Top News of Last Week with ANA

Azad News Agency (ANA) published a number of scientific and technological news during the past week whose top ones are as follows:

Iran-Made Antidote of Snake, Scorpion Poison Prevents Death of 10,000 People Annually

A Researcher of Antidote Formulation at the Laboratory Department of Razi Vaccine and Serum Production Research Institute said that the antidotes produced by his colleagues save the lives of 10,000 people annually.

“The process of producing antidote is that after different snakes and scorpions are identified and their toxicity is determined, their venom is extracted and then injected into a horse, and by taking blood from the horse, the plasma of the horse's blood, which contains antibodies, will be isolated,” Hadi Rabiyee said.

Noting that the plasma obtained through a complex process is purified and finally snake and scorpion antidotes are obtained, he said, “These antidotes will be delivered to the Health Ministry in 10 cc ampoules for snakes and 5 cc for scorpions after being approved by the WHO.”

“Our products prevent the death and injury of 10,000 people a year. Antidotes are valuable and expensive materials in the world, so that each antidote for scorpions and snakes costs from 30 to 200 dollars,” Rabiyee said.

Egypt's GDP Growth Slows to 2.4 Percent in FY 2023/24

The growth rate of Egypt's gross domestic product slowed to 2.4 percent in the fiscal year 2023/24 that ended in June, down from 3.8 percent in the previous fiscal year, according to a statement released by the country's Ministry of Planning and Economic Development.

The statement attributed the decline to successive external shocks, geopolitical tensions, and the austerity policies adopted by the government to restore macroeconomic stability, especially through tighter governance of public investments.

The statement noted that Suez Canal revenues were among the hardest hit by regional geopolitical tensions, suffering a 30 percent decline in the 2023/24 fiscal year compared to the previous fiscal year.

Additionally, oil and natural gas production declined by 4.7 percent due to reduced foreign investments in new well exploration.

However, the slowdown in economic activity was partially offset by increasing growth in sectors such as communications, information technology, tourism, transportation, and other social services, the statement added.

Iranian Company Indigenizes Inconel Super Alloy with Extremely High Oxidation Resistance

An Iranian knowledge-based company has succeeded in producing and indigenizing Inconel super alloy which is resistant to oxidation up to 1200 degrees Celsius.

“Inconel 601 is a nickel-chromium super alloy that shows good resistance to oxidation at high temperature. This alloy also has good resistance in aqueous environments and shows good creep resistance in general at high temperature. Other features of it are good mechanical strength and malleability. This alloy can be welded and machined,” said Mohammad Forouqi Moqaddam, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.

“The unique resistance of this alloy to oxidation up to 1200 degrees Celsius, even against fluctuations and thermal cycles, has made it widely used in the industry,” he added.

“This strategic super alloy is used as a clamp in the wall of all kinds of industrial furnaces, specially the wall of direct reduction furnaces due to the creep stresses there and high mechanical resistance at high temperature,” Forouqi Moqaddam said.

He underlined that Poulad Poushesh Avang Company enjoys a production capacity of 20 tons of Inconel super alloy annually.

Islamic Azad University Produces Quality Control Diagnostic Kits for Recombinant Drugs

 Islamic Azad University has managed to produce and sell quality control diagnostic kits for recombinant drugs based on the international standards.

“After two years of research, development and validation, this product has been successfully sold to reputable pharmaceutical companies in Iran, and the consumption rate of this test is 80,000 reactions per year,” said Hamidreza Samadikhah, a faculty member of Islamic Azad University’s Central Tehran branch and the head of the research institute of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

He noted that given the launch of production line of this product, the research and development process will be provided for different types of prokaryotic and eukaryotic hosts.

“The amount of host DNA contamination in recombinant protein drugs is detected with an accuracy of 10 picograms, which is based on the international standards,” Samadikhah said.

Iranian Company Makes Oxychlorination Nanocatalysts

An Iranian knowledge-based company which produces all types of advanced nanocatalysts and special nanoparticles for the oil, petrochemical, automotive, pharmaceutical, food and metal industries has also succeeded in making oxychlorination nanocatalysts.

The nanotechnology company has succeeded in acquiring the technical know-how of manufacturing and producing all types of heterogeneous nanocatalysts and making the basis of alumina nanocatalysts in alpha and gamma phases.

The oxychlorination nanocatalysts produced by the company are used in EDC production reactors of petrochemical industries to convert ethylene to ethylene dichloride and prepare polyvinyl chloride or PVC primary feed.

This category of advanced Iranian nanocatalysts is made based on the needs of industries and with the aim of independence in production of strategic and essential nanomaterials for industries in the country, and they reduce the time and increase the speed of chemical reactions.

Iran, Italy Produce Joint Documentary

The documentary of ‘Stones and Bricks’ is a joint production between Qazvin Art Center in Northern Iran and Italy.

Directed by Saeed Shahparnia, Stones and Bricks will be screened at Max Hall Festival on October 25.

The documentary is a joint production between Qazvin Art Center and Italy, directed by Saeed Shahparnia and produced by Morteza Sazandeh, which will be screened in the Max Hall Festival at 15:30 on October 25-26.

The documentary Stones and Bricks is a first-person narrative in which Shahparnia turns his attention to the astonishing and eternal beauty of urban architecture to connect his life with the history of two cities.

Iranian Experts Design, Construct Heavy Drilling Rigs with 3,000 Horsepower

The head of the Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research of the University of Science and Technology stressed the Iranian specialists’ capability to design and build heavy drilling rigs up to 3,000 horsepower.

“At present, the technical know-how of designing and manufacturing heavy drilling rigs up to 3,000 horsepower with the latest design of the drilling rig structure according to the API standard has been transferred and indigenized by the Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research,” Waliollah Roshan told ANA.

He noted that the first drilling rig (Fath 71) was built, installed and commissioned in Ahvaz operational area and operational tests were conducted on it to start drilling operations 12 years ago.

The second drilling rig (Fath 72) was also unveiled at the reconstruction site number one of Iran's National Drilling Company 5 years ago and the company is at present drilling an exploratory well in Ahvaz,” Roshan said.

“The rig 73 is a skid type and has a power of 2,000 horsepower, and the share of internal power in its construction was more than 50%,” he added.

Iranian Firm Manufactures Saffron Flower Processing Machine

An Iranian knowledge-based company increased the quality and production of saffron by making a saffron flower cleaning machine.

The company produces agricultural sorting machines and it has received the knowledge-based license for two of its products, dry fruit sorting machine and saffron flower cleaning machine.

The dry fruit sorter is used in factories that operate in the agricultural field to sort dry fruits, figs, dates and pistachios.

The saffron flower processing machine produced by the knowledge-based company is mainly used by farmers after collecting saffron flower from the fields, and it processes the flower by separating the red stigma of saffron from other components.

Iranian Researchers Succeed in Production of Software for Credit Card Reader

Iranian researchers at a knowledge-based company stationed at the incubator center of Pardis Technology Park managed to launch a software for a credit card reader device that can be used as a management assistant in stores.

“We work on the development of banking software and exclusively on credit card reader devices. We have two software systems, one of which can be used for all trades and the other software can be applied as a management assistant in stores and for sales people,” Sa’eed Nateqian, the managing director of the knowledge-based company, told ANA.

“Carrying out store checkout, financial reports and personnel management are among the uses of this device,” he added.

Noting that the software is installed on the Android card reader device which no longer requires any system, cash register, or laptop, and is also installed on the same system as the card reader device, Nateqian said, “It can also issue paper and electronic invoices to the customer.”

“The system developed by our experts is integrated and makes it easier for the store manager to handle the store,” he underlined.

CBI Using Iran-Made AI-Based Product to Identify Fake Signatures

Technologists at an Iranian company used artificial intelligence (AI) to develop a product which can detect fake signatures with high accuracy and is now being used by the Central Bank of Iran (CBI).

“We are among the companies that all our business is based on artificial intelligence and we have made various products for different applications,” said Abolfazl Tazari, the managing director of the company.

“The signature recognition device can distinguish whether the signature is original or forged from various documents that exist even though the forged signature is very similar to the original signature and does not make any difference in appearance,” he added.

“The AI-based tool that we have designed can recognize the signature based on hand vibration and the amount of hand pressure on the pen. This product is used in the Central Bank of Iran,” Tazari said.

Iran-Made Sperm Isolation Chip Increases Success of Infertility Treatment

An Iranian knowledge-based company succeeded in production of a sperm separation chip by using microfluidic technology to separate healthy sperm with higher quality and less damage than traditional methods and increased the chance of success in assisted reproductive methods by 50%.

“Sperm separation chip is used in separating and selecting healthy and high-quality sperms for use in therapeutic processes like in vitro fertilization (IVF), intrauterine insemination (IUI) and other assisted reproductive methods,” said Majid Hosseini, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.

“The microfluidic sperm separation chip can separate sperm with the best quality and in the shortest possible time without damaging the sperm DNA. Unlike traditional methods like centrifugation that may damage sperms, our product uses advanced technology that separates sperms with minimal damage and 90% reduction in risk and maximum quality,” he added.

Noting that the product improves the chance of assisted reproductive methods like in vitro fertilization by 50%, Hosseini said, “This product is more efficient than other methods like swim-up or physical mechanisms by increasing the rate of success in fertility.”

Iranian Company Produces Drought-Resistant Wheat Cultivars for Dry Lands

Iranian researchers at a knowledge-based company managed to produce drought-resistant wheat cultivars proper for dry lands which decrease water consumption and increase quality.

“Our company makes research on improving wheat cultivars with high water efficiency and drought resistant cultivars for dry lands. The lowering of underground water tables and the lack of water resources along with the occurrence of climate changes like the decrease in snow and rain and the increase in temperature are the main factors limiting the production of strategic crops like wheat in Iran,” said Sirous Mahfouzi, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.

“The main goal of our company is to protect water in the field of agriculture by conducting scientific-applied research and improving and creating wheat varieties with high water efficiency to save water consumption in irrigated agriculture,” he added.

Noting that rainfed wheat cultivation also faces additional problems due to the impact of climate changes and frequent droughts, Mahfouzi said, “Conventional cultivars produced in dry lands do not have high yield potential and are sensitive to yellow rust disease, dormancy and poor bakery quality. We have modified and produced cultivars that do not have these weaknesses, and they have successfully passed the tests of the Institute for Registration and Certification of Seeds and Seedlings with superiority over common cultivars.”

Iranian Knowledge-Based Firm Exports Production Materials Testing Devices to 20 States

An Iranian knowledge-based company that produces advanced material testing equipment and devices is

“With the aim of meeting the needs of industry and university to find comprehensive research methods and quality tests, we designed and produced material test equipment, systems and different attachments,” said Hossein Mirsadeqi, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.

“As the largest manufacturer of material testing equipment (tensile testing equipment, compression testing equipment, torsion testing equipment, rheometer equipment, creep testing equipment, bending testing equipment, fatigue testing equipment, impact testing equipment and hardness testing equipment) in the Middle East, we are a pioneer in designing and we have produced over 144 test devices and 1,000 side products,” he added.

“Also, considering the quality, our products have valid standards like ISO 9001 certificate, European CE standard, Iranian standard, etc. and are exported to 20 countries across the world,” Mirsadeqi said.

Iran-Made Product Helps Fast Dressing of Open Abdominal Wounds

Iranian researchers at a knowledge-based company, active in the field of wound repair and healing, succeeded in producing the first open abdominal wound closure kit.

Mina Lakian Marnani, the managing director of the knowledge-based company, described the creation of secretions and exudates and swelling in the abdominal area one of the problems that surgeons face in open abdominal wounds in the operating room, and said, “These wounds cause problems when suturing the fascia and skin of the abdomen.”

“Our solution is to use this dressing to ease the closure of the abdomen and reduce the duration of the treatment to a third of the usual time. This kit is produced and offered only in KCI company in the US and our Teb Tajhiz Paya company in Iran,” she added.

“This kit includes a thin oval foam piece inside a large oval foam piece, the size of which is selected based on the size of the patient's abdomen, a large size prolene mesh, a single tube pressure leveling pad, three size 30x40cm patches and a ruler,” Lakian Marnani said.

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