On January 7th of 2019, Prof. M. Iqbal Chouhary, dean of the National Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences of University of Karachi ,ICCBS paid visit to the SKLEOC on the invitation of Prof. Guangxin Liang. He delivered a talk entitled “Natural Products and Microbial Biotechnology Based Lead Discovery” at the lecture hall of Shixian Building.
Discovery of new drugs is at the core of human health services. Prof. Chouhary’s main research focuses on the combination of traditional natural product chemistry with modern microbiology technologies, investing the biological activities of natural product derivatives via microbial methods. Through this novel technology, his group has had many intriguing discoveries in multiple classes of natural products, some of which have the potential of becoming lead compounds for new drugs. The talk was inspiring, arousing great interest among the audience. Further discussion was continued between Prof. Chouhary and the attendees on the details of biological methods after the speech.
Prof. M. Iqbal Choudhary obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Karachi in 1980, and further received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in 1983 and 1987. He pursued postdoctoral research at Cornell University from 1987-1994. He then returned to the University of Karachi and was promoted to full professor. He became dean ofthe National Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences of University of Karachi since 2008. Prof. M. Iqbal Chouhary is a world renowned natural product chemist. He is the editor in-chief of 61 books and editor in 40 books. He has raised 78 Ph.D.’s. He has published 1060 SCIs and holds 58 patents. His main publications are on mainstream natural product journals such as Journal of Natural Products, Phytochemistry, Tetrahedron and Planta Medica. He is the editor in-chief of Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry, Current Bioactive Compounds, The Natural Products Journal, The Open Bioactive Compounds Journal and editorial of Current Traditional Medicine. He is academician of the Third World Academy of Sciences, academician of the Islam World Academy of Sciences and a member of the royalsociety. In 2018, the National Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences of University of Karachi has joint with the SKLEOC in establishing an international institute. The cooperation spans visiting scholars and joint Ph.D. programs. Prof. M. Iqbal Choudhary has also become a guest researcher of the SKLEOC.
