The center includes 3 platforms for genetic engineering, genomics and applied research

A "successor to biotechnology" genetically modifies plants with medicinal benefits

  • The center genetically modifies plants to improve their productivity in a desert environment.

    From the source

  • Dr. Khaled Al-Amiri: "The center provides rich opportunities for scientists of the next generation to explore various scientific fields."

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Khalid Al-Amiri, Director of the Khalifa Center for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering at the United Arab Emirates University, revealed six new projects that the center is currently working on, including a project for the functional study of genes responsible for salinity, drought and moisture in local plants, such as Ghaf, Good Morning, and a crop amendment project. Agricultural using the genetic pyramid technology, the study of responsible genes and genetic variation of the color of feathers in falcons, the project to eliminate the pest of the palm weevil by genetic editing (Genome Editing), the development of the palm tree to resist pests, and the project to improve the agricultural characteristics of tomatoes using (CRISPRCas) technique for horizontal cultivation, Plants genetically have medicinal benefits.

In detail, Al-Amiri told Al-Emarat Al-Youm that “the Khalifa Center for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering has come a long way in research, since its inauguration in 2014, thanks to the support and guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, which was It has a fundamental role in the effective development and success of the center.

He pointed out that the center explores the mechanisms that desert plants use to endure environmental conditions, and the knowledge that is generated in the center is used to genetically modify plants to improve their ability to produce in a desert environment, and to develop plants with other characteristics that have high economic values, such as the percentage of sugar in palm trees. And seedless fruits.

Al-Amiri added that the center has succeeded in developing many agricultural crops and plants, including tomatoes, spinach, eggplant, quinoa, lettuce, creeping grass plants, march, palm tree, good morning, and teff, indicating that the center has many partnerships with local institutions. And research centers, including New York University Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Authority for Agriculture and Biosafety, the International Fund for Houbara Conservation, and the Emirates Bio Fertilizer Factory.

Al-Amiri pointed out that the Khalifa Technology Center was inaugurated in 2014, and the researchers focus on developing agricultural crops that can withstand the environmental pressure in the UAE by generating scientific knowledge and applied research, in addition to focusing on developing crops with desirable agricultural characteristics to increase the economic value of the crops produced in The state, pointing out that the center has developed three research platforms that include genetic engineering to improve agricultural crops, genomics and bioinformatics, in addition to an applied research platform for improving agricultural crops.

He explained that the genetic engineering platform works to discover genes from desert plants that help to withstand environmental pressures, and to establish a protocol for genetic modification with the aim of improving agricultural crops, in order to ensure efficiency and sustainability in scientific research to produce crops able to withstand environmental pressure.

He added that the Genomics Science and Bioinformatics platform focuses on meeting specific needs in data acquisition and analysis, and then integrating data from many sources as well as generating large quantities of genomic data, as the platform covers a wide range of fields, including comparative bioinformatics, science Comparative genomics to understand gene function, and computational biology to understand biological systems and biological relationships.

Al-Amiri pointed out that the third platform for applied research encourages cooperation between the research groups at the center, to develop and promote strategies for improving agricultural crops and sustainable agricultural practices, by using the big data that scientists have collected through their molecular research and employing it in computational biology projects.

He explained that the Khalifa Center for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering includes 31 researchers and administrators, 25% of whom are citizens, pointing out that the researchers seek to make it a prominent and distinguished center for research by focusing on studying desert plants in the UAE environment to generate scientific knowledge, and thus face global challenges in the issue of Food security and the practice of sustainable agriculture through genomics research, genetic engineering, and innovation in biotechnologies.

Al-Amiri stressed that the center provides rich opportunities for scientists of the next generation to explore various scientific fields, and the center ensures that these scientists flourish in an appropriate research environment that ensures their achievement of scientific achievements, indicating that the center is in charge of expanding the network of scientific cooperation around the world, to unify and strengthen its efforts towards cultivation More sustainable.

He added that the center is working to achieve leadership in the field of genetic engineering and plant biotechnologies through scientific discovery and innovation for the production and modification of plants with agricultural and economic characteristics, as the mission of the center relies on studying genomes with the aim of developing crop production and achieving food security, and generating scientific knowledge by discovering the basic principles of how Plants respond to abiotic environmental pressures, and then knowledge is transferred to useful crops and products, and plants are developed (through genetic modification and editing) with traits of high economic value, such as the ability to withstand abiotic or other environmental pressures, and the expansion of research capabilities in the United Arab Emirates University, In addition to establishing a center of excellence for research related to plant genomics for sustainable economic development.

3 international laboratories

Khalid Al-Amiri, Director of the Khalifa Center for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, confirmed that the center includes three laboratories, along with a number of research facilities, including a laboratory for molecular biology, and is the source of innovation in the center, as it contains modern molecular devices that allow scientists to carry out modern scientific experiments.

He added that the Bioinformatics Laboratory makes the Khalifa Center possess a world-class computing and storage infrastructure that allows scientists to perform the most intensive research in the field of genomics and computational biology, and the Al Foah farm where about 40 hectares of land and a set of state-of-the-art research facilities are provided for scientists and students from various disciplines. To develop and test innovative strategies that support food security in the region.

He pointed out that the tissue culture laboratory consists of five horizontal cabins that provide a reliable sterile environment for planting tissue culture, and imaging rooms that allow researchers to prepare samples and imaging in the center through a set of advanced imaging equipment, in addition to special facilities for plant growth that are green houses with high technology. , Growth rooms, and a number of controlled environmental chambers, allowing users to customize and monitor the various factors affecting scientific experiments to reach the desired environment.

Training programs for students

Khalid Al-Amiri, Director of the Khalifa Center for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, stated that the center provides short-term practical training programs for undergraduate and postgraduate students at the United Arab Emirates University, in order to acquire basic skills in the field of scientific research, and we offer structured educational programs to work closely with Our scientists.

"This gives a unique vision for our research work, and encourages the next generation of scientists to build a successful research career," he said, pointing out that the center won the 2017 President's Supreme Award for Institutional Excellence for the category of Distinguished Research Center.

6

New projects that the Khalifa Center for Technology is working on.

25%

The staff of the Khalifa Center for Biotechnology and Engineering are citizens.

Functional study of genes responsible for salinity, drought and moisture in native plants.

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