Meet Dr Maysam Mansouri working on cell engineering
The Iranian researcher from the Biotechnology and Bioengineering Group of Professor Martin Fussenegger works on engineered cells from mammals, which are used in different applications in therapeutics such as metabolic diseases.
Dr Maysam Mansouri, what did you know about D-BSSE before you came here, and what was your motivation to come to ETH Zurich?
I worked at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) which is a part of ETH Zurich when I had first contact with some of the D-BSSE professors. I talked to them either during my PhD courses or at conferences. Therefore, I was familiar with some of the research D-BSSE was conducting. High quality of research, interesting subjects and the high-level of overall university ranking are the three main parameters, which motivated me to come to ETH Zurich.
What were your expectations and were your expectations met since you arrived in Basel?
I have been living in Basel for almost five years. For my PhD studies I travelled almost 3 hours a day to the PSI in Villigen and back home. Since I now work in the city centre of Basel the distances are short: everything in Basel is very close and easily accessible. D-BSSE also has a nice scientific environment which stimulates many ideas and I am very excited to work here.
What were your first impressions?
My first impressions about my group and the D-BSSE were positive. In our group, everybody is very helpful and friendly. They offer help and share own experiences with newcomers to get a better insight about the lab and department. I always like to be part of a team with a lot of bright people who have interesting ideas. Brainstorming with my colleagues helps me to create new ideas. In the department, there are many scientific presentations which are combined with the other institutes (e.g., FMI, DBM, and Biozentrum of the University of Basel) on various topics, which makes it efficient to communicate with other scientists not only within ETH Zurich but also with other institutes. Also, D-BSSE is a fully equipped research center which has many facilities and excellent infrastructure. In Basel, there are many bio-pharmaceutical companies (e.g., Roche and Novartis) in close vicinity to ETH Zurich, which allow both academic and industrial teams to benefit from each other.
Which research will you pursue at D-BSSE?
I will work on engineered cells from mammals, which are used in different applications in therapeutics such as metabolic diseases.
Which hobby do you hope to pursue in Switzerland?
Travelling and biking are two of my favourite hobbies. In this regards, Switzerland and specifically Basel is a well-connected place to explore Europe.
Thank you and all the best with your research!
Dr Maysam Mansouri is a cell molecular biologist working in the Biotechnology and Bioengineering Group of Professor Martin Fussenegger. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology (2007) and Master’s degree in molecular cell biology (2010) in Iran. He then moved to Switzerland to pursue his PhD at the Paul Scherrer Institute (2016). Under the supervision of Dr Philipp Berger he successfully developed an efficient baculovirus-based multigene delivery system for primary mammalian cells (see article by Mansouri et al. 2016 published in Nature Communications). The viral delivery of genetic material and the subsequent expression of genes for the synthesis of proteins in cells is emerging as a key technology required in diverse research fields including cellular reprogramming and functional pharmaceutical screening. He is also an expert in genome editing (Mansouri et al. 2017, Plasmid).