On Monday, the 11th of September 2023, College of Pharmacy hosted a research seminar featuring Professor Mohamed A. Farag:
“Behind the scenes of symbiotic relationships, novel insights in drug discovery as revealed using metabolomics in plants, sea coral, and humans”
Professor Farag, an expert in the field of natural products metabolomics, is renowned for his work at Cairo University, where he established the first metabolomics lab in Africa with a focus on applications in foods and functional foods. His research portfolio includes nearly 400 publications, boasting close to 11,000 citations. Prof. Farag’s academic journey included the completion of his PhD at Texas Tech University, USA, and subsequent postdoctoral fellowships at The Samuel Noble Foundation, USA and the James Graham Brown Cancer Center, USA. Afterwards, he served as a visiting professor at the Technical University of Munich, Germany. Notably, Dr. Farag was honored as a leading researcher in plant biology in Africa by the American Society of Plant Biology, USA, with an h-index of 59.
During the seminar, Professor Farag delivered an explanation of the molecular complexity underpinning the establishment of ecological relationships that drive natural product production. With engaging illustrations, he elucidated how the metabolomic profiles have enabled scientists to explain symbiotic associations in terms of their underlying molecules and interactions between the symbiotic partners.
The seminar proved was an opportunity to gain insights in the realms of metabolomics and drug discovery, leaving the audience with a deeper understanding of the profound implications for future research and pharmaceutical development.