Usman Asghar, MSc.
Job Position: PhD student - Department of Aquatic Microbial Ecology (AME)
Phone:
387 775 894
E-mail:
usman.asghar@hbu.cas.cz
Web:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Usman-Asghar-2?ev=hdr_xprf
Room:
145
My primary research interest is in understanding the ecological roles of flagellated and ciliated protists (microbial eukaryotes) in aquatic ecosystems. Specifically, my work focuses on exploring their diversity, seasonal dynamics, and trophic interactions, including bacterivory, predation, herbivory, and selective grazing, as well as the influence of environmental factors on these processes. I am also investigating the evolution of key groups of flagellated protists, primarily from freshwater lakes and reservoirs. To study these abundant but still poorly understood organisms, I employ a broad range of microscopic techniques, including quantitative protargol staining (QPS), fluorescence staining, CARD-FISH, and FLB tracer techniques, alongside molecular approaches such as cloning, amplicon sequencing, and metagenomics. Additionally, I am working on the establishment of monoclonal cultures of ciliates and flagellates from different strata of freshwater lakes. These cultures allow me to investigate their life strategies through laboratory experiments and to study their genomes in detail.
Employment
Research student in Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS), Czech Republic (2022-Till now).
Research student in Lab of Protozoology, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China (2018-2022).
Educational Qualifications
MPhil. in Zoology from Department of Zoology University of Gujrat, Pakistan (2014-2017).
MSc. in Zoology from Department of Zoology University of Gujrat, Pakistan (2012-2014).
| Total found: 3 records
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Asghar U.,
Mukherjee I., Sonntag B.,
Pires de Paula C.,
Kasalický V.,
Bulzu P.,
Singh A.,
Shabarova T., Piwosz K.,
Šimek K. (2025) Morphological and molecular analyses of season-specific responses of freshwater ciliate communities to top-down and bottom-up experimental manipulations. mSystems
10
: e00304-25. DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00304-25 |
|
Mukherjee I.,
Bulzu P.,
Boukheloua R., Asghar U.,
Park H.,
Henriques Vieira H.,
Chiriac M.,
Kasalický V.,
Znachor P.,
Rychtecký P.,
Salcher M.,
Šimek K.,
Haber M.,
Ghai R. (2025) Cultivation, genomics, and giant viruses of a ubiquitous and heterotrophic freshwater cryptomonad. The ISME Journal
19
: wraf271. DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wraf271 |
|
Šimek K., Asghar U., Sonntag B.,
Kasalický V.,
Shabarova T.,
Mukherjee I. (2025) New lineage of scuticociliates dominates the ciliate community and bacterivory in hypolimnetic waters of a freshwater reservoir.. The ISME Journal
19
: wraf148. DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wraf148 |
