Increasing agri-food supply chain (cereal) resilience in the MENA region AND Assessing novel antimicrobial food packaging

The Faculty of Science and Technology of Beni Mellal (FSTBM) of the Sultan Moulay Slimane University was created in 1994. It is a public institution of higher scientific and technical education with regulated access whose aim is to develop teaching and research programmes spread over four cycles (Bachelor's degree, Master's degree, Engineering cycle and Doctorate) offered by nine departments: Life Sciences, Earth Sciences, Chemistry and Environment, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Languages and Communication.

The FSTBM aims to

The training of graduates in the fields best adapted to the needs of the job market and the technological evolution of the region

The contribution to the economic and social development of the region through a real integration of the faculty in its environment

The offer to students of a basic scientific and technical training of high level adapted to the technological evolution, allowing the graduates to integrate the active life

The development of a business culture. Indeed, within the framework of university-enterprise cooperation, students in certain disciplines are entrusted to partner companies for internships and end-of-study projects (PFE). This exchange allows, on the one hand, the student to have a better knowledge of the work environment, and on the other hand, the company to benefit from the skills of the students and the academic environment

The team of our Laboratory of "Biotechnologies and Genetic Valorization of Plants" includes teacher-researchers specialized in microbial biotechnology, plant genetics and ecology whose work focuses on: microbial biotechnology and analysis of plant genomes for the development of local biodiversity and sustainable exploitation of cultivated and spontaneous plants. This work aims to contribute to the resolution of agronomic and environmental problems using biotechnological tools. The research themes developed by our laboratory are :
- Biofertilizers based on Actinomycetes : The excessive use of chemical fertilizers/pesticides has become a problem. The search for inexpensive, ecologically viable and efficient alternatives has become a requirement. Our objective is to develop a new Actinomycete-based fertilizer product capable of both solubilizing phosphate and potassium rocks by ensuring the mobilization of these nutrients towards the plant rhizosphere (Sugar beet, Cereals, others...). In addition, we aim at developing bio-fertilizers that also express additional activities: protection against phytopathogens ("Biopesticide" and "bio-immune" plant defense). This line of research is an important way to design crop itineraries that respect the rules of low-input agriculture.
- Fodder genetic resources: Thanks to their fodder quality, their capacity to fix the soil and improve its fertility through root nodules, fodder species are a plant material of choice and of great agronomic interest. Among these species, our interest focused on species of both genera: Medicago and Hedysarum. The traced objectives are the evaluation, conservation and improvement of these species.
- Fruit genetic resources: Fruit species play an important socio-economic role and contribute to the stability of ecosystems. Our interest has focused on carob, pomegranate, vine, walnut, plum and apple. The objectives of our research work are the evaluation of genetic diversity and its structuring, the valorization of germplasm and the agronomic and agro-industrial valorization of local cultivars characterized by considerable adaptive potentialities.

-Our recent Publications:
- Aallam Y., Dhiba D., El Rasafi T., Lemriss S., Haddioui A., Tarkka M., Hamdali H. (2022). Growth promotion and protection against root rot of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) by two rock phosphate and potassium solubilizing Streptomyces spp. under greenhouse conditions. Plant Soil. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-05252-w (IF= 4.192)
- Bousselham M., Lemriss S, Dhiba D, Aallam Y., Souiri A, Abbas Y., Saïdi N, Boukcim H. et Hamdali H. (2022). Streptomycetaceae and Promicromonosporaceae: Two Actinomycetes families from Moroccan Oat Soils enhancing Solubilization of Natural Phosphate. Microorganisms,10,1116. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10061116. (IF: 4.152)
- Azmani A., Lemriss S., Barakate M., Souiri A., Dhiba D., Hassani L., Hamdali H. (2022). Screening and Characterization of Streptomyces spp. Isolated from Three Moroccan Ecosystems Producing a Potential Inhibitor of the Drug Efflux Pump AcrAB-TolC. BioTech (Basel) 29;11(3):22. doi: 10.3390/biotech11030022. (IF: 5.2)
- Khachtib Y., Zinelabidine H., Bouda S., Hamdali H., Hammada S., Haddioui A. (2022). Genetic characterization of cultivated apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.) in Morocco using microsatellite (SSR) markers. Ecological Genetics and Genomics 23 (2022) 100122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egg.2022.100122 (IF: 1.9)
- Hamdali H., Lebrihi A., Monje M.C., Benharref A., Hafidi M., Ouhdouch Y., Virolle M.J. (2021). A Molecule of the Viridomycin Family Originating from a Streptomyces griseus-Related Strain Has the Ability to Solubilize Rock Phosphate and to Inhibit Microbial Growth. Antibiotics, 10, 72. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics10010072 (IF= 4.639)
- Aallam Y., Dhiba D., Lemriss S., Souiri A., Karray F., El Rasafi T., Saïdi N., Haddioui A., El Kabbaj S., Virolle M.J., Hamdali H. (2021). Isolation and Characterization of Phosphate Solubilizing Streptomyces sp. Endemic from Sugar Beet Fields of the Beni-Mellal Region in Morocco. Microorganisms, 9, 914. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9050914 (IF= 4.128)
- Aallam Y., El Maliki B., Dhiba D., Lemriss S., Souiri A., Haddioui A., Tarkka M., Hamdali H. (2021). Multiple Potential Plant Growth Promotion Activities of Endemic Streptomyces spp. from Moroccan Sugar Beet Fields with Their Inhibitory Activities against Fusarium spp. Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). (IF= 4.128)
- Aallam Y., El Rasafi T., Hakkou R., Dhiba D., Nouri M., Haddioui A., Hamdali H. (2021). Assessing the contamination of trace toxic elements in the soils of sugar beet field (Beni-Mellal, Morocco). Arabian Journal of Geosciences (2021) 14:822 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-07217-w (IF= 1.827)
- El Rasafi T., Bouda S., Hamdali H., Haddioui A. (2021). Seed germination and early seedling growth of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-gracium L.) under Cu, Ni and As stress. Acta Ecologica Sinica Volume 41, Issue 3, June 2021, Pages 223-227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chnaes.2021.02.014 (IF= 1.414)

✓ Biology and biotechnology of Actinomycetes
✓ Improvement of plant productivity by microorganisms (biofertilizing bacteria by solubilization of mineral phosphate, PGPR effect)
✓ Biological control of plant diseases
✓ Research of biomolecules of interest from Actinomycetes
✓ Microorganism biology and bacterial taxonomy (molecular identification) ✓ Actinomycetes biology and biotechnology
✓ Improvement of plant productivity by microorganisms (biofertilizing bacteria by solubilization of mineral phosphate, PGPR effect)
✓ Biological control of plant diseases
✓ Research of biomolecules of interest from Actinomycetes
✓ Biology of microorganisms and taxonomy of bacteria (molecular identification)