Nasrin Moazami

Professor Nasrin Moazami, Medical Microbiologist and biotechnologist, received her Ph.D. in 1976 from the Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, in Canada. Dr. Moazami is the pioneer of biotechnology in Iran. The center that she established in 1987 is now regional reference center of Biotechnology for West and Central Asia. Dr. Moazami is also the curator of the "Persian Type Culture Collection (PTCC) ( It should be noted that PTCC project was first proposed by Dr. Bozorgmehr Vaziri the renowned Iranian microbiolgist to the IROST, but he naver had the opportunity to materialize his dream.that is an affiliated member of WFCC (The World Federation for Culture Collections since 1985) and the MIRCEN International Network since 1992, which is a collection of microorganism’s with industrial importance.

In 1986 Dr. Moazami managed a joint project of IROST (www.irost.org) with UNDP and UNESCO, evaluated “the feasibility of producing and using Bacillus thiringiensis to control malaria vectors in southern Iran”.

For decades, malaria has been under control in southern Iran. The disease has been confined to a triangular zone Hormozgan, Balouchestan and Kerman provinces encompassing the border provinces of Iran with Afghanistan and Pakistan. Although malaria was a persistent problem in this zone, eradication campaigns had always been thwarted by the cross border traffic of refugees and nomadic tribes. In 1986 Dr. Moazami isolated a local strain of Bacillus thiringiensis with high toxicity on different species of Anopheles, Aedes and Culex mosquitoes. This unique biolarvicide produced on a pilot scale within the joint project of IROST with UNDP and UNESCO.^[1] The product in collaboration of Ministry of Health was evaluated in southern part of Iran with successful results. In the next step the product was evaluated in Qeshm Island, Hormozgan province, with 1500 m2 and 100,000 population.^[2]

The microorganism was deposited in the DSMZ Culture Collection in Germany, an International Patent Center for microorganisms under Budapest treaty law. The slow releasing formulation of product was patented at the European Patent Office in 2003. The know-how of this project was transferred to a private company that is in full production capacity of 1000/T/y. since 2004.

Dr. Moazami established the Persian Gulf Biotechnology Research Center in 1995 at Qeshm Island, Iran. The Center is the first research center for applied research in marine biotechnology in country to spread awareness about the investment opportunities in Food Biotechnology, Biopharmaceuticals, Cosmetic, contract research, Training, etc., to the entrepreneurial community.

On July 27, 1995 Dr. Moazami was presented with the prestigious French Award, the "Chevalier dans I'ordre des palmes Académiques" a citation given for outstanding professional research.

In 1996 the president of Iran presented her the National Governmental Award for research.

From 1985 to 2002 she was the head of Biotechnology Research Center of IROST.^[1] At present she is the Director of the Institute of Advanced Technology^[3] of the Iranian research Organization for Science and technology as well as the Tehran MIRCEN Director.

Selected Publications

Moazami, N. (1997). Large scale production of slow release formation of Bacillus thuringiensis M-H-4 in Qeshm Island. Proceeding of Second Technical Meeting & The First Regional Conference on Combating Malaria IROST, UNDP/UNESCO.

Moazami, N. (2001). Revival of saline and Desert land, using Biofertilizers, Micorrlizae, Biopolymer supervater absorbent and Biosaline Agriculture. The first International Conference on Biotechnology application for the arid regions 9-11 April Kuwait.

Moazami, N. (2002). Biopesticides production, In: Encyclopedia of life support systems, EOLSS publishers Co. 3- Encyclopefbas of Biological physiological and Health Sciences.

Moazami,N. (2004). Application of Synchrotron Radiation System in Nanobiotechnology and Biotechnology. Proceedings of 3-Sesame Users Meeting of Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Application in the Middle East, October 11-13, Antalya, Turkey.

Moazami, N. (2004). Extremophile Culture Collection from Extreme area of Iran. Proceedings of 2nd International Congress on Traditional Medicine and Materia Media. October 4-7, Tehran, Iran.

Moazami, N. (2004). The Role of Bacillus thuringiensis H-14 In Malaria Control. The Forth Intercountry Meeting of National Malaria Programme Manages. 22-25 May, Isfahan, Iran.

Moazami, N. (2005). Controlling Malaria, The Vampire of the Technological Age. A World of science, Vol. 3, No.2. pp. 16-19.

Moazami,N. (2005). Overview of Novel Anticancer Drug Targets. Proceedings of The First International Symposium of Molecular Technology: Cell Cycle and Cell Death, Cellular and Molecular Perspectives, Basic and Clinical Aspects. July 2005, Tehran, Iran.

Moazami, N. (2007) Bioprospecting of Persian Gulf Living Resources: The Opportunities for Development of Marine Biotechnology.6th International traditional/ Complementary Medicine Conference (INTRACOM) and 3rd. International Congress on Traditional Medicine and Materia Medica (ICTMMM) Kuala Lumpur Malaysia July 17-20, 2007.

Akbar Esmaeelli, Samira Soufi, Abdolhossein Rustayan, Shila Safaiyan, Simin Mirian, Gila Fallahe and Nasrin Moazami (2007). Bioabsorption of Copper, Cobalt and Nickel by marine brown algae, Sargassum Sp. In fixed bed column. Pakistan Journal of Biological sciences, 10(21): 3919-3922.

Moazami, N. (2007). Biopesticides production, Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems, Vol. 6 (Industrial Biotechnology). EOLSS publishers Co.

Moazami, N. (2010) Biological Control, Comprehensive Biotechnology, Vol.6 Elsevier publisher, The Netherlands.

Moazami, N. , Ranjbar, R., Ashori, A., Tangestani, M., Sheyki Nejad, A. (2011). “Biomass and lipid productivities of marine microalgae isolated from the Persian Gulf and the Queshm Island”, in Biomass and Bioenergy, Elsevier publisher, The Netherlands.

Book:

Introduction to biotechnology research and development (in Persian), Tehran, 1994

Marine Biotechnology (in Persian), Tehran, 2010

External links

http://www.irost.org/en/biotechnology/staff.asp?code=2

unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001391/139181e.pdf

http://www.emro.who.int/rbm/meetings-ira04-participants.htm

http://lib.bioinfo.pl/auid:4656124

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Countries unite against malaria". UNESCO Natural Sciences Portal (UNESCO). May 2005. http://www.unesco.org/science/archives_may_05.shtml. Retrieved 30 October 2010. 
2. ^ "Controlling malaria, the vampire of the technological age". A World of Science (UNESCO). April–June 2005. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001391/139181e.pdf. Retrieved 30 October 2010. 
3. ^ "Middle East Connections". Chemical & Engineering News. 28 January 2008. http://pubs.acs.org/cen/science/86/8604sci1.html. Retrieved 30 October 2010.