KAUST Associate Professor Liming Xiong is researching how plants adapt to drought conditions, focusing on reducing water consumption, increasing water uptake, and surviving under stress. His "whole plant" approach aims to identify major genes controlling water uptake, water loss, and cellular detoxification. The research seeks to develop plants that use water more efficiently or can be irrigated with brackish water, important for agriculture in Saudi Arabia. Why it matters: Understanding the molecular mechanisms of plant drought tolerance can help in breeding stress-tolerant crops suitable for the arid conditions in the region.
A KAUST-led study reveals unexpectedly high functional diversity in arid and grazed dryland plants globally, examining traits like mineral element concentration in over 300 species across six continents. The research indicates that plants employ diverse adaptation strategies to aridity and grazing, with trait diversity increasing beyond a certain aridity threshold. More than half of the trait diversity was found in the most arid and grazed drylands, challenging the view that harsh conditions reduce plant diversity. Why it matters: This study highlights the ecological value of drylands and suggests plants possess unappreciated resilience to climate change, with implications for conservation and greening programs in regions like Saudi Arabia.
KAUST's Salt Lab, led by Professor Mark Tester, is researching how salt-tolerant plants survive in harsh environments. The lab aims to improve plant yields in suboptimal conditions, focusing on naturally occurring variability in plants to enhance salinity tolerance. With 70% of global water used for agriculture and increasing water scarcity, the research seeks to unlock the potential of seawater for irrigation. Why it matters: Enhancing the salinity tolerance of crops is crucial for addressing food security challenges exacerbated by climate change and the growing global population, particularly in arid regions like the Middle East.
KAUST's Center of Excellence for Sustainable Food Security (CoE-SFS) has launched 12 translation projects focused on plant growth and water security, establishing partnerships with public and private entities to scale up research. Mark Tester's team developed stress-tolerant rootstocks, grafted onto crops like tomatoes, that thrive in hot, dry conditions with increased yields. Through his start-up Iyris, Tester is conducting commercial field trials in over 12 countries. Why it matters: These efforts to adapt agriculture to environmental change are crucial for ensuring food security in Saudi Arabia, the region, and globally, especially in the face of climate change and limited water resources.
KAUST researchers have achieved a breakthrough by passing the damp-heat test for perovskite solar cells (PSCs), a rigorous assessment of their ability to withstand prolonged exposure to high humidity and temperatures. The team engineered 2D-perovskite passivation layers that block moisture and enhance power conversion efficiencies. The successful test, which requires maintaining 95% of initial performance after 1,000 hours at 85% humidity and 85 degrees Celsius, marks a significant step toward commercialization. Why it matters: This advancement addresses a critical weakness of PSCs and brings the technology closer to competing with silicon solar cells in terms of stability and longevity, crucial for widespread adoption of renewable energy.
Researchers have developed a scalable pre-screening framework that integrates climate and remote sensing data to identify cost-efficient sites for sustainable dryland restoration, using Saudi Arabia as a case study. The framework employs machine learning models to derive a Climate Suitability Score (CSS), which captures climatic dependencies on vegetation persistence. National-scale prediction maps were generated using multi-year ERA5-Land data for Saudi Arabia, leading to the identification of thirteen priority locations with an estimated potential for a 2.5-fold increase in vegetation coverage. Why it matters: This approach significantly reduces the search space and costs associated with restoration efforts, supporting more resilient and sustainable ecosystem recovery planning in water-limited regions of the Middle East.