Dr. Ling joined the Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in 2014. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the Ohio State University (OSU, Ohio, USA). She completed her doctoral degree in molecular genetics under the supervision of Professor Harald Vaessin at the OSU in 2000. Her doctoral research focused on cell cycle regulation of the neuronal stem cells. In 2001, she joined the Bruce Edgar laboratory at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC, Seattle, USA) as a postdoctoral fellow to work on cell cycle and cell growth regulations. She continued her research in the Eisenman laboratory at the FHCRC, focusing on post-translational regulations of the Myc oncogene network in 2008.

Research Summary: Learning from Halophytes for Crop Improvement

The research interests of my group are to investigate and utilize the natural genetic potential of abiotic stress-tolerant halophytes for crop improvement. We are keen to understand how these halophytes survive in the saline environment through their physiological, biochemical, and anatomical adaptations. By incorporating comparative genome, transcriptome, and functional characterization, we aim to investigate the molecular and cellular mechanisms of novel genes and regulators involved in salt tolerance. The ultimate goal is that these discoveries could be utilized to improve salt tolerance in the crops.

Team Members

Aysha Al Shamisi, Laboratory specialist I
Aysha Al Shamsi holds a Bachelor's degree in General Biology from the United Arab Emirates University, which she obtained in 2007. She worked as a Laboratory Specialist in the Date Palm Research and Development Unit within the Tissue Culture Department and she was the first Emirati to work on the genetic fingerprinting of date palms from 2009 to 2014. In 2014, she joined the Khalifa Center as a Senior Laboratory Specialist, focusing on the genetic study of desert plants such as the " Sesuvium" plant, which is resilient to environmental stress. She utilized these genes for the genetic modification of crops like tomatoes and water spinach and conducted functional studies on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA). Additionally, in 2023, she took on the role of managing the team in the Date Palm Research and Development Unit from both administrative and technical perspectives.

Fayas Thayale Purayil, Research Associate

Dr. Fayas holds a Ph.D. in Horticultural Science (Plant Biotechnology) from UAEU, where he focused on identifying and characterizing E3 ligases related to plant abiotic stress tolerance. He earned his MSc in Biotechnology from Bharathiar University, India. As a Senior Research Fellow at the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (ICAR), India, he worked on standardizing regeneration techniques in crop plants and transcriptome analysis for elucidating the genes involved in somatic embryogenesis. In 2014, he joined UAEU’s College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine. Currently, he serves as a Research Associate at the Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, specializing in molecular biology, proteomics, tissue culture, and bioinformatics.

Girlie Ann R. Agbayani, Research Assistant

Girlie Ann R. Agbayani holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of the Philippines - Los Baños. She has a solid background in microbiology and research, having worked on projects like the microbiological assessment of meat at the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, and quality assurance roles in the food industry. Her expertise includes bacterial analysis, laboratory management, and ensuring food safety compliance. Currently, as a Research Assistant at Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, she focuses on molecular cloning and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. She uses microinjection techniques to introduce genetic modifications in red palm weevils, contributing to research aimed at biocontrol solutions for this destructive pest.

Hashel Bin Hraiz, Laboratory Specialist

He received his bachelor's degree in veterinary science from the Higher College of Technology in Al Ain in December 2019, After graduation, he worked as a Laboratory Analyst in the Parasitology and Molecular Biology Department at the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority from 2021 to 2023, During his career, he published a number of scientific papers, including one titled (Molecular Detection of Candidatus Anaplasma camelii in Naturally Infected Dromedary Camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates, 2019–2023), and a scientific paper titled (in vitro detection of Acaricide resistance in hyalomma species ticks with emphasis farm management practices associated with acaricides resistance in Abu Dhabi, UAE), Upon joining the organization, he represented them in international forums, including the World Congress of Camel Diseases in Saudi Arabia in 2022 and again in 2023, He won first place in the Institutional Excellence Award for the Best Employee category in 2023 at the level of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), He joined the Khalifa Center for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering in January 2024 as a laboratory specialist, and he is currently working on a project to develop genetically modified Red Palm Weevils via CRISPR-Cas system and stable germline transformation system.

John Oliver Orpilla, Research Assistant

He completed his bachelor’s degree in biology from Central Luzon State University in the Philippines in 2016. Later, he joined the rice breeding program for adverse rice ecosystems in the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in 2017, where he implemented field evaluation of breeding lines and assisted in molecular work. In 2019, he joined KCGEB, and his research focused on gene editing for crop improvement and functional analysis.

Aysha Al Shamsi, Laboratory Specialist

Aysha Al Shamsi holds a Bachelor's degree in General Biology from the United Arab Emirates University, which she obtained in 2007. She worked as a laboratory specialist in the Date Palm Research and Development Unit within the Tissue Culture Department and she was the first Emirati to work on the genetic fingerprinting of date palms from 2009 to 2014. In 2014, she joined the Khalifa Center as a Senior Laboratory Specialist, focusing on the genetic study of desert plants such as the " Sesuvium" plant, which is resilient to environmental stress. She utilized these genes for the genetic modification of crops like tomatoes and water spinach and conducted functional studies on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA). Additionally, in 2023, she took on the role of managing the team in the Date Palm Research and Development Unit from both administrative and technical perspectives.

Ruwan Aljneibi, Laboratory Specialist

She received her BS degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Genetics & Genomics (2015), then her MS degree from UAEU in Molecular Biology (2019). She joined Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology in 2016. She worked on several projects with Dr. Rashid Ali to functionally study aquaporin genes in yeast. She also worked with Dr. Khaled El-Tarabily on several projects to identify bacterial strains that enhance biomass production in plants under abiotic stress conditions. Since joining Dr. Ling’s group, she focused on bioinformatics analysis of plants. She is currently working on several projects involving the bioinformatic analysis of native plant genomes and functional characterization of lncRNA.

Dr. Suja George started her research group at Khalifa Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (KCGEB) in late 2019. She completed her PhD in Biotechnology from M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, MSSRF (Madras University, India) in 2008. Her doctoral thesis focused on the identification of stress-induced genes from the drought-tolerant plant Prosopis Juliflora through analysis of expressed sequence tags. After PhD, she continued her research work at MSSRF in the capacities of senior scientist, and later principal scientist exploring the molecular mechanisms of plant abiotic stress tolerance further. She received several fellowships such as DBT CREST fellowship 2011, Indo-U.S. Research Fellowship 2012, and Indo-U.S. Genome Engineering/Editing Technology Initiative (GETin) Fellowship 2018 during this period. As part of these fellowships, she carried out part of her research at the University of Illinois (2011-2012) and the University of California, Davis (2012-2013 and 2018-2019). She has carried out large-scale gene expression analysis under drought and salt stress in several abiotic stress-tolerant species such as Macrotyloma uniflorum, Chrysopogon zizanioides, Prosopis juliflora, Avicennia marina, Sorghum bicolor and Pennisetum glaucum. She has also identified and functionally characterized several genes involved in stress tolerance from these species.

Current Research Programme at KCGEB: Dr. Suja George’s team has several research focuses. 1: Comprehensive network analysis of the drought and salt-responsive transcriptome in tomato with a focus on noncoding RNAs such as lncRNA, miRNA, and tRNA-derived small RNAs. 2: Functional characterization of genes with potential roles in abiotic stress tolerance from highly stress-tolerant species Chenopodium quinoa. 3: Identification and characterization of novel plant growth regulators and developmental regulators to improve in vitro regeneration in recalcitrant crops such as Chenopodium quinoa. 4: Genome modifications in finger millet to convert this annual grain species into a perennial one. 5: Development of plant transformation vectors suitable for developing marker-free transgenic plants in various species.

Team Members

Mohammed Sajid, Research Associate

Mr. Sajid has been working as a Research Associate at the Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology since 2015. He holds an MSc in Biotechnology from the University of Hertfordshire, where he also gained experience working in the Crop Protection and Climate Change Unit. In 2018, he was awarded the Asian Universities Alliance (AUA) Scholars Award. Mr. Sajid is also the co-inventor of a patent titled "Thiophene Acetic Acid for Plant Growth Regulation," which describes methods for using Thiophene Acetic Acid (TAA), derived from the degradation of the antibiotic timentin, to significantly enhance root and shoot formation in plants. His research interests include optimizing regeneration efficiency in transgenic plants to develop genetically modified plants with desirable traits, improving agricultural productivity and resilience. He is also focused on plant-pathogen interactions, aiming to understand the molecular mechanisms that drive disease resistance. Additionally, Mr. Sajid investigates the survival strategies and microbiomes of desert trees, exploring how these species thrive in extreme environments. Through these research efforts, he actively contributes to sustainable agriculture, leveraging genetic engineering and ecological innovations to promote environmentally resilient crop systems and support global food security.              

Mohamed ElSiddig, Research Assistant

Mr. Mohamed joined KCGEB in 2018. While working he did his master's degree and completed his MSc in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from the United Arab Emirates University in 2024. His thesis focused on optimizing a novel Agrobacterium transformation and in vitro shoot regeneration protocol for Romain Lettuce (Lactuca sativa). He is part of multiple projects, though the main focus of his research is the identification and characterization of novel plant growth regulators and developmental regulators to improve in vitro regeneration in recalcitrant crops. With a strong background in molecular biology and plant tissue culture techniques, he is dedicated to advancing agricultural biotechnology and enhancing crop resilience through innovative research.

Dr. Smita Kumar, Postdoctoral Fellow     

She joined KCGEB in 2024. She completed her PhD in Biochemistry at Banaras Hindu University, India, in 2014. Thereafter, she was awarded the DST-INSPIRE Faculty Award by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India to pursue an independent research project and fine-tune her teaching skills. She implemented the research on “Understanding molecular mechanisms related to heavy metal stress response using natural variations in Arabidopsis thaliana” from 2014 to 2019. During this period, she was awarded the Indo-Australian Career Boosting Gold Fellowship (IACBGF) by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, to pursue research on “mRNA-protein interactome capture under abiotic stress in Arabidopsis” at the Australian National University (ANU), Canberra (2018-2019). She worked as a Research Scientist under the SERB-Research Scientist Scheme to undertake a research project on “Investigation of the floral transition mechanism in plants under abiotic stress for crop improvement” from 2019 to 2021. Recently, she was working as a “Petar Beron i NIE” researcher at the CPSBB, Bulgaria, where she explored the “high temperature stress-induced transgenerational thermomemory in Arabidopsis” (2023-2024). Apart from the above, she has received the prestigious NASI-Young Scientist Platinum Jubilee Award by the National Academy of Sciences, India and the INSA-Young Scientist Medal by the Indian National Science Academy for her research work in Plant Sciences, Agriculture, and Environment.                                           

Mariam Al Nuaimi, Laboratory Specialist

Ms. Mariam Al Nuaimi is a Laboratory Specialist and an alumna of the United Arab Emirates University. She joined Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in 2013. She holds a Master’s degree in Excellence in Environmental Management from Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University. She focused on novel approaches to reduce environmental footprints while increasing crop productivity. She is also the co-inventor of a patent titled "Thiophene Acetic Acid for Plant Growth Regulation". She has undergone research training at the Eduardo Blumwald’s Laboratory at the University of California-Davis, USA. Her primary research interest focusses on studying the mechanism by which desert trees confers tolerance to various abiotic stresses. Her work contributes to the sustainability of agricultural systems through environmental-friendly practices in challenging environments.

Maitha Al Darmaki, Laboratory Specialist

In 2019, Ms. Maitha Al Darmaki, joined Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, where she focuses on development of abiotic stress tolerant plants and testing the effect of several plant organogenesis genes. Ms. Maitha is also the co-inventor of a patent titled "Thiophene Acetic Acid for Plant Growth Regulation". In 2024 she earned her master’s degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from United Arab Emirates University, her Master thesis titled: Expression of human arginine vasopressin in Arabidopsis thaliana and assessment of abiotic stress tolerance.

Dr. Manish Roorkiwal joined the Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (KCGEB) as a Research Assistant Professor in 2022. He is a dedicated Agriculture Scientist with expertise in genomic breeding, genomics, and next-generation sequencing. With a solid background in molecular genetics and applied genomics, he has extensive research experience enhancing crop productivity in challenging environments. His expertise lies in cutting-edge breeding approaches such as genomic selection, next-generation sequencing-based re-sequencing, and cost-effective genotyping to revolutionize conventional breeding practices.

Renowned for his leadership in large-scale genome sequencing initiatives and the development of cost-effective genotyping platforms, Dr. Roorkiwal has made significant international contributions to agriculture. His scholarly achievements include over 100 publications in esteemed journals and developing and releasing several chickpea lines tailored for drought tolerance and disease resistance for commercial cultivation. These articles have garnered over 6400 citations (H-Index 34; i10 Index-63; as of September 2024).

Prior to joining KCGEB, Dr. Roorkiwal spearheaded the Breeding Modernization program for chickpea at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), India. His academic journey includes earning a PhD in Biotechnology with a specialization in Applied Genomics from the esteemed GGSIP University of India. Throughout his PhD, he centered his research on identifying drought-responsive candidate genes and candidate gene-based association mapping in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.).

Current Research Program at KCGEB: The group's research unequivocally centers on establishing a Genomic breeding platform to develop superior, climate-resilient crop varieties. Traditional breeding methods fall short of meeting the demands of future agri-food systems. Leveraging technological advancements, we aim to identify and deploy superior alleles/genes for climate-smart traits and innovations and enable technologies to address the current and future challenges in desert agriculture. Our primary focus is on establishing efficient crop breeding through the collaborative development of timely interventions and technologies to deliver improved varieties that are well adapted to existing and evolving climate conditions. We are resolute in our vision to integrate breeding technology innovations, precision phenotyping platforms, and big data management to implement genomic breeding and deliver climate-resilient improved crop varieties. The group's focus is on:

• Establishing a genetic breeding platform to develop superior varieties leading to enhanced crop production
• Understanding agricultural challenges and creating opportunities for desert farming to ensure the production of high-quality and nutritious food effectively and timely
• Creating strong, climate-resilient, and nutritious improved varieties by identifying consumer-preferred and demand-driven characteristics, understanding the genetics of new traits, and exploring wild crop relatives
• Developing and implementing innovative breeding strategies, tools, and technologies to sustainably enhance the genetic potential for increased crop production
• Optimizing and using cutting-edge breeding methods to cultivate superior varieties; embracing speed breeding technology/rapid generation advancement
• Applying an evolutionary systems biology approach for crop improvement by analyzing the genetics of traits associated with morphological and physiological differences through integrated methods and comparative genomics.

Team Members

Dr. Sandhya Tyagi , Postdoctoral Fellow

Sandhya joined the genomic breeding group as a Postdoctoral Fellow. She is an accomplished plant science researcher with a Ph.D. in Genetics and Plant Breeding, specializing in molecular breeding and crop biotechnology. She has over 10 years of research experience working on wheat and chickpea genomics and breeding. Her focus areas include MAS, GWAS, QTL & meta-QTL analysis, identification and validation of trait-linked genes, and characterization of miRNA-based SSRs. Sandhya has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, with around 30 publications, over 800 citations, and an H-index of 14 (as of September 2024), showcasing her innovative research and commitment to advancing agricultural practices. She successfully received her independent project, titled "Identification and Characterization of Heat Responsive miRNA-SSRs in Wheat," under the National Post-Doctoral Fellow scheme funded by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. Sandhya has also received several recognitions during her research career, including the Young Scientist Associate Award. She has exhibited exceptional collaboration skills and worked with various research teams globally to address complex agricultural problems. In addition to her research endeavors, Dr. Tyagi is passionate about education and mentorship. She has taken on roles in teaching and guiding undergraduate and graduate students, sharing her knowledge and experience to inspire the next generation of plant scientists.

Mr. Ujjwal Kapoor, Research Assistant

Ujjwal joined the Genomic Breeding Group as a Research Assistant in 2023. Prior to joining KCGEB, he worked as a Project Associate at the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi. There, he focused on germplasm characterization and trait discovery in wheat to enhance climate resilience, productivity, and nutritional quality. Before that role, he spent two years as a young professional at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research in Delhi, working on molecular and morphological traits in maize. He holds a Master’s in Plant Biotechnology from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), India. During his master’s, he conducted research on improving tomato growth and disease resistance through biofortification techniques for his thesis titled “Augmentation of growth promotional potential and disease resistance of tomato against Sclerotium rolfsii due to biofortification with vermicompost and vermiwash.”

Following his PhD graduation from the University of Toronto in 2012, Dr. Khaled Hazzouri embraced the challenge of relocating overseas, where he accepted a postdoctoral research fellowship at New York University’s Center for Genomics and Systems Biology in Abu Dhabi (NYUAD). During his PhD, he conducted large-scale plant experiments in greenhouse settings, integrating genomics, molecular evolution, phenomics, and quantitative genomics. His work addressed key questions surrounding adaptive processes in flowering traits across species such as Capsella, Collinsia, and various members of the Brassicaceae family. He led the whole-genome resequencing of more than 100 date palms (Phoenix dactylifera) and participated in the sequencing of different algal strains (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii). These projects generated extensive genetic variation catalogs, serving as valuable resources for the broader research community. At NYUAD, he focused on the evolutionary and functional genomics of plant and algal species. His expertise spans diverse facets of plant biology and genomics, with a strong foundation in functional and population genomics. During his five years as a postdoctoral fellow, he was instrumental in establishing a plant population genomic platform, managing extensive field experiments, and analyzing data from a major date palm and algal diversity project at NYU Abu Dhabi. Subsequently, he transitioned in 2017 to the role of Assistant Professor of Research at the Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (KCGEB) at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), where he currently serves as a population and evolutionary geneticist. His research centers on the analysis and interpretation of plant and crop genomics diversity, particularly under conditions of abiotic and biotic stress, with the goal of advancing crop improvement efforts for sustainable agriculture. In his current position, he is performing the analysis of multi-omics data desert animal (camel, falcon, houbara), insect (red palm weevil) and plants (Prosopis cineraria, Prosopis juliflora, Ipomoea pes-caprae, Ipomoea aquatica, Citrullus colocynths, and many others), aiming to unravel their mechanisms of adaptation and evolution. This research highlights genetic findings that we are exploring for potential modification through breeding or genetic modification using CRISPR/Cas9 or metabolic pathway engineering.

Current Research Programme at KCGEB: My research delves into four research topics where all aim at understanding species diversity and adaptive evolution using A) Genome Evolution in Desert Plants, where I explore how desert plants adapt to the challenging conditions of arid environments, from extreme temperatures to water scarcity. I investigate the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms that enable these plants to thrive where few others can survive. B) Genomic Conflict, where I study the competition between selfish genetic elements and the host genome for control over transmission. My work compares how these conflicts manifest in desert plants versus their close relatives in agriculture, revealing insights into plant domestication, adaptation, and evolution. C) Comparative Genomics of Desert and Crop Plants, by comparing the genomes of desert-adapted species with their crop relatives, my research aims to uncover key differences that have allowed these species to diverge. These insights may hold potential for improving crop resilience in the face of climate change. D) Plant-microbe interactions in desert environments, by exploring how microbial communities influence plant adaptation to extreme conditions. By studying the symbiotic relationships between desert plants and their associated microbes, I aim to uncover mechanisms that enhance drought tolerance, nutrient acquisition, and stress resilience. This knowledge is vital for crop improvement, as harnessing beneficial microbes could lead to more sustainable agricultural practices and the development of crops capable of thriving in arid regions, ultimately contributing to global food security in the face of climate change.

Team Members

Bhumika Dubay

Dr. Bhumika Dubay earned her PhD in early 2024 from the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) in Trieste, Italy, specializing in population genomics. Her doctoral work focused on understanding genotype-phenotype correlations and the inheritance patterns of forest plants. Prior to her PhD, she gained valuable experience at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi and the Center for Biotechnology and Genomics of Plants in Madrid. Bhumika has been awarded two prestigious research fellowships. The first, the Erasmus Mundus BRAVE Fellowship, supported her during a student exchange as part of her master's program, where she studied plant-virus co-evolution. The second, the Marie Curie Horizon 2020 Early Research Fellowship, enabled her to conduct three years of research at IGA Technology Services SRL in Udine, Italy, as part of an education-industry partnership. In 2024, Bhumika joined the Khalifa Centre, where she is currently conducting research in environmental and population genomics, with a particular emphasis on epigenomics. Her research is focused on generating and analyzing genomic data to investigate natural plant adaptation and defense mechanisms in response to desert environments, specifically the challenges posed by high temperatures and limited water availability.

Ramvannish Muthukumar

Mr. Ramvannish Muthukumar earned his master’s degree in Biotechnology from Dr. NGP Arts and Science College, India, in 2018. Following his graduation, he began his career as a project assistant on the Indo-Australian collaborative project titled "Genetic Control and Genomic Selection of Important Traits in Sugarcane, with a Comparison of Elite Indian and Australian Germplasm" at the ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute. This project, funded by the Department of Biotechnology, India, spanned from 2018 to 2021. In 2021, Mr. Muthukumar was appointed as a Young Professional I at the Department of Biotechnology, ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute. Over the next three years (2021–2024), he contributed to various research initiatives, including studies on drought stress, water use efficiency genes, oxidative stress, transcriptomics, and field-related phenotypic evaluations in sugarcane. During his career, Mr. Muthukumar also collaborated with the ICAR-Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, contributing to a landmark project that provided the first molecular identification of Moniezia expansa in sheep from Mannavanur, Palani Hills, Tamil Nadu, as well as the molecular characterization of Haemonchus contortus in sheep from the same region, based on COI and cysteine proteinase genes. In March 2024, Mr. Muthukumar joined KCGEB as a Research Assistant, focusing on Molecular Biology.

 

Deepak Karthik Sundararaja Moorthy

Mr. Deepak earned his master’s degree in bioinformatics from the University of Madras in 2009. Over the years, he has worked as a bioinformatician in India, Qatar, and France, contributing to numerous high-impact projects. During his tenure at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, he played a key role in pioneering research in genomics and personalized medicine. With expertise in analyzing complex biological data, developing computational tools, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, Mr. Deepak has built a diverse skill set those bridges scientific research and healthcare applications. His international experience has provided him with a global perspective on bioinformatics. In January 2024, he joined the Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, where he focuses on pipeline development (nf-core) and works with a multidisciplinary team to analyze and interpret complex biological data, advancing research and innovation in the field.

Esam Eldin Saeed

Dr. Esam Eldin Saeed earned his PhD from the University of Paris XI - Orsay in 1994. In 1995, he joined the University of Gezira in Sudan as an Assistant Lecturer in Plant Pathology and Microbiology at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences. From 1997 to 1999, he served as a consultant for the UAE Vegetables & Fruits Export Company, established and financed by Mubadala programs in Abu Dhabi. In 2000, he joined the Abu Dhabi Food Authority as a Senior Researcher in Plant Pathology. Between 2015 and 2016, he was a postdoctoral fellow in the Plant Pathology Department at the College of Food & Agriculture, UAEU. In 2017, Dr. Saeed became a research associate at the Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology. In 2022, he was honored with the Khalifa Award for Date Palm Research & Innovations. Additionally, Dr. Saeed has published over 25 scientific papers in peer-reviewed international journals.

Dr. Ajay Kumar Mishra started his research group at Khalifa Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (KCGEB) in 2022. He completed his PhD in Biotechnology from Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (University of Kerala) in 2010. His Doctoral thesis was focused on the identification and characterization of effector (elicitors) protein from Phytophthora colocasiae and its role in induction of defence response in taro (Colocasia esculenta) plants. During 2010-2013, he worked as a postdoctoral scientist at URMITE (WHO Collaborative Centre), Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France. His post-doc research work was focused on taxonomic description of new bacterial species using whole genome shotgun sequencing, functional annotation of genes and their domains, proteomics (MALDI-TOF MS profiling), microscopy (transmission electron microscopy) and cultural properties (biochemical) isolated from human intestine using culturomics.  During 2013-2021, he was working as a Research Scientist in Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic. He unravelled the gene regulatory network (GRN) and mediator subunits (MED5a and MED5b) interaction with GRN in flavonoid biosynthesis and homeostasis in Humulus lupulus (hop). Moreover, his research laid down the foundation of the understanding the mechanism viroid pathogenesis and transmission in host plants. He has authored more than 85 research publications with a h-index of 26 and citations of 2400 (as of September, 2024).

Current Research Programme at KCGEB: My current research activities at KGCEB encompasses following areas; (A) Functional characterization role of mediator (MED) complex in genetic regulation of plant architecture and stress resilience using the model plant with ultra-high-throughput experimental design, omics characterization, network modeling and experimental validation of regulators of integrative network that ultimately drive the translation of breakthroughs in accelerating genetic improvement in crops for their robustness and yield performance under diverse environmental conditions; (B) Identification and characterization of key regulators/ regulatory module and metabolite involve in salinity stress in facultative and obligate halophytes towards salinity tolerance trait improvement in crops; (C) Mechanistic understanding of bi-directional communication during plant microbial interaction, with the ultimate aim of contributing to food security and sustainable agriculture.

Team Members
Dr. Vishnu Sukumari Nath

He received his Ph.D. in biotechnology with specialization in plant pathology from the University of Kerala, India in 2015. Following his graduation, he was awarded a two-year independent postdoctoral fellowship to investigate the potential of defence priming in ginger plants against Pythium myriotylum using synthetic elicitors at Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, India. In 2017, he accepted a postdoctoral researcher position at the Institute of Plant Molecular Biology (IPMB), Czech Republic, Europe where he explored the secondary metabolite realm and viroid’s pathogenesis in hop (Humulus lupulus). During 2021, he was offered a postdoctoral scientist position at the prestigious Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in the USA, where he focused on developing green chemistry-inspired antifungal peptides to combat Frogeye leaf spot in soybeans.

Dr. Sagarika Mishra

She received her PhD in Biosciences and Bioengineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-G), India in 2014. She joined as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the National Centre for Biological Science (NCBS), Bangalore, India in 2015. Later, she was awarded the DBT-Research Associate project on the Role of small RNAs and epigenetics during flower development in rice in 2015-2016. She recently completed her early career-sponsored independent project as a DST-Women Scientist-A at the Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, India in 2017- 2022 on the topic “Identification and characterization of microRNAs in cowpea, a naturally heat and drought tolerant legume crop under drought stress” funded by the KIRAN division, Department of Science and Technology (DST, Govt. of India).

Hamdoon Alblooshi

He received his bachelor's degree in veterinary science from the Higher College of Technology in Al Ain in March 2020. After graduation, he served as a laboratory analyst in the Virology Department at the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority from 2020 to 2023. Through his work in the Virology Department, a scientific paper was published in a prestigious journal (Isolation and genetic characterization of MERS-CoV from dromedary camels in the United Arab Emirates). Upon joining the Authority, he was part of the Covid-19 emergency response team, and participated in several annual campaigns, including the bird flu investigation campaign. He also participated in the second edition of the Middle East Poultry Exhibition in Riyadh (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) 2023. He also received the Distinguished Analyst Award in Microbiology and Molecular Biology for his outstanding contribution to his work in 2020 and received the prestigious IBDAA Award 06/2023 at the level of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority. Mr. Hamdoon joined the Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology on January 2, 2024 as a laboratory specialist to date, he is currently working on a project on Ipomoea Pes-Caprae, a climate-smart plant, grown prevalently in the sand dunes of the tropical and sub-tropical coastal shores, it exhibits prodigious heat, salinity and drought tolerance. The goal of the project is to decipher the regulatory players involved in its resilience towards environmental cues.

Dr. Naganeeswaran Sudalaimuthuasari is a bioinformatician with over 15 years of experience in Genomics and Next-Generation sequencing (NGS) data analysis. Currently working as a Laboratory Specialist at the Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (KCGEB), United Arab Emirates University, his work mainly focuses on genome assembly, bioinformatics data annalysis, managing NGS projects and HPC team.

Dr. Naganeeswaran holds a Ph.D. in Biosciences from Mangalore University and an M.Sc. in Bioinformatics from Madras University. He began his career as a Senior Research Fellow at CPCRI (ICAR, Government of India) in Kasaragod, India. He has held various key positions, including Senior Data Analyst and Scientist at Genotypic Technology in Bangalore, India, where he led the NGS analysis team. Since joining KCGEB in 2017, he has spearheaded significant genomic projects focused on desert flora, fauna and microbiota. His research spans whole genome analysis, transcriptomics, metagenomics, and computational biology, including pipeline development, database creation, and programming. His work has resulted in numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Team Members
Mr. Abhishek Kumar, System Engineer
Mr. Abhishek Kumar is an IT professional with over 10 years of experience, specializing in high-performance computing (HPC) and storage systems. He has extensive expertise in working with complex HPC infrastructures, including HPE-Cray supercomputers and Lustre filesystems at IISc Bangalore; IITM, Pune. Currently, he serves as an HPC Systems Engineer at the Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology (KCGEB) in UAE university, where he is providing HPC Systems & Applications support and services. Abhishek holds many professional certifications including NVIDIA InfiniBand, Azure, PBS Pro, Red Hat, etc.