Slimane Khayi is currently working as a researcher at the Moroccan National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA). During his doctoral and postdoctoral stages, he worked on the soft rot pathogens Pectobacterium and Dickeya, exploring multiple aspects such as their genomics, evolution, virulence, and ecology. His current project is focused on the genomics of endemic species Argania spinosa, taking advantage of the development of NGS technologies and genome-based approaches to highlight the genome patrimony of this precious species. In this context, the project is addressing several issues such as molecular markers for important traits and conservation of the genetic resources.