Subhojit Datta: ICAR - Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres, India
Dr. Subhojit Datta is a plant geneticist who has made significant contributions to the field of crop improvement through his expertise in modern biotechnology techniques such as genomics, transgenics, and genomics-assisted breeding in crops like jute, chickpea, and pigeonpea. One of Dr. Datta's most notable contributions is the development of cry1Ac- and cry1Aabc-induced stable resistance to pod borer in chickpea and pigeonpea in India. Dr. Datta has contributed to the development of mapping resources and functional EST-SSR markers, which are important tools for genetic analysis and plant breeding. His work has significantly advanced the understanding and application of modern biotechnology in crop improvement.
Islam Hamim: Bangladesh Agricultural University, Bangladesh
Dr. Islam Hamim is an Associate Professor of plant pathology at Bangladesh Agricultural University. He does translational research on the interactions of pathogens and beneficial microbes with plants, insects, pollinators, and fungi in agricultural and natural eco-systems to develop sustainable pest and disease management approaches in agriculture, horticulture, and forestry. During his PhD with Prof. Dr. John Hu at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA, he studied the diversity, co-infections, and transgenic resistance mechanisms of papaya viruses. As a JSPS postdoc with Dr. Ken Komatsu at the Tokyo University of Agricultural and Technology, Japan, Dr. Hamim conducted research on molecular mechanisms underlying genetic diversity and symptom expressions of RNA viruses. With an Alexander von Humboldt fellowship, he has recently started a research collaboration with Prof. Dr. Lena Wilfert on the distribution and impacts of pathogens and beneficial microorganisms associated with managed and native bees in Bangladesh.
Durgesh Kumar Jaiswal: Graphic Era (Deemed to be University), India.
Dr Durgesh Kumar Jaiswal is an Assistant Professor at Graphic Era (Deemed to be University, Dehradun, India). He obtained his PhD in Biotechnology at Banaras Hindu University (Varanasi, India), and he was a D.S. Kothari post-doctoral fellow at Savitribai Phule Pune University (Pune, India). His research focuses on micro-biotechnology, soil-microbiology, and sustainable agriculture, primarily exploring and formulating the microbial consortium for phyto-stimulator of crops, biodegradation of pesticides, and integrated pest and disease management to provide solutions for agriculture sustainability. He is an editorial board member of BMC Microbiology and BMC Plant Biology.
Rungroch Sungthong: Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
Rungroch Sungthong obtained his Ph.D. in Natural Resources and Environment in 2014 at the University of Seville in Andalucía, Spain. He works on multidisciplinary research projects in microbiology, environmental sciences, and plant-microbe interactions. Currently, he is exploring the pharmaceutical potential of phytochemicals derived from diverse tropical species at the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. His enthusiasms focus on implementing beneficial microbes in sustainable crop production and agroforestry. The roles of microbes in the restoration of pesticide-polluted agroecosystems and the optimization of water/nutrient recirculation in aquaponics are among his current interests.
