Valorization of Agro-Industrial Byproducts

Dr. Anil Kumar Anal is the Professor of the Food Engineering and Bioprocess Technology and Food Innovation, Nutrition, and Health program at the Department of Food Agriculture and Bioresources in the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand. He obtained his PhD from the AIT in Food Engineering and Bioprocess Technology (FEBT) in 2003. He has experiences working as a researcher and academician at Otago University and Massey University of New Zealand. He has a major research focus on Food Safety, Food and Nutrition Security, Food- and Bioprocessing and Preservation, and Bioeconomy. While at the same time, Prof. Anil specializes in the valorization of food waste and agro-residues for High Value, Antimicrobial Resistance and Risk Analysis, and delivery systems for enhancing the bioavailability and bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds. Prof. Anil invented a patented encapsulation System for Probiotics During Processing. The process has been commercialised to encapsulate probiotics and bio-nutrients. He has authored more than 130 referred international journal articles, 50 book chapters, one authored book, 9 edited books, and several in International conference proceedings. He has been invited as Keynote Speakers and Experts in various Food, Biotechnology, Agro-Industrial Processing, and Veterinary as well as Life Sciences based conferences and workshops organized by national, regional and international agencies. Prof. Anil has been serving as Advisory members, Associate Editor, Members of Editorial Board of various Regional and International peer-reviewed Journal publications. Prof. Anil has experience on conducting various innovative research and product developments funded by various donor agencies, including Newton Fund, ADB, European Union, World Bank, FAO, Various Government Agencies, CTCN, USAID, and various food and biotech industries.

Dr. Parmjit S. Panesar is working as Professor & Dean (Planning & Development), Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology (Deemed to be University: Established by Govt. of India), Longowal, Punjab, India. Prof. Panesar has also worked as Dean (Research & Consultancy), and Head, Department of Food Engineering & Technology, SLIET Longowal, India. His research is focused in the area of value addition of food industry by products, green extraction of bioactives, food enzymes, prebiotics (lactulose, GOS), biopigments etc. Prof. Panesar has more than 5000 citations and h-index of 37 (as per Google scholar).

In 2005, he has been awarded BOYSCAST (Better Opportunities for Young Scientists in Chosen Areas of Science & Technology) fellowship by Department of Science & Technology (DST), Govt. of India, to carry out advance research at Chembiotech labs, University of Birmingham Research Park, UK. His postdoctoral research focused on the development of immobilized cell technology for the production of lactic acid from whey. Besides this, he has also been involved in USA & Australian sponsored projects during his stay at UK. In 1999, Prof. Panesar was awarded Young Scientist Fellowship by Punjab State Council for Science & Technology, India.

Prof. Panesar has successfully completed 7 research projects funded by DBT, CSIR, MHRD, AICTE, New Delhi and 02 projects are in progress. He has published more than 150 international/national scientific papers, 50 book reviews in peer-reviewed journals, 32 chapters and has authored/edited 08 books. He has guided 11 Ph.D. students & 8 students are under progress. He is a member of the editorial advisory boards of national/international journals including International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Journal of Food Science & Technology, Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies & Applications. He is now serving as a member of the National level Scientific Panel on "Water & Beverages (alcoholic/non-alcoholic)" constituted by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). He has also been offered visiting professorship of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran in 2016. He has also received advance trainings from different institutes/labs including International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, Italy, and Chembiotech Labs, University of Birmingham Research Park, Birmingham, United Kingdom.

In recognition of his work, Prof. Panesar was awarded "Fellow Award 2018" by The Biotech Research Society of India (BRSI) and "Fellow Award 2019" by National Academy of Dairy science India (NADSI). He has been selected for the award of prestigious 'INSA Teachers Award (2020)' by Indian National Science Academy (INSA). Recently, Prof. Panesar was also been listed in the most coveted list of "World Ranking of Top 2% Scientists" published by Stanford University, USA. He has also served as the National Vice President of the Association of Food Scientists & Technologists of India (AFSTI), during 2019.

Prof. Panesar is also a life member of International Forum on Industrial Bioprocesses (IFIBiop), Biotechnology Research Society of India, Association of Microbiologists of India, Association of Food Scientists and Technologists, Indian Science Congress Association etc. He has also visited several countries like UK, USA, Canada, Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, France, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Iran, Thailand etc.