Babar Iqbal | Plant Physiology | Editorial Board Member

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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Babar Iqbal | Plant Physiology | Editorial Board Member

Jiangsu University | China

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Babar Iqbal is an environmental biotechnologist at Jiangsu University (School of Environment & Safety Engineering) in China, whose work addresses major challenges in agroecosystems such as microplastic pollution, soil microbial health, and toxic metal stress. He leads projects on the mechanisms by which microplastic contamination affects crop physiology, soil microbial metabolism, and carbon‐use efficiency, including investigations on wheat  under cadmium stress. He co-authored an open-access Frontiers Ecology & Evolution paper on how soil microplastics affect Oryza sativa root traits under alien plant invasion. His other recent research includes the regulation of soil microbial metabolism through changes in plant communities in wetlands. On his university profile, he is noted as the principal investigator of a major project (2024–25) investigating the combined effects of microplastic and invasive plant contamination on wheat. His research interests center on sustainable agriculture, soil ecotoxicology, microbial ecology, and bio-remediation of polluted soils. Dr. Iqbal has contributed to both fundamental research and applied strategies, such as biochar-based remediation of contaminated soils. He also serves as corresponding author on several high-impact review articles, reflecting leadership in his field. Overall, his work is helping to build more resilient, sustainable agricultural systems in the face of emerging environmental threats.

Profile: Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Nazir, M. J., Li, G., Nazir, M. M., Zulfiqar, F., Siddique, K. H. M., Iqbal, B., & Du, D. (2024). Harnessing soil carbon sequestration to address climate change challenges in agriculture. Soil and Tillage Research.

Iqbal, B., Zhao, T., Yin, W., Zhao, X., Xie, Q., Khan, K. Y., Zhao, X., Nazar, M., Li, G., … (2023). Impacts of soil microplastics on crops: A review. Applied Soil Ecology.

Iqbal, B., Li, G., Alabbosh, K. F., Hussain, H., Khan, I., Tariq, M., Javed, Q., … (2023). Advancing environmental sustainability through microbial reprogramming in growth improvement, stress alleviation, and phytoremediation. Plant Stress.

Zahoor, R., Zhao, W., Dong, H., Snider, J. L., Abid, M., Iqbal, B., & Zhou, Z. (2017). Potassium improves photosynthetic tolerance to and recovery from episodic drought stress in functional leaves of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Plant Physiology and Biochemistry.

Nazar, M., Xu, L., Ullah, M. W., Moradian, J. M., Wang, Y., Sethupathy, S., Iqbal, B., … (2022). Biological delignification of rice straw using laccase from Bacillus ligniniphilus L1 for bioethanol production: A clean approach for agro-biomass utilization. Journal of Cleaner Production

Md Arif Sakil | Plant Physiology | Best Researcher Award

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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Md Arif Sakil | Plant Physiology | Best Researcher Award

Bangladesh Agricultural University | Bangladesh

Dr. Md. Arif Sakil is an accomplished Bangladeshi scientist and academic currently serving as an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh. He earned his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Saitama University, Japan (2019–2022), and is presently a Post-Doctoral Fellow at Meiji University, Japan. His research focuses on plant stress biology, molecular mechanisms of autophagy, nanobiotechnology, and genome editing technologies such as CRISPR-Cas for improving plant resilience. Over his academic career, Dr. Sakil has published more than 30 peer-reviewed research articles and book chapters in reputed journals including Plant and Cell Physiology, Environmental and Experimental Botany, and CABI Agriculture and Bioscience. His outstanding scientific contributions have earned him multiple honors, including the prestigious President Gold Medal Award from Bangladesh Agricultural University (2023) and the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship. Dr. Sakil’s work on autophagy and plant stress mechanisms bridges fundamental biology with agricultural innovation. With a strong passion for sustainable agriculture and food security, he continues to pursue advanced biotechnological research that contributes to global agricultural resilience and scientific advancement.

Profiles: Google Scholar | Orcid

Featured Publications

Roy, A. R., Jahan, I., Mou, S. J., Hasin, M. F., Angon, P. B., Sultana, R., Mazumder, B., & Sakil, M. A. (2025). Function of biochar: Alleviation of heat stress in plants and improvement of soil microbial communities. Phyton, Advance online publication.

Jahan, I., Angon, P. B., Mou, S. J., Zannat, M., Antu, U. B., Alam, M. M., Sweety, A. A., Islam, M. S., & Sakil, M. A. (2025). The potential of CRISPR-Cas genome editing technologies to mitigate biotic stress in plants. CABI Agriculture and Bioscience.

Sarkar, R., Khatun, M. K., Sultana, M. A., Mustary, S., Rahman, M., Akter, T., Mortuza, M. G., Hannan, M. A., Sakil, M. A., & Haque, M. R. (2024). Effects of soaking duration on nutritional composition and total phenolic content of some selected lentil varieties of Bangladesh. Probe – Plant & Animal Sciences.

Sakil, M. A., Mukae, K., Bao, J., Sadhu, A., Roni, M. S., Inoue-Aono, Y., & Moriyasu, Y. (2023). Autophagy promotes cell death induced by hydrogen peroxide in Physcomitrium patens. Plant and Cell Physiology.

Mukae, K., Sakil, M. A., Kotake, T., Inoue-Aono, Y., & Moriyasu, Y. (2023). Autophagy accelerates cell death after desiccation and hydration stress in Physcomitrium. Environmental and Experimental Botany.

Vera Pavese | Plant Breeding | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Vera Pavese | Plant Breeding | Best Researcher Award

Università di Torino | Italy

Dr. Vera Pavese is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Turin, Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (DISAFA), Italy. She earned her PhD in Agricultural, Forest, and Food Sciences in 2022 under the supervision of Prof. Roberto Botta, following her Master’s in Plant Biotechnology (2017) and Bachelor’s in Natural Sciences (2015) from the same institution. Her research focuses on developing biotechnological tools to enhance the resilience of woody crops, integrating in vitro culture, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, LED-based priming, and RNA-based gene silencing (SIGS). She has pioneered transgene-free genome editing systems and demonstrated the biostimulant potential of LEDs in woody plant micropropagation. Dr. Pavese has authored 24 peer-reviewed papers, accumulating 237 citations and an h-index of 10. Her achievements have earned her four national Best Oral Presentation Awards, invitations as a keynote speaker at international symposia, and recognition as Session Chair at major conferences. A recipient of the RILO Young Researchers Grant (2024), she actively promotes Open Science and serves as Guest Editor for Plants and Agronomy. Her work advances sustainable crop improvement and genetic innovation, positioning her as a rising leader in woody plant biotechnology and genome engineering.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar | Orcid

Featured Publications

Marino, L. A., Ruffa, P., Mozzanini, E., Patono, D. L., Sereno, A., & Pavese, V. (2025). LEDs in plant tissue culture: Boosting micropropagation of Castanea sativa cultivars. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation.

Marino, L. A., Pavese, V., Ruffa, P., Ferrero, M., Acquadro, A., Barchi, L., Botta, R., & Torello Marinoni, D. (2024). Guardians of quality: Advancing Castanea sativa traceability using DNA analysis from seed to processed food. Scientia Horticulturae.

Pavese, V., Moglia, A., Acquadro, A., Barchi, L., Portis, E., Torello Marinoni, D., Valentini, N., Milani, A. M., Abbà, S., Silvestri, C., et al. (2023). Development of biotechnological tools for hazelnut breeding. Acta Horticulturae.

Ferrucci, A., Lupo, M., Turco, S., Pavese, V., Torello Marinoni, D., Botta, R., Cristofori, V., Mazzaglia, A., & Silvestri, C. (2023). A roadmap of tissue culture and biotechnology in European hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.). Plant Physiology and Biochemistry.

Nerva, L., Dalla Costa, L., Ciacciulli, A., Sabbadini, S., Pavese, V., Dondini, L., Vendramin, E., Caboni, E., Perrone, I., Moglia, A., et al. (2023). The role of Italy in the use of advanced plant genomic techniques on fruit trees: State of the art and future perspectives. International Journal of Molecular Sciences.