Farming the unfarmable: How microbes are reviving life in desert soils, research shows new hope for arid agriculture
The paper, 'Steering Plant–Soil Feedback for Sustainable Agriculture,' appears in the July 2025 issue of Science. Click here to view it.
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Al Bawaba
11 hours ago
- Al Bawaba
WCM-Q study highlights potential of flavonoid-induced ferroptosis in treating cancer
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) have explored preclinical evidence on the therapeutic potential of flavonoids that induce ferroptosis in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers in a new article published in the Journal of Advanced Research (ScienceDirect), a leading applied/natural sciences cancers account for a quarter of all cancer cases and are the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In addition, the incidence of early-onset GI cancer in individuals under 50 has been rising at an alarming rate in recent advances in cancer treatment, factors like rapid globalization, changes in the distribution and prevalence of key risk factors, and demographic trends contribute to epidemiological disparities and variations in the incidence and mortality of GI cancers worldwide. Of the GI cancers, colorectal cancer is considered the most predominant, followed by cancers of the stomach, liver, esophagus, and pancreas. While most GI cancers occur sporadically, only 10 percent are hereditary. Apart from the influence of genetic and environmental factors, lifestyle and dietary habits, and multi-causal combinations like obesity, smoking, and alcohol consumption, are all common risk factors associated with GI treatments for GI cancers include multidisciplinary strategies based on surgical intervention, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and other therapeutic modalities. However, the efficacy of therapeutics is limited by the malignant characteristics of cancer cells, particularly their ability to resist treatment, metastasize, and promote evidence suggests that ferroptosis, a novel iron-dependent form of cell death, may be a promising target for cancer therapy. Ferroptosis is a unique, regulated form of programmed cell death driven by the overaccumulation of lipid peroxides. Numerous preclinical studies have increasingly demonstrated the effectiveness of inducing ferroptosis using natural compounds such as flavonoids as an alternative strategy in cancer article was authored by Ms. Ruqaia Shoheeduzzaman, a graduate of the WCM-Q National Internship Program (June 2024), with co-corresponding authors from WCM-Q: Dr. Dietrich Büsselberg, professor of physiology and biophysics; Dr. Samson Mathews Samuel, research associate in physiology and biophysics; and Ms. Elizabeth Varghese, a senior research specialist.'The review highlights recent studies on the anticancer potential of flavonoids, mediated through ferroptosis, in gastrointestinal cancers, including data derived from in vitro cell culture and in vivo animal model tumor systems. It hypothesizes that flavonoid-mediated ferroptosis presents a strategic intervention in cancer therapy, serving as both anticancer agents and sensitizers to enhance the efficacy of current treatments,' said Dr. Bü article also suggests that the landscape of cancer therapy is continually evolving, and with the development of new, cutting-edge technologies, there is a greater scope to understand and implement natural compounds, such as flavonoids, in cancer therapy. This would facilitate the development of tailored ferroptosis-based therapeutic strategies and help bridge gaps where conventional therapies fall short, thereby further supporting the effective translation of these strategies to clinical use. The study was made possible through funding from the Biomedical Research Program at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar and NPRP-Standard (NPRP-S) 14th Cycle grant NPRP14S-0311-210033 from Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation). The findings herein reflect the work and are solely the responsibility of the authors.
Al Bawaba
5 days ago
- Al Bawaba
Farming the unfarmable: How microbes are reviving life in desert soils, research shows new hope for arid agriculture
In dry, degraded soil, it's easy to assume life has gone quiet. But underground, a different story unfolds—one of continuous exchange between plant roots and microbial communities that shape each other in subtle but powerful ways. A new paper, co-authored by researchers from American University of Sharjah (AUS) and published in Science, one of the world's most prestigious scientific journals, explores this relationship and proposes a new model for sustainable agriculture—one rooted in ecology and informed by decades of review was developed through a year-long collaboration between five scientists: Dr. John Klironomos, Professor in Biology Chemistry and Environmental Sciences and Associate Dean for Research and Innovation at the AUS College of Arts and Sciences, Professors Guangzhou Wang, Fusuo Zhang and Junling Zhang from China Agricultural University; and Professor Wim van der Putten from the Netherlands Institute of Ecology and Wageningen focus is on plant—soil feedback: the concept that plants shape the microbial makeup of the soil through their roots and chemical signals, while these microbes, in turn, influence plants' access to nutrients, water and protection from disease. These feedback loops, depending on how they are managed, can either weaken or strengthen a crop regions like the UAE, where farming is challenged by salinity, limited organic matter and scarce freshwater, this model offers a path forward. At AUS, Dr. Klironomos and his team are already putting the concepts into action. Field trials are underway with microbial inoculants—beneficial bacteria or fungi added to the soil to boost plant health—and biostimulants, natural substances that help plants grow better and cope with stress like heat or poor soil. Desert crops such as wheat and date palms are tested to measure how they perform under extreme soil conditions when supported by the right microbial partners.'Plants and microbes have always influenced each other,' said Dr. Klironomos. 'The key is managing those interactions with purpose, especially in environments where every biological advantage matters. This work helps shift the focus from short-term yield to long-term soil function.'The paper also revisits traditional farming strategies—including crop rotation, intercropping and minimum tillage—not as legacy techniques but as ecologically informed methods to support soil biology. When implemented with awareness of microbial systems, these approaches can restore fertility, reduce input dependency and help create more stable growing conditions over time.'Microbial life is one of agriculture's most overlooked tools,' said co-author Professor Junling Zhang. 'When we support the living processes in soil, we create systems that are more sustainable, more adaptive and better aligned with how ecosystems naturally function.'Alongside ecological practice, the review points to advances in plant science. By identifying the genes and molecular signals involved in root-microbe communication, researchers are now exploring breeding strategies to develop crop varieties that interact more effectively with soil microbiomes, an emerging direction that bridges molecular biology and further localize and scale this work, AUS and regional partners have launched the Sharjah Sustainable Agriculture Research Group. The group brings together Professors from AUS including: Dr. Klironomos; Dr. Mohamed Abouleish, Professor in Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences; and Dr. Tarig Ali, Professor in Civil Engineering; as well as Dr. Ali El-Keblawy from the University of Sharjah. Their combined expertise spans soil ecology, spatial analysis, sustainability science and native plant conservation and biotechnology—all directed toward restoring the biological function of arid the research is a deeper shift in mindset: soil is not a neutral background—it is alive. It breathes, it evolves and it responds to how we manage it. By treating it as a living system, the researchers argue, agriculture can move toward solutions that support not only food production but also climate resilience, biodiversity and sustainable land use. The paper, 'Steering Plant–Soil Feedback for Sustainable Agriculture,' appears in the July 2025 issue of Science. Click here to view it.
Al Bawaba
21-07-2025
- Al Bawaba
Major Multi-University Study Demonstrates How Gas Turbine Power Plants Can Reduce CO₂ Emissions
In a ground-breaking study, six researchers from universities from five countries, including one from the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK), have demonstrated that through a hybrid plant design gas turbine power plants can significantly reduce CO₂ emissions, as well as trigger higher efficiency and lower turbine power plants are a cornerstone of global energy production, responsible for generating nearly half of the world's electricity; however, they have an adverse environmental impact, contributing 15% of all energy-related CO₂ emissions. In the new study, the researchers propose a hybrid plant design that delivers an 18% reduction in hourly operating costs and a 1.2-year payback, making retrofits to existing gas-turbine facilities financially compelling, as well as a 27% drop in CO₂ this system surpasses traditional waste heat recovery by utilizing a Rankine cycle for enhanced power generation. It leverages previously unexplored techniques for further efficiency gains by utilizing the remaining heat to power an absorption chiller and capturing condenser heat loss through a thermoelectric generator. This multi-stage heat recovery approach enables the system to deliver triple benefits, including electricity, cooling, and hydrogen production. Additionally, a portion of the generated electricity is employed for seawater desalination using a reverse osmosis (RO) David A. Schmidt, President of AURAK, said: 'It is a matter of great pride to see one of our researchers contributing to this important study that has the potential to help reduce global warming. It is an endorsement of the high level of research work being conducted at AURAK as part of our focus on pursuing research that leads to practical solutions. Such activity will serve to inspire our young graduates to develop actionable insights as they carry on their academic work.'Dr. Uday Kumar Nutakki, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering and Chief Sustainability Officer, at AURAK, said: 'The proposed hybrid gas turbine plant is not merely theoretical, it's actionable. Each subsystem was validated against industry benchmarks, with deviations of less than 1.5%, demonstrating model accuracy. By leveraging off-the-shelf technologies at realistic operating conditions, the design aligns with current manufacturing capabilities.'The interdisciplinary study was conducted by researchers working from their respective universities. Researchers from the Yantai Institute of Technology (China) led the AI-based multi-objective optimization using genetic algorithms and the LINMAP decision-making method. Dr. Uday Kumar, as co-author from AURAK designed and integrated the reverse-osmosis desalination subsystem. Tashkent State Pedagogical University (Uzbekistan) researcher handled the baseline gas-turbine and Rankine-cycle thermodynamic modelling. Research collaborator from King Saud University (Saudi Arabia) developed and economically evaluated the PEM-electrolyzer unit. And, researcher at the Islamic University of Najaf (Iraq) contributed design of the absorption-chiller and low-temperature tri-generation loop. Each team built and validated their module, then collaborated through shared repositories and regular virtual meetings to deliver a fully integrated thermodynamic-economic to Dr. Uday Kumar, the research consortium will continue to advance this breakthrough by collaboratively iterating on the integrated design, leveraging regular optimization cycles with genetic-algorithm and LINMAP methods, refining control strategies through AI-driven load and maintenance forecasting, and validating performance in a pilot-scale implementation. By maintaining a shared codebase for real-time integration and incorporating feedback from industry stakeholders, the team will ensure that each enhancement aligns with both commercial and environmental goals, progressing from recommendations in the study towards a field-ready research findings were published in Process Safety and Environmental Protection (IF: 7.8), Vol. 189 (2024), pp. 204–218. The manuscript was received in March 2024 and accepted in June 2024. Full citation: Li, Shuguang, Yuchi Leng, Tirumala Uday Nutakki, Sherzod Abdullaev, Yasser Fouad, and Merwa Alhadrawi. 'Intelligent Optimization of Eco-Friendly H₂/Freshwater Production and CO₂ Reduction Layout Integrating GT/Rankine Cycle/Absorption Chiller/TEG Unit/PEM Electrolyzer/RO Section.' Process Safety and Environmental Protection 189 (September 2024): 204–218.
