Here’s a quick look at this week’s publications from across the division, covering November 27 to December 3, 2025. 

NUTCRACKER orchestrates cortical cell divisions and sustains stem cell niche integrity in the rice root meristem 

• Summary: This study identifies the rice protein OsNUTCRACKER as a central regulator of root development, demonstrating its dual role in regulating cell division within the root meristem and maintaining the integrity of the stem cell niche at the root tip. 
• Impact: Improves understanding of how root growth is controlled in crops, which may inform strategies to enhance root architecture and stress resilience in rice. 
• Published by: Journal of Experimental Botany (Oxford University Press) 
• Link: https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/eraf508  
• Repository link: https://repository.kaust.edu.sa/items/c62040cc-b3c1-4e00-bd56-216aa9091622  

Boosting Drought Resilience in Rice: The Priming Effects of Zaxinone and Its Mimics 

• Summary: The authors show that treating rice with zaxinone and its synthetic mimics before drought changes stomatal behavior, water status, hormone levels, and stress-gene activity, with MiZax5 giving the strongest protection. 
• Impact: Highlights zaxinone-based compounds as promising biostimulants to prime rice for drought and support more sustainable crop production under water stress. 
• Published by: Physiologia Plantarum (Wiley) 
• Link: https://doi.org/10.1111/ppl.70667  
• Repository link: https://repository.kaust.edu.sa/items/00956bab-6017-4714-8700-cd02ba37578e  

Marine reef soundscape monitoring with fiber-optic distributed acoustic sensing 

• Summary: This work tests fiber-optic distributed acoustic sensing on a degraded reef near KAUST and shows it can detect shrimp snaps, fish sounds, and diver movements across space and time. 
• Impact: Demonstrates that fiber-optic sensing can provide high-resolution, continuous, and cost-effective acoustic monitoring for reef-health assessment. 
• Published by: Scientific Reports (Springer Nature) 
• Link: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-30200-4  
• Repository link: https://repository.kaust.edu.sa/items/2f2125f7-8223-460d-9d0d-e40321f6dae5  

Host genome and bacterial taxa shape the Arabidopsis seed microbiome 

• Summary: By comparing Arabidopsis from different locations, this study shows that geography, soil, and specific plant genes together determine which bacteria colonize seeds. 
• Impact: Provides genetic and ecological clues for managing beneficial seed microbiomes, with implications for plant health and adaptation. 
• Published by: EMBO Reports (Springer Nature) 
• Link: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44319-025-00635-x  
• Repository link: https://repository.kaust.edu.sa/items/67b6e403-a6c6-403c-8810-9591c0fb6615  

High-throughput chemical genomic screening: a step-by-step workflow from plate to phenotype 

• Summary: The authors present a detailed, end-to-end protocol for high-throughput chemical genomics, from setting up screens to linking growth phenotypes with gene function. 
• Impact: Lowers the barrier for using chemical genomics to map microbial pathways, identify gene functions, and support antimicrobial and drug-target discovery. 
• Published by: mSystems (American Society for Microbiology) 
• Link: https://doi.org/10.1128/msystems.00885-25  
• Repository link: https://repository.kaust.edu.sa/items/4912b1d8-0d0f-44f0-b189-d157a84eb3d6  

Maladaptive emergency granulopoiesis predicts poor outcomes in patients hospitalized with decompensated cirrhosis 

• Summary: In patients admitted with acutely decompensated cirrhosis, blood transcriptome data show that those who later develop acute-on-chronic liver failure already have signatures of maladaptive emergency granulopoiesis and immunosuppressive neutrophil states at admission. 
• Impact: Identifies neutrophil–granulopoiesis perturbations and related gene modules as early indicators of high risk, pointing to potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for preventing acute-on-chronic liver failure. 
• Published by: Journal of Hepatology (Elsevier) 
• Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhep.2025.11.012  
• Repository link: https://repository.kaust.edu.sa/items/385e16a3-60ae-4ab4-872e-649fd6df5975  

Bioinspired vertical macrocycle nanoarchitecture membranes for high-efficiency organic molecule desalination 

• Summary: This study builds nanofiltration membranes with vertically aligned macrocycle nanochannels that let water and chloride ions pass while blocking divalent ions and organic molecules. 
• Impact: Delivers membrane performance that exceeds current permeance–selectivity limits, offering a biomimetic route for efficient organic-molecule desalination and resource recovery. 
• Published by: AIChE Journal (Wiley) 
• Link: https://doi.org/10.1002/aic.70160  
• Repository link: https://repository.kaust.edu.sa/items/1018d5e7-e23f-442f-9e8e-d3c3c41d5e4c  

Integrated genomic and mutagenesis analysis of Pseudomonas argentinensis SA190 reveals mechanisms of plant root colonization and stress resilience 

• Summary: Through genome analysis, metabolic profiling, and mutagenesis, this work identifies genes and regulators that enable desert bacterium SA190 to form biofilms, colonize roots, and support plant growth under drought. 
• Impact: Provides functional insight that supports the use of SA190 as a bioinoculant to promote crop performance in arid and stressful environments. 
• Published by: BMC Microbiology (Springer Nature) 
• Link: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-025-04495-2  
• Repository link: https://repository.kaust.edu.sa/items/66ea466e-3d09-4018-abd1-d0bd46839133  

Spatial variability in coral assemblages in the northeastern and central Red Sea 

• Summary: Surveys across northern and central Red Sea reefs reveal region- and habitat-specific differences in coral cover, size structure, and juvenile abundance for key coral genera. 
• Impact: Shows that coral communities differ markedly by region and habitat, underscoring the need for conservation strategies tailored to specific reef types and locations in the Red Sea. 
• Published by: Marine Pollution Bulletin (Elsevier) 
• Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.119050  
• Repository link: https://repository.kaust.edu.sa/items/78d2b028-b80e-44ef-8a4a-3918f14990ac