After the definite approve of Council expansion medical universities and the Ministry of Health and Medical Education on Nov 11th, 2007 regarding the foundation of Nanobiotechnology research center (NBRC) - affiliated to Avicenna Research Institute (ARI) -; In Aug 17th, 2008, the authorization was also officially offered to Nanobiotechnology Research Center by the Iranian Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR) board of trustees.

This Research Center has started its activities along with the development of basic activities of Avicenna Research Institute- affiliated to ACECR- in the field of novel biological sciences and in line with short and long policy objectives of Iranian Nanotechnology Initiative Council with the pivotal idea of production and application of nanomaterials for various fields of medical sciences and try to do its best for application of nanotechnology in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. The NBRC is a definite member of Iran Nanotechnology Laboratory Network. The main program of NBRC is research projects performance related to nanotechnology and specifically, the use of nanoparticles and nano-sized structures for cancer diagnosis and treatment. At present, NBRC comprises the following three departments:

1. Nanotechnology Department
2. Recombinant Technology Department
3. Nanobiosynthesis Department

The Research Center currently conducts several research projects regarding relevant subjects based on mentioned priorities and axis of the activities by financial support from national & international resource. Of distinctive features of the NBRC, is the close cooperation of science professionals’ in various disciplines of Science Biology and chemistry together on performing research and treatment projects.

The aim of all specialists and individual expert in the NBRC is the development of Nano Science and Technology in various fields of medical science including diagnosis and treatment of chronic and intractable diseases. With respect to relative newness of Nanotechnology Science and its extra rapid extension in the past two decades a broad range of investigation have been facing researchers interested in nano-technology which can not be completely covered to be studied. Thus, the NBRC has set research priorities in the following fields

Therefore, the NBRC’s research priorities have been focused in the followed area of biotechnology and medical application of nanotechnology:

1. New systems designing for cancer diagnostic and therapy
2. Design of controlled drug delivery system
3. Production of recombinant pharmaceutical proteins and molecular studies using these proteins
4. Isolation and purification of proteins or cells using new methods (e.g. magnetic particles ...)
5. Smart Nano-structures synthesis for drug delivery
6. Chemical and biological synthesis of nanoparticles

At the present the followed technologies have been established by considering NBRC’s faculty members attempts:

1. Synthesis, of Semiconductor quantum dots (CdSe), the establishment of Functional groups and conjugation with anti breast and ovarian cancer antibody.
2. Conjugation of Nanomagnetic Particles to Monoclonal Antibodies and Peptides: Optimization and Application in Brest Cancer Diagnosis.
3. Validation and optimization of metal-ion affinity chromatography of Polyhistidine-tagged proteins using Nickel Coated Magnetic Beads.
4. Extraction and Purification of Nanomagnetic Particles from Magnetotactic Bacteria
5. Preparation and quality evaluation of MACS columns in collaboration with the Sharif Nano Pigment Company (SNP).

Furthermore, by the NBRC’s research groups various theory and practical workshops have been designed for Training students and researchers interested in nanotechnology. At the present these workshops are included the following items:

1. Synthesis of quantum dots coordinated and uncoordinated solvents
2. Determination of drug purity in aqua-gel with HPLC in various conditions.
3. Synthesis and protection of nanomagnetic particles.

Development plans in the future:

1. Access to native knowledge to produce nanoparticles which could be used in medicine and enable to replace with available foreign sample in the market.
2. Presenting research projects in the filed of drug deliver that is in the first priority of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in the filed of nanotechnology.
3. Development and establishment of new laboratories related to nanotechnology
4. Establishing active and effective participation in the Iran Nanotechnology Laboratory Network (INLN), http://www.nanolab.ir.
5. Recruiting of specialists in order to increase productivity.
6. Supporting and training post graduate students with PhD and MSc thesis projects related to Nanobiotechnology.
7. Becoming an exclusive research center through:  Achieving the latest technologies and related disciplines, Increasing ability to conduct specialized research activities and services, Create a dynamic and capable research environment, Effective international communication, caring out new research in relevant area and training top researcher students in the latter filed.

Some of our laboratory equipments:

Peptide Synthesizer, DNA Sequencer, Flow Cytometer, High Resolution Immunofluoresent Microscope, Invert Immunofluoresent Microscope, Wallac 1420 Multilable Counter (with Dual filter measurements , Fluorimetry, Photometry, Luminometry, Time-resolved Flurometry, Kinetic measurements, Scanned measurements, Temperature control and Shaking of plates), Western blot Developer, Cryosection,  HPLC, Automated Immunostainer, Real time PCR, Electric furnace, One-dimensional and two-dimensional electrophoresis, cell culture incubators, Chemical and Biological hoods, sonicator and high-homogenizer, Freeze Drying, UV/Vis spectrophotometer, Electronic Moisture meter, temperature adjustable centrifuges, …

Laboratory services:

Our colleagues who are member of INLN can be enjoyed of 50% discount.
Please send your ask to Mohammad Reza Nejadmoghaddam, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Head of Research Center: Dr Amir Hassan Zarnani (DMT, PhD Immunology)

Coordinator: Jamileh Ghasemi (BSc Biology)