TEHRAN -- Iran has inaugurated the isotopic biotechnology unit of Khondab Nuclear Complex (Arak) set up to prevent the selling of heavy water as raw material and meet medical and diagnostic requirements, Press TV reported.
The unit was opened at a ceremony on Saturday, with head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi, senior managers of the nuclear industry and Khondab city officials in attendance.
By cultivating algae and engineering its culture medium at the unit, the cell wall of the algae is opened, forcing them to make the desired products like a small cell factory.
This pioneering method can be used to produce a variety of screening kits to diagnose neonatal diseases as well as illnesses in pregnant women and potential addicts.
It is also applicable in the fields of medical standards and pioneering vitamin compounds and supplements.
The method can further be used to produce labeled isotopic sugars for positron emission tomography (PET) scan, glucose analysis and deuterium metabolic imaging (DMI).
Additionally on Saturday, Salehi attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a set of research-production laboratories for isotopic technologies, branded as Kimia project.
Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of research-production laboratories for isotopic technologies on July 31, 2021.
“This huge project includes scientific, research and production activities in the field of technology by the AEOI and the health sector,” he said, expressing hope that other important products will reach mass production in the next 3 to 4 years.