Emerging Trends In Plant Science And Natural Products Research

Kitiyaporn Pongpratead is the lecturer in physical chemistry at department of applied sciences and engineering. The educational background in chemistry and physical chemistry for bachelor and doctoral degree, respectively. After graduation, she was a postdoctoral researcher at University of Strathclyde in UK for 3 years. She also got the research scholar for 2 years in Michigan State University. Then, she got the permanent job in Thailand as the lecturer in Khonkaen University, Nong Khai campus. Her research is about computational chemistry of biomolecular system for drug design. In addition, she works about the environmental chemistry that involve with the waste water treatment and waste water analysis.

Ravi Sharma, studied at St. Vincent's School Agra (1954-1958 passed V Std.), M.D. Jain Inter College, Agra (1958-1963 did High School); St. John's College, Agra (1963-1967 passed Inter (1965), B.Sc. (1967)); Agra College, Agra (1967-1969 (Passed MSc Botany), 1982 completed PhD Botany) later taught Botany to College Students at Agra College, Agra (1969-1970); K.R. College Mathura (1970-2011); Worked as Principal/Director Ess Ess College of Education, Dayalbagh, Agra (1-7-2011 t0 15.4.2014) and produced 15 Ph.D. students on various aspects of Eco-physiology dealing with saltstress, air, water and soil pollution. At present busy in my D.Sc. work besides engaged in writing books on Cell and Molecular Biology of Plants; Plant Physiology and Metabolism and Nutritional Disorders in Plants. Associated with various National and International professional societies

Girma Demissie is an agricultural entomologist by profession and working for Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Holetta Agricultural Research Center. He received his BSc and MSc from Haramaya University, and received his PhD from Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, India. Since 2002, he has researched on maize entomology at Bako. He was in charge of the maize entomology research projects conducted at national level from 2002-2011. From 2008 to 2011 he was served as country coordinator of CIMMYT funded “Insect Resistant Maize for Africa” project. From 2016 to May 2018 he was served as coordinator of ICIPE funded Integrated Termite Management project. Since 2017 he has also been serving as coordinator of FAO and PRC funded Fall Armyworm research projects. In addition to his professional expertise he was served as Director of Bako National Maize Research Center from Feb. 2015 to Feb. 2018. He has wide ranging experience in administering, leading and coordinating several research projects. Besides he has good skills in establishing strong partnership with various national and international stakeholders in obtaining grants, collaborative research work and capacity building. Dr. Girma has been doing substantial research on maize protection and authored or co-authored several proceedings and over 18 publications in peer reviewed referred journals.

Reelika Rätsep is a young fellow researcher on sustainable food production in ERA-Chair VALORTECH and a researcher on bioactive compounds of horticultural crops in Competence Centre for Knowledge-Based Health Goods and Natural Products of Polli Horticultural Research Centre in Estonia. She has 4 years of practice in horticultural private sector while she pursued her Master degree in Horticulture. Dr. Rätsep defended her PhD in Agriculture in 2016 on the topic of grapevine and strawberry fruit quality affected by cultivation technologies. In her research, she has particular interest in biochemical composition in different fruit and berry cultures as well as the most recent goal is to investigate the possibilities for valorisation of local plant-based production by-products and food wastes using green technologies and “zero waste” concept.

Meriem AMRANE is a PhD student at Bejaia University (Algeria). Holds a degree in Food Science (Food Engineering, Food, and Medicine; Specialty: Food Analysis and Instrumental Analysis). and a master's degree in Biotechnology, Agro-resources Food and Nutrition. His research focuses on photochemical compounds (extraction, biological activities, and bioavailability of these molecules) with the collaboration of Analytical Chemistry Laboratory of Aragon Research Institute (I3A) of Zaragoza University (Spain) and University of Lisbon (Portugal). Furthermore, she works with the collaboration of Department of Environment and Biological Sciences, A. Mira University on in vivo and in vitro pest control. She participated in several national and international congress on the valorization of the prickly pear.

Halah Haitham Al-Haideri is a fellowship PhD lecturer in the University of Baghdad, College of Science for Women, Department of Biology. Graduated from University of Sheffield, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Department, UK. She holds a BSc and MSc from the University of Baghdad, College of Science for Women in Biology. Mainly works in the laboratory of Microbiology and Molecular biology, in terms of host-pathogen interaction, microbial physiology and metabolism, proteomes, Microbial treatment of water and water quality, antibiotics and antimicrobial peptides, the effect of antibiotics on natural environment. She has 18 yrs of practical works in total, by which 4 years as a postgraduate supervisor. She attended 4 conferences in UK as both poster presentation and oral presentation in Manchester, Nottingham and Liverpool, as well as in Iraq/ Baghdad. She published 6 papers and has more than 18 acknowledgment letters.  

Alice Aav is a lecturer and a researcher in Estonian University of Life Sciences. She holds PhD in plant pathology. Her main teaching topics are plant-based raw materials and plant-based food technologies. Her research work is based on sustainable food production technologies and valorisation of agricultural- and food by-products using novel and “green technologies”. The main crop for her research has been potato. She has also worked with entrepreneurs, developing new plant-based food products for marketing purposes.

Ramtin Vamenani is a researcher by profession and works with one of the private agrochemfactory in Iran (Arman Sabz Adineh). He holds an MSc in Plant Pathology and currently seeking for a PhD position in Molecular Biotechnology or Plant Pathology in one of the high-ranking Universities around the world. Ramtin has 4 years of experience as a researcher at Genetics and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute of Tabarestan and 2 years of experience as R&D manager at Arman Sabz Adineh Co. He has published three English manuscripts about Viroids in Iranian journal of Virology, Iranian journal of plant pathology, and recently in journal of Phytopathology. Ramtin grew up in Behshahr, Mazandaran province and moved to Tehran, the capital of Iran, and is passionate about controlling plant diseases and improving sustainable agriculture.

Sajjad Akhtar is a Plant Breeder by profession and works with one of the private College as lecturer in life sciences in Pakistan. He holds a MSc (Hons) in Plant Breeding and Genetics and currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Plant Breeding at Department of Plant Sciences (Plant Breeding), university of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. Sajjad has 1-year experience of research at public research institute in Pakistan. He has presented an abstract on heritability of Fe and Zn in plant breeding symposium of South African Plant Breeders association in Durban, South Africa. Sajjad grew up in one of the remote villages of Pakistan and is passionate to conduct research on biofortification in future.