Plant Stress Genomics Research Center (PSGR)
- Introduction
- Objective and Approaches
- Multi-Disciplinary Areas of R&D Focus
- Leveraged International Research
- Facilities and Equipment
Introduction
Center Director
Vision
The Plant Stress Genomics Research Center (PSGR) will study the mechanisms by which plants are able to tolerate salt and drought conditions and create greater understanding of these mechanisms in order to increase the percentage of total arable land and permanent cropland.
Mission
The most important abiotic (non-living) factors in the environment that limit crop productivity are water availability and high salt concentrations. These two factors are not mutually exclusive, as high salt levels in soil restrict water uptake. While Saudi Arabia produces food crops, only 1.8 percent of the Kingdom’s total land area is arable, permanent cropland (1998 figures), as compared with 8 percent in the rest of the Middle East and North Africa, and 11.3 percent worldwide. The mechanisms by which plants are able to tolerate salt and drought conditions are not well elaborated, and a greater understanding of these mechanisms may extend crop planting to marginal land with reduced water usage.
Center Objectives and Approaches
The objectives of the Plant Stress Genomics and Technology Research Center (PSGRC) include:
- Advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying plant tolerance to drought and salt stress conditions.
- Develop technologies for improving drought and salt tolerance of crop plants.
The Center’s long-term goals are to:
- Improve food security in Saudi Arabia and the world by stabilizing crop yield under adverse conditions.
- Extend cropland to marginal soils.
- Protect the environment by reducing freshwater consumption through agriculture.
The Plant Stress Genomics and Technology Research Center (PSGRC) will focus on identifying salt and drought tolerance genes, and pathways in naturally drought- or salt- tolerant plants (e.g. xerophytes, resurrection plants, and halophytes) as well as in model plants such as Arabidopsis and rice.
The Center will utilize next-generation sequencing technologies and advanced mass spectrometry to characterize the genomes, epigenomes, transcriptomes, small RNAs, proteomes, and metabolomes of selected xerophytes, halophytes, and resurrection plants. Researchers will test identified stress tolerance genes in Arabidopsis and crops, and will carry out crop studies in collaboration with research centers at other international institutions.
Multi-Disciplinary Areas of R&D Focus
Research in the Center will include basic and applied studies. Fundamental research will focus on gene discovery from model plants such as Arabidopsis, rice, Brachypodium and Medicago truncatula, as well as from extremophiles. Genetic, molecular biological, cell biological, biochemical, physiological, genomic and informatics approaches will be integrated and applied to gain in-depth understanding of gene function and networks in model plants under stress. Genomics (sequencing of genomes, transcriptomes, small RNAs and epigenomes) and functional genomics (transfer of genes from extremophiles to model plants) studies in halophytes, xerophytes and resurrection plants will be focused on discovery of novel stress tolerance mechanisms.
Applied research will utilize the stress tolerance genes discovered from various organisms to improve drought and salt stress tolerance of crops such as rice and wheat. Crop transformation, laboratory and greenhouse evaluation of transgenic crops will be done at KAUST. Field tests of crops will be carried out in collaboration with breeders and agronomists at partner institutions.
Leveraged International Research by Partnership
KAUST Academic Excellence Alliance
KAUST Global Research Partnership
- Dr. Nicholas Paul Harberd, University of Oxford
Professor Harberd’s research aims to produce salt-tolerant bread wheat by using genomic science, DNA sequencing, and computational tools. Professor Harberd will visit and advise on the development of research programs, faculty structure, and University infrastructure at KAUST.
Regionally-Relevant Focus Areas
- This area of study has potential for major contribution to Saudi, regional, and world agriculture. The research will engage local-area knowledge for sampling strategies as well as the KAUST bioinformatics community. Field trials in Saudi Arabia will be carried out.
- The Plant Stress Genomics Research Center (PSGR), in conjunction with the Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), will contribute to the identification of those genetic, metabolic or epigenetic factors in plants which lead to increased salt stress tolerance and increased tolerance to abiotic stresses in general. The deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms of plant responses under such stresses could lead to better ways of modifying plants to cope efficiently with semi-arid environments.
- The Plant Stress Genomics Research Center (PSGR), in collaboration with the Red Sea Science and Engineering Research Center, will also contribute to the cataloguing of Red Sea biodiversity through the genetics of Red Sea plants that may give insights into regionally relevant aspects of stress tolerance.