Fatima Musbah Abbas

Fatima Musbah Abbas () is a Sudanese scientist specializing in plant molecular biology. While still a graduate student at the University of Khartoum in 2007, she was awarded a grant as International Rising Talent by the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards that supports young women's research in laboratories outside their home countries.
Her research, which she has conducted also at universities in Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, focuses on biochemical procedures for protecting date palm<nowiki/>s and in the production of milk and cheese in countries with agricultural and economic conditions comparable to Sudan.
Biography
In 2007, Abbas was selected as one of 15 Young Rising Talents in Life Sciences by the L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science programme among 250 candidates worldwide. As such, she received a research grant of €15,000, as well as training in leadership considered essential by the programme to counter gender-related discrimination of young women scientists.
Abbas received her Ph.D. in Science at the Department of Botany from the University of Khartoum in 2011. Her thesis showed for the first time that the extraction of a milk clotting enzyme from (scientifc name for potato plant) callus is possible and proved its non-toxicity and safety for cheese production.
Working at the College of Science and Arts at King Khalid University, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, in 2021, Abbas published further research on the clotting activity of milk during the production of white and soft cheese (gibna bayda) by using an enzyme from Solanum dubium seeds. This plant and its seeds are found in different regions of Sudan. As the production and processing of milk and cheese products are important economic activities in Sudan, her research contributes to better ways of producing these basic foods and bioindustrial raw products in Sudan. In further research, partially conducted at the Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Center of Research in Khartoum, Abbas studied how to protect date palm (Phoeruix dactylifera L) roots from fungal infections.
Apart from the L'Oréal-UNESCO sponsored fellowship programme for young women scientists, Abbas has also received support from the National University of Malaysia.

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