Profiles
Dr Naofel Aljafer
Senior Research Fellow
School of Biological and Marine Sciences (Faculty of Science and Engineering)
Biography
Biography
Dr Aljafer is working in a smart-Ag which aims to develop the LED lighting and control systems to facilitate the development of multi-tier, environmentally autonomously controlled growing environments. It focuses specifically on prototyping lights delivering a colour spectrum matched to the photosynthetic needs of plants, the control systems and the software that manages the lights through the growing cycle of a target of many species of crop and pharmaceutical plants. The project will develop, test and modify the lights in a purpose built test facility in order to produce the right LED lighting solution that meets the technical and commercial needs of growers and propagators and enables manufacturers to produce the right products at the right price. The intention is to produce a standardised controlled LED light system that can be readily and easily adapted for the growing of specific and individual crops, to facilitate the development of a major new horticulture supply model in the market with emerging technology.
Also, he worked with the FIND project to detect and diagnose plant diseases using imaging techniques: Chlorophyll Fluorescence (CF) Imaging and Normalised Difference Vegetative Index (NDVI). He is also aiming to optimise early detection methods of nutrient deficiency and disease symptoms for crops grown in open field, greenhouse, and plant factory systems.
Qualifications
2013 - 2017
Ph.D. in Biosciences: School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham. (Thesis Title: Compare and improve phytoplasma diagnostics techniques and use the techniques at evaluate control strategies).
2011 - 2012
M.Sc. in Environmental Bioscience in a Changing Climate: School of Life Science, the University of Warwick.
2005 - 2009
B.Sc. (Hons) in Biotechnology BSc in Agriculture: Faculty of Agriculture Damascus University, Syria (2005/2009). The Graduate Project: Efficacy of Chemical Control against Fusarium Wilt Disease (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Lentils) on lentils.
Ph.D. in Biosciences: School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham. (Thesis Title: Compare and improve phytoplasma diagnostics techniques and use the techniques at evaluate control strategies).
2011 - 2012
M.Sc. in Environmental Bioscience in a Changing Climate: School of Life Science, the University of Warwick.
2005 - 2009
B.Sc. (Hons) in Biotechnology BSc in Agriculture: Faculty of Agriculture Damascus University, Syria (2005/2009). The Graduate Project: Efficacy of Chemical Control against Fusarium Wilt Disease (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Lentils) on lentils.
Professional membership
2014 - now Society of the British Society for Plant Pathology (BSPP), UK
2016 - now International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (Isber).
2019 - now New Phytologist Trust.
2019 - now New Phytologist Trust.
Teaching
Teaching
Teaching interests
| 2013 - 2017 | Demonstrator in Introductory Plant pathology Course for MSc students (C123P1), School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, UK.
| 2013 - 2017 | Demonstrator in Integrated Disease Management for MSc students (D241DM), School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, UK.
| 2009 - 2010 | Teaching & Research Assistant (Microbiology & Plant Protection) Faculty of Agriculture, Damascus University, Syria.
Research
Research
Research interests
I work in the Smart-Ag project aims to develop the LED lighting and control systems to facilitate the development of multi-tier, environmentally autonomously controlled growing environments. It focuses specifically on prototyping lights delivering a colour spectrum matched to the photosynthetic needs of plants, the control systems and the software that manages the lights through the growing cycle of a target of many species of crop and pharmaceutical plants. The project will develop, test and modify the lights in a purpose built test facility in order to produce the right LED lighting solution that meets the technical and commercial needs of growers and propagators and enables manufacturers to produce the right products at the right price. The intention is to produce a standardised controlled LED light system that can be readily and easily adapted for the growing of specific and individual crops, to facilitate the development of a major new horticulture supply model in the market with emerging technology.
Also, I deployed fluorescence imaging equipment in vertical farming systems to monitor plant disease and nutritional status. We are working alongside our sister project, Plant Factory, in order to provide an integrated sensing system and we are developing knowledge which will allow for the automatic assessment of plant health.
Publications
Publications
Key publications
Key publications are highlighted
JournalsAljafer, N., Rihan, H.Z. (2023). Diagnostic Techniques for early detection of phytoplasmas diseases. SJSI. 2 (1)
Almowallad SA, Alshammari GM, Alsayadi MM, Aljafer N, Al-Sanea EA, Yahya MA & Al-Harbi LN (2022) 'Partial Purification and Characterization of Exo-Polygalacturonase Produced by Penicillium oxalicum AUMC 4153' Life 12, (2) , DOI Open access
Rihan HZ, Aljafer N, Jbara M, McCallum L, Lengger S & Fuller MP (2022) 'The Impact of LED Lighting Spectra in a Plant Factory on the Growth, Physiological Traits and Essential Oil Content of Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)' Plants 11, (3) , DOI Open access
Mohamed SJ, Rihan HZ, Aljafer N & Fuller MP (2021) 'The Impact of Light Spectrum and Intensity on the Growth, Physiology, and Antioxidant Activity of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)' Plants 10, (10) , DOI Open access
Aljafer, N. and Dickinson, M., 2021. Evaluating LAMP assays for detection of phytoplasmas classified in different ribosomal groups. Journal of Plant Pathology, pp.1-7.
Mohamed, S.J., Rihan, H.Z., Aljafer, N. and Fuller, M.P., 2021. The Impact of Light Spectrum and Intensity on the Growth, Physiology, and Antioxidant Activity of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Plants, 10(10), p.2162.
Abeysinghe, S., Abeysinghe, P.D., Kanatiwela-de Silva, C., Udagama, P., Warawichanee, K., Aljafar, N., Kawicha, P. and Dickinson, M., 2016. Refinement of the taxonomic structure of 16SrXI and 16SrXIV phytoplasmas of gramineous plants using multilocus sequence typing. Plant Disease, 100(10), pp.2001-2010.
Mohamed, S.J., Rihan, H.Z., Aljafer, N. and Fuller, M.P., 2021. The Impact of Light Spectrum and Intensity on the Growth, Physiology, and Antioxidant Activity of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Plants, 10(10), p.2162.
Abeysinghe, S., Abeysinghe, P.D., Kanatiwela-de Silva, C., Udagama, P., Warawichanee, K., Aljafar, N., Kawicha, P. and Dickinson, M., 2016. Refinement of the taxonomic structure of 16SrXI and 16SrXIV phytoplasmas of gramineous plants using multilocus sequence typing. Plant Disease, 100(10), pp.2001-2010.
Articles
(2022) 'Partial Purification and Characterization of Exo-Polygalacturonase Produced by Penicillium oxalicum AUMC 4153' Life 12, (2) , DOI Open access
(2022) 'The Impact of LED Lighting Spectra in a Plant Factory on the Growth, Physiological Traits and Essential Oil Content of Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)' Plants 11, (3) , DOI Open access
(2021) 'The Impact of Light Spectrum and Intensity on the Growth, Physiology, and Antioxidant Activity of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)' Plants 10, (10) , DOI Open access
(2021) 'Evaluating LAMP assays for detection of phytoplasmas classified in different ribosomal groups' Journal of Plant Pathology 103, (4) 1315-1321 , DOI Open access
Personal
Personal
Conferences organised
2023 ReCon Soil Mini Symposium, Reading, UK.
2022 22nd World Congress of Soil Science - Glasgow 2022.
2022 ReCon Soil Networking Event at the Eden Project, Cornwall, UK
2020 The Potential of Plant Factory Agricultural Systems as a Promising Approach for an Agri-Pharmacy Industry University of Plymouth, UK
2020 Future of Food and Agriculture, New Scientist events, UK
2019 GARNet Workshop on Advances in Plant Imaging Workshop, University of Warwick, UK
2019 Plastid Preview 2019, University of York, UK
2018 The International Conference on Arabidopsis Research (ICAR) in Turku, Finland.
2018 Plant Imaging, 3D X-ray imaging in Hounsfield Facility, the University of Nottingham, UK
2017 Plant Health: Challenges and Solutions workshop, Antalya, Turkey
2016 Learn How to Analyze Microarray and Next Generation Sequencing Data with Partek Software at Imperial College London, UK.
2014 COST FA0807 – WG3 New Perspectives in phytoplasma Disease Management (Barcelona, Spin).
2013 COST FA0807 – WG1 School on Methodologies to improve phytoplasma DNA extraction from plants and insects (Ankara, Turkey).
2022 22nd World Congress of Soil Science - Glasgow 2022.
2022 ReCon Soil Networking Event at the Eden Project, Cornwall, UK
2020 The Potential of Plant Factory Agricultural Systems as a Promising Approach for an Agri-Pharmacy Industry University of Plymouth, UK
2020 Future of Food and Agriculture, New Scientist events, UK
2019 GARNet Workshop on Advances in Plant Imaging Workshop, University of Warwick, UK
2019 Plastid Preview 2019, University of York, UK
2018 The International Conference on Arabidopsis Research (ICAR) in Turku, Finland.
2018 Plant Imaging, 3D X-ray imaging in Hounsfield Facility, the University of Nottingham, UK
2017 Plant Health: Challenges and Solutions workshop, Antalya, Turkey
2016 Learn How to Analyze Microarray and Next Generation Sequencing Data with Partek Software at Imperial College London, UK.
2014 COST FA0807 – WG3 New Perspectives in phytoplasma Disease Management (Barcelona, Spin).
2013 COST FA0807 – WG1 School on Methodologies to improve phytoplasma DNA extraction from plants and insects (Ankara, Turkey).