Extremophiles for Sustainable Agriculture and Soil Health Improvement

Dr Anuj Ranjan is a Leading Researcher and Post-Doc Fellow at Southern Federal University, Russia. His area of work includes beneficial microbes for the environment and health, bioactive compounds, and Environment Toxicology. His expertise is in genomics, structural bioinformatics, target characterization, molecular docking and simulation. He has published over 70 publications that include over 45 peer-reviewed articles and 25 book chapters/conference proceedings/abstracts along with one authored book. He has also reviewed over 55 research/review articles, books and grants. He has received awards from CSIR, Govt. of India, and the American Chemical Society (2016), and has presented his work at North American Chemical residue workshops (NACRW) (2017) in Naples, Florida, USA. He has also been a scientific member of the 34th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica for Polar Environment Monitoring program of the Government of India. Dr. Ranjan is also an active member of Society of Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, USA and International Network on Soil Pollution (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation).

Dr. Vishnu D. Rajput working as Head of 'Soil Health Lab' at Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia. His ongoing research is based on the investigation of effective remediation approaches using biochar/nano-biochar based sorbents and nanomaterials. With long experience and experimental work, Dr. Rajput comprehensively detailed the state of research in environmental science in regard to "how nanoparticles/heavy metals interact with plants, soil, microbial community, and the larger environment as well as possible remediation technology using nanoparticles/nano-biochar. Recently he is working nano-enhanced remediation of soil and water system. He has published 346 scientific publications, 88 chapters, 28 books, H-Index: 39. He is an internationally recognized reviewer, received an Outstanding Reviewing Certificate by Elsevier and Springer. He is an editorial board member of various high-impacted journals such biochar. He is holding national and international projects including Mega-Grant, BRICS. Dr. Rajput has received "Certificate for Appreciation 2019" 2021, "Certificate of Honor 2020", Diploma Award 2021 & 2022, Letter of Gratitude 2022 and 2023 by Southern Federal University, Russia, for outstanding contribution in academic, creative research, and publication activities. He has also received "Highly Qualified Specialist" status by Russian government. In year 2023, he is included in the list of 2% worlds potential scientists by Elsevier BV publishing house.

Dr. Abhishek Chauhan is Ph.D. in Microbiology from Gurukul Kangri University, Haridwar (Uttarakhand), India. He is currently working as a Senior Scientist at Amity University, Noida (Uttar Pradesh), India and formerly worked as a Scientist 'C' and Head, Department of Microbiology, Shriram Institute for Industrial Research (SRI), Delhi, India. He has strong analytical and supervision ability and have done over 25 Industry sponsored projects. While working at SRI, Delhi. He has developed and validated several microbiological methods related to food, water, drugs and pharmaceutical. He has a total 18 years of rich experience and has guided over 10 postgraduate and 3 Ph. D. on emerging issues of Microbiology and Biotechnology. He has authored a research book on key aspects of "Antibacterial Activity of Cyanobacteria" and edited a book on "Plants and Microbes: An Innovative approach". He has delivered various plenary lectures and invited talk at several national and international symposium / conferences and has been a key speaker of teleconferencing talk on "Food and Diet" under EduSAT network, Vigyan Prasar, DST, Govt. of India. He has been a reviewer for many peer-reviewed journals and published more than 45 research papers and honored with prestigious awards such as 'Young Scientist Award' (2013); STOX-Appreciation Award (2016); NCEEBR-Certificate of Excellence for Oral Presentation; Best Presentation Award (IIPA-DST Govt. of India) 2012. Dr. Chauhan has also participated in 35th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica and 10th Indian Southern Ocean Expedition, scientific ventures of Ministry of Earth Science, Govt. of India. He has also been certified on various quality certification and Accreditations such as ISO: 17025 (Laboratory Quality Management System), ISO: 17043 (Proficiency Testing), ISO: 22000, ISO:9001, ISO:14001. He is an active member of the Indian Science Congress Association, Society for Plant Research and Association of Microbiologists of India.

Dr. Evgeniya V. Prazdnova is the Head of The Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of Microbial Consortia in the D. I. Ivanovsky Academy of Biology and Biotechnology, Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, and Senior researcher in Agrobiotechnology Center, Don State Technical University. Her scientific interest are: genetics, biochemistry and physiology of microorganisms; genetics and epigenetics of symbiotic interactions of micro- and macroorganisms; antioxidants, antimutagens, gerontoprotectors (geroprotectors), probiotics. She managed projects such as: RFBR project "Study of the adaptogenic effect of low molecular weight organic cations using bacterial biosensors"; Grant of the President of the Russian Federation for state support of young Russian scientists "Isolation of metabolites of probiotic bacteria exhibiting antimutagenic, SOS-inhibiting and antioxidant activity". Total publication number - 117 (57 in Scopus). h-index: 14 (Scopus), 10 (WOS).

Prof. Dr. Tatiana Minkina is the Head of Soil science and land evaluation department of Southern federal university. The Head of International Master's Degree Educational Program "Management and estimation of land resources" (2015-2022 years, accreditation by ACQUIN). The area of scientific interest is Soil Science, Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements, Environmental Soil Chemistry. Soil monitoring, assessment, modeling and remediation using physicochemical treatment methods. Awarded in 2015 with Diploma of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation for many years of long-term work for development and improvement of the educational process, significant contribution to the training of highly qualified specialists. Currently, she is handling projects funded by Russian Scientific foundation, Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Russian foundation of Basic Research. Member of Expert Group of Russian Academy of Science; the International Committee on Contamination Land; Eurasian Soil Science Societies; the International Committee on Protection of the Environment; the International Scientific Committee of the International Conferences on Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements. Total scientific publications: 757 (389 in English). The invited editor of an Open Access Journal by MDPI "Water", ISSN 2073-4441 (Impact factor: 2.524). Editorial board member of Geochemistry: Environment, Exploration, Analysis; ISSN: 1467-7873 (Impact factor: 1.109; 5yr IF: 1.769; SJR: 0.334; SNIP: 0.598) and Eurasian Journal of Soil Science; e-ISSN: 2147 - 4249.

Sajad Majeed Zargar, Ph.D., is currently Senior Assistant Professor at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-Kashmir) in India and visiting Professor at University of Padova, Italy. He was previously a Visiting Professor at the Nara Institute of Science & Technology, Japan. He has worked as an Assistant Professor at SKUAST-Jammu, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri (BGSB) in India. He has also worked as scientist at Advanta India Limited, Hyderabad, India and TERI (The Energy & Resources Institute), New Delhi, India. Dr. Zargar is receipt of World Bank funded NAHEP-ICAR overseas fellowship, CREST overseas fellowship from DBT, India, Goho grant from Govt. of Japan, and Erasmus Fellowship from European Commission. He has received several awards for his work and research. He is also the member and representative of INPPO (International Plant Proteomics Organization). He has chaired a session in 3rd INPPO, World Congress held at University of Padova, Italy in 2018. He is member of various International and national scientific societies. His editorial activities and scientific memberships include publishing research and review articles in international journals and as a reviewer. He has been affiliated with several internationally reputed journals and is also reviewer of reputed journals Journal of Advanced Research, Frontiers in Plant Science, 3 Biotech, Scientia Horticulture, Methods in Ecology and Evolution, Australian Journal of Crop Science and many others. He has also edited several books that are published by internationally reputed publishers. Dr. Zargar has been invited to give many lectures at professional meetings and workshops and has received grants for research projects under his supervision. He is presently coordinator / principal investigator of rice genomics and buckwheat genetics projects funded by DBT, New Delhi, India. He has supervised many M.Sc. and PhD students. He has been the mentor of three Post Doc Fellows funded by SERB, New Delhi and DST, New Delhi. He is the in-charge Scientist of the Genomics Lab. and Proteomics Labs. at Division of Plant Biotechnology, SKAUST-Kashmir, INDIA.