The presence of Isfahan University of Technology (IUT) as one of the country’s premier parent universities, renowned for carrying out industrially applied research and turning science into wealth, provides a special opportunity to establish a comprehensive and capable Institute for Bioscience and Bioengineering research. The aim is to conduct interdisciplinary, applied biotechnology research across medical, agricultural, industrial, and biomedical engineering fields.
Considering the special potentials of Isfahan Province and the central region of the country, together with IUT’s capabilities in conducting applied research, the Institute of Biotechnology and Bioengineering at Isfahan University of Technology was established in 2008 (1387 H.S. in the Iranian calendar). The Institute currently comprises nine research groups active in industrial, agricultural, environmental, pharmaceutical, and medical sectors. These groups possess substantial potential to develop the applied aspects of biotechnology and respond to the country’s technologic needs. At present, 46 faculty members, including 9 professors, 7 associate professors, 29 assistant professors, and 1 instructor, with diverse specializations, engage in research activities within the Institute’s sub-groups.
Objectives
In the Twenty-Year Vision Document, the goal is for Iran to reach the top position in economic, scientific, and technological development in the Southwest Asia region, with emphasis on the software movement and knowledge production, rapid and sustained economic growth, improvement in per capita income, and attainment of full employment. The broad applications of biotechnology position it as the most prominent indicator of human progress and on par with information technology, making it one of the most important tools to meet diverse and varied needs. Accordingly, the Institute’s goals align with Iran’s National Biotechnology Document and are as follows:
Build capacity for creating, transferring, and developing production processes for biological products
Improve quantity and quality and develop new plant varieties through genetic modification
Attain and apply biotechnology in the production of diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic products for animals and improve the quality and quantity of livestock feed through biotechnology
Achieve global standards in quality assurance of biotechnology products
Use biotechnology to preserve biodiversity and genetic resources
Use biotechnology to remediate the environment
Prepare the ground for the development of biotechnology in the industrial, mining, and energy sectors
Improve the qualitative and quantitative properties of food products
Elevate the safety level of foodstuffs
Convert waste from food processing plants into materials with high added value