The Sesame Genome

Prof. Hongmei Miao focuses on sesame genomics, genetics and breeding techniques research. She works in Henan Sesame Research Center, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences of China and has been appointed as the Distinguished Professor of Zhengzhou University of ChinaShe has been appointed as Agricultural System Scientist by Ministry of Agriculture and Rural affairs of China. She has presided tens of national scientific research programs and fellowships such as the Chinese National Natural fund and the Chinese National Agricultural Research program (CARs). She has published more than 40 scientific papers about sesame genetics, genetic engineering and disease resistance mechanism studies. She has bred 15 sesame varieties and authorized 16 Chinese invention patents. She has been awarded with the National Second Prize for Technological Invention, the Provincial First Prize for Progress in Science and Technology, and two pieces of Provincial Second Prize for Progress in Science and Technology. She also has been honored with a number of awards including the Outstanding Scientific and Technological Youth Award conferred by the Crop Science Society of China and the Outstanding Scientific Talent and the Outstanding Scientific Youth awarded by the Henan Province Government. As one of the initiators of the Sesame Genome Project (SGP), she carries on the genome evolution and genome architecture analysis in sesame and achieves remarkable progresses.

Prof. Haiyang Zhang is an internationally famous expert on sesame genetics and breeding fields over thirty years and has been appointed as the Specific- Oilseed Crop Scientist in Chief by Ministry of Agriculture and Rural affairs of China. He works in Henan Sesame Research Center, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences of China and has been appointed as the doctorate supervisor by Nanjing Agriculture University and Zhengzhou University, respectively. Prof. Haiyang Zhang has made the remarkable and original contributions in sesame genomics, molecular genetics, and genetic engineering and breeding research. He and his research team have constructed the first sesame genetic map, high-dense SNP map and the first cytogenetic map and impelled the genomics research in sesame. He has cloned the first sesame gene (controlling the determinacy of sesame inflorescence) using genetic mapping. Meanwhile, He has bred the first determinate sesame variety and the short internode variety adaptable for the mechanized cultivation and over 20 normal sesame varieties and has authorized 17 Chinese invention patents. As a chairman of the Sesame Genome Working Group, he organized the six sesame research groups in China and completed the Sesame Genome Project in 2016. Prof. Haiyang Zhang has been honorably awarded with the National Second Grade Prize for Technological Invention, two pieces of National Second Grade Prize for Progress in Science and Technology. Particularly, he also has been honored with a number of glorious awards, such as the Outstanding Scientists and Technologists awarded by China Association for Science and Technology, the Special Prize, and the Zhongyuan Scholar Award conferred by Henan Provincial Government.

Prof. Chittaranjan Kole is an internationally reputed scientist with an illustrious professional career of spanning over thirty-six years and original contributions in the fields of plant genomics, biotechnology, and molecular breeding leading to the publication of more than 160 quality research articles and reviews. He has edited over 130 books for the leading publishers of the world including Springer Nature, Wiley-Blackwell, and Taylor and Francis Group. His scientific contributions and editing acumen have been appreciated by seven Nobel Laureates including Profs. Norman Borlaug, Arthur Kornberg, Werner Arber, Phillip Sharp, Günter Blobel, Lee Hartwell, and Roger Kornberg. He has been honored with a number of Fellowships, Honorary Fellowships, and national and international awards including the Outstanding Crop Scientist Award conferred by the International Crop Science Society. He has served at all prestigious positions in academia including as Vice-Chancellor of BC Agricultural university, Project Coordinator of Indo-Russian Center of Biotechnology in India, and Director of Research of Institute of Nutraceutical Research of Clemson University, in USA. He worked also in the Pennsylvania State University and Clemson University as Visiting Professor in USA. He is also heading the International Climate-Resilient Crop Genomics Consortium and International Consortium for Phytomedomics and Nutriomics as their founding Principal Coordinator and President.