Team

• Future sustainability of chemicals: catalytic conversion of cellulose to biofuels and solvents with Ru/C catalyst, advancing beyond petroleum. In the ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering article, you'll find discussions on process design, challenges, catalyst and solvent impacts, intermediate characterization, and proposed reaction mechanisms.
• Eco-friendly water treatment: green synthesis of chlorine dioxide in water using Fe and Mn complexes derived from lignin-based ligands: a bioinspired, antimicrobial solution for water treatment. Fe and Mn complex characterization, kinetics analysis, experimental rate constant measurement, and a proposed mechanism are all covered in the inorganic chemistry article.

• Reaction optimization via substituent variation: reduced energy and reaction temperature from 112°C to 0°C.
• Designed and synthesized 2-benzyloxy-1-pyridinium salt derivatives for alcohol protection. Investigated substituent impact and reaction mechanism (upcoming publication).

• Enhanced my ability to analyze matter’s fundamental principles, merging physics and chemistry for property interpretation
• Experimental and computational study on the molecular structure and vibrational frequencies of beryllium and magnesium acetylacetonate
• Investigating hydrogen bonding in water molecules and exploring azeotrope points in water-solvent mixtures

• Manager/Senior Scientist: 7ECOX (Chemical Consulting Startup) 2020-current
• Teaching/Research Assistant: UC Santa

• Chemical Consultant: Bijan Chemistry, Mashhad, Iran 2008 - 2012
• Lab Technician: Mehr Petrochemical Co. Mashhad, Iran 2003 - 2007

• Science Executive: In my role as manager and senior scientist at 7ECOX:
• I lead a team of professionals, develop operational guidelines, and contribute to the company’s long-time vision, strategies, and financial planning.
• Scientific Research Proficiency: Throughout my doctoral and master’s programs, I:
• gained expertise in delving deeply into advanced subjects related to the future sustainability of chemicals and nature-inspired design,
• honed my abilities in designing and executing experiments while making informed decisions regarding variables, controls, and data collection,
• refined my critical thinking and problem-solving skills for intricate scientific challenges,
• elevated my proficiency in articulating scientific ideas through both written publications and presentations.
• Academic Teaching and Supervision:
• Explored the science of learning, nurturing engagement and curiosity
• I supervised and mentored incoming graduate students, instructing them in lab techniques, and monitoring their scientific progress.
• As an undergraduate lab instructor, I managed groups of 18-24 undergraduates, offering guidance, assessing lab reports, grading their examinations, and gaining insights into undergraduate learning styles.
•  Chemical Lab Skills:
• Conducted air and moisture sensitive reactions under inert atmosphere (Ar or N2), and high temperature, high-pressure reactions using Parr reactors.
• Investigated kinetics and experimental rate constants of catalytic reactions using stopped flow instrument and UV-Vis spectroscopy for fast and slower reactions, respectively.
• Performed molecular modeling and quantum calculations using software such as Gaussian03, Gaussview, and ChemDraw
• Purification techniques using column chromatography, various distillation methods (simple/fractional vacuum and Kugelrohr distillation), recrystallization, HPLC, TLC, vacuum sublimation.
• Characterization techniques using NMR, GC, GC-MS, LC-MS, UV-Vis, EPR, X-ray crystallography, FT-IR, FT-Raman

• Champ, T. B.; Jang, J. H.; Lee, J. L.; Wu, G.; Reynolds, M. A.; Abu-Omar, M. M., Inorg. Chem. 2021, 60 (5), 2905-2913. DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.0c02742
• Champ T. B.; Liu, Wegenhart S.; B. L.; Zhang T.; Abu-Omar M. M.; ACS Sus Chem & Eng. 2021, 9, 44, 15008-15015. DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c05716
• Tayyari, S. F.; Bakhshi, T.; Ebrahimi, M.; Sammelson, R. E., Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc 2009, 73 (2), 342-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2009.02.027
• Tayyari, S. F.; Bakhshi, T.; Mahdizadeh, S. J.; Mehrani, S.; Sammelson, R. E., J. Mol. Struct. 2009, 938 (1-3), 76-81. DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2009.09.006

• Education:

• PhD: Physical Chemistry, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran (2018)

(Thesis: Biophysical chemistry study of the structure and function of photoprotein aequorin and the model protein in different conditions, experimentally and theoretically, and immobilization of the model polypeptides on the nanoparticle with its application in biosensors)

• MSc: Physical Chemistry, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran (2009)

(Thesis: Physical chemistry investigation on the structure and interaction of HSA with two drugs – amlodipine and propranolol – in the presence and absence of magnetic field)

• BSc: Pure Chemistry, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran (2005)

Key Qualifications and Expertise:

• Specialization:

My primary area of expertise lies in Biosensors, Aptasensors, and liquid crystal-based biosensors. She has extensive knowledge in the design and development of these sensing platforms in order to detect different targets including drugs and toxins in laboratory test sample and real sample.

• Experimental and Theoretical Skills:

• Biophysics: I possess extensive experience in both experimental and theoretical research. My practical skills include working on protein-ligand binding, self-assembly of peptides, fabrication of peptide-nanoparticle hybrids, aptasensor development, liquid crystal-based biosensors, molecular dynamic simulations, and docking studies.

• Analytical Techniques: I possess significant expertise in various spectroscopic techniques including UV spectroscopy, fluorescence, and circular dichroism (CD) used for the study of the interactions in protein binding and ligand binding to the macromolecules. She is skilled in different methods for the synthesis, functionalization, and characterization of nanoparticles and nano-biomaterials, including transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Additionally, my expertise extends to electrochemical methods, particularly electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. I have worked with a diverse range of materials, including proteins, peptides, aptamers, DNA, bacteria, nanoparticles, and liquid crystals in my analytical experiences.

• Project Management:

I have a proven track record of successfully managing research projects by taking full responsibility from inception to completion, including grant proposal writing, experimental work, data analysis, manuscript preparation, and publishing in reputable journals.

• Team Collaboration:

My professional journey encompasses working on multidisciplinary teams and in various departments, including physical chemistry, biophysics, molecular physics, and analytical chemistry, showcasing my adaptability and teamwork skills.

Professional Experience:

• • 7ecox, Ventura, CA, USA: Chemical Consulting (July 2022 - Present)

  • Tamkang University, New Taipei City, Taiwan: In my postdoc position, I was responsible for the entire project about the fabrication and development of liquid crystal-based aptasensors to determine a toxic material in sea food samples. (2020 – 2021)

  • Research Institute of Food Science and Technology, Mashhad, Iran: As a research assistant, I oversaw projects contributing to the field of biosensors for the tetracycline screening in the dairy industry and detection of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as a bio-accumulative toxicant in real samples such as tap water, environmental water and milk. (2018 – 2020)

  • Research & Technology Center of Biomolecules, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran: I was part of a big team working on biosensor technology to detect E.coli O157 in rural water. My duties included research, nanoparticle synthesis, constructing a portable plasmonic aptasensors, and report presentations to the funding company. (2010 – 2018)

  • Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden: During my research opportunity, I conducted experiments related to peptides and oligothiophene ligands, as well as contributed to the development of nanobiomaterials for biosensing applications. (2015 – 2016)

(https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=UiVAvpUAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao)

• Z. Rouhbakhsh, J. W. Huang, T. Y. Ho, and C. H. Chen "Liquid crystal-based chemical sensors and biosensors: From sensing mechanisms to the variety of analytical targets" TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry 157 (2022) 116820.

• Z. Rouhbakhsh, T. Y. Ho, A. Verdian, and C. H. Chen "Detection of okadaic acid using a liquid crystal-based aptasensor by exploiting the signal enhancement effect of gold nanoparticles." Biosensors and Bioelectronics: X 11 (2022) 100148.

• A. Verdian, Z. Rouhbakhsh, E. Fooladi "An ultrasensitive platform for PCB77 detection: New strategy for liquid crystal-based aptasensor fabrication" Journal of Hazardous Materials 402 (2021) 123531.

• Z. Rouhbakhsh, M. R. Housaindokht, M.R. Bozorgmehr and M. Zeinoddini "Investigation of aequorin structure and the effect of calcium ion on it: Molecular dynamic approach" Journal of molecular liquid (submitted)

• Z. Rouhbakhsh, A. Verdian, G. Rajabzadeh "Design of a Liquid Crystal-based Aptasensing Platform for Ultrasensitive Detection of Tetracycline" Talanta 206 (2020) 120246.

• A. Verdian, E. Fooladi and Z. Rouhbakhsh "Recent progress in the development of recognition bioelements for polychlorinated biphenyls detection: Antibodies and aptamers" Talanta 202 (2019) 123-135.

• Z. Rouhbakhsh, D. Aili, E. Martinsson, A. Svärd, M. Bäck, M. R. Housaindokht, K. P. R. Nilsson and R. Selegård "Self-Assembly of a Structurally Defined Chiro-Optical Peptide–Oligothiophene Hybrid Material" ACS Omega 3 (2018) 15066–15075.  

• Z. Khoshbin, A. Verdian, M.R. Housaindokht, M. Izadyar and Z. Rouhbakhsh " Aptasensors as the future of antibiotics test kits-a case study of the aptamer application in the chloramphenicol detection" Biosensors and Bioelectronics 122 (2018) 263-283.

• R. Selegård, Z. Rouhbakhsh, H. Shirani, L. B. G. Johansson, P. Norman, M. Linares, D. Aili and K. P. R. Nilsson "Distinct Electrostatic Interactions Govern the Chiro-Optical Properties and Architectural Arrangement of Peptide–Oligothiophene Hybrid Materials" Macromolecules 50 (2018) 7102–7110.