Meriem’s research focuses on the genetics of plant resistance to diseases. She has investigated the host resistance to the durum wheat diseases rusts and Fusarium head blight in diverse genetic resources. She implemented genome-wide association studies and bi-parental population mapping to identify and characterize novel wheat resistance genes. She applied both conventional and molecular breeding techniques toward the release of durum wheat varieties carrying rust and Fusarium head blight resistant genes. Meriem pioneered the use of genotyping by sequencing platform to study the genetic diversity in the wheat leaf rust pathogen. Her current study is on the genetics of corn resistance to mycotoxins. She is using high-throughput phenotyping and genomics tools to look into the tradeoff between corn grain yield and mycotoxin resistance. Exploring other mycotoxin management strategies such as grain sorting based on physical and spectral kernel attributes to reduce mycotoxin contamination in corn is one of her recent research interests. The goal is to reduce the negative effects of mycotoxins on human and animal health and on corn industry. She is passionate about serving farmers and contributing toward global food security and safety.
