Science Faculty

Seminario del 4 de abril de 2019

Seminario Departamento de Biología. Wesam Al Khateeb

Plants are one of the most diverse and successful forms of life on earth. As they are sessile organisms, plants have to adapt with their environments. They usually respond to changing conditions by biochemical and physiological responses or by modulating the expression of certain genes.  My research focuses on how genetic information is used and regulated at the molecular, cellular and whole-plant level in response(s) to abiotic stress. I utilize wild plants, crop wild relatives and genetic mutants to define gene functions. My long-term research endeavors falls within understanding the genetic basis of cross tolerance that may help in the development of new strategies to stimulate plant stress tolerance. I look foreword to applying contemporary molecular analysis and screening tools that are either in my lab, and/or through collaborations. This type of global approach for analysis will assure the role of already known genes or identify novel ones that would initiate future prospective for the molecular level on one hand and whole organism level on the other. Another major aspect of my research is to find new, or less characterized plant species that are capable to survive under harsh environmental conditions (e.g. desert). This will begin by phenotypic screening of plants followed by molecular characterization.