Shahid, Saima, Dr

Dr Saima Shahid

School of Biosciences

Lecturer

saima.shahid@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 2224318

Alfred Denny Building

Full contact details

Dr Saima Shahid
School of Biosciences
Alfred Denny Building
Western Bank
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S10 2TN

Profile

2024 ‒ present: Lecturer, University of ��«Ӱҵ, UK
2022 ‒ 2024: Assistant professor, Department of Plant Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Oklahoma State University, USA
2019 ‒ 2022: Simons Fellow for the Life Sciences Research Foundation, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, USA
2018 ‒ 2022: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, USA
2017‒ 2018: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Dept. of Molecular Genetics, Ohio State University, USA
2017: PhD, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
2010 – 2011: Bioinformatician, Bangladesh Jute Research Institute & University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
2009: MS, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
2008: BSc, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Research interests

Mobile small RNAs in interspecies communication:
Small RNA-mediated gene silencing is a powerful mechanism conserved across diverse eukaryotes including plants, fungi, and animals. Emerging evidence suggests that small RNAs function not only within an organism but can also be trafficked to other interacting organisms where they regulate ‘non-self’ gene expression. Using the parasitic plant Cuscuta, we demonstrated for the first time the evidence of such interspecies regulatory small RNAs in plant - plant communication (Shahid et al., 2018, Nature). Our goal is to understand how interspecies small RNA trafficking influences diverse host – parasite/symbiont interactions, and develop RNA-based solutions for improved parasite resistance in crops.

De novo chromatin modification and epigenetic memory in plant parasitism:
Genomes harbour many hidden regulatory elements that can influence gene expression and reshape genome structure. These include transposable elements (TEs) which are ubiquitous DNA fragments that can move within and across genomes, thereby causing structural variations/mutation. Host genomes usually repress TE activity through chromatin modifications and RNA silencing pathways. However, TEs often escape this silencing during biotic/abiotic stress and certain developmental transitions. We are interested in how TE activity and chromatin modifications shape host – parasite interactions, trigger epigenetic memory, and facilitate host/parasite adaptation.

We use bioinformatics, genomics, molecular and synthetic biology approaches to address the above research questions. For detailed information on current research projects and available positions, please visit the lab website: .

Publications

Journal articles

Liu P, Cuerda-Gil D, Shahid S & Slotkin RK (2022) . Annual Review of Genetics, 56(1), 63-87.
Shahid S (2022) . The Plant Cell, 34(5), 1429-1430.
Shahid S (2022) . The Plant Cell, 34(2), 710-711.
Shahid S (2021) . The Plant Cell, 33(4), 786-787.
Shahid S (2020) . The Plant Cell, 32(11), 3380-3381.
Shahid S (2020) . The Plant Cell, 32(9), 2665-2666.
Yates-Stewart AD, Daron J, Wijeratne S, Shahid S, Edgington HA, Slotkin RK & Michel A (2020) . Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 121, 103363-103363.
Shahid S (2020) . The Plant Cell, 32(4), 808-809.
Shahid S & Slotkin RK (2020) . Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 54, 49-56.
Shahid S (2020) . The Plant Cell, 32(2), 289-290.
Yang Z, Wafula EK, Kim G, Shahid S, McNeal JR, Ralph PE, Timilsena PR, Yu W-B, Kelly EA, Zhang H , Person TN et al (2019) . Nat Plants, 5(9), 991-1001.
Choudury SG, Shahid S, Cuerda-Gil D, Panda K, Cullen A, Ashraf Q, Sigman MJ, McCue AD & Slotkin RK (2019) . The Plant Cell, 31(4), 759-774.
Shahid S, Kim G, Johnson NR, Wafula E, Wang F, Coruh C, Bernal-Galeano V, Phifer T, dePamphilis CW, Westwood JH & Axtell MJ (2018) . Nature, 553(7686), 82-85.
Islam MS, Saito JA, Emdad EM, Ahmed B, Islam MM, Halim A, Hossen QMM, Hossain MZ, Ahmed R, Hossain MS , Kabir SMT et al (2017) . Nat Plants, 3, 16223.
Shahid S, Begum R, Razzaque S, Jesmin & Seraj ZI (2016) . Journal of Cereal Science, 71, 1-9.
Coruh C, Cho SH, Shahid S, Liu Q, Wierzbicki A & Axtell MJ (2015) . The Plant Cell, 27(8), 2148-2162.
Kwok CK, Ding Y, Shahid S, Assmann SM & Bevilacqua PC (2015) . Biochemical Journal, 467(1), 91-102.
Coruh C, Shahid S & Axtell MJ (2014) . Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 18, 87-95.
Shahid S & Axtell MJ (2014) . Methods, 67(1), 20-27.
Albert VA, Barbazuk WB, dePamphilis CW, Der JP, Leebens-Mack J, Ma H, Palmer JD, Rounsley S, Sankoff D, Schuster SC , Soltis DE et al (2013) . Science, 342(6165).
Azad AKM, Shahid S, Noman N & Lee H (2011) . Algorithms for Molecular Biology, 6(1).
Lisa LA, Elias SM, Rahman MS, Shahid S, Iwasaki T, Hasan AKMM, Kosuge K, Fukami Y & Seraj ZI (2011) . Functional Plant Biology, 38(4), 282-282.
Shahid S, Elias SM, Biswas S & Seraj ZI (2010) . Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology, 20(2), 211-223.

Chapters

Seraj Z, Elias S, Shahid S, Haque T, Malo R & Shohan MUS (2022) , Bioinformatics in Agriculture (pp. 561-586). Elsevier

Research group

Megan Adler (PBEE MS student, Oklahoma State University)

Professional activities and memberships

2023 - present: Reviewing Editor for the Frontiers in Plant Physiology journal
2019 - 2021: Assistant Features Editor for The Plant Cell journal

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School of Biosciences

School of Biosciences

Dr Saima Shahid

Journal articles

Chapters

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