Ruibin Hu | Plant Microbiology | Young Researcher Award

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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ruibin Hu | Plant Microbiology | Young Researcher Award

Xianghu laboratory | China

Dr. Ruibin Hu is an Associate Research Fellow at Xianghu Laboratory (Zhejiang Provincial Laboratory of Agriculture), Hangzhou, China. He earned his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, followed by postdoctoral research at the Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen. His research focuses on the controllable fabrication of nanomaterials and the development of novel, highly sensitive biosensors for the detection of biomarkers and pathogens. Dr. Hu has published 16 SCI-indexed research articles in reputable journals such as Journal of Nanobiotechnology, Nano Research, Analytica Chimica Acta, and Computers in Biology and Medicine. He has an h-index of 6, with over 137 citations and 13 documented research outputs across various databases. His innovative NIR-II nanobead-based COVID-19 test kit achieved 100-fold higher sensitivity than conventional assays and has been successfully commercialized, generating over 10 million CNY in revenue. Dr. Hu has also been granted one national invention patent and has another under review. His contributions have been recognized with a Bronze Award at the First Postdoctoral Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition in China. Dedicated to advancing nanotechnology-driven diagnostics, Dr. Hu continues to pioneer intelligent detection platforms for applications in personalized medicine, food safety, and environmental monitoring.

Profile: Scopus

Featured Publication

Hu, R., (2025). Porous Na-doped g-C₃N₄ via supramolecular self-assembly for enhanced photocatalytic antibiotic removal and bacterial inactivation. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science.

Urjashi Bhattacharya | Agronomic Practices | Best Researcher Award

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Assist. Prof. Dr. Urjashi Bhattacharya | Agronomic Practices | Best Researcher Award

The Neotia University | India

Dr. U. Bhattacharya is an agronomy scholar and educator with a doctoral degree specializing in conservation agriculture, climate-smart farming, and integrated nutrient management. Over four years as a university research scholar, she has conducted intensive research on rice–pulse cropping systems, focusing on enhancing ecosystem services (soil, air, and water) in the Gangetic Plains through sustainable agronomic practices. Her M.Sc. work examined the effects of nitrogen levels on a heat-tolerant potato variety, while her Ph.D. thesis explored the management of rice followed by lentil under conservation tillage and varying nutrient doses. She participated in the SRFSI project (in collaboration with ACIAR) in the Eastern Gangetic Plains, gaining experience in resilient farming system intensification. Dr. Bhattacharya is proficient in experiment planning, statistical analysis, instrument handling, and scientific communication, and has presented her research at several national and international seminars on soil health, sustainable agriculture, agrochemicals, climate resilience, and biodiversity. She has published multiple peer-reviewed papers in crop science and agronomy, holds an h-index of 4 with six publications and 294 citations, and has received certificates of excellence in peer review along with a design patent for a portable crop diagnostic spectrometer. Passionate about advancing agricultural education and research, she aspires to excel as a faculty member in plant science academia, inspiring students through innovative teaching and pursuing high-impact interdisciplinary research in sustainable agriculture.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Bhattacharya, U., & Sarkar, S. (2018). Conservation agriculture: A climate-smart approach to achieve zero hunger. Current Advances in Agricultural Sciences, 18(2), 78–83.

Bhattacharya, U., Saha, A., & Saha, A. (2019). Response of heat tolerant variety (Kufri Surya) of potato (Solanum tuberosum) under different levels of nitrogen. Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology, 37(1), 1–7.

Bhattacharya, U., Sarkar, S., & Dewanjee, S. (2019). Bio-efficacy evaluation of oxyfluorfen 23.5% EC for controlling weeds in potato crop. Journal of Crop and Weed, 15(3), 201–208.

Maitra, S., Hossain, A., Brestic, M., Skalicky, M., Ondrisik, P., Gitari, H., Brahmachari, K., Shankar, T., Bhadra, P., Palai, J. B., Jena, J., Bhattacharya, U., Duvvada, S. K., Lalichetti, S., & Sairam, M. (2021). Intercropping—A low input agricultural strategy for food and environmental security. Agronomy, 11(2), 1–28.

Bhattacharya, U., Naskar, M. K., Venugopalan, V. K., Sarkar, S., Bandopadhyay, P., Maitra, S., Gaber, A., Alsuhaibani, A. M., & Hossain, A. (2023). Implications of minimum tillage and integrated nutrient management on yield and soil health of rice-lentil cropping system – being a resource conservation technology. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 7, Article 1225986.

Mallesham Bulle | Plant Biotechnology | Outstanding Scientist Award

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Dr. Mallesham Bulle | Plant Biotechnology | Outstanding Scientist Award

Lousiana State University | United States

Dr. Mallesham Bulle, Ph.D., is a dedicated plant scientist with over a decade of experience in physiological, biochemical, and molecular investigations of abiotic stress tolerance in major crops, including chili pepper, rice, cotton, soybean, and maize. His research expertise spans plant transformation, CRISPR-Cas-mediated genome editing, phytohormone signaling, stress-response mechanisms, chloroplast and nuclear genome engineering, and omics-based approaches such as transcriptomics, metabolomics, and hormonomics. Dr. Bulle has led and contributed to multiple interdisciplinary projects, including climate-resilient rice and drought-tolerant legumes, securing significant research grants from USDA, NIFA, DBT, and United Soybean Board. He has developed robust plant regeneration and transformation systems, delivered novel transgenic and genome-edited crops, and mentored graduate and undergraduate researchers. His work demonstrates impactful contributions to crop improvement and abiotic stress resilience. His research interests include elucidating signaling pathways, deciphering fruit ripening mechanisms, exploring nitric oxide and phytohormone crosstalk, and discovering novel genes for crop stress tolerance. Dr. Bulle’s work has been recognized through patents for extending produce shelf-life and innovations in plant biotechnology. He continues to drive transformative research aimed at sustainable agriculture and climate-resilient crop development.

Profiles: Google Scholar | Orcid

Featured Publications

Bulle, M., Abbagani, S., & Raza, A. (2025). Genome blaze: Engineering chilli pepper chloroplasts for sustainable production of capsaicinoids through organellar genome editing. Plant Biology.

Bulle, M., Rahman, M. M., Islam, M. R., & Abbagani, S. (2025). Strategies to develop climate-resilient chili peppers: Transcription factor optimization through genome editing. Planta.

Rahman, M. M., Keya, S. S., Bulle, M., Ahsan, S. M., Rahman, M. A., Roni, M. S., Al Noor, M. M., & Hasan, M. (2025). Past trauma, better future: How stress memory shapes plant adaptation to drought. Functional Plant Biology.

Keya, S. S., Islam, M. R., Pham, H., Rahman, M. A., Bulle, M., Patwary, A., Kanika, M. M.-A.-R., Hemel, F. H., Ghosh, T. K., & Huda, N. (2025). Thirsty, soaked, and thriving: Maize morpho-physiological and biochemical responses to sequential drought, waterlogging, and re-drying. Plant Stress.

Bulle, M., Venkatapuram, A. K., Rahman, M. M., Attia, K. A., Mohammed, A. A., Abbagani, S., & Kirti, P. B. (2024). Enhancing drought tolerance in chilli pepper through AdDjSKI-mediated modulation of ABA sensitivity, photosynthetic preservation, and ROS scavenging. Physiologia Plantarum.