Faculty
Life Sciences and Biotechnology

Plant sciences is one of the most important branches in the field of biology, which has a very significant value in human life. Due to the vital role of plants in global air purification, food industry and pharmaceutical industry, better study and understanding of plant mechanisms provides the basis for solving problems related to the environment, agriculture and pharmacy. Therefore, the country needs the achievements of plant sciences research for its development and independence in fields related to plants. To tackle this need, the students of this department study topics such as the metabolic structure and vital processes of plants, biochemical processes, morphogenesis and developmental processes, mechanism of diversity and evolution, interaction of plants with the environment, genetic structures, classification and kinship in plants, biotechnology in plants in various programs of plant sciences. The program of plant sciences was established in 1982 in the Faculty of Sciences. It currently accepts undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students. The courses of Plant Systematics, Plant Anatomy and Morphology, Biotechnology and Plant Genetics Engineering, Plant Genetics, Plant Development, Plant Ecology, Plant Physiology, Plant Biochemistry, Mycology and Algae, Plant Protection, Plant Geography, and plant paleontology are the result of combining plant sciences with various branches of biology and other sciences. Medicinal plant studies, plant barcoding, green space, desert remediation, genetic engineering and production of transgenic crops, plant ecophysiology, rangeland and forestry are all applied disciplines branching off from plant sciences. The main fields of research in postgraduate studies in plant sciences are biosystematics and plant evolution, plant genetics, plant biotechnology, physiology, and algae and mycology. This department has 3 educational laboratories, 4 research laboratories and a herbarium. The programs of this department are: systematics - plant ecology (master’s and doctoral programs), plant physiology (master’s program) and plant biotechnology (master’s and doctoral programs). At present, Dr. Masoud Sheidaei is the head of the Department of Plant Sciences and Biotechnology.

Among the faculty members of this department, Dr. Hossein Riahi has been selected as an exemplary researcher and professor of the university in 2008; Dr. Masoud Sheidaei as an exemplary professor and researcher of the university in 2009 and 2020 and as an exemplary researcher of the country in 2010, and Dr. Masoud Tohidfar as the top researcher of the university in 2020.​

Programs