Dounia Rachid

Ph.D. Candidate | Plant Genetics & Microbiome Science
Mohammed VI Polytechnic University

About

Dounia Rachid is a PhD candidate in Environmental Omics at the African Genome Center (AGC), part of the College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences (CAES) at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) (Ben Guerir, Morocco). Her work sits at the intersection of plant genetics, microbial ecology, and sustainable agriculture, with a focus on translating microbiome insights into practical solutions that strengthen crop resilience under environmental stress.

Education

  • Doctor of Philosophy (2024 – 2028) — African Genome Center (AGC), College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences (CAES), Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) | Focus: Saffron-Associated Microbial Communities Using Omics Approaches.

  • Master of Science (2021 – 2023) — Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania (CIHEAM Chania) | Focus: Horticultural Genetics & Biotechnology.

  • Diploma of Engineering (2014 – 2019) — Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II (IAV Hassan II) | Major: Agricultural Sciences (Genetics for Seed & Plant Production).

Research

Microbiome Solutions for Saffron Resilience

This PhD investigates how drought and salinity affect saffron growth and corm health, and how native plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) may help mitigate stress. The research combines isolation and functional screening with greenhouse validation, and builds toward an omics-informed understanding of microbial mechanisms that support saffron performance.

  • Isolation → functional screening → greenhouse validation (fast route to strong papers)

  • Microbiome profiling + isolate validation (stronger community-level story; sequencing-enabled)

Omics & Gene Discovery (ongoing)
In parallel, the work explores saffron genomic resources to highlight candidate genes and pathways related to pathogen resistance and drought tolerance.

Publications

  • Microorganisms Associated with Saffron (Crocus sativus) under Drought and Salinity Stress: A synthesis across rhizosphere/cormosphere/endosphere studies, linking microbial taxa and functions to saffron outcomes and stress-resilience mechanisms. [Working Paper]

Other Scientific Activities

  • ISME Africa 2025: Contributed as a PhD student presenter and member of the organizing team during the International Society for Microbial Ecology Africa 2025, supporting scientific exchange on microbial ecology and sustainability across Africa.

  • UM6P Doctoral Days 2025: Presented a poster on Ph.D. research progress and engaged in discussions with colleagues and faculty.

Contact

Open to collaboration on plant–microbiome research projects.
Feel free to reach out for research discussions, co-authored work, or academic opportunities.

Lot 660, Hay Moulay Rachid
Ben Guerir 43150, Kingdom of Morocco
[email protected]