Nanotechnology Applications in Modern Agriculture

Professor Jameel M. Al-Khayri is specialized in plant biotechnology and currently affiliated with the Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia. He received B.S. in Biology in 1984 from the University of Toledo, M.S. in Agronomy in 1988, and Ph.D. in Plant Science in 1991 from the University of Arkansas. He is a member the International Society for Horticultural Science and Society for In Vitro Biology as well as the National Correspondent of the International Association of Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology. He has authored 148 research articles in referred international journals, 80 chapters, and edited several journal special issues. In addition, he edited 38 reference books on plant biotechnology, genetic resources, breeding, genomics and nanotechnology. He has been involved in organizing international scientific conferences and contributed numerous research presentations. In addition to teaching, students advising and research, he held administrative responsibilities as the Assistant Director of Date Palm Research Center, Head of Department of Plant Biotechnology and Vice Dean for Development and Quality Assurance. Dr. Al-Khayri served as a Member of Majlis Ash Shura (Saudi Legislative Council) for the 2009-2012 term. His research focused on plant in vitro culture, secondary metabolites production, genetic engineering and mutagenesis to enhance tolerance to abiotic and biotic stress. He is interested in biotechnological approaches to agricultural innovations for sustainability in support of global food security.

Dr. T R Anju is an Assistant Professor in Biotechnology at Newman College, Kerala and the Secretary of the Society for Biotechnologists (India). She received the master’s degree in Biotechnology in 2007 from Gulbarga University, Karnataka, and a Ph.D. in 2011 from the Centre for Neuroscience, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi, India. Dr. Anju completed her postdoctoral research on a project funded by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India on long term effects of neonatal hypoglycemia. She has 44 publications in international peer-reviewed journals, 25 book chapters and more than 65 presentations in scientific conferences. She is the recipient of Kerala State Young Scientist Award, IBS Award in Medical Biotechnology, Prof. Edathil Vijayan Award in Neuroscience, the Best Presentation Award, and the Government of India International Travel Award. Dr. Anju is the coordinator of major project grants funded by the Government of India. Her research is mainly focused on molecular signaling and neurotransmitter receptor functions in the brain under neonatal stress. Currently, her research team is working on nanotechnology mainly in the field of green nanomaterials and their impact on plants, the environment and sustainable development.

Professor Shri Mohan Jain (Adjunct) is a Consultant and Plant Biotechnologist, at the Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Received M. Phil, 1973 and Ph.D., 1978, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. He was a postdoctoral fellow in Israel, USA, and visiting scientist/Professor in Japan, Malaysia, Germany, and Italy. He was a Technical Officer, Plant Breeding and Genetics, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria, 1999-2005. He is a member of International Association of Plant Tissue Culture and Biotechnology; editorial Board member of Euphytica, In Vitro, Propagation of Ornamental Plants, Emirates J. Food and Agriculture, and a series on Forest Biotechnology. His publications are 225 in peer reviewed journals, book chapters, and conference proceedings, and edited 85 books; invited speaker and acted as a Chairperson in several international conferences worldwide. He is a former consultant to IAEA, the European Union, The Government of Grenada, Iranian Private Company and the Egyptian Government. Currently his research interests are somatic embryogenesis, organogenesis, haploidy, somatic cell hybridization, somaclonal variation and mutagenesis mainly in medicinal plants, date palm, and banana genetic improvement, genetic diversity, erosion, conservation, and utilization in the context of climate change and food and nutritional security.