Samir Droby Full Professor

Biological control of postharvest diseases

Pesticide use in agriculture continues to be the focus of public and governmental debate in most countries around the world. Due to the high awareness of food quality and safety in general, and pesticide residues in food in particular, and the long-term negative impact of these substances on public health and the environment, the demand for fresh agricultural produce without chemical residues has been the most important issue in the last years.
A great deal of effort has been made to find alternative means of protection against pathogens and pests. In this context, research has been carried out in our laboratory that examines various directions, including biological methods, as well as the use of natural substances that are considered non-hazardous to the consumer, generally defined as GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe), and that have antimicrobial activity that could replace toxic synthetic chemicals.
As part of the biological t-control project, we are investigating the mechanism of action of antagonistic microorganisms (mainly yeasts), various application methods, and developing formulations for commercial products.

Studying the microbiome of agricultural produce after harvest

A wide variety of microorganisms inhabit the internal and external parts of plants and animals and constitute the microbiome that maintains continuous and mostly positive interactions in a balanced biological system. As research progresses, the significance and importance of microorganisms in various processes and phenomena in the environment is becoming increasingly obvious. In the field of biotechnological research, an attempt is made to harness the knowledge accumulated for the benefit of the Earth’s ever-growing population.
Our laboratory is conducting extensive research that aims to understand the role of the populations of microorganisms (the microbiome) living on the surface of fruits and vegetables in preventing the development of post-harvest spoilage agents in fruits and vegetables and the possibility of using microbiome manipulations to develop alternative technologies for the use of pesticides. The research includes understanding the structure of microbial communities in fruits and vegetables. It is necessary to investigate the mechanism involved in the formation and dynamics of microbial communities on the surface of fruits and how they are affected by the interactions between themselves and between them and the metabolites of the fruits. This understanding will help us develop innovative approaches to biological control with the aim of reducing losses in fresh agricultural produce in an effective and safe manner.