Diaa Abd El Moneim

Dr. Abd El Moneim’s passion for plant biology and genetics began during his undergraduate studies. He obtained a BSc in Environmental and Agricultural Sciences from Suez Canal University, Egypt in 2001. His commitment to research began immediately after, with his pursuit of a Diploma in Plant Breeding and Genetics in 2002, followed by his MSc in Plant Genetics in 2007. His MSc research focused on evaluating wheat genotypes for drought tolerance and rust resistance under the challenging conditions of North Sinai, Egypt, which led to the publication of four manuscripts (LINK, LINK).

In 2008, Dr. Abd El Moneim received a prestigious scholarship from the Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window to pursue a PhD at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). His doctoral research centered on isolating and characterizing key genes involved in the Krebs cycle and cell wall modification, specifically related to aluminum tolerance in rye. Through this research, Dr. Abd El Moneim contributed to the understanding of the ScMDH1&2, ScCS, and ScPME genes (LINK, LINK, LINK). His work in plant molecular biology and stress tolerance continued to develop during his three-year postdoctoral fellowship at the National Center of Biotechnology (CNB) in Spain, where he focused on characterizing the molecular mechanisms underlying E3 ligase activity and its role in stress responses. During his postdoctoral fellowship at the CNB, Dr. Abd El Moneim focused on plant adaptation to abiotic stresses, which led to key findings published in Plant Cell on a negative feedback mechanism triggered by ABA that acts via ALIX under ABA stress (LINK). His ability to apply molecular techniques to improve stress tolerance became a cornerstone of his research philosophy.

In 2014, Dr. Abd El Moneim joined Arish University as an Assistant Professor of Genetics, where he established the Plant Molecular Diversity (PMD) research team. His team applied molecular markers to identify genetic variability in crops (especially wheat and rice), with a focus on enhancing tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses. In addition, his research included the study of chloroplast genome dynamics in wild medicinal plants of the Fifa mountains (LINK, LINK), as well as the development of novel molecular markers for olive cultivar identification, leading to the submission of a patent in collaboration with Ain Shams University, which is currently in review. His collaborative efforts extended nationally and internationally, building partnerships to address global agricultural challenges.

Education

• Doctor of Science in Biology Complutense University, Spain 2012

• Master’s in plant Breeding & Genetics Suez Canal University, Egypt 2007

• Diploma in Plant Breeding & Genetics Suez Canal University, Egypt 2002

• BSc in Environmental and Agricultural Sciences Suez Canal University, Egypt 2001

Areas of Interest

• Plant responses to environmental stress include salinity, drought, aluminum toxicity, heat, and pathogens.

• Gene families and stress-responsive proteins in plants.

• Using DNA barcoding and plastid genomes for species identification and the development of molecular markers.

• Transcriptional regulators are involved in stress adaptation.

• Improving crops such as wheat and wild plants adapted to extreme environments.

• Enhancing stress tolerance in crops for agriculture, especially in developing countries.

• Advanced research techniques include field trials, nucleic acid extraction, protein analysis, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS).

Selected Publications

• 1. Mansoor, S. … Abd El‑Moneim D., Suk Chung., Kim Y*. (2024) Comparative transcriptomic analysis of the nodulation-competent zone and inference of transcription regulatory network in silicon applied Glycine max [L.]-Merr. Roots. Plant Cell Rep 43, 169. Open access (JCR-2023: IF 5.3, Q1 Plant Sciences).

• 2. Choudhary S.* … Abd El-Moneim D., Naaz N. (2024) Salicylic acid enhances thermotolerance and antioxidant defense in Trigonella foenum graecum L. under heat stress. Heliyon,10,6. Open access (JCR-2023: IF 3.4, Q1 Multidisciplinary Sciences).

• 3. Gudi S, … Abd El-Moneim D. and Sharma A*. (2024) Deciphering the genetic landscape of seedling drought stress tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) through genome-wide association studies. Front. Plant Sci. 15:1351075. Open access (JCR-2023: IF 4.1, Q1 Plant Sciences).

• 4. Thabet S.G. … Abd El Moneim D., Alqudah A.M.* (2024) Genetic mining of desirable alleles for transgenerational stress memory through enhancing drought adaptation in wheat. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 218 Closed access (JCR-2023: IF 4.1, Q1 Plant Sciences).

• 5. Abd El Moneim D, et al. (2023) Evolutionary insights and expression dynamics of the CaNFYB transcription factor gene family in pepper (Capsicum annuum) under salinity stress. Front. Genet. 14:1288453. Open access (JCR-2023: IF 4.1, Q2 Genetics & Heredity).

• 6. Ghazy, M.I.….Abd El Moneim D*. (2023) Impacts of kinetin implementation on leaves, floral and root-related traits during seed production in hybrid rice under water deficiency. BMC Plant Biol 23, 398. Open access (JCR-2023: IF 4, Q1 Plant Sciences).

• 7. Mahmud S., … Abd El Moneim D. and Mostofa MG*. (2023) Acetic acid positively modulates proline metabolism for mitigating PEG-mediated drought stress in Maize and Arabidopsis. Front. Plant Sci. 14:1167238. Open access (JCR-2023: IF 4.1, Q1 Plant Sciences).

• 8. Naaz N.* … Abd El-Moneim D. (2023) Frequency and spectrum of M2 mutants and genetic variability in cyto-agronomic characteristics of fenugreek induced by caffeine and sodium azide. Front. Plant Sci. 13:1030772. Open access (JCR-2023: IF 4.1, Q1 Plant Sciences).

• 9. Safhi, F.A.; … Abd El-Moneim, D. (2022) DNA Barcoding of Endangered and Rarely Occurring Plants in Faifa Mountains (Jazan, Saudi Arabia). Agriculture, 12, 1931. Open access (JCR-2022: IF 3.3, Q1 Agronomy).

• 10. Abd El-Moneim D* et al. (2022) Repression of Mitochondrial Citrate Synthase Genes by Aluminum Stress in Roots of Secale cereale and Brachypodium distachyon. Front. Plant Sci. 13:832981. Open access (JCR-2022: IF 5.6, Q1 Plant Sciences).

• 11. Abd El-Moneim, D.* et al. (2021) Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.): Genetic Diversity According to ISSR and SCoT Markers, Relative Gene Expression, and Morpho-Physiological Variation under Salinity Stress. Plants, 10, 2802. Open access (JCR-2021: IF 4.6, Q1 Plant Sciences).