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Tunisia

USD 45 /hr

👉 PhD Plant Pathologist | Molecular Diagnostics, Biocontrol & Soil-Borne Diseases Expert

Profile Summary

I am a PhD researcher in Molecular Plant Pathology with over 10 years of experience in plant disease diagnosis, host–pathogen interactions, and sustainable disease management. I am currently a Research Assistant at the Olive Tree Institute of Tunisia, where I work on emerging plant diseases and innovative biocontrol strategies. My expertise focuses on soil-borne pathogens such as Verticillium dahliae, Fusarium spp., and other fungal and bacterial pathogens affecting major crops, particularly olive trees. I have extensive experience in molecular diagnostics, including PCR and qPCR assay development, pathogen quantification, and genetic diversity analysis. I have authored and co-authored more than 30 peer-reviewed scientific publications in international journals, covering topics such as: Molecular detection and quantification of plant pathogens Population genetics and phylogenetics Host–pathogen interactions Biocontrol using Bacillus velezensis and other beneficial microorganisms Disease suppression using sustainable approaches I also have international research experience (University of Manitoba, Canada), where I worked on Fusarium pathogenicity and mycotoxin analysis in soybean. 🔬 Services I offer: Scientific writing and editing (articles, theses, reports) Research paper review and improvement Experimental design and methodology consulting Data analysis (SPSS, GraphPad, XLSTAT) Molecular biology and plant pathology consulting Literature reviews and meta-analyses I am committed to delivering high-quality, scientifically rigorous, and client-oriented work.

Subject Matter Expertise

• ☆ Molecular Biology
• ☆ Genetics
• ☆ PCR
• ☆ Molecular Cloning
• ☆ DNA Sequencing
• ☆ Gene Expression Analysis
• ☆ Plasmid DNA
• ☆ Mycology
• ☆ Biotechnology & Bioengineering
• ☆ Horticulture
• ☆ Organic Farming
• ☆ Environmental Science
• ☆ Environmental Management & Protection
• ☆ Environmental Remediation
• ☆ Agricultural Biotechnology

Services

• Writing
• Research
• Consulting
• Data & AI
• Product Development

Writing Technical Writing

Research Scientific and Technical Research, Systematic Literature Review, Secondary Data Collection

Consulting Legal Consulting, Scientific and Technical Consulting

Data & AI Image Analysis

Product Development Formulation, Product Evaluation

Work Experience

Scientific researchers

University of sfax

August 2017 - Present

Education

PhD biological sciences

Faculty of Sciences of Sfax

January 2010 - May 2015

Masters in Biotechnology

Faculty of Sciences of Sfax

January 2009 - December 2010

Certifications

• certified in plant diseases diagnosis

  The Olive Tree Institute

  August 2017 - Present

Publications

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Yaakoub Gharbi, Emna Bouazizi, Hayet Hfayeth, Mohamed Ali Triki (2025). First report of Lasiodiplodia theobromae causing grapevine decline in Tunisia . Journal of Plant Pathology.

Yaakoub Gharbi, Manel Cheffi, Rahma Mallek, Houda Gharsallah, Asma Ben Amara, Eetizez Karoui, Karim Ennouri, Samira Krid, Mohamed Ali Triki (2025). Antagonistic effect of diffusible metabolites produced by Bacillus velezensis OEE1 against Biscogniauxia mediterranea causing the charcoal canker on olive trees . Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection.

Yaakoub Gharbi, Emna Bouazizi, Mohamed Ali Triki (2025). Population genetic diversity and structure of the fire blight disease pathogen Erwinia amylovora Burrill in Tunisia . Scientific African.

Yaakoub Gharbi, Manel Cheffi, Houda Gharsallah, Rahma Mallek, Eetizez Karoui, Karim Ennouri, Mohamed Ali Triki (2025). Antagonistic Activity of <i>Bacillus velezensis</i> OEE1 Volatiles Against <i>Biscogniauxia mediterranea</i> . Journal of Basic Microbiology.

Yaakoub Gharbi, Emna Bouazizi, Hayet Hfayeth, Mohamed Ali Triki (2025). Isolation and characterization of Erwinia amylovora-specific phages for biocontrol of fire blight disease in Tunisia . Journal of Agriculture and Food Research.

Bouazizi, E., Gharbi, Y., Hfayeth, H. et al. First report of Neofusicoccum australe causing branch die-back of apple trees in Tunisia. J Plant Pathol (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42161-025-01886-2 .

Yaakoub Gharbi, Nadia Garma, Mohamed El-Shetehy, Mohammad Sayari, Maria Antonia Henriquez, Xiben Wang, Debra McLaren, Fouad Daayf (2025). Comparing Fusarium inoculation protocols for soybean root rot infection . Journal of Plant Pathology.

Ennouri, K., Smaoui, S., Gharbi, Y., Cheffi, M., Ben Braiek, O., Ennouri, M., Triki, M.A.(2021). Usage of Artificial Intelligence and Remote Sensing as Efficient Devices to Increase Agricultural System Yields . Journal of Food Quality. 2021.

Yaakoub Gharbi, Emna Bouazizi, Mohamed Ali Triki (2020). Differential gene expression patterns in two pear cultivars with differential susceptibility to the necrotrophic pathogen Erwinia amylovora . Acta Physiologiae Plantarum.

Gharbi, Y., Ennouri, K., Bouazizi, E., Cheffi, M., Triki, M.A.(2020). First report of charcoal disease caused by Biscogniauxia mediterranea on Olea europaea in Tunisia . Journal of Plant Pathology. 102. (3). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 961.

Gharbi, Y., Bouazizi, E., Cheffi, M., Ben Amar, F., Triki, M.A.(2020). Investigation of soil-borne fungi, causal agents of olive trees wilt and dieback in Tunisia . Archives of Phytopathology and Plant Protection. 53. (17-18). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 828-843.

Cheffi Azabou, M., Gharbi, Y., Medhioub, I., Ennouri, K., Barham, H., Tounsi, S., Triki, M.A.(2020). The endophytic strain Bacillus velezensis OEE1: An efficient biocontrol agent against Verticillium wilt of olive and a potential plant growth promoting bacteria . Biological Control. 142.

Bouazizi, E., Gharbi, Y., Triki, M.A.(2020). Differential gene expression patterns in two pear cultivars with differential susceptibility to the necrotrophic pathogen Erwinia amylovora . Acta Physiologiae Plantarum. 42. (6).

Triki, M.A., Gharbi, Y., Bouazizi, E., Cheffi, M., Krid, S., Feki, F.A., Bouhamed, J.(2019). First report of branch blight of almond trees caused by Nothophoma quercina in Tunisia . Journal of Plant Pathology. 101. (4). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 1277.

Barkallah, M., Jribi, H., Ben Slima, A., Gharbi, Y., Mallek, Z., Gautier, M., Fendri, I., Gdoura, R.(2018). Molecular prevalence of Chlamydia and Chlamydia-like bacteria in Tunisian domestic ruminant farms and their influencing risk factors . Transboundary and Emerging Diseases. 65. (2). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString e329-e338.

Barkallah, M., Gharbi, Y., Hmani, M., Mallek, Z., Gautier, M., Gdoura, R., Fendri, I.(2018). Serological and molecular evidence of coxiellosis and risk factors in sheep flocks in central-eastern Tunisia . Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. 57. Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 15-21.

Barkallah, M., Gharbi, Y., Zormati, S., Karkouch, N., Mallek, Z., Gautier, M., Gdoura, R., Fendri, I.(2017). A mixed methods study of ruminant brucellosis in central-eastern Tunisia . Tropical Animal Health and Production. 49. (1). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 39-45.

Gharbi, Y., Barkallah, M., Bouazizi, E., Gdoura, R., Triki, M.A.(2017). Differential biochemical and physiological responses of two olive cultivars differing by their susceptibility to the hemibiotrophic pathogen Verticillium dahliae . Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology. 97. Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 30-39.

Gharbi, Y., Barkallah, M., Bouazizi, E., Hibar, K., Gdoura, R., Triki, M.A.(2017). Lignification, phenols accumulation, induction of PR proteins and antioxidant-related enzymes are key factors in the resistance of Olea europaea to Verticillium wilt of olive . Acta Physiologiae Plantarum. 39. (2).

Trabelsi, R., Sellami, H., Gharbi, Y., Krid, S., Cheffi, M., Kammoun, S., Dammak, M., Mseddi, A., Gdoura, R., Triki, M.A.(2017). Morphological and molecular characterization of Fusarium spp. associated with olive trees dieback in Tunisia . 3 Biotech. 7. (1).

Trabelsi, R., Sellami, H., Gharbi, Y., Cheffi, M., Chaari, A., Baucher, M., El Jaziri, M., Triki, M.A., Gdoura, R.(2017). Response of olive tree (Olea europaea L.cv. Chemlali) to infection with soilborne fungi . Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection. 124. (2). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 153-162.

Gharbi, Y., Barkallah, M., Bouazizi, E., Cheffi, M., Krid, S., Triki, M.A., Gdoura, R.(2016). Development and validation of a new real-time assay for the quantification of Verticillium dahliae in the soil: a comparison with conventional soil plating . Mycological Progress. 15. (6).

Gharbi, Y., Barkallah, M., Bouazizi, E., Cheffi, M., Gdoura, R., Triki, M.A.(2016). Differential fungal colonization and physiological defense responses of new olive cultivars infected by the necrotrophic fungus Verticillium dahliae . Acta Physiologiae Plantarum. 38. (10).

Barkallah, M., Gharbi, Y., Hmani, M., Mallek, Z., Gautier, M., Gdoura, R., Fendri, I.(2016). Locked nucleic acid probe-based real-time PCR for the diagnosis of Listeria monocytogenes in ruminants . Molecular and Cellular Probes. 30. (3). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 138-145.

Barkallah, M., Gharbi, Y., Slima, A.B., Elleuch, F., Mallek, Z., Saad, R.B., Gautier, M., Gdoura, R., Fendri, I.(2016). Simultaneous detection of Waddlia chondrophila and Listeria monocytogenes in aborted ruminant samples by real-time quantitative PCR . Journal of Microbiological Methods. 125. Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 64-69.

Gharbi, Y., Alkher, H., Triki, M.A., Barkallah, M., Emna, B., Trabelsi, R., Fendri, I., Gdoura, R., Daayf, F.(2015). Comparative expression of genes controlling cell wall-degrading enzymes in Verticillium dahliae isolates from olive, potato and sunflower . Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology. 91. Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 56-65.

Triki, M.A., Gharbi, Y., Cheffi, M., Krid, S., Rahma, T., Hammami, I., Hamdi, H., Cha&#226;bani, B., Ben Ali, H., Gdoura, R.(2015). First report of Cytospora punicae associated with wood canker and branch dieback disease of pomegranate in Tunisia . Journal of Plant Pathology. 97. (3). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 550.

Triki, M.A., Krid HadjTaieb, S., Cheffi, M., Gharbi, Y., Rhouma, A.(2015). First report of dieback of olive trees caused by Neofusicoccum Australe in Tunisia . Journal of Plant Pathology. 97. (1). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 212.

Gharbi, Y., Triki, M.A., Trabelsi, R., Fendri, I., Daayf, F., Gdoura, R.(2015). Genetic structure of Verticillium dahliae isolates infecting olive trees in Tunisia using AFLP, pathogenicity and PCR markers . Plant Pathology. 64. (4). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 871-879.

Triki, M.A., Gharbi, Y., Krid, S., Cheffi, M., Rahma, T., Hammami, I., Rhouma, A., Gdoura, R.(2014). First report of Neonectria radicicola associated with root rot disease of olive in Tunisia . Journal of Plant Pathology. 96. (4). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString S4.128.

Gharbi, Y., Triki, M.A., Jolodar, A., Trabelsi, R., Gdoura, R., Daayf, F.(2014). Genetic diversity of Verticillium dahliae from olive trees in Tunisia based on RAMS and IGS-RFLP analyses . Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology. 36. (4). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 491-500.

Barkallah, M., Gharbi, Y., Hassena, A.B., Slima, A.B., Mallek, Z., Gautier, M., Greub, G., Gdoura, R., Fendri, I.(2014). Survey of infectious etiologies of bovine abortion during mid- to late gestation in dairy herds . PLoS ONE. 9. (3).

Barkallah, M., Fendri, I., Dhieb, A., Gharbi, Y., Greub, G., Gdoura, R.(2013). First detection of Waddlia chondrophila in Africa using SYBR Green real-time PCR on veterinary samples . Veterinary Microbiology. 164. (1-2). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 101-107.