Master’s Degree Awarded to Ms. Rana Taha Mohammed Abdu in Biological Sciences

Ms. Rana Taha Mohammed Abdu Moqbel Al-Maqtari was awarded a Master’s degree in Biological Sciences (Microbiology) with an average of (Excellent) and a grade of (95%) for her thesis titled: Bacterial Load in Some Locally Manufactured Non-Sterile Pharmaceutical Preparations – Yemen, which was submitted to the Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science – Sana’a University. The MA defense was held on Wednesday, October 29, 2025.

The MA Viva-voce Committee, which was formed based on a resolution issued by the Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Council, consisted of the following:

#	Committee Members	Designation	Position
1	Assoc. Prof. Suad Hameed Al-Khayyat	Internal Examiner	Chair
2	Assoc. Prof. Hala Jameel Al-Jabouri	Main Supervisor	Member
3	Assoc. Prof. Adel Qaed Al-Eryani	External Examiner	Member

The thesis aimed to evaluate the bacterial load in locally manufactured non-sterile pharmaceutical preparations in Sana’a, Yemen, and to determine the antibiotic susceptibility of bacteria isolated from those pharmaceutical products.

The study yielded a number of key findings summarized as follows:

The overall microbial contamination rate in pharmaceutical preparations was 15% (with 9% bacterial contamination and 6% fungal contamination).
Contamination rates by product type were as follows: capsules (15%), ointments (10%), and creams, gels, tablets, and syrups (5%).
No contamination was recorded in effervescent powders, suspensions, or oral drops.

Based on the findings, the researcher recommended:

Enhancing Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in the pharmaceutical industry and conducting regular microbiological quality control tests.
Investing in research and development to produce new antimicrobials and alternative preservatives.
Implementing routine surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in pharmaceutical products.
Regularly training personnel on hygiene principles, contamination risks, and resistance mechanisms.

The defense session was attended by a number of academics, researchers, and interested participants, colleagues and the researcher’s family members.