Rainer Borriss, PhD, Humboldt University Berlin, Germany
Dr Borriss is a Professor Emeritus at Humboldt University, Berlin. He earned his PhD from Martin-Luther University, Halle/Saale in former East Germany. After working in the industry for several years, he joined the Institute for Plant Breeding (IPK) in Gatersleben. In 1992, he became the head of the chair for Bacterial Genetics at Humboldt University. His research has primarily focused on sequencing and genetic engineering of microbial glucanases, as well as Bacillus genetics. He played a significant role in the Bacillus subtilis genome project, one of the earliest fully sequenced bacteria. Over the last two decades, his research has shifted towards plant growth-promoting bacteria. His contributions led to the establishment of Bacillus velezensis FZB42 as a prototype for plant-associated gram-positive bacteria capable of suppressing plant pathogens, following the sequencing of its genome in 2007. Dr Borriss has authored 310 publications, including 174 articles and 18 book chapters, which have garnered 22,269 citations, resulting in an h-index of 68 (Google Scholar). He has overseen numerous scientific projects funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), collaborating internationally with China and Vietnam. He has served as a visiting professor at China Agricultural University, Beijing, and China North East Forestry University in Harbin. Dr Borriss has received several awards, including the National Prize for Science and Technology.
Chetan Keswani, PhD, FLS, FSPR, Southern Federal University, Russia
Dr Keswani serves as the Group Leader at the Academy of Biology and Biotechnology, Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia. He is honored as a Fellow of the Linnaean Society of London, UK, and was awarded the Best PhD Thesis Award by the Uttar Pradesh Academy of Agricultural Sciences, India, in 2015. His editorial contributions have garnered acclaim, including the Publons Top Peer Review Award in Agricultural Sciences (2018), the Outstanding Editor Award (2019) from Archives of Phytopathology and Plant Protection, and the Springer-Society Award (2020) for outstanding contributions to the journal Environmental Sustainability (Springer-Nature). Moreover, he has been recognized among the World’s Top 2% Scientists for 2022, specifically in the sub-fields of Plant Biology, Botany, and Biotechnology.
Estibaliz Sansinenea, PhD, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, México
Dr Sansinenea graduated in chemistry from the University of Basque Country (UPV) in Spain, specializing in molecular biology. She pursued her doctoral studies in Mexico at the Science Institute of Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, focusing on the genetic manipulation of Bacillus thuringiensis, completing her thesis in 1999. In 2012, she joined the Chemistry Faculty at Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Her current research focuses on "natural products from microorganisms", with a particular focus on Bacillus spp. She leads a group dedicated to elucidating the chemical structures of compounds isolated from these bacteria, employing a multidisciplinary approach that combines microbiology and chemistry. Dr Sansinenea has authored 70 research articles, 14 book chapters, and edited 2 books.
