2 January، 2026
Diagnosis of 54 types and strains of bacterial, fungal and protozoan species and their registration in the NCBI global gene bank
Within the continuous march of scientific achievements at the College of Science – Department of Biology Sciences, a distinguished research team achieved a qualitative scientific achievement represented by the ability of Dr. Younis Ibrahim Muhammad Ali and fourth-stage students: Zainab Muhammad Abdul Razzak, Mustafa Ali Adel, Manal Yunus Mahdi, and Watban Muhammad Ali, to diagnose 54 species and strains of bacterial, fungal and primary microbiota in female sand flies of the type Phlebotomus papatasi, which is the main carrier of leishmaniasis dermatophytosis (Baghdad Bean).
This achievement came as part of the students ‘ graduation project, which dealt with the study and diagnosis of the microbial content of sand flies in various areas of Nineveh Governorate, using one of the most modern and advanced molecular techniques, the Shotgun metagenomic sequencing technique. The genetic sequences of the diagnosed species and their data have been documented and confirmed as (YZMMW) in the NCBI global Genebank, under the Access number (PRJNA1394499) and the SRA number (SRR36608782).
The use of the technique of mass metagenomic molecular sequencing (Shotgun metagenomic sequencing) in the study of the microbial content of the sand fly Phlebotomus papatasi in Iraq is one of the first studies to adopt this advanced methodology in the context of this type of research nationwide, while such studies are still relatively limited globally compared to other more widely used techniques, highlighting the place of this research work in expanding the applications of next-generation sequencing in entomology.
This scientific achievement comes as a result of the continuous support and encouragement given by the Deanship of the Faculty of Science and the chairmanship of the Department of biology sciences, and their constant keenness to provide a stimulating scientific environment for sober research and enable researchers and students to creativity and excellence, which contributes to upgrading the scientific level of the college and Department and enhancing their presence in local and international scientific forums.
Government information and Communication Division
Friday, January 2, 2026
