Seed-coating technology encapsulates and protects microbes while providing a targeted in situ release of payload to be delivered.

New technologies that enhance soil biodiversity and minimize the use of scarce resources while boosting crop production are highly sought to mitigate the increasing threats that climate change, population growth, and desertification pose on the food infrastructure. In particular, solutions based on plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) bring merits of self-replication, low environmental impact, tolerance to biotic and abiotic stressors, and reduction of inputs, such as fertilizers. However, challenges in facilitating PGPB delivery in the soil still persist and include survival to desiccation, precise delivery, programmable resuscitation, competition with the indigenous rhizosphere, and soil structure.

These factors play a critical role in microbial root association and development of a beneficial plant microbiome. Engineering the seed microenvironment with protein and polysaccharides is one proposed way to deliver PGPB precisely and effectively in the seed spermosphere. In this review, we will cover new advancements in the precise and scalable delivery of microbial inoculants, also highlighting the latest development of multifunctional rhizobacteria solutions that have beneficial impact on not only legumes but also cereals. To conclude, we will discuss the role that legislators and policymakers play in promoting the adoption of new technologies that can enhance the sustainability of crop production.
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Peer-Reviewed Publications

Eltahir Project:

Mechanisms of European Summer Drying under Climate Change (2021)
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Understanding Climate Change in the Western Mediterranean using High-Resolution Simulations (2021)
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Elements of Dynamical Response to Climate Change over the Mediterranean (2021)
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Dynamics of Seasonal Snowpack over the High Atlas (2020)
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Climate Change Impacts on the Water Highway Project in Morocco (2020)
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Why is the Mediterranean a Climate Change Hot Spot? (2020)
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Seasonal Precipitation Forecast over Morocco (2018)
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marelli Project:

Engineering the Plant Microenvironment to Facilitate Plant-Growth-Promoting Microbe Association (2021)
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Bioformulation of Silk-based Coating to preserve and Deliver Rhizovbium tropici to Phaseolus vulgaris under Saline Environments
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Programmable design of seed coating function induces water-stress tolerance in semi-arid regions (2021)
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A Bio-inspired Approach to Engineer Seed Micro-environment to Boost Germination and Mitigate Soil Salinity (2019)
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Fernandez Project:

Building Envelope Modeling Calibration Using Aerial Thermography (2021)
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Urban Heat Stress Survivability Simulation under Climate Change Scenarios (2019)
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Aerial Thermography as a Tool to Inform Building Envelope Simulation Models (2019)
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Cummins Project:

Orthophosphate and Sulfate Utilization for C-E (E=P, S) Bond Formation via Trichlorosilyl Phosphide and Sulfide Anions (2019)
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Phosphoric Acid as a Precursor to Chemicals Traditionally Synthesized from White Phosphorus (2018)
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Barton Project:

A Generalized Non-smooth Operator for Process Integration (2020)
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