• KAUST Professor Salim Al Babili wins Phase III grant from the Gates Foundation for his work on weed infestation 

• He is the only scientist at a Saudi university to ever win a grant from the Foundation 

KAUST Professor Salim Al-Babili has received a Phase III grant from the Gates Foundation, bringing the Foundation's total investment in his research on the parasitic weed Striga to over $11 million in less than 10 years. This funding will support Al-Babili's ongoing efforts to develop sustainable and affordable solutions to combat Striga, a major threat to global food security. 

Striga, also known as witchweed, is a devastating parasitic weed that infests cereal crops like pearl millet, a staple food in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The weed is estimated to cause $7 billion in annual crop losses and currently infests 40% of arable land in Africa.  

Striga seeds lie dormant in the soil until they detect chemical signals (strigolactones) released by host plant roots. These signals trigger germination and subsequent parasitic attachment to the host's roots, where Striga absorbs water and nutrients, severely hindering crop growth and yield. 

Al-Babili, a leading expert in Striga research, focuses on understanding the mechanisms of Striga germination and developing innovative control strategies. By studying the Striga activation process, Al-Babili's lab is identifying and testing compounds that can be applied to the soil to prematurely trigger Striga germination in the absence of a host crop. This causes the weed seedlings to die before they can infest crops, a process referred to as suicidal germination.  

"The goal of my research is the establishment of suicidal germination technology to deplete Striga seeds in the soil. The ultimate goal is to provide efficient, affordable and sustainable suicidal products to farmers growing in regions prone to Striga," said Al-Babili. 

He is also exploring treatments that prevent Striga from interacting with host plants. 

This continued support from the Gates Foundation underscores the importance of Al-Babili's research in addressing global food security challenges and contributing to sustainable agriculture in arid regions, including Saudi Arabia.