On October 19, the defense of Nahida Aliyeva's dissertation in the specialty 2406.02- Biochemistry was held at the ED1.25 Dissertation Council operating under the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnologies of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The topic of the scientific work conducted under the supervisor of Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Saftar Suleymanov is "Biochemical and ultrastructural properties of mesophyll and bundle sheath chloroplasts of the maize plant (Zea mays L.) under normal and salt stress conditions."

Chairman of the Dissertation Council, vice president of ANAS, academician Irada Huseynova noted that 16 out of 18 council members participated in the meeting. The scientific secretary of the Dissertation Council, Ph.D. in biology, associate professor Ulduza Gurbanova informed the members of the council about the applicant’s personal file, and then the floor was given to N.Aliyeva.

The applicant gave detailed information about the relevance of the topic, the goal of the dissertation work, the scientific novelty of the work, and the results obtained. She noted that the study of the functional components and ultrastructure of thylakoid membranes of mesophyll and bundle sheath chloroplasts under the effect of salt stress on the maize plant related to the C4 metabolism of photosynthesis is of great theoretical and practical importance. For the first time, the mesophyll and bundle sheath chloroplasts of maize, a C4 plant, were comprehensively studied under normal and salt stress conditions. Studying the changes in the morphophysiological traits, biochemical characteristics, and ultrastructure of plants under salt stress is important for clarifying the mechanisms of adaptation to stress and can be used to create salt-tolerant maize varieties.

The official opponents of the dissertation work, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Ziyeddin Mammadov, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Elimkhan Jafarov and Doctor of Philosophy in Biology, Associate Professor Vusal Orujov gave their comments and recommendations to the applicant and noted that the research work was complete and had scientific innovation. Opponents said that the dissertation fully met the requirements set for doctoral dissertations of the Supreme Attestation Commission under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and that the applicant deserved the doctoral degree in biology in the specialty "Biochemistry".

The correspondent members of ANAS, Ibrahim Azizov, Novruz Guliyev, doctors of biological sciences Ahad Nabiyev, Vilayat Abdiyev, Shahniyar Bayramov who participated in the discussions, brought to attention their suggestions and recommendations about the dissertation work.

According to the results of the secret voting, it was decided to apply to the Supreme Attestation Commission under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan to award the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Biology to Nahida Aliyeva.