Dr. Abd El Moneim’s passion for plant biology and genetics began during his undergraduate studies. He obtained a BSc in Environmental and Agricultural Sciences from Suez Canal University, Egypt in 2001. His commitment to research began immediately after, with his pursuit of a Diploma in Plant Breeding and Genetics in 2002, followed by his MSc in Plant Genetics in 2007. His MSc research focused on evaluating wheat genotypes for drought tolerance and rust resistance under the challenging conditions of North Sinai, Egypt, which led to the publication of four manuscripts (LINK, LINK).
In 2008, Dr. Abd El Moneim received a prestigious scholarship from the Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window to pursue a PhD at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). His doctoral research centered on isolating and characterizing key genes involved in the Krebs cycle and cell wall modification, specifically related to aluminum tolerance in rye. Through this research, Dr. Abd El Moneim contributed to the understanding of the ScMDH1&2, ScCS, and ScPME genes (LINK, LINK, LINK). His work in plant molecular biology and stress tolerance continued to develop during his three-year postdoctoral fellowship at the National Center of Biotechnology (CNB) in Spain, where he focused on characterizing the molecular mechanisms underlying E3 ligase activity and its role in stress responses. During his postdoctoral fellowship at the CNB, Dr. Abd El Moneim focused on plant adaptation to abiotic stresses, which led to key findings published in Plant Cell on a negative feedback mechanism triggered by ABA that acts via ALIX under ABA stress (LINK). His ability to apply molecular techniques to improve stress tolerance became a cornerstone of his research philosophy.
In 2014, Dr. Abd El Moneim joined Arish University as an Assistant Professor of Genetics, where he established the Plant Molecular Diversity (PMD) research team. His team applied molecular markers to identify genetic variability in crops (especially wheat and rice), with a focus on enhancing tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses. In addition, his research included the study of chloroplast genome dynamics in wild medicinal plants of the Fifa mountains (LINK, LINK), as well as the development of novel molecular markers for olive cultivar identification, leading to the submission of a patent in collaboration with Ain Shams University, which is currently in review. His collaborative efforts extended nationally and internationally, building partnerships to address global agricultural challenges.
