Dr.Norma Silva | Biotechnology | Women Researcher Award
The university of Arizona, United States
Profile
Education
She holds a Biotechnology Engineering degree from the Technological Institute of Sonora (1991-1996) and a Master鈥檚 in Environmental Sciences and Sustainable Development from the Autonomous University of Sinaloa (2001-2004). She later earned a Ph.D. in Sciences with a Specialization in Biotechnology through the National Program (PNPC) of Biological Sciences of the Northwest, CONACYT, at the Technological Institute of Sonora (2010-2014). Additionally, she has obtained diplomas in teaching, generic competencies, and nutrition
She worked as a Laboratory Technician at SABRITAS, S.A. de C.V. (1994-1998), where she was responsible for quality control of physicochemical parameters in raw materials, processes, and packaging lines. From 2001 to 2004, she served as a Professor at Colegio Sinaloa in Culiac谩n, teaching chemistry, biology, and food analysis. She then worked as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Architecture and Environmental Engineering at the Technological Institute of Cajeme (ITESCA) from 2006 to 2008. Additionally, she held a dual role as a Professor and Academic Administrator in the Department of Biotechnology and Food Sciences at the Technological Institute of Sonora (ITSON) between 2001 and 2014. In 2011, she was an Adjunct Professor at Tecnol贸gico de Monterrey, teaching Organic Chemistry in English. She later joined the University of Sonora (UNISON) as an Adjunct Professor from 2013 to 2016 and again in 2024. From 2017 to 2022, she worked as a Determined Research Professor at UNISON, focusing on biological sciences, particularly in the agri-food field and its connections to public health and the environment. Expanding her research internationally, she became an Associate Researcher at the University of Arizona’s Department of Environmental Sciences from 2021 to 2022. She continued her work there as a Visiting Professor with a Research Scholar position from 2023 to 2024 and is currently an Associate Researcher (2024-2025). Her research at the University of Arizona focuses on the innovation and development of biotechnological products using natural products.
She has received several distinctions throughout her career, including being recognized as a Distinguished Teacher at the Technological Institute of Sonora in 2006 and 2007. In 2017, she was honored as a Distinguished Citizen in CAJEME by the Interamerican University for Development in Cd. Obreg贸n, Sonora. Her research excellence has been acknowledged by CONACYT’s National System of Researchers, where she was awarded the title of National Researcher Level C from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2018. She advanced to National Researcher Level 1 in the area of Agricultural, Livestock, Forestry, and Ecosystem Sciences from 2019 to 2021 and continued at Level 1 in the area of Biotechnology and Agricultural Sciences for the period from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2026.
Research Experience
She has extensive experience in research and development, demonstrating expertise in implementing technologies and innovative practices to enhance agricultural productivity, food security, and environmental sustainability. Her work focuses on utilizing scientific and technological tools to address complex challenges in the agri-food sector.
She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Laboratory for Research in Food Safety (LANNIA), CONACYT, at the Center for Research in Food and Development (CIAD) (2016-2017), where she worked on the chemical and biological characterization of agro-industry products. Her research experience includes multiple research stays at CIAD: in 2004 at the Environmental Microbiology Laboratory (Culiac谩n Unit, Sinaloa), where she developed her master鈥檚 thesis on disinfection applications in mango products; in 2012 at the Antioxidant Laboratory (Hermosillo Unit, Sonora), where she evaluated the antioxidant capacities of agro-industrial products; and in 2013 at the Environmental Microbiology Laboratory (Culiac谩n Unit, Sinaloa), where she conducted her doctoral research on the characterization of antiviral studies of agro-industrial products.
Additionally, in 2016, she conducted a research stay at the Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), working at the Center for Genomic Sciences (CCG) in Cuernavaca, Morelos, focusing on the genomic characterization of bacteriophages isolated from agricultural valleys in Southern Sonora, Mexico.
Publication
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MA L贸pez-Mata, S Ruiz-Cruz, NP Silva-Beltr谩n, JJ Ornelas-Paz, …Molecules 18 (11), 13735-13753
- Total phenolic, flavonoid, tomatine, and tomatidine contents and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of extracts of tomato plant
NP Silva-Beltr谩n, S Ruiz-Cruz, LA Cira-Ch谩vez, MI Estrada-Alvarado, …International journal of analytical chemistry 2015 (1), 284071
- Physicochemical and antioxidant properties of chitosan films incorporated with cinnamon oil
MA L贸pez-Mata, S Ruiz-Cruz, NP Silva-Beltr谩n, JJ Ornelas-Paz, …International Journal of Polymer Science 2015 (1), 974506
- Phenolic compounds of potato peel extracts: Their antioxidant activity and protection against human enteric viruses
NP Silva-Beltr谩n, C Chaidez-Quiroz, O L贸pez-Cuevas, S Ruiz-Cruz, …Journal of microbiology and biotechnology 27 (2), 234-241
- Antiviral, Antioxidant, and Antihemolytic Effect of聽Annona muricata聽L. Leaves Extracts
AP Balderrama-Carmona, NP Silva-Beltr谩n, JC G谩lvez-Ruiz, S Ru铆z-Cruz, …Plants 9 (12), 1650
- Mechanical, barrier and antioxidant properties of chitosan films incorporating cinnamaldehyde
MA L贸pez-Mata, S Ruiz-Cruz, J de Jes煤s Ornelas-Paz, …Journal of Polymers and the Environment 26, 452-461
- Chemical constitution and effect of extracts of tomato plants byproducts on the enteric viral surrogates
NP Silva-Beltr谩n, S Ruiz-Cruz, C Chaidez, JJ Ornelas-Paz, …International Journal of Environmental Health Research 25 (3), 299-311
- Antiviral effects of Brazilian green and red propolis extracts on Enterovirus surrogates
NP Silva-Beltr谩n, AP Balderrama-Carmona, MA Umsza-Guez, …Environmental Science and Pollution Research 27, 28510-28517
- Herbicide biomonitoring in agricultural workers in Valle del Mayo, Sonora Mexico
AP Balderrama-Carmona, M Valenzuela-Rinc贸n, LA Zamora-脕lvarez, …Environmental Science and Pollution Research 27, 28480-28489
- Comparison of the biological potential and chemical composition of Brazilian and Mexican propolis
NP Silva-Beltr谩n, MA Umsza-Guez, DM Ramos Rodrigues, …Applied Sciences 11 (23), 11417
- In vitro antiviral effect of Mexican and Brazilian propolis and phenolic compounds against human coronavirus 229E
NP Silva-Beltr谩n, JC Galv茅z-Ru铆z, LA Ikner, MA Umsza-Guez, …International Journal of Environmental Health Research 33 (12), 1591-1603
- Herbicide determination in Brazilian propolis using high pressure liquid chromatography
MA Umsza-Guez, NP Silva-Beltr谩n, BAS Machado, …International journal of environmental health research 31 (5), 507-517
- Recent biotechnological advances as potential intervention strategies against COVID-19
N Lobo-Galo, JC Galvez-Ruiz, AP Balderrama-Carmona, …3 Biotech 11, 1-21
- Antifungal activity and mechanism of action of natural product derivates as potential environmental disinfectants
NP Silva-Beltran, SA Boon, MK Ijaz, J McKinney, CP GerbaJournal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology 50 (1), kuad036