Ikram Blilou

Ikram Blilou is a Moroccan biologist who is a professor of plant sciences at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.[1][2][3] Her research investigates how plants develop resistance to extreme conditions of drought and salinity.[4][5][6]

Ikram Blilou
Born
Morocco
Alma materAbdelmalek Essaâdi University
University of Granada
Scientific career
FieldsRoot development
Transcriptional regulation
Root stem cells
Fluorescence imaging[1]
InstitutionsKing Abdullah University of Science and Technology
ThesisAspectos moleculares de la respuesta defensiva de las plantas a la formación de la simbiosis micorriza arbuscular (1998)
Websitewww.kaust.edu.sa/ikram-blilou

Early life and education

Blilou was born in Morocco.[7] She had originally intended to study medicine, but switched to plant sciences after being asked to dissect a mouse. She studied biology at the Abdelmalek Essaâdi University.[8][9] She completed her doctoral research at the University of Granada,[8] where she investigated the defensive response of plants to arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis.[10]

Research and career

Blilou is interested in how plants adapt to extreme environments. In particular, she looks at how plants develop resilience to global challenges, including drought and desertification. She started her research career at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, where she was appointed Professor and Chair of Plant Sciences. Her research focuses on communication between plant cells, which involves studying the networks that underpin protein movement and protein–protein interactions.[8] She has investigated the molecular and physiological response of plants to the environmental conditions found in Saudi Arabia.[8]

Blilou has proposed that desert plants can be used to inform sustainable reforestation and desert farming projects.[11] She was awarded an Abu Dhabi Date Palm award in 2020.[12][13]

Selected publications
  • Ikram Blilou; Jian Xu; Marjolein Wildwater; et al. (1 January 2005). "The PIN auxin efflux facilitator network controls growth and patterning in Arabidopsis roots". Nature. 433 (7021): 39–44. Bibcode:2005Natur.433...39B. doi:10.1038/NATURE03184. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 15635403. Wikidata Q33340720.
  • Mitsuhiro Aida; Renze Heidstra; Viola Willemsen; et al. (1 October 2004). "The PLETHORA genes mediate patterning of the Arabidopsis root stem cell niche". Cell. 119 (1): 109–120. doi:10.1016/J.CELL.2004.09.018. ISSN 0092-8674. PMID 15454085. Wikidata Q42468459.
  • Jirí Friml; Eva Benková; Ikram Blilou; et al. (1 March 2002). "AtPIN4 mediates sink-driven auxin gradients and root patterning in Arabidopsis". Cell. 108 (5): 661–673. doi:10.1016/S0092-8674(02)00656-6. ISSN 0092-8674. PMID 11893337. Wikidata Q33336995.

References
  1. Ikram Blilou publications indexed by Google Scholar
  2. Ikram Blilou publications from Europe PubMed Central
  3. www.kaust.edu.sa/ikram-blilou
  4. Ikram Blilou; Jian Xu; Marjolein Wildwater; et al. (1 January 2005). "The PIN auxin efflux facilitator network controls growth and patterning in Arabidopsis roots". Nature. 433 (7021): 39–44. Bibcode:2005Natur.433...39B. doi:10.1038/NATURE03184. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 15635403. Wikidata Q33340720.
  5. Mitsuhiro Aida; Renze Heidstra; Viola Willemsen; et al. (1 October 2004). "The PLETHORA genes mediate patterning of the Arabidopsis root stem cell niche". Cell. 119 (1): 109–120. doi:10.1016/J.CELL.2004.09.018. ISSN 0092-8674. PMID 15454085. Wikidata Q42468459.
  6. Jirí Friml; Eva Benková; Ikram Blilou; et al. (1 March 2002). "AtPIN4 mediates sink-driven auxin gradients and root patterning in Arabidopsis". Cell. 108 (5): 661–673. doi:10.1016/S0092-8674(02)00656-6. ISSN 0092-8674. PMID 11893337. Wikidata Q33336995.
  7. "Ikram Blilou | KAUST Faculty in Focus". kaust.edu.sa. Archived from the original on 2023-02-04.
  8. "Prof. Ikram Blilou". edu.sa. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
  9. "Inspiring Women at WUR". wur.nl.
  10. Blilou, Ikram (1998). Aspectos moleculares de la respuesta defensiva de las plantas a la formación de la simbiosis micorriza arbuscular. ugr.es (PhD thesis). University of Granada. hdl:10481/35636. OCLC 1123849037.
  11. Blilou, Ikram; Hirt, Heribert (2023-02-06). "Desert plants to stop desertification: To succeed, reforestation projects to reclaim once fertile lands need to consider the local abiotic, biotic, and social factors". EMBO Reports. 24 (2). doi:10.15252/embr.202256687. ISSN 1469-221X. PMC 9900327. PMID 36579758.
  12. Sebugwaawo, Ismail (2020). "Five winners named for Dh3.5 million Abu Dhabi date palm awards". khaleejtimes.com. Khaleej Times. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
  13. "Khalifa Date Palm Award winners finalised: Nahyan bin Mubarak". wam.ae. 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
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