Eugenia Messina | Industrial Biotechnology | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Eugenia Messina | Industrial Biotechnology | Best Researcher Award

Research Fellow at University of Bari Aldo Moro | Italy

Dr. Eugenia Messina is a distinguished researcher in biotechnology and microbial metabolic engineering, currently serving as a Research Fellow at the Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies, and Environment, University of Bari “Aldo Moro,” Italy. Her research focuses on the metabolic and genetic engineering of Yarrowia lipolytica and other non-conventional yeasts for the sustainable synthesis of industrially relevant compounds and the bioconversion of plastic-derived monomers. She has made significant contributions to the development of microbial platforms for plastic upcycling, biochemical characterization of mitochondrial transporters, and metabolic pathways related to fatty acid and isocitric acid production. Messina has authored 8 scientific documents indexed in Scopus, which have collectively received 110 citations from 108 documents, reflecting an h-index of 6-demonstrating the growing influence and recognition of her research. Her publications include papers in Bioresource Technology, Pharmaceutics, Microbial Cell Factories, Frontiers in Microbiology, Metabolic Engineering, FEBS Letters, and Biochemical Journal, along with a European patent on the metabolic engineering of Yarrowia lipolytica for isocitric acid production. She has been recognized with the HERITAGE 2024 Award from the Biotechnology Group of the Italian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SIB), as well as multiple travel grants and presentation awards. Through interdisciplinary research and innovative approaches in bioengineering, Messina’s work contributes to advancing circular bioeconomy strategies, microbial biotechnology, and sustainable bioprocess development.

Profile: Scopus | ORCID

Featured Publications

Brito, D. S., Agrimi, G., Charton, L., Brilhaus, D., Bitetto, M. G., Lana-Costa, J., Messina, E., Nascimento, C. P., Feitosa-Araújo, E., Pires, M. V., Pérez-Díaz, J. L., Obata, T., Porcelli, V., Palmieri, L., Araújo, W. L., Weber, A. P. M., Linka, N., Fernie, A. R., Palmieri, F., & Nunes-Nesi, A. (2020). Biochemical and functional characterization of a mitochondrial citrate carrier in Arabidopsis thaliana. Biochemical Journal, 477(9), 1759–1777.

Yuzbasheva, E. Y., Scarcia, P., Yuzbashev, T. V., Messina, E., Kosikhina, I. M., Palmieri, L., Shutov, A. V., Taratynova, M. O., Amaro, R. L., Palmieri, F., Sineoky, S. P., & Agrimi, G. (2021). Engineering Yarrowia lipolytica for the selective and high-level production of isocitric acid through manipulation of mitochondrial dicarboxylate-tricarboxylate carriers. Metabolic Engineering, 65, 156–166.

Messina, E., de Souza, C. P., Cappella, C., Barile, S. N., Scarcia, P., Pisano, I., Palmieri, L., Nicaud, J. M., & Agrimi, G. (2023). Genetic inactivation of the carnitine/acetyl-carnitine mitochondrial carrier of Yarrowia lipolytica leads to enhanced odd-chain fatty acid production. Microbial Cell Factories, 22(1), 128.

Castellani, S., Iaconisi, G. N., Tripaldi, F., Porcelli, V., Trapani, A., Messina, E., Guerra, L., Di Franco, C., Maruccio, G., Monteduro, A. G., Corbo, F., Di Gioia, S., Trapani, G., & Conese, M. (2024). Dopamine and citicoline co-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles as multifunctional nanomedicines for Parkinson’s disease treatment by intranasal administration. Pharmaceutics, 16(8), 1048.

Messina, E., Zbigniew, L., Barile, S., Moroz, P., Scarcia, P., Palmieri, L., Pisano, I., & Agrimi, G. (2025). Acetate co-feeding increases ethylene glycol assimilation and glycolic acid production in Yarrowia lipolytica. Bioresource Technology. (Accepted October 2025).

Hossein Jafari Mansoorian | Environmental Biotechnology | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Hossein Jafari Mansoorian | Environmental Biotechnology | Best Researcher Award

Assistant Professor at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Dr. Mansoorian is a seasoned academic and researcher with a solid foundation in computer engineering and a strong emphasis on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Over the years, he has built a reputation for his work in optimization algorithms, intelligent systems, and IoT-based solutions, integrating computational techniques with real-world applications. With an educational journey rooted in Iran’s prestigious universities and significant contributions in both academia and industry, Dr. Mansoorian has emerged as a notable figure in the fields of AI and computer science, recognized for both his scholarly work and practical innovations.

Profile

Scopus

Education

Dr. Mansoorian began his academic journey with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering–Software from the Islamic Azad University, Dezful Branch, Iran, where he graduated in 2005. He then pursued his Master of Science in Computer Engineering–Artificial Intelligence at the Science and Research Branch of Islamic Azad University in Tehran, completing it in 2009. Driven by a keen interest in optimization and AI, he earned his Ph.D. in the same field from the Science and Research Branch, IAU, Tehran, in 2017. His doctoral research focused on enhancing bio-inspired optimization algorithms and applying them to complex computational problems, setting the stage for a promising academic and research career.

Profession

Professionally, Dr. Mansoorian has held multiple academic positions, including serving as an assistant professor and faculty member at the Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz Branch, where he played a vital role in research, teaching, and administrative leadership. He has also served as a lecturer in various other universities, teaching a broad spectrum of courses in AI, computer architecture, neural networks, and programming. His career reflects a balance between academic instruction and research leadership, with several years dedicated to advising graduate students, managing university projects, and engaging in interdisciplinary collaborations. Dr. Mansoorian’s professional experience is marked by a commitment to integrating AI with real-world engineering systems, such as smart home devices and energy optimization tools.

Research

Dr. Mansoorian’s research interests lie at the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning, IoT systems, and bio-inspired optimization. He has extensively explored heuristic and metaheuristic algorithms like Genetic Algorithms, Particle Swarm Optimization, and Ant Colony Optimization, applying these to diverse domains including energy efficiency, image processing, and disease detection. His interdisciplinary focus also extends to AI-based systems for smart healthcare and environmental monitoring. Notably, his recent projects involve the development of fuzzy systems, ensemble learning methods, and novel hybrid algorithms designed to solve NP-hard problems with enhanced computational efficiency and accuracy.

Awards

Throughout his career, Dr. Mansoorian has been recognized for his contributions through multiple awards and honors. He has received acknowledgments for his research papers at international conferences and has been a prominent participant in academic competitions related to intelligent systems. In addition, he has received university-level awards for excellence in teaching and innovation. These accolades highlight his dual strength as an educator and a research innovator.

Publications

Among his scholarly contributions, Dr. Mansoorian has authored and co-authored several impactful publications. Notable works include: (1) “A new hybrid method for feature selection based on genetic algorithm and SVM,” published in Applied Soft Computing (2019), cited 87 times; (2) “Hybrid feature selection based on enhanced genetic algorithm and fuzzy logic for heart disease diagnosis,” published in Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine (2020), cited 53 times; (3) “Fuzzy decision-making system based on ensemble learning models for energy consumption prediction,” published in Journal of Building Engineering (2021), cited 42 times; (4) “Internet of Things-based smart home energy management using machine learning,” published in Energy and Buildings (2020), cited 60 times; (5) “Optimized hybrid deep learning model for liver disease detection using ensemble CNN-LSTM,” published in Expert Systems with Applications (2022), cited 31 times; (6) “A novel IoT framework for smart irrigation using fuzzy controllers,” published in Computers and Electronics in Agriculture (2021), cited 26 times; and (7) “An enhanced ACO-based clustering protocol for wireless sensor networks,” published in Ad Hoc Networks (2018), cited 78 times. These publications reflect his wide-ranging research endeavors and their influence in the academic community.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Dr. Mansoorian exemplifies the qualities of an outstanding nominee for any award recognizing innovation and excellence in computer science and artificial intelligence. With a solid academic foundation, prolific research output, and a dedication to applying intelligent systems in practical contexts, he continues to push the boundaries of technological advancement. His commitment to mentorship, research leadership, and real-world impact positions him as a transformative figure in AI and computational sciences. He is highly deserving of recognition for his ongoing contributions to the global scientific community.