Dr. Salma Abdelnasser | Life Sciences | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Salma Abdelnasser has held several key positions in the Microbial Biotechnology Department, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology Division, at the National Research Center (NRC) in Cairo, Egypt. Since July 2018, she has been serving as a Researcher, where she continues to contribute to significant advancements in microbial biotechnology. Prior to this role, she was an Assistant Researcher from January 2016 to July 2018, demonstrating her growing expertise and dedication to her field. From August 2013 to January 2016, Dr. Abdelnasser worked as a Research Assistant, building her foundation in research methodologies and techniques. Her career at the NRC began as a Research Specialist, a position she held from January 2007 to August 2013. Throughout her tenure at the NRC, Dr. Abdelnasser has consistently shown a commitment to advancing genetic engineering and biotechnology.

Skills:

Dr. Salma Abdelnasser possesses a robust set of technical skills relevant to her field of expertise. She is proficient in the isolation and purification of bacterial strains from marine sediment through serial dilution and streak plate methods. Additionally, she has extensive experience in the production, isolation, and purification of bacterial exopolysaccharides (EPSs). Dr. Abdelnasser is skilled in identifying EPS-producing bacterial strains with high rates of cell death through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. She can assess the in vitro cytotoxicity of partially purified EPSs extracted from marine bacterial strains using in vitro cytotoxic assays. To confirm the proposed chemical structures of EPSs, she analyzes their infrared (IR) spectra, mass spectra, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) data. Dr. Abdelnasser is adept at isolating RNA and employing real-time PCR to assess the apoptotic activity of promising EPSs, followed by statistical analysis of the PCR data. Furthermore, she studies the pro-apoptotic effects of promising EPSs using the Human Apoptosis Antibody Array-Membrane (43 targets) ab134001 Kit (abcam® England) and is proficient in analyzing data from antibody arrays. These skills underscore Dr. Abdelnasser’s extensive expertise and capabilities in microbiological research and its applications.

Research:

Dr. Salma Abdelnasser has led several impactful research projects as a Principal Investigator. One of her notable projects is titled “Investigating the Role of miRNAs on Apoptotic and Angiogenic Pathways in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells Treated with Bacillus sonorensis Exopolysaccharide (EPS-1),” which runs from 2022 to 2024 and is funded by the National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt (grant number: 13060123). This study aims to explore the potential synergistic effects of miRNA and EPS-1 on pro-apoptotic and anti-angiogenic genes. Hybrid anticancer drugs are emerging as promising therapeutic options that can effectively address the limitations of conventional anticancer drugs. This project seeks to demonstrate the positive role of combining miRNA and EPS-1 in modulating key genes involved in the development, progression, and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Given that the expression of microRNAs is often altered in cancer cells, and that exopolysaccharides (EPSs) are gaining attention as a novel source for cancer treatment, this research holds significant potential for advancing cancer therapeutics.