Global food security is an increasingly important issue. The study of plant science at KAUST is focused on increasing our understanding of plant function and interactions with the environment, and then applying that knowledge to increase our ability to grow crops. Living in the harsh environment of the Middle East, our focus is particularly on tolerance to abiotic stresses such as salinity and heat, but we also have significant research on plant interactions with microorganisms, in particular bacteria and fungi. We also have much research to develop and use new technologies in genomics and genome editing.