Welcome to the 'Cereal Genetics and Genomics Group' at KAUST! The lab was established in August 2017. In our research, we are using genetic, genomic, and molecular approaches to study the adaptation of cereal crops to stress conditions.

Cereal crops, including wheat, rice, maize, barley, sorghum and millets, play a pivotal role in producing food for humankind. More than 50% of the globally consumed calories are produced from cereal crop plants. All cereal crops are close relatives that belong to the grass (Poaceae) family. In other words, a significant proportion of the global food and feed supply is based on a few closely related grass species. It has been estimated that cereal production needs to double in the coming decades in order to meet the projected demands for food and feed. In order to reach this goal, we need a sound knowledge of the genetic and molecular processes that control stress adaptation in cereal plants.

You can learn more about our current research activities by clicking on the respective tab.