I am an accomplished Food Biotechnologist/Biochemist with expertise in the structural elucidation of exopolysaccharides from lactic acid bacteria, fermented foods, and their interactions with other biomolecules in food formulations.
I began my academic journey by pursuing a Ph.D at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran in 2017, where I conducted research in food biotechnology. Following that, I was selected as a talented student by the French Embassy in Iran and accepted as a cotutelle Ph.D student at the University of Lyon 1 (BioDyMIA research unit), France in 2019. My doctoral research focused on the structural elucidation of exopolysaccharides and their investigation with a bacteriocin and a bacterial toxin.
I successfully defended my Ph.D thesis as a biochemist at Lyon University on December 14th, 2022, as well. Currently, I am a postdoctoral researcher at Aarhus University, working under the guidance of Prof. Thomas William Seviour. Our research is part of the REThiNk project, which aims to recover extracellular polymers from wastewater treatment residuals as a new circular biopolymer. I am enthusiastic about contributing to the development of sustainable solutions for different industrial applications.
With my expertise and achievements in food biotechnology and biochemistry, I am committed to advancing my research in this field and developing innovative solutions for different industries such as food and pharmaceutical industries.
Research Interests
Structural elucidation of complex polysaccharides and their interactions with other biomolecules, Glycoscience
My Ph.D thesis is based on “Exopolysaccharide producing lactic acid bacteria for food quality and safety: effects on bacterial toxins and bacteriocins:
- Extraction, isolation, purification, and determination of structural elucidation and characterization of exopolysaccharides produced by LAB
- II. Interaction between EPS and nisin to investigate the effect of EPS on antibacterial activity of nisin
III. Interaction between EPS and E. coli toxin to investigate the effect EPS on detoxification of E. coli toxin
- IV. Simulating and validating the binding of EPS to nisin and coli toxin by docking studies”.
- Kinetic and thermodynamic studies of biomolecular interactions
Methodologies developed to investigate the affinity of either bacteriocins or microbial toxins for EPS will deserve these 2 specific objectives were developed and started in Iran and then ended up in France in 2022. This Ph.D thesis thus initiated a promising collaboration in an emerging field of food biotechnology regarding EPS-producing LAB isolation, characterization and exploitation between BioDyMIA research unit (Univ. Lyon 1 - ISARA Lyon Joined Research Unit) and industry.
