Assistant Professor Dr. Azhar Mahmoud Halim participated in the cultural season of the Environmental Research Center / University of Technology lecture on "Applications in tissue culture" on Wednesday, 27/2/2019

Where the lecture highlighted one of the most important applications of biotechnologies (plant tissue culture), which is known as the art and science of propagating plants In vitro, in sterile environments under controlled laboratory conditions, temperature, light intensity, concentration of other growth requirements such as hormones and nutrients, to produce large numbers of seedlings capable of growing and producing in natural environments during short periods. The idea of ​​tissue culture based on the hypothesis of the plant scientist Haberlandt in 1902 that assumed that one cell could give a plant, but the application of this hypothesis was delayed, so that the production of the first research laboratory in this regard in early 1970. The main reasons for the application of this technique are the environmental reasons, such as pollutions, reduced the agricultural area, the extinction of species and the loss of natural habitats, or for economic reasons, through the production of types of economic returns that contribute to raising national income, such as date palm, banana, rice, mango and other plants Economic nature, or through the propagation of plants have high pharmaceutical and medical value..

The Center for Environmental Research, with the participation of the Nutrition Research Institute / Ministry of Health and the Faculty of Sports Science / University of Baghdad, organized a symposium on "obesity and environmental pollution and ways of sustainability" on Wednesday, March 13, 2019 and on the green hall in the center. The symposium included three lectures and an open discussion session, with a group of specialists in the field of environmental and health sciences. The attendees discussed a number of ideas and concepts that underline the role of the university and its scientific cadres in tackling the danger of weight gain and noncommunicable diseases associated with it and its relation to environmental pollution and its spread in society. In general, and among the children of school age and university youth in particular, in order to ensure a healthy society. Within the framework of the symposium, a number of recommendations were adopted, including:

1. Holding workshops and specialized seminars in cooperation with the Nutrition Research Institute for the educational staff at the University of Technology to be qualified and able to educate students in the field of fighting obesity and excessive weight gain.
2. Holding educational seminars for students in different departments of the university aimed at raising awareness of health and education of university students in the context of avoiding weight gain and its health and social effects.
3. Determine the magnitude of the problem through comprehensive surveys of schools and kindergartens.
4. Adopting a comprehensive national campaign to address the symptoms of malnutrition and obesity and to name a project with specific objectives and measurable outputs.
5. Preparing a joint work mechanism between the Environmental Research Center and the Nutrition Research Institute, which includes a set of scientific activities and specialized research between the two parties
6. Availability of data and information from the Nutrition Research Institute for researchers and specialists in this field for the purpose of conducting scientific studies and research.
7. Preparation of a guidebook containing the most important preventive measures to reduce the spread of the disease among the larger categories of society.
8. Introducing the concept of sustainable health and the environment in the primary curriculum (primary and secondary education).
9. Raise the capacity of the Department of Physical Education at the University to adopt programs aimed at maintaining the ideal weight between the employees and students of the University of Technology and plans to increase the comprehensiveness of these programs.
10. Increase interest in the study of sports in primary and secondary schools.
11. Motivating university students to practice a particular sport by giving the student some privileges over his or her peers.
12. Increasing open and closed sports venues and halls to include more community segments.
13. Promotion of the concept of healthy food (health dish project) in student clubs and school premises. The components of the dish are subject to study by nutritionists to cover the daily requirement of the student from the basic nutrients.