The Department of life sciences at the Faculty of Science discussed, on Monday, August 31, 2026, the doctoral thesis tagged ” advanced molecular study of the etiology of acute gastroenteritis in children in the city of Mosul ” submitted by doctoral student Zeina Salem Awfi Mohammed from the microbiology branch, in the presence of the assistant dean for scientific and administrative affairs, the head of the Department of life sciences, and a number of faculty teachers. The thesis aimed at the molecular characterization of enteroviruses and bacterial etiology associated with acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in children under five years of age in Mosul, with the aim of identifying the most important pathogens and studying the genetic diversity of viruses, as well as detecting changes in the intestinal microbiome and antibiotic resistance genes. The study was based on a number of modern diagnostic and molecular techniques, most notably Multiplex PCR using the BioFire® FilmArray® Gastrointestinal Panel system for simultaneous detection of viral and bacterial etiology, as well as DNA/RNA Sequencing and bioinformatic analysis techniques, blastn and evolutionary analysis using MEGA 11, along with Shotgun Metagenomic Sequencing to study the composition and diversity of the intestinal microbiome and the analysis of antibiotic resistance genes (resistome). The importance of the study lies in providing an integrated molecular vision of acute gastroenteritis in children, through linking viral and bacterial etiology, the intestinal microbiome and antibiotic resistance, as well as providing important molecular and epidemiological data on the etiology of the disease in the city of Mosul, which can be used in future studies in the fields of molecular diagnostics, microbiome and public health. The discussion Committee was chaired by Dr. Hayam Adel Ibrahim al-Taie, with the membership of assistant professor Dr. Amer Abdullah kurial, assistant professor Dr. Rojan Ghanem Mohammed Ayoub, assistant professor Dr. OS Ibrahim Suleiman Nader, assistant professor Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Mahmoud Taie, and under the supervision and membership of Professor Dr. Anmar Ahmed Daoud Al-Taie. On the sidelines of the discussion, the dean of the Faculty of science, professor Dr. Hiam Adel Ibrahim, presented a letter of thanks and appreciation to assistant professor Dr. Amer Abdullah kurial, in appreciation of his scientific efforts and participation in the dissertation discussion Committee. We wish the researcher and all the students and teachers of our faculty success and success.

Government information and Communication Division

Monday, August 31, 2026