Naser Safaie | Plant Pathology | Research Excellence Award

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Naser Safaie | Plant Pathology | Research Excellence Award

Tarbiat Modares University | Iran

Naser Safaie is a distinguished plant pathologist and mycologist whose academic journey began with a B.Sc. in Plant Protection from Isfahan University of Technology, followed by an M.Sc. in Plant Pathology from Chamran University, and culminating in a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology–Mycology from Tarbiat Modares University. Over more than three decades, he has developed deep expertise in the biological control of phytopathogenic fungi using microbial antagonists, molecular diagnostics, fungal taxonomy, bioformulation of biocontrol products, and plant–microbe interaction studies. As a seasoned professor and long-time department head at the Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, he has led numerous high-impact research projects spanning fungal pathogen epidemiology, stress tolerance via endophytes, biofertilizers, and cold-plasma applications in agriculture. Recognized for his leadership roles (including editorial responsibilities and presidency of the Iranian Society of Plant Pathology), he has mentored generations of students and spearheaded the translation of lab innovations into practical biocontrol and biofertilizer products. His work bridges fundamental science and agricultural application, contributing to sustainable crop protection and biotechnology development.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar | Orcid

Featured Publications

Najafi, M. R., Kordrostami, M., Aghajani, M. A., Safaie, N., & Rahmanpour, S. (2025, October 7). Multilayer perceptron neural network–genetic algorithm for modeling Nicotiana tabacum leaf quality. PLOS One.

Jahedi, A., Safaie, N., Goltapeh, E. M., & Ahmadifar, S. (2024). Auricularia (wood ear mushroom) genus: A contribution to classification and new species records for Iran and world. Plant and Fungal Systematics.

Rahimi-Soujeh, Z., Safaie, N., Moradi, S., Abbod, M., Sharifi, R., Mojerlou, S., & Mokhtassi-Bidgoli, A. (2024, October). New binary mixtures of fungicides against Macrophomina phaseolina: Machine learning-driven QSAR, read-across prediction, and molecular dynamics simulation. Chemosphere.

Abbod, M., Safaie, N., & Gholivand, K. (2024, August). Genetic algorithm multiple linear regression and machine learning-driven QSTR modeling for the acute toxicity of sterol biosynthesis inhibitor fungicides. Heliyon.

Hussein, S. N., Safaie, N., Shams-bakhsh, M., & Al-Juboory, H. H. (2024, August). Harnessing rhizobacteria: Isolation, identification, and antifungal potential against soil pathogens. Heliyon,

Lakshminarayana Vemireddy | Plant Genetics | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Lakshminarayana Vemireddy | Plant Genetics | Best Researcher Award

Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University | India

Author Profile

Scopus
Orcid ID
Google Scholar

🧬 Summary

Dr. Lakshmi Narayana Vemireddy is a seasoned plant scientist from Guntur, India, with over 20 years of experience in plant biotechnology, molecular breeding, and crop genomics. His research primarily focuses on rice, blackgram, greengram, groundnut, millets, and sesame, with a strong emphasis on QTL mapping, DNA fingerprinting, and genomics-based trait development. He has published 70+ peer-reviewed articles, mentored 20+ postgraduate scholars, and led multiple national and international R&D projects.

🎓 Education

He holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics from CDFD/University of Hyderabad, a Postdoctoral Fellowship from Oklahoma State University, and degrees in Agriculture and Genetics from ANGRAU. His doctoral work on basmati rice authentication led to the development of a commercial DNA kit and international patent applications.

🧪 Professional Experience

Currently serving as Principal Scientist at ANGRAU since 2006, Dr. Vemireddy has led numerous biotech innovations, research collaborations, and product development programs. He has previously worked at IIRR-Hyderabad as a Research Associate, focusing on rice QTLs. He has generated ₹243.80 Lakhs in project funding and established key facilities like gene editing and phenomics labs.

🛠️ Technical Skills

Dr. Vemireddy is proficient in field phenotyping, QTL/GWAS analysis, gene editing, and bioinformatics tools such as R, MapChart, Haploview, and DARWIN. He has developed protocols for genetic purity testing, DNA fingerprinting, and marker-assisted selection.

👨‍🏫 Teaching Experience

He has mentored 12 PhD and 8 MSc students, conducted national-level workshops on bioinformatics and molecular breeding, and actively contributes to capacity-building programs.

🔬 Research Interests

His current research spans trait introgression, stress tolerance, haplotype breeding, seed vigor, and crop traceability using DNA barcoding. He also explores gene editing (CRISPR/Cas9) and phenomics for future-ready crop improvement.

📖Publications

Development of activation-tagged gain-of-functional mutants in indica rice line (BPT 5204) for sheath blight resistance
  • Journal: Molecular Biology Reports

  • Year: 2024

  • Authors:  Mahendranath Gandikota, T. Krishnakanth Yadav, Raghurami Reddy Maram, Sudhamani Kalluru, M. Balachandran Sena, E. A. Siddiq, Yamini Kalinati Narasimhan, Lakshminarayana R. Vemireddy, Anuradha Ghanta

Prioritization of candidate genes for major QTLs governing yield traits employing integrated multi-omics approach in rice (Oryza sativa L.)
  • Journal: Briefings in Functional Genomics

  • Year: 2024

  • Authors: Issa Keerthi Vishnu Shukla Sudhamani Kalluru Lal Ahamed Mohammad P. Lavanya Kumari Eswarayya Ramireddy Lakshminarayana R. Vemireddy

Development of miRNA-SSR and target-SSR markers from yield-associate genes and their applicability in the assessment of genetic diversity and association mapping in rice (Oryza sativa L.)
  • Journal: Molecular Breeding

  • Year: 2024

  • Authors: Bavisetti Hemasai Dinesh K. Kumbha Vinodkumar Naik Modem Srividya K. Gannavarapu Rupeshkumar R. Bommaka Shanthipriya Mallapuram Sreelakshmi Chintala Muga D. Sreevalli Eswarayya Ramireddy Lakshminarayana R. Vemireddy

Haplotype analysis of QTLs governing early seedling vigor-related traits under dry-direct-seeded rice (Oryza sativa L.) conditions
  • Journal: Molecular Biology Reports

  • Year: 2023

  • Authors: Mounika Reddy Yamasani Vasanthi Raguru Pandu Sudhamani Kalluru Rupeshkumar Reddy Bommaka Ramanamurthy Bandela Bharathi Duddu Srikanth Komeri Dineshkumar Kumbha Lakshminarayana R. Vemireddy

Panicle transcriptome of high-yield mutant indica rice reveals physiological mechanisms and novel candidate regulatory genes for yield under reproductive stage drought stress
  • Journal: BMC Plant Biology

  • Year: 2023

  • Authors: Aparna Eragam Ankita Mohapatra Vishnu Shukla Rajashekar Varma Kadumuri Abin Panackal George Latha Putta Srividhya Akkareddy Sreenivas Chavali Lakshminarayana R. Vemireddy Eswarayya Ramireddy