Molecular Approaches in Plant Biology and Environmental Challenges / Energy, Environment, and Sustainability (PDF)

defense and stress signaling genes in bread wheat. He has played significant role in identification of whitefly toxic proteins from lower plants and involved in the development of whitefly resistant cotton plants. His research group at PU has characterized numerous important gene families related to the abiotic and biotic stress tolerance and signaling in bread wheat. He has also established the method for genome editing in bread wheat using CRISPR-Cas system. His research contribution led publication of more than 40 research papers in leading journals of international repute. Further, there are more than five national and international patents and five book chapters in his credit. In recognition of his strong research record he has been awarded NAAS Young scientist award 2017-18, NAAS-Associate (2018), INSA Medal for Young Scientist (2013), NASI- Young Scientist Platinum Jubilee Award (2012) and Altech Young Scientist Award (2011). He has also been the recipient of the prestigious DST-INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship (2012), and Early Career Research Award, SERB (2016) from Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.
Dr. Ashutosh Pandey is currently Staff Scientist at National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi, India. His research area is metabolic engineering of flavonoid biosynthesis in plants. He has overexpressed AtMYB12 and AtMYB11 in tomato, which led large-scale differential modulation in transcriptome and flavonoid content in leaf and fruit tissues, and it conferred insect attack tolerance. Further, he coexpressed Arabidopsis transcription factor, AtMYB12, and soybean isoflavone synthase, GmIFS1, genes in tobacco, which enhanced biosynthesis of isoflavones and flavonols resulting in osteoprotective activity. He has characterized isoflavone biosynthesis in Psoralea corylifolia. He developed callus culture for large scale production of rutin with biopesticidal potential. He has performed genome-wide analysis of carotenoid biosynthesis pathway in banana which facilitates metabolic engineering for enhance provitamin A biosynthesis and bioavailability in biofortified banana cell lines. Further, he achieved several folds increase in ß-carotene content by overexpressing phytoene synthase1 of Nendran (NEN-PSY1) in banana cell lines. He has been conferred membership of Indian National Young Academy of Sciences (INYAS) in 2018 (Plant Sciences), INSA Medal for Young Scientist (2017), and the Alexander von Humboldt Post Doctoral Research Fellowship (2016) from Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany.
Dr. Sunil Kumar is currently Principal Scientist and Head, Technology Development Centre, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR - NEERI), Nagpur, India. Dr. Kumar has carried out several national and internationally sponsored projects. Most of the projects are related to solid and hazardous waste management and environmental impact and risk assessment related aspects. He has authored 117 research articles, 3 books, edited 8 book volumes, 25 book chapters, 35 technical reports, and 25 conference presentations/publications. He has been conferred CSIR-NEERI Foundation Day Award (2009), CSIR-NEERI Outstanding Scientist Award (2015), and Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung Jean-Paul-Str.12 D-53173 Bonn, Germany (2018).