Microbiology and Bio technology Unit

       Biotechnology stands right now on the threshold. It offers the promise that can be beyond belief. No doubt that the innovation of biotechnology opens the door widely to reduce the cost of different biotechnological products or to improve the quality of these products. Through these innovative approaches of biotechnology and genetic engineering a large assortment of newly produced materials will be added to the valuable resources which could be used for improving the living conditions of the ever-increasing world population.

      Biotechnology will take a firm and giant step across the threshold on which it now stands in many areas particularly in health, agriculture, industry and environment. It is obvious that the developing of biotechnological processes is now directed toward the sustainability of resources. The genetically engineered crops are designed to reduce the agricultural chemicals parallel to the increase in yield productivity. Engineered microorganisms are designed to biodegrade different contaminants to reduce the environmental stresses. The products of genetic engineering and biotechnology are expected to become more integrated in the daily life of the people anywhere on the globe.

 BIOTECHNOLOGY LAB

The Biotechnology Lab is fairly new. It was established in 2003 to provide to the King Saud University, other governmental agencies, and the private sector, high quality, cost effective, state-of-the-art technology in agriculture and environment related areas of biotechnology.

  Objectives

• Developing new technologies and provide new scientific methods in different fields of agriculture, industry, and environment in link research programs to national development plans
•  Providing training, consultancy and technology transfer to different production and services agencies
• Conducting applied projects to ensure better performance in different areas to face problems in agriculture and environmental sectors
• Cooperating with different national and international institutes in various areas of technology

 Team members:

 Prof. Dr. Fahd Nasser Al-Barakah

 Prof.Dr. Reda Abdel-Zaher Youssef  abdel_aziz_reda@hotmail.com

 Current Research Projects

 Several research projects are currently underway. These  include:

•  Biodiversity of alfalfa rhizobia in different regions of Saudi Arabia
•  Improvement of alfalfa production through the application of biological nitrogen   fixation technology
•  Production of Genetically Engineered Alfalfa Sinorhizobium meliloti Adapted to Stress Conditions of Saudi Arabia

 Research Interests:

•  Nitrogen Transformation in Soil
•  Biological Nitrogen Fixation
•  Bioremediation of Organic Pollutants
•  Recycling of Different Organic wastes
•  Production of Organic and Bio-fertilizers
•  Fingerprinting of Different microbes Using the Most Advanced   Molecular Biology Techniques

 Fields of consultation and other services:

* Bioremediation of Sewage Water

* Bioremediation of Organic Pollutants

* Bioremediation of oil contaminated soils

* Phytoremediation of Heavy Metals

* Recycling of Municipal Solid Wastes

* Recycling of Agricultural Wastes

* Production of Organic and Bio-fertilizers

* Production of Mushroom from Agricultural Wastes

* Evaluation of Water quality for drinking and Uses in Agricultural Wastes