Committee

Ramadan A. Arafa is an assistant Professor of Plant Pathology at Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt. He was awarded a Scholarship for MSc through Scientists of next generation (SNG) Grant program from Academy of Scientific Research and Technology. He received his PhD as a scientific channel between Cairo University, Egypt and Kazusa DNA Research Institute, Japan. He then was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship at Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), Japan. His research work focuses on the isolation, characterization and identification of plant pathogens, biological control, host-pathogen interaction and molecular plant pathology.

Prof. Dr. Abdeslam ASEHRAOU is a full Professor of microbiology and biotechnology at the Mohammed Premier University of Oujda (Morocco). His research mainly involves lactic fermentation, particularly the enzymatic and antimicrobial activities of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts, their application in food preservation, and the development of natural and synthetic antimicrobials

Mustapha Barakate is full Professor at Cadi Ayyad University-Marrakech since 1997 and Affiliate professor at Mohammed 6 polytechnics since 2017. His main research work focuses on the isolation and biodiversity studies of actinobacteria strains from endemic and extremely Moroccan ecosystems and their investigation for agricultural and biomedical uses (Bioactives compounds, PGPRs, biocontrol agents, biopesticides, biostimulants, elicitors).

Amani Ben Alaya, a doctoral candidate at the University of Sciences Tunis El Manar (FST), affiliated to the Laboratory of Bioactive Substances (LSBA) in the Centre of Biotechnology of Borj Cedria (CBBC) in Tunisia, possesses a rich academic background with degrees in biology and medical biotechnology. Her academic journey is focused on the diagnosis of plant diseases, their geographical distribution, as well as the utilization of bioactive substances and PGP microorganisms as biocontrol agents or biofertilizers. She also serves as a part-time instructor in statistics at Free University of Tunis (ULT) and has overseen various training sessions on comparative genomics and statistical analyses utilizing R software.

Dr. Rayda BEN AYED, received her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the Faculty of Sciences of Sfax (Tunisia) in 2013 where she pioneered the technique of olive oil analysis and traceability through innovative molecular approach. Dr. Rayda BEN AYED was recently recruited at the Tunisian National Institute of Agronomy (INAT) as Assistant Professor, where she teaches biostatistics and bioinformatics as well as holding a position as a member of the Laboratory of Extremophile Plants at the Center of Biotechnology of Borj-Cédria.

Manel ChAOUACHI is a postdoctoral researcher at Center of Biotechnology of Borj Cedria (CBBC). In 2021, she got her PhD in Biological Sciences and Functional Ecology (under international joint supervision). She works mainly in the field of plant disease biocontrol. Her study focuses on the valorisation of microbial bioactive compounds and green nanotechnology to promote plant development and tolerance to climate change conditions. 

Naceur DJEBALI is Professor of Microbiology in the Centre of Biotechnology of Borj Cedria (Tunisia) and awarded as Honorary Professorship from Amity University Uttar Pradesh (India).

Dr. Nadjette Djemouai holds a PhD in Microbial Ecology from USTHB (Algeria), and she is currently working as a teacher/researcher at the University of Ghardaia. She is a member of the LBSM Lab (Algiers, Algeria) where she focused on the taxonomic identification of actinobacteria and search for their biological attributes. Nadjette is passionate about microbial ecology and host-associated microbiome. Part of her recent works focused on the identification of key players in the microbial communities and understand the mechanisms by which they support plant growth under Saharan conditions.

Abdellatif EL MEZIANE is a Professor in Molecular Genetics at Cadi Ayyad University (Marrakesh, Morocco) since 1994. He is also the Leader of the ’Molecular Biology and Genetics’ Team at the Centre of Agrobiotechnology and Bioengineering, which is endorsed by CNRST. He has worked on Mitochondrial Gene Expression and mtDNA mutations in Paris-Saclay University (France), Glasgow University (UK) and Tampere University (Finland). His main contributions were published in EMBO Journal, Nature genetics, Genetics …. Since 2008, He has been interested in Insect control using Entomopathogenic Fungi and Bacteria. At the moment, He is working on 3 main projects: (i) Development of bioinsecticides using Entomopathogenic Fungi and Bacteria, (ii) Biocontrol of phytopathogenic fungi, bacteria and insects, and (iii) Biodegradation and biocompatibility of new nanomaterials.

Dr Faouzia MAHJOUB HADDADA is an Assistant Professor at the Center of Biotechnology of Borj-Cédria (CBBC). She is mainly dedicated to research in Plant Biotechnology and Microbiology and has also taught courses in Biochemistry, Genetic engineering and Industrial microbiology at the Higher Institute of Biotechnology and Environment Technology of Borj Cédria. She also holds a DEA in Biochemistry and Biotechnology and a PhD in Biology from the Faculty of Sciences of Tunis (FST).

Dr. Lamia Hamrouni is a Professor researcher at the National Institute of Rural Engineering, Water, and Forestry (INRGREF) in Tunisia. Since 2005, she has been dedicated to advancing biotechnology within the institute. Dr. Hamrouni obtained her doctoral degree in Biological Sciences, specializing in Plant Biotechnology, from the Faculty of Sciences in Tunis in 2009.With nearly 25 years of experience, Dr. Hamrouni's research focuses on applying biotechnology to enhance forest resources, particularly in the Mediterranean region. Her work involves analyzing the genetic diversity of various plant species using advanced techniques.

Mohsen HANANA is an Agronomist Engineer specialized from INAT (Agronomy and Plant Improvement), he also holds a DEA in Cellular Physiology and Plant Biotechnology from FST, a PhD and a University Habilitation in Biological Engineering from ENIS; he has successively occupied at CBBC, since 2002, the positions of Engineer, Assistant-Professor and then Associate Professor.

Moez Hanin is Professor in Molecular Biology at the Institute of Biotechnology (University of Sfax) and head of the Plant Physiology and Functional Genomics Research Unit. He is also the Scientific Advisor for cluster 6 of the EU Research & Innovation Program Horizon Europe.

Said Kamel has been a professor at  Plant Pathology Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center (ARC) Egypt since 2001. His main research work focuses on the isolation, identification and biodiversity studies of bacteria strains and use in biological control against many causes pathogen plants.

Dr Khayi is a bioinformatician/genomist with a PhD from the University Paris-Saclay. Previously, he worked as a Post-doc at the Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC) in Paris before joining the National Institute of Agricultural Research in Rabat. His work centres on deciphering the intricacies of microbial genomics, leveraging Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies and advanced bioinformatics tools to unravel and assemble microbial genomes. Through this, he explores their genomic diversity and gain insights into their functional implications.

Dr. Sonia MOKNI holds a MSc in Cellular Physiology and Plant Biotechnologies and a PhD in Biological Sciences from the Faculty of Sciences – Tunis, El Manar University, Tunisia. Since 2012, she has been an Assistant Professor at Water Research and Technology Center (CERTE), where her dedication to pioneering research has significantly advanced the field of the agricultural reuse of wastewater treatment by-products. 

Mona Mostafa Saleh is an associate Professor at Agricultural Research Center since 2011. Her main research work focuses on the isolation of plant pathogens, fungal toxins, and biological control  studies using bioagents strains from endemic egyptian ecosystems and their investigation for agricultural uses (Bioactive compounds, biocontrol agents and PGPRs).

Imen is a researcher at National Institute of Agronomic Research of Tunisia (INRAT), specializing in symbiotic bacteria and their interactions with host plants. With extensive experience in microbiology and plant sciences, she focuses on the valorization of beneficial bacteria to improve plant growth, resilience to abiotic stress and adaptation to climate change. Through her innovative research, she aims to develop sustainable agricultural practices that improve crop productivity and environmental sustainability.