Mahdiyeh Bigham
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Staff Scientist
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louise, USA
05.2023 - Current
- I contributed to a DARPA project; it is including hookworm transgenesis study by CRISPR/Cas9.
- I contributed to a project including coinfection of hamster by hookworm and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) to study the transcriptional level in lung and intestine is another project I contributed.
- I am contributing to a drug discovery project for parasitic worms in human.
Postdoctoral Scientist
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Baltimore, USA
08.2021 - 04.2023
- I contributed to a Gates foundation project. This project was a field-deployable molecular diagnostic platform for surveillance mosquito’s species in Cameroon.
- We developed a field-deployable molecular diagnostic system to survey insecticide-resistance at field conditions. Insecticide resistance surveillance is a key component of malaria vector control and can be performed through lengthy phenotypic assays and PCR-based molecular assays. However, even the molecular assays require transporting of collected mosquitoes to centralized laboratories for testing, thereby representing a major rate-limiting step that can even lead to months-long delays in obtaining crucial information.
- We are developing a qPCR-based diagnostic assays for Anopheles gambiae, An. coluzzii and An. funestus target sites and metabolic resistance-type insecticide resistance markers using the field-deployable portable bCUBE qPCR system. The insecticide surveillance system is designed for autonomous operation and will also generate data that will enhance our understanding of insecticide resistance dynamics in mosquito populations.
Postdoctoral Scientist
Cornell University Boyce Thompson Institute
Ithaca, USA
09.2017 - 07.2021
- As a postdoctoral scientist at Cornell University, I contributed to a DARPA-funded project to develop insect vectored viruses that allow rapid responses to emerging crop pests.
- As part of my research, I was cloning caterpillar resistance genes into Sugarcane mosaic virus a virus-Based vectors that can be used as transient expression systems to produce extremely high levels of foreign protein in the target plant.
- In another aspect of the project, I was developing methods for genetically engineering aphids with conditional-lethal genes.
- In the second project we were trying to engineer Buchner aphidicola primary symbiont of aphids using different construct and CRISPR gene knockout.
Research fellowship
Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences (SIBS), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
Shanghai, China
09.2016 - 01.2017
Research fellowship
Georg August University
Göttingen, Germany
09.2013 - 04.2015
Education
Ph.D - entomology-Insect Physiology and Toxicology
University of Tehran
Karaj, Iran01.2016
M.Sc - entomology
University of Tehran
Karaj, Iran12.2009
B.Sc - plant protection
University of Shahid Bahonar
Kerman, Iran12.2005
Skills
- Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR)
- Molecular cloning
- Construct generation
- Malaria
- Mosquito Surveillance
- Insect Physiology and Molecular Biology
- Insect Transgenesis
- Insect neural stem cell
- Protein Purification
- Microscopy
- Neuroscience
- Biochemistry
- Bioassay
- Transient Transformation of Plants with engineered virus
- Plant virus engineering
- Enzyme assay
- In situ Hybridization
- Antibody Staining
- CRISPR
- Symbiont engineering
- Microinjection
- Genegun
- Insecticidal Proteins
- Insecticide resistant
- Public Health
- Molecular Diagnostics
- Mosquito Control
- Insect rearing
- Mutation
- Field trip
- Writing report
- Helminths
- Conduct research
- Statistical analysis
- R (Programming language)
- Bioinformatics
- Conducted experiments with hamsters
- Analyzed gene expression profiles using RNA-seq techniques
- Prepared samples for omics study
- Coinfection study with pathogens
- Drug treatment
- Small molecule inhibitors
- Human parasitic worms
- Motility assay
- IC50 analysis
Scientific Travel
Center for Infectious Disease, Cameroon, 05/01/22
Awards
- Erasmus Mundus Action 2 project SALAM Scholarship, Study Abroad Learning And Mobility for promoting structured cooperation and European higher Education for Iran, Iraq & Yemen., Georg August University Gottingen, Germany, 09/01/13, 12/31/14, 16 months
- Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, NIH (National Institutes of Health), 08/01/22
Publications
- KS, SB, BR, Bigham M et al., 2024, Modified hookworm secretes anti-tetrodotoxin human single chain antibody., Submitted to the Nature methods.
- BR, Bigham M et al., 2024, Transcriptional Responses of Hamster Lung and Intestine to Co-infection with SARS-CoV-2 and Hookworm., Ready for submission.
- Bigham M et al., 2024, Field-deployable Anopheles insecticide resistance single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) analysis method., Ready for submission.
- Chung S, Bigham M et al., 2021, A sugarcane mosaic virus vector for rapid in planta screening of proteins that inhibit the growth of insect herbivores., Plant Biotechnology Journal, 19, 1713–1724
- Chen W, Shakir S, Bigham M, Fei Z, Jander G., 2019, Genome sequence of the corn leaf aphid (Rhopalosiphum maidis Fitch)., GigaScience, 8, 4, 1–12
- Bigham M., Ahsaei S.M., Hosseininaveh V., Allahyari H., 2018, Energy budget changes in response to desiccation stress in Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)., Journal of Plant Protection Research, 59, 1, 124-133
- Dieter Bernhard Koniszewski N., Kollmann M., Bigham M., Farnworth M., He B, Buscher M., Hutteroth W., Binzer M., Schachtner J., Bucher G., 2016, The insect central complex as model for brain evolution background, concepts and tools., Development Genes and Evolution, 226, 93, 209-219
- Bigham M., Hosseininaveh V., Allahyari H., 2016, Generation of transgenic lines for studying of the brain development in Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)., Iranian Journal of Plant Protection, 46, 2, 2017-218
- Ahsaei S.M., Hosseininaveh V., Talaei-Hassanlouei R., Bigham M., 2014, Changes in energy content of Podisus maculiventris (Say) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in response to different diets., Arthropods, 3, 4, 166-173
- Bigham M., Hosseininaveh V., Darvishzadeh A., Ghazizadeh M., Ghamari M., 2013, Activity of digestive proteinases and carbohydrases in the alimentary tract of the fig leaf roller, Choreutis nemorana Hübner (Lepidoptera: Choreutidae)., Archives of Phytopathology and Plant Protection, 46, 17, 2035-2042
- Ahsaei S.M., Hosseininaveh V., Bigham M., Asadi M., 2013, Biochemical properties of digestive carbohydrates in the sugar beet weevil, Lixus incanescens (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)., Arthropods, 2, 3, 126-136
- Ahsaei S.M., Tabadkani S.M., Hosseininaveh V., Allahyari H., Bigham M., 2013, Differential accumulation of energy by the colour morphs of the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Hemiptera: Aphididae) mirrors their ecological adaptations., European Journal of Entomology, 110, 2, 241-245
- Bigham M., Hosseininaveh V., Hosseininaveh F., Jamasb Nozari., 2011, A survey on glucosidase and α-amylase digestive gland in Caucasotachea lencoranea., Iranian Journal of Plant Protection, 41, 2, 271-281
- Bagheri F., Hosseininaveh V., Talebi K., Bigham M., 2010, Fertility life table parameters estimation of Acrosternum heegeri Fieber (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)., Iranian Journal of Plant Protection, 41, 1, 119-123
- Bigham M., Hosseininaveh V., Talebi K., 2010, A survey on protease and α-amylase oocyte and egg in Brachynema germari Kolenati (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)., Iranian Journal of Plant Protection, 24, 1, 87-98
- Bigham M., Hosseininaveh V., Hosseininaveh F., 2010, Digestive amylase and proteinase activity in the pistachio green stink bug, Acrosternum heegeri Fieber (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)., Iranian Journal of Plant Protection, 40, 2, 117-127
- Bigham M., Hosseininaveh V., 2010, Digestive proteolytic activity in the pistachio green stink bug, Brachynema germari Kolenati (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)., Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology, 13, 221-227
- Bigham M., Hosseininaveh V., Nabavi B., Talebi KH., Esmaeilzadeh N., 2010, Effects of essential oil from Teucrium polium on some digestive enzyme activities of Musca domestica., Entomological Research, 45, 40:37
Training
- 10/01/22, R programming
- 10/01/19, RNA-Seq Data Analysis Workshop at Cornell University
- 12/01/12, Life Table Theory and Data Analysis Course
- 02/01/12, Gene Cloning and Transformation of Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes Workshop
- 12/01/11, RT-PCR Workshop
- 10/01/11, CABI Information Training Course
- 03/01/11, Optimization and Purification of Recombination Protein Workshop
- 02/01/11, Expression and Optimization of Recombinant Protein in Prokaryotic System Workshop
- 03/01/10, Principles of Safety in the Laboratory Workshop
Professional Presentations
- Bigham M et al., 2022, A field-deployable electric grid-independent molecular insecticide resistance surveillance system., American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), 10/30/22 - 11/03/22, Seattle, WA
- 2017-2021, DARPA meetings, University of Texas in Austin, North Carolina State University, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Washington DC
- Chung S., Bigham M., Mei Yu., Kernodle B., Holand K., Whitham S and Jander G., 2019, Virus-mediated expression of insecticidal proteins in maize enhances resistance to a lepidopteran pest., ESA Annual Meeting-Program, 11/17/19 - 11/20/19, St. Louis, MO
- Shakir S., Bigham M., Chen W., Mei Y., Whitham S and Jander G., 2018, Development of aphid-transmitted viral vectors for transient gene expression in maize., 82nd Annual Meeting of the Northeast Section of the American Society of Plant Biologists, 04/28/18 - 04/29/18, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
- Buescher M., Bigham M and Bucher G., 2015, Genetic control of central complex of formation in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum., Joint Meeting of the German and French Societies of Developmental Biologists, 03/11/15 - 03/14/15, Nuremberg, Germany
- Buescher M., Bigham M and Bucher G., 2014, Genetic control of central complex of formation in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum., European Fly Neurobiology, 10/05/14 - 10/09/14, Hersonissos, Crete, Greece
- Ghazizadeh M., Hosseininaveh V., Bigham M., 2012, Simaethis nemorana (Lep: Choreutidae)., 20th Plant Protection Congress, Shiraz, Iran
- Bagheri F., Bigham M., Ramzi S., Hosseininaveh V., Talebi K. and Saei-Dehghan M., 2008, A survey on some biological traits and fertility life table parameters of pistachio green stink bug, Acrosternum hegeeri (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)., 18th Plant Protection Congress, Hamedan, Iran
- Bigham M., Ramzi S., Hosseininaveh V., Bandani A. and Saei Dehghan M., 2008, A study on some morphological and physiological characteristics of the alimentary canal of pistachio green stink bug, Acrosternum heegeri (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)., 18th Plant Protection Congress, Hamedan, Iran
Locations
- 4444 Forest Park Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63108
- 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205
- 533 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY, 14853
- Shanghai, Shanghai
- Göttingen, Göttingen
- Karaj, Karaj, Iran
- Kerman, Kerman, Iran
Timeline
Staff Scientist
Washington University School of Medicine
05.2023 - Current
Postdoctoral Scientist
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
08.2021 - 04.2023
Postdoctoral Scientist
Cornell University Boyce Thompson Institute
09.2017 - 07.2021
Research fellowship
Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences (SIBS), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
09.2016 - 01.2017
Research fellowship
Georg August University
09.2013 - 04.2015
Ph.D - entomology-Insect Physiology and Toxicology
University of Tehran
M.Sc - entomology
University of Tehran
B.Sc - plant protection
University of Shahid Bahonar
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