Assoc. Prof. Dr. Naser Farrokhi | Rice Genomics for higher yield | Global Food Science Innovation Award

Staff at Shahid Beheshti University, Iran

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Naser Farrokhi is an Iranian molecular biologist with over two decades of academic, research, and policy experience in plant biotechnology and food-related molecular sciences. He currently serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Cell & Molecular Biology at Shahid Beheshti University, Iran, and has an extensive international academic footprint, including post-doctoral work in the USA and a PhD from Australia.

Publications Profile

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🎓 Education Details

• PhD in Plant Molecular Biology (University of Adelaide, Australia): Functional analysis of barley glycosyltransferases using cloning, heterologous expression, yeast-two-hybrid screening, and RNAi gene silencing.

• MSc in Plant Breeding (Azad University, Iran): Focused on genotypic and phenotypic variation in mungbean traits.

• BSc in Agronomy & Plant Breeding (Zanjan University, Iran): Genotype × phenotype interactions in agronomic traits.

👩‍🔬 Professional Experience

• Associate Professor, Shahid Beheshti University (2021–Present)

• Assistant Professor, Shahid Beheshti University & Shahrood University of Technology (2007–2021)

• Post-doctoral Fellow, California State University – Long Beach, USA (2005–2007)

• Head of Department of Cell & Molecular Biology and Vice Dean (current and previous)

• Curriculum revision leader for Microbiology and Biotechnology at the national level (2025)

• Lead roles in multiple national standard developments for biofertilizers, biopesticides, and biological control agents.

🌱 Research Interests

• Functional genomics and molecular plant breeding

• Molecular mechanisms underlying stress tolerance and productivity in crops (e.g., rice, safflower, canola)

• Development of plant-based bio-products including biopesticides, semiochemicals, and vaccines

• Translational molecular biotechnology applications in food safety, crop improvement, and bio-sustainability

• Genetic approaches for reducing food allergenicity (e.g., celiac-safe genotypes in Triticeae)

🏆 Awards and Honors

• National Winner of Iran’s Book of the Year (2024) – Plant Breeding Methodologies

• Perfect Lecturer of the Year at Shahid Beheshti University (2021)

• Scholarship recipient from Ministry of Science (Iran) and NSF (USA)

• Executive and scientific leadership in multiple high-profile international conferences

🔍 Conclusion

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Naser Farrokhi exemplifies the qualities expected of a Research for Global Food Science Innovation Award recipient. His multidisciplinary research integrates molecular biology, biotechnology, sustainable agriculture, and food safety—all essential pillars of modern food science innovation. His role in shaping national policies, international collaborations, and educational frameworks further underscores his global impact.

Publications 📚

1. 🧬 Javid, P, Akbarzadeh, A, Alavi, SM, Farrokhi, N, Soyuf Jahromi, M, Behzadi, S, Bakhtiarzadeh, M, Pabasteh, S, Sharif Ranjbar, M.
   Transcription of genes involved in bleaching of a coral reef species Acropora downingi (Wallace, 1999) in response to high temperature.
   Marine Environmental Research, 208, 107102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2025.107102

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2. 🌱 Shokri, K, Farrokhi, N, Ahmadikhah, A, Safaeizadeh, M, Mousavi, A.
   Insights into co-expression network analysis of microproteins and their target transcription factors in plant embryo development.
   Current Bioinformatics, 20(5): 413–427. https://doi.org/10.2174/0115748936304167240530091051

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3. 🌾 Kordi, M, Farrokhi, N, Ahmadikhah, A, Ingvarsson, PK, Saidi, A, Jahanfar, M.
   Genome-wide association study (GWAS) of rice (Oryza sativa L.) panicle compactness.
   Current Plant Biology, 42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100464

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4. 🌿 Kordi, M, Farrokhi, N, Ahmadikhah, A, Ingvarsson, PK, Saidi, A, Jahanfar, M.
   Genome-wide association study of rice (Oryza sativa L.) inflorescence architecture.
   Plant Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112382

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5. 🧪 Hassibian, S, Esmaelpourfarkhani, M, Abnous, K, Amin, M, Ghazvinian, F, Alibolandi, M, Ramezani, M, Alinezhad Nameghi, M, Mollasalehi, H, Farrokhi, N, Dehnavi, SM, Taghdisi, SM.
   A turn-on fluorescent aptasensor for Pb²⁺ detection based on rhodamine B dye leakage from hollow gold nanoparticles.
   Food Chemistry, 463(4): 141440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.141440

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6. 🧬 Jamshidi, H, Shrifian, F, Alavi, SM, Farrokhi, N.
   Comparative transcriptome analysis of multi-branched safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) mutant vs. WT to determine genes induced during axillary bud outgrowth.
   Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences.

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7. 🧱 Galefi, A, Hosseini, S, Alipour, A, Banaeian, R, Farrokhi, N, Amanzadeh, A, Zarrabi, A, Wang, P-Y, Jahanfar, M.
   A novel platform for enhanced osteoinduction on porous herbal-derived cellulose nanostructures via silica nanoparticles and proanthocyanidin.
   Materials Today Sustainability.

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8. 🌾 Kazemzadeh, S, Farrokhi, N, Ahmadikhah, A, Ingvarsson, PK, Tabar Heydar, K.
   Rice seed genome-wide association studies and post-GWAS analyses for minor tocopherols.
   Scientific Reports.

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9. 🌡️ Kazemzadeh, S, Farrokhi, N, Ahmadikhah, A.
   Interplay of rice vitamin E under selected osmotic and temperature abiotic stresses: an in-silico comparative transcriptomics approach.
   Functional Plant Biology.

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10. 🌾 Panahabadi, R, Ahmadikhah, A, Farrokhi, N, Bagheri, N.
    Genomic dissection of yield components in rice (Oryza sativa L.) using GWAS and identification of novel genetic factors for yield-related traits.
    Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment.

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11. 🔬 Shrifian, F, Jamshidi, H, Alavi, SM, Farrokhi, N.
    Unraveling the molecular mechanisms of phytohormonal regulation in safflower axillary bud outgrowth: insights from transcriptomics.
    Under submission to Plant Biosystems.

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