and invasion were identified. In the year 2009, Dr. Dasti joined the Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), at the Medical Centre-University of Freiburg and worked for one year in close collaboration with Prof. Dr. Patrick Trieu-Cuot from Pasture Institute Paris, under the mentorship of Prof. Dr. med. Philipp Henneke. An independent project written by Dr. Dasti on the multiple aspects of C. jejuni pathogenesis was submitted to DFG that was awarded in the year 2009, as a part of a research consortium, that led to a close collaboration with Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Stefan Bereswill in the Institute of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Dr. Dasti joined the Department of Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad as an Assistant Professor in the year 2011. His work at Quaid-i-Azam University mostly focused on the virulence and drug resistance of ESKAPE pathogens. Research work progressed through collaborations, joint publications and student exchange with Prof. Dr. Betsy Foxman, Professor of Epidemiology and director of the Center for Molecular and Clinical Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases at the University of Michigan, USA. Also, a close collaboration was established with Prof. Dr. Simon C Andrews, Professor of Molecular Microbiology in the School of Biological Sciences (SBS) at the University of Reading, United Kingdom leading to student exchange and several joint publications supported by Commonwealth split-site PhD program. The personal interest of Dr. Dasti in virology initiated some research work in his, Department that achieved collaboration and student exchange with Honorable Nobel laureate Prof. Charles M Rice at Rockefeller University and Prof Jacob George, Storr Professor of Hepatic Medicine at the Storr Liver Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney. Dr. Dasti published his work in leading research journals including BMC Infectious Disease, Infection and Drug Resistance, Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland), PLOS ONE, Journals of Microbiology Society, of the United Kingdom. Most of his research work at QAU is supported by collaborative research grants. The focus of the current research is the epidemiology of ESKAPE pathogens. During last 12 years at QAU, Dr. Dasti supervised 7 PhD and 77 M. Phil dissertations.

Selected Publications

Usman M, Marcus A, Fatima A, Aslam B, Zaid M, Khattak M, Bashir S, Masood S, Rafaque Z, Dasti JI. Synergistic Effects of Gentamicin, Cefepime, and Ciprofloxacin on Biofilm of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Infect Drug Resist. 2023 Sep 6;16:5887-5898. doi: 10.2147/IDR.S426111. PMID: 37692466; PMCID: PMC10485136. JCR IF 4.33

Noreen A, Masood H, Zaib J, Rafaque Z, Fatima A, Shabbir H, Alam J, Habib A, Noor S, Dil K, Dasti JI. Investigating the Role of Antibiotics on Induction, Inhibition and Eradication of Biofilms of Poultry Associated Escherichia coli Isolated from Retail Chicken Meat. Antibiotics (Basel). 2022 Nov 19;11(11):1663. doi: JCR IF 5.7

IMTIAZ, W., SYED, Z., RAFAQUE, Z., ANDREWS, S. C. & DASTI, J. I. 2021. Analysis of Antibiotic Resistance and Virulence Traits (Genetic and Phenotypic) in Klebsiella pneumoniae Clinical Isolates from Pakistan: Identification of Significant Levels of Carbapenem and Colistin Resistance. Infect Drug Resist, 14, 227. JCRIF 4.323

IMTIAZ, W., DASTI, J. I. & ANDREWS, S. C. 2021. Draft genome sequence of a carbapenemase-producing (NDM-1) and multidrug-resistant, hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae ST11 isolate from Pakistan, with a non-hypermucoviscous phenotype associated with rmpA2 mutation. J Glob Antimicrob Resist, 25, 359-362. JCRIF 3.611

RAFAQUE, Z., ABID, N., LIAQAT, N., AFRIDI, P., SIDDIQUE, S., MASOOD, S., KANWAL, S. & DASTI, J. I. 2020. In-vitro Investigation of Antibiotics Efficacy Against Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Biofilms and Antibiotic Induced Biofilm Formation at Sub-Minimum Inhibitory Concentration of Ciprofloxacin. Infect Drug Resist, 13, 2801. JCRIF 4.332

JALIL, I., ARSHAD, M., KHAN, S. & DASTI, J. I. 2020. PNPLA3 and TM6SF2, but Not MBOAT7, Are Associated with Steatosis and HBV Viral Persistence in Pakistani Population. Jundishapur J Microbiol, 13. JCRIF 1.499

JALIL, I., ARSHAD, M., KHAN, S. & DASTI, J. I. 2020. The STAT4 and not the IFNL3 variant is associated with hepatitis B virus clearance in a population from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan. Arab J Gastroenterol, 21, 91-94. JCRIF 1.541

ALI, I., RAFAQUE, Z., AHMED, I., TARIQ, F., GRAHAM, S. E., SALZMAN, E., FOXMAN, B. & DASTI, J. I. 2019. Phylogeny, sequence-typing and virulence profile of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains from Pakistan. BMC Infect Dis, 19, 1-9. JCRIF 3.401

ARSHAD, M., JALIL, I., RAZA, A., MALIK, S. & DASTI, J. I. 2019. Novel polymorphism in the promoter region of HLA-DQB1 is a predictor of anti-HCV therapy response. Jundishapur J Microbiol, 12. JCRIF 1.499

RAFAQUE, Z., DASTI, J. I. & ANDREWS, S. C. 2018. Draft genome sequence of a multidrug-resistant CTX-M-15 β-lactamase-producing uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolate (ST131-O25b-H30) from Pakistan exhibiting high potential virulence. J Glob Antimicrob Resist, 15, 164-165. JCRIF 3.611

ALI, I. & DASTI, J. I. 2018. Chikungunya virus; an emerging arbovirus in Pakistan. J Pak Med Assoc, 68, 252-7. JCRIF 0.929

KAUSAR, A., ANWAR, S., SIDDIQUE, N., AHMED, S. & DASTI, J. I. 2018. Prevalence of avian influenza H9N2 virus among wild and domesticated bird species across Pakistan. Pak J Zool, 50, 1347-1354. JCRIF 0.768

NAEEM, A. H., MUMTAZ, S., HALEEM, A., QAZI, M. A., MALIK, Z. A., DASTI, J. I. & AHMED, S. 2017. Isolation and molecular characterization of biosurfactant-producing bacterial diversity of Fimkassar oil field, Pakistan. Arab J Sci Eng, 42, 2349-2359. JCRIF 1.71

ALI, I., RAFAQUE, Z., AHMED, S., MALIK, S. & DASTI, J. I. 2016. Prevalence of multi-drug resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli in Potohar region of Pakistan. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed, 6, 60-66. JCRIF 1.545

DASTI, J. I. 2016. Zika virus infections: an overview of current scenario. Asian Pac J Trop Med, 9, 621-625. JCRIF 2.285

JALIL, I., ARSHAD, M., RAFAQUE, Z., RAZIQ, F., WAZIR, R., MALIK, S. & DASTI, J. I. 2016. Seroprevalence of HDV among non-hospitalized HBsAg positive patients from KPK-region of Pakistan. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed, 6, 609-613. JCRIF 1.545

ULLAH, R. W., ZAHUR, A. B., LATIF, A., DASTI, J. I., IRSHAD, H., AFZAL, M., RASHEED, T., MALIK, A. R. & QURESHI, Z.-U.-A. 2016. Detection of peste des petits ruminants viral RNA in fecal samples of goats after an outbreak in Punjab province of Pakistan: A longitudinal study. Biomed Res Int, 2016. JCRIF 3.362

ALSUHAIBANI, E., KIZILBASH, N., MALIK, S., DASTI, J., AL BELADI, F. & EL-MORSHEDI, N. 2016. Polymorphisms in promoter regions of IL-6 and IL-10 genes in breast cancer: a case-control study. Genet Mol Res, 15, 56. JCRIF 0.765

ALI, I., RAFAQUE, Z., AHMED, S., MALIK, S. & DASTI, J. I. 2016. Prevalence of multi-drug resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli in Potohar region of Pakistan. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed, 6, 60-66. JCRIF 1.545

ULLAH, S., DASTI, J. I. & MALIK, S. 2015. Descriptive epidemiology of hereditary musculoskeletal and limb defects in the isolated population of Chitral, North-West Pakistan. Res J Med Sci, 31, 1047. JCRIF 0.754

ULLAH, R. W., ZAHUR, A. B., LATIF, A., IQBAL, J., ZAHRA, D. R. & SAEED-UL-HASSAN, K. 2015. Mild form of peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) in Pakistan. Pak J Zool, 47. JCRIF 0.768

FAHIM, H., DASTI, J. I., ALI, I., AHMED, S. & NADEEM, M. 2014. Physico-chemical analysis and antimicrobial potential of Apis dorsata, Apis mellifera and Ziziphus jujube honey samples from Pakistan. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed, 4, 633-641. JCRIF 1.545

BERESWILL, S., FISCHER, A., PLICKERT, R., HAAG, L.-M., OTTO, B., KüHL, A. A., DASTI, J. I., ZAUTNER, A. E., MUñOZ, M. & LODDENKEMPER, C. 2011. Novel murine infection models provide deep insights into the “menage a trois” of Campylobacter jejuni, microbiota and host innate immunity. PLoS One, 6, e20953. JCRIF 3.788

TAREEN, A. M., DASTI, J. I., ZAUTNER, A. E., GROß, U. & LUGERT, R. 2011. Sulphite: cytochrome c oxidoreductase deficiency in Campylobacter jejuni reduces motility, host cell adherence and invasion. Microbiology, 157, 1776-1785. JCRIF 2.871

DASTI, J. I., TAREEN, A. M., LUGERT, R., ZAUTNER, A. E. & GROß, U. 2010. Campylobacter jejuni: a brief overview on pathogenicity-associated factors and disease-mediating mechanisms. Int J Med Microbiol, 300, 205-211. JCRIF 4.768

TAREEN, A. M., DASTI, J. I., ZAUTNER, A. E., GROß, U. & LUGERT, R. 2010. Campylobacter jejuni proteins Cj0952c and Cj0951c affect chemotactic behaviour towards formic acid and are important for invasion of host cells. Microbiology, 156, 3123-3135. JCRIF 2.871

DASTI, J.I., GROß, U., POHL, S., LUGERT, R., WEIG, M. AND SCHMIDT-OTT, R. 2007. Role of the plasmid-encoded tet (O) gene in tetracycline-resistant clinical isolates of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli. J Med Microbiol, 56, 833-837. JCRIF 2.836

Bibliotek-Dokumente

Supervised M. Phil Dissertation

· Beta-lactamase Producing Multi-drug Resistant Uropathogenic E. coli Prevalent in non Hospitaized patients.

· Optimization and Screening of purA, gyrB, recA Genes in MDR uropathogenic Escherichia coli.

· Prevalence of Multidrug Resistant E. coli in Commercial Poultry Meat.

· Detection of Molecular Factors Encoding Carbapenems and Colistins resistence in Klebsiella pneumonia.

· Prevalence and Molecular Characteristics of Avian Inflluenza viruses in Non-Vaccinated Bird Species.

· Effect of sub-inhibitory Concentration of Eurofloxacin and Colistin on Biofilm Forming ability of E. coli isolated from

Retail Poultry Meat.

· Effect of Sub-inhibitory Concentrations of Ciprofloxacin on Biofilm forming ability of

Kebsiella pneumoniae and E. coli.

· Seroprevalence and Molecular Detection of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale from poultry.

· Effect of sub-inhibitory Concentrations of Colistin on Biofilm Forming ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

· Prevalence of Drug Resistance against Carbapenem encoded by Integron-borne bla_VTM Gene in Clinical and

Environmental Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

· Effect of Sub-minimal Inhibitory Concentrations of Ciprofloxacin on Biofilm Forming ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

· Screening of feoB, iutA, fyuA Genes in Clinical Isolates of Uropathogenic E. coli.

· Phenotypic Detection of AmpC Beta-lactamases in Multi- drug Resistant Uropathogenic E. coli.

· Screening of Drug Efflux Pump genes and qnr genes in Multi-drug resistant Clinical Isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae.

· Seroprevalence of anti-HCV Ab Associated with Demography and Consanguinity of Thalessemia patients in Rawalpindi

· /Islamabad region.

· Effect of Sub Inhibitory Concentration of Ceftriaxone and Gentamicin on Biofilm Forming Ability of avian E. coli isolated

From Commercial Poultry Meat.

· An In vitro Comparative Study of Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Properties of Different Honey Samples from Pakistan.

· Molecular Screening of fimbrial genes (PapEF, PapGII, PapGIII) and Siderophore associated factor (FyuA) in

· Carbapenem and Cephaloporin Resistance Avian Pathogenic E. coli.

· Prevalence of drug-Resistance in Uropathogenic E. coli strains collected from non-hospitalized patients.

· Detection of HDV Co-infection with HBV and HCV in non-hospitalized patients.

· Risk factors associated with HBV prevalence in KPK Region of Pakistan.

· Screening of the Virulence Genes in ESBLs producing E. coli Isolates from Commercial Poultry meat.

· In vitro Efficacy of Levofloxacin and Gentamicin on the biofilm formation and screening of bla_SHV and bla_TEM genes

in ESBL producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates.

· Deciphering Anaplasmosis of Small Ruminants in KPK, Pakistan.

· Detection of Carbapenamases in Clinical Isolates of Klebsiella pneumonia.

· Prevalence of β-lactamases producing Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria

Associated with Urinary Tract Infection

· Screening of the Genes Encoding Adhesins, Toxins and Capsules of Uropathogenic E. coli.

· Prevalence of Acute Hepatitis in Non- Hospitalized patients of KPK Region in Pakistan.

· Seroprevalence of Mycoplasma gallisepticum, Mycoplasma synoviae , Samonella gallinarium and

· Salmonella pullorum in different poultry flocks.

· Screening of bla-_OXA-I and bla-_TEM Genes in Fluoroquinolone Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

· Effect of Flouoroquinolones and Aminogycoside on the Biofilm Formation of Uropathogenic E. coli.

· The role of bla_-IMP Gene in Drug-resistant Clinical Isolates of Pseudomonas.

· Screening of fimH and pap/F Genes in Clinical Isolates of Uropathogenic E. coli.

· Molecular Epidemiology of Morbillivirus Associated with Pest-des Petits in small ruminants.

· In-vitro Efficacy of Ceftazidime on the biofilm formation and screening of bla-_OXA and bla-_CTXMGenes in

ESBLs producing K. pneumoniae Isolates.

· Prevalence of higher level of resistance against Trimethoprim and Gentamicin in Uropathogenic E. coli.

· Screening of papA and papC Genes in clinical Strains of Uropathogenic E. coli.

· Detection of LAT, CMY, ACT-1 and BIL-1, AmpC β-lactamase in uropathogenic E. coli.

· Optimization and Screening of adk, fumC and Icd genes in Clinical Isolates of Multi-resistant Uropathogenic E. coli.

· Prevalence of Ceftriaxone Resistance in Extended spectrum β-lactamases in Multi-drug resistant Uropathogenic E. coli.

· Field Epidemiology Survey of Different Infections Prevalent in Small and Large Ruminants in Kahuta region.

· The Effect of sub/minimal Inhibitory Concentrations of Levofloxacin on The Biofilm Forming ability of

Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

· Effect of Ceftriaxone and Gentamicin on the Biofilm Forming ability of Kebsiella pneumonia.

· Production of Killed and live attenuated Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD) Vaccine.

· Detection of Virulence Associated Factors in Uropathogenic E. coli from Non-hospitalized patients.

· Molecular identification of multiple virulence factors in Hypervirulent strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae.

· Screening of qnrA, qnrB and qnrS genes in quinolone-resistant E. coli.

· Genetic screening of bla-_FOX and bla-_DHAAmpC β-lactamase Gene in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli.

Conferences:

Candida and Candidiasis today: Where are we, and where to go? (IFOCAN) 2005, Germany.

September 25-28, 2005. Annual Meeting of German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology and the Association for General and Applied Microbiology (VAAM), Germany.

Horizons in Molecular Biology. Decoding Nature: Hierarchy of Interactions. March 17-19, 2005. Goettingen, Germany.

October 4th 2006, Annual Meeting of German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology, Germany.

September, 2-5. 2007, 14th International workshop on Campylobacter, Helicobacter and Related Organisms, Zoonosis and public health, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

October 30th - November 4 2007, Annual Meeting of German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology and Federation of European Microbiological Societies, Germany.

Annual scientific meeting Indonesian association of clinical microbiology 17-27 March 2008, Indonesia.

25th Symposium in Jena, 2-3, June 2008, Campylobacter infection, Germany (verbal presentation).

Flow-jo-Seminar 23. April, 2009, University of Freiburg, Germany

2010, WHO Symposium Hannover, Germany

March 26- 30, 2012, exploring the hidden potential of Microorganisms, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and Pakistan.

February 22-23, 2013 10th Annual Conference of Infectious Diseases, Pakistan.

1^st international conference on Biotechnology, 21-25^th April 2013 at National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faisalabad Pakistan.

Poster and verbal presentation at 20^th annual meeting by Medical Research Society of Pakistan, 25^th May 2013 at Shawkat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital Lahore Pakistan.

Arranged a one-day symposium on Blood Donation “Donate to the deserving” at 8 October 2013, at Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad.

Poster presentation at 11th annual conference on infectious disease, by Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Society of Pakistan, at 14-15^th March 2014 Hotel Margala, Islamabad.

Research data (Abstract submitted w/o participation) at 24th ECCMID (European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious diseases by ESCMID (European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases) 10-13 th May 2014 at Barcelona Spain.

From 10-13th May 2014, New Challenges and Frontiers in infectious diseases, Islamabad, Pakistan (Posters & verbal presentations)

From 30 August to 4 September 2014, Session: CSI-02_Inflammation & disease (Poster), FEBS EMBO 2014 Conference, Paris, France

International Conference on Medical Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences (ICMBPS), Berlin, Germany, November 29, 2015 (verbal presentations).

Poster presentation at first international conference on advancements in Biotechnology 30^th -31^st March 2016 at GC Women University Faisalabad.

International symposium on Nano medicines: Development, Testing, and Application possibilities organized by Nanotheranostics Lab, Nuclear Medicine Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission Islamabad on 1^st March 2016.

One-day symposium on Burden of Antibiotic Resistance in Neonates Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad 29 March 2016

One-day symposium on the theme of Frontiers in Biology: From Discovery to Applications, Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad, 9 Jan 2017

Presenting poster of M.Phil. Research work entitled “Efficacy of ceftazidime and Trimethoprim on planktonic cells and biofilms of Uropathogenic E.coli” at 11^th International Biennial Conference of Pakistan Society of Microbiology 18-20 Dec 2018.

International conference on applied zoology, Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) Quaid-i-Azam University, 25^th Nov 2021

Scientific Projects and Funding

Commonwealth Research Support; 2019-2020; University of Reading, United Kingdom

Commonwealth Research Support; 2016-2017; University of Reading, United Kingdom

University Indigenous Research Fund, Year 2012-2018

URF-QAU 2012-2018

IPFP, HEC, Pakistan

Deciphering Molecular Mechanisms of virulence of Campylobacter infection, University of Göttingen, Germany (Funded by DFG).

To establish in vitro model airways to investigate the role of Toll-like receptors in mucociliary clearance and pneumococcal infection, University of Freiburg, Germany (Funded by DFG).

To investigate Interplay of TLR2 and lipoproteins in group B streptococcal sepsis, University of Freiburg, Germany (Funded by NIH, USA in collaboration with Pasteur Institute, Paris, France

Identification and characterization of Campylobacter jejuni factors relevant for the infection process, University of Göttingen, Germany (Funded by DFG, via GRK335).