1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,340 INSTRUCTOR: So you have two minutes to-- 2 00:00:02,340 --> 00:00:02,940 [CHUCKLE] 3 00:00:02,940 --> 00:00:03,815 --put those together. 4 00:00:03,815 --> 00:00:04,982 DANIAL NASR AZADANI: And go. 5 00:00:04,982 --> 00:00:05,780 [MUSIC PLAYING] 6 00:00:05,780 --> 00:00:07,600 [CRUMPLING] 7 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:08,970 8 00:00:08,970 --> 00:00:10,020 Yes, yes. 9 00:00:10,020 --> 00:00:11,640 So we live in a world that is filled 10 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:13,215 with good and bad bacteria. 11 00:00:13,215 --> 00:00:15,090 In the recent years, we've been hearing a lot 12 00:00:15,090 --> 00:00:21,210 about antibiotic-resistant bugs, superbugs. 13 00:00:21,210 --> 00:00:24,180 My work has focused around utilizing viruses 14 00:00:24,180 --> 00:00:27,000 that kill antibiotic-resistant bugs naturally, 15 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:28,718 called bacteriophages. 16 00:00:28,718 --> 00:00:30,010 SPEAKER 1: You have 30 seconds. 17 00:00:30,010 --> 00:00:30,360 DANIAL NASR AZADANI: OK. 18 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:30,860 OK. 19 00:00:30,860 --> 00:00:33,830 20 00:00:33,830 --> 00:00:36,410 I think I did a good job. 21 00:00:36,410 --> 00:00:39,200 But there's a piece missing. 22 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:43,110 This is the bacterias, and to my left, that is the virus. 23 00:00:43,110 --> 00:00:44,180 These are microorganisms. 24 00:00:44,180 --> 00:00:46,285 [MUSIC PLAYING] 25 00:00:46,285 --> 00:00:46,870 26 00:00:46,870 --> 00:00:49,370 My name is Danial Nasr Azadani. 27 00:00:49,370 --> 00:00:50,930 I'm 26 years old. 28 00:00:50,930 --> 00:00:52,710 So yeah, my initials are DNA. 29 00:00:52,710 --> 00:00:54,710 When I tell that to people, everyone's like, oh, 30 00:00:54,710 --> 00:00:56,570 you were meant for this. 31 00:00:56,570 --> 00:00:58,880 I was born in Isfahan, Iran-- 32 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:01,170 beautiful city in a beautiful country. 33 00:01:01,170 --> 00:01:03,170 I have three older siblings. 34 00:01:03,170 --> 00:01:05,690 I'm the youngest. 35 00:01:05,690 --> 00:01:08,600 I was 13 or 14 when I moved to Canada. 36 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:10,550 I stayed with my sister Mina. 37 00:01:10,550 --> 00:01:12,060 She supported me for four years. 38 00:01:12,060 --> 00:01:14,870 And I think my parents realized that decision would provide 39 00:01:14,870 --> 00:01:18,110 a lot better future for me. 40 00:01:18,110 --> 00:01:20,780 So I finished high school and traveled to Ottawa 41 00:01:20,780 --> 00:01:24,440 to obtain a bachelor's of science in biology. 42 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,830 It never was as exciting as I expected it to be. 43 00:01:27,830 --> 00:01:31,400 You're sitting in a classroom with 300 other students. 44 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:33,110 You go to a professor's office hours, 45 00:01:33,110 --> 00:01:35,750 and they barely even know who you are. 46 00:01:35,750 --> 00:01:39,703 SIMA: Danial came here in United States in August 2015. 47 00:01:39,703 --> 00:01:41,120 DANIAL NASR AZADANI: So we decided 48 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:43,370 to come down to visit Sima, because she was 49 00:01:43,370 --> 00:01:45,500 having a new baby, little baby. 50 00:01:45,500 --> 00:01:47,240 While I was visiting, I decided to take 51 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:50,060 some college-level classes here, so I can transfer back home 52 00:01:50,060 --> 00:01:51,080 and finish my degree. 53 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,510 And somebody suggested to me, check out Del Mar. 54 00:01:53,510 --> 00:01:57,390 And I remember, one day I was dropped off at the campus here. 55 00:01:57,390 --> 00:01:59,600 ROB: Danial came up to the second floor. 56 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:00,900 I said, well, come on. 57 00:02:00,900 --> 00:02:03,410 Rather than talk, I could at least show you the lab. 58 00:02:03,410 --> 00:02:04,855 And I saw his eyes get real big. 59 00:02:04,855 --> 00:02:06,230 DANIAL NASR AZADANI: And then, he 60 00:02:06,230 --> 00:02:08,180 put me in a biotechnology class, that I 61 00:02:08,180 --> 00:02:10,820 didn't think I want to stay in because didn't 62 00:02:10,820 --> 00:02:12,770 sound like what I like to do. 63 00:02:12,770 --> 00:02:16,670 But that class ended up being my favorite class I've ever taken. 64 00:02:16,670 --> 00:02:19,250 SIMA: Danial was so excited about that course. 65 00:02:19,250 --> 00:02:21,270 He tried to explain everything to me. 66 00:02:21,270 --> 00:02:23,030 However, didn't understand any of those. 67 00:02:23,030 --> 00:02:23,530 [LAUGHTER] 68 00:02:23,530 --> 00:02:25,322 DANIAL NASR AZADANI: Every day, I thank God 69 00:02:25,322 --> 00:02:26,810 that I met him that day. 70 00:02:26,810 --> 00:02:29,810 He's been absolutely instrumental to all 71 00:02:29,810 --> 00:02:31,430 my accomplishments and all the success 72 00:02:31,430 --> 00:02:34,260 I've had throughout the years. 73 00:02:34,260 --> 00:02:36,120 ROB: The National Science Foundation 74 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:40,140 wants to encourage students from two-year colleges 75 00:02:40,140 --> 00:02:42,150 to get technical skills that they 76 00:02:42,150 --> 00:02:45,550 can merge into the workforce. 77 00:02:45,550 --> 00:02:48,420 And so, they started the Advanced Technological 78 00:02:48,420 --> 00:02:51,900 Education, or ATE grants, which gave us 79 00:02:51,900 --> 00:02:56,100 the seed money to start the biotech program, to begin with. 80 00:02:56,100 --> 00:02:58,265 This is one of the largest in terms of biomass. 81 00:02:58,265 --> 00:02:59,140 This is the largest-- 82 00:02:59,140 --> 00:03:03,300 My colleagues and I have applied for a number of the grants. 83 00:03:03,300 --> 00:03:06,780 They have taken generations of students 84 00:03:06,780 --> 00:03:11,400 and given them opportunities that they wouldn't get. 85 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,040 DANIAL NASR AZADANI: It was all about conducting your research, 86 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:17,190 putting critical thinking towards what are you doing. 87 00:03:17,190 --> 00:03:21,450 I guess that's what was missing in my education before it. 88 00:03:21,450 --> 00:03:25,680 So I was able to grasp a new level of laboratory skills. 89 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:27,390 That set me off for an internship 90 00:03:27,390 --> 00:03:31,800 at Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi with Dr. Turner. 91 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:34,530 DR TURNER: His comfort in that research lab 92 00:03:34,530 --> 00:03:36,840 is a testament to the preparation 93 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:39,153 that he received here at Del Mar. 94 00:03:39,153 --> 00:03:41,070 DAISY: There's something about Danial. 95 00:03:41,070 --> 00:03:42,685 He's super detail oriented. 96 00:03:42,685 --> 00:03:45,060 DANIAL NASR AZADANI: I call Daisy the "queen of biotech." 97 00:03:45,060 --> 00:03:46,752 She is a Professor of Biotechnology. 98 00:03:46,752 --> 00:03:48,210 And she always answers my questions 99 00:03:48,210 --> 00:03:50,970 about every new idea in biotechnology 100 00:03:50,970 --> 00:03:51,780 that I heard about. 101 00:03:51,780 --> 00:03:54,460 So that's where I go to for guidance. 102 00:03:54,460 --> 00:03:55,210 This is not even-- 103 00:03:55,210 --> 00:03:58,080 DAISY: His learning skill is just so outstanding. 104 00:03:58,080 --> 00:03:59,705 DANIAL NASR AZADANI: Potentially, we're 105 00:03:59,705 --> 00:04:01,338 looking for antibacterial? 106 00:04:01,338 --> 00:04:02,880 JOHN: Anywhere you make contact, 107 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:05,040 so common places that you can-- 108 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:08,370 We went over every single protocol that we had. 109 00:04:08,370 --> 00:04:09,420 Danial was like a sponge. 110 00:04:09,420 --> 00:04:12,960 He just absorbed all of it that I could throw at him. 111 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:14,160 And then, I send him off. 112 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:16,857 113 00:04:16,857 --> 00:04:18,399 DANIAL NASR AZADANI: So my internship 114 00:04:18,399 --> 00:04:21,209 was to develop a protocol to isolate 115 00:04:21,209 --> 00:04:25,414 the little, tiny virus that kills and infects bacteria. 116 00:04:25,414 --> 00:04:26,713 [KNOCKING] 117 00:04:26,713 --> 00:04:27,880 DR TURNER: Hey, Danial. 118 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:28,906 DANIAL NASR AZADANI: How are you doing, Dr. Turner? 119 00:04:28,906 --> 00:04:30,031 DR TURNER: Come on in. 120 00:04:30,031 --> 00:04:31,810 It was probably the second week into it 121 00:04:31,810 --> 00:04:35,020 that the methods and protocols that Danial knew 122 00:04:35,020 --> 00:04:36,160 weren't working. 123 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:36,760 DANIAL NASR AZADANI: The latent period, I 124 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:37,630 think we're going to keep it. 125 00:04:37,630 --> 00:04:38,610 DR TURNER: We're going to keep the latent period, OK. 126 00:04:38,610 --> 00:04:39,370 DANIAL NASR AZADANI: Yeah. 127 00:04:39,370 --> 00:04:41,950 DR TURNER: But I saw that work ethic and that curiosity 128 00:04:41,950 --> 00:04:42,730 for science. 129 00:04:42,730 --> 00:04:45,130 He was like, no, I'm going to get this. 130 00:04:45,130 --> 00:04:48,997 If it takes me all summer, I'm going to figure it out. 131 00:04:48,997 --> 00:04:51,679 [MUSIC PLAYING] 132 00:04:51,679 --> 00:04:52,185 133 00:04:52,185 --> 00:04:53,643 DANIAL NASR AZADANI: I think it was 134 00:04:53,643 --> 00:04:56,350 the 32nd try for isolating the phage that I was able to get 135 00:04:56,350 --> 00:04:57,622 that protocol working. 136 00:04:57,622 --> 00:04:59,830 MAN: Those are great, these are pretty cool pictures. 137 00:04:59,830 --> 00:05:00,670 DANIAL NASR AZADANI: I look at my place, 138 00:05:00,670 --> 00:05:02,500 and I saw these little plaques. 139 00:05:02,500 --> 00:05:06,670 And that tells you that you found a virus. 140 00:05:06,670 --> 00:05:10,210 I was getting an enormous amount of support, mentorship, 141 00:05:10,210 --> 00:05:14,530 and guidance from these three amazing professors. 142 00:05:14,530 --> 00:05:16,900 I decided to completely shift the focus 143 00:05:16,900 --> 00:05:19,960 of my post-secondary education and finish my education here, 144 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:21,838 in South Texas. 145 00:05:21,838 --> 00:05:23,380 So the cool thing about this research 146 00:05:23,380 --> 00:05:25,713 was that you get to name these viruses that you isolate. 147 00:05:25,713 --> 00:05:28,120 So I decided to name it after myself. 148 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:29,980 It's phi-- stands for phage-- and NASRA1. 149 00:05:29,980 --> 00:05:32,530 150 00:05:32,530 --> 00:05:35,410 The skills that I had are skills that most students don't even 151 00:05:35,410 --> 00:05:37,390 get exposed to until they're well 152 00:05:37,390 --> 00:05:39,070 into their graduate studies. 153 00:05:39,070 --> 00:05:39,890 Ooh, look at that. 154 00:05:39,890 --> 00:05:41,890 These have been accomplished by the classes I've 155 00:05:41,890 --> 00:05:45,210 been taking here at Del Mar. 156 00:05:45,210 --> 00:05:48,210 So I graduated with a bachelor's in biomedical sciences 157 00:05:48,210 --> 00:05:49,910 and an associate in biotechnology. 158 00:05:49,910 --> 00:05:51,060 [CHEERING] 159 00:05:51,060 --> 00:05:54,720 All my family members, my brother, my sisters, 160 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:55,690 and my parents-- 161 00:05:55,690 --> 00:05:59,730 we were all together for the first time after 18 years. 162 00:05:59,730 --> 00:06:03,600 It is very, very emotional, but it's always about what's next. 163 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:06,650 [MUSIC PLAYING] 164 00:06:06,650 --> 00:06:16,000