Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology

Nawroz O. Kareem completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Sulaimani in Kurdistan, where she obtained her Bachelor degree (BSc) in Animal Production, in the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Sulaimaniyah in 2002. In the same year she was employed as a science demonstrator in the same Faculty of Agricultural Sciences. As a part of her studies she undertook a 2 year MSc in Fish Nutrition and graduated in 2008. She is now working as an assistant lecturer in the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Sulaimani.

Nawroz started her PhD at Keele in April 2012 and is sponsored by the Kurdistan Regional Government. She has recently joined the group working on the development of carbohydrates as immunostimulants in fish culture, and her studies are advancing the knowledge acquired as part of the Marie Curie EU ITN (NEMO). The work is in collaboration with several of the NEMO partners including Biorigin, the immunostimulant manufacturer.

Development of carbohydrates as immunostimulants in fish culture

Supervisor: Prof D Hoole and Dr M Skidmore

Nawroz is studying the effects of beta glucan structure on immunological activity and cell proliferation incommon carp (Cyprinus carpio), in culture conditions. Under the supervision of Prof. Dave Hoole and Dr. Mark Skidmore, new structural forms of the glucan are being devised and are being tested for their immunogenic activity. She is applying a range of molecular, cell biology and pathology techniques to in vitro systems i.e. pronephric immuno-competent cells and carp leucocyte cell lines to establish the significance of glucan characterisation on a range of cell activities. This will be transposed into in vivo studies and protection against a range of pathogenic organisms (e.g. KHV and Aeromonas hydrophila).