Tatiana Volova Editor

F.b. Lewu received his PhD in Botany with specialization in plant genetic conservation and propagation. Joining the Department of Agriculture, University of Zululand, South Africa as a Lecturer in 2008 he was appointed acting HOD, of the department in 2009; a position he held till end of May 2011, when he joined the Cape Peninsula University of Technology as HOD of Agriculture Department in the Faculty of Applied Sciences in 2011. Appointed Associate Professor in 2014 and obtaining C Rating of National Research Foundation (NRF C3 Rated Scholar) of South Africa during the same year, he is a qualified Professional Natural Scientist. His latest research interest is focused on the influence of nanomaterials and chemical elicitors on the efficacy of medicinal species and their ameliorating effects on biochemicals of screened materials through different propagation and screening methods. Tatiana Volova is a doctor of biological sciences in microbiology, Professor and head of the Department of Biotechnology at the Siberian Federal University. She is the creator and head of the Laboratory of Chemoautotrophic Biosynthesis in the Institute of Biophysics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences. Professor Volova is conducting research in the field of physic-chemical biology and biotechnology and a well-known expert in the field of microbial physiology and biotechnology. Tatiana Volova has created and developed a new and original branch in chemoautotrophic biosynthesis, in which the two main directions of the XXI century technologies are conjugate, hydrogen energy and biotechnology. Tatiana Volova is the author of more than 300 scientific works, including 12 monographs, 16 inventions, and a series of textbooks for universities. Prof. Sabu Thomas, an outstanding Alumnus of IIT, Kharagpur, is one of India’s most renowned scientists in the area of Polymers. After completing his Ph.D. from IIT Kharagpur (1984-1987), he joined MG University as a Lecturer in 1997 and later became its Vice Chancellor. He has taken up a large number of visiting assignments abroad. Under his leadership, the University has been ranked 713th by TIMES, 30th in NIRF and the best University inKerala. He has supervised 120 Ph.D. students, authored 1,300 publications and edited 150 books earning him a H-index of 112 and 60,000 citations. He has received Honoris Causa degrees from Russia and France and obtained grants amounting to Rs. 30 crores for research funding from India and abroad. He has been ranked 114th in the list of the world’s best scientists and 2nd in India by the Stanford University Ranking in Polymers. He was elected as a Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences. Considering his excellent contributions in teaching, research and administration, Prof. Thomas is the best candidate for the outstanding Alumnus award of IIT KGP. Rakhimol R.K. is a researcher in International and Inter University Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India. She has received a bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology from Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India, master’s degree in Biotechnology from Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India and MPhil degree in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology from Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India. Now, Rakhimol is doing her PhD work at International and Inter university Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India. She is currently pursuing her research on nanoparticles and their effect on plants.