Author: Sarojini Jeeva Panchu

Dr. Anand Krishnan, Pr Chem SA, MRSC, has expertise in organic chemistry/medical biochemistry/ integrative medicine/nano(bio)technology/drug discovery. He received his doctoral degree in organic chemistry in the Department of Chemistry, Durban University of Technology, in collaboration with the Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Kwa Zulu-Natal, in 2014. He completed his master’s degree in organic chemistry from Bharathiar University, India, and bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Madurai Kamaraj University, India. He was Postdoctoral Researcher at Durban University of Technology, South Africa, from November 2014 to November 2016. Later, He worked as a Senior Researcher at Discipline of Medical Biochemistry and Chemical Pathology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of Kwa Zulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa from January 2017 to June 2019. Recently, he received prestigious Innovation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship from the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the National Research Foundation (NRF), South Africa and conducting research at the Department of Chemical Pathology, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences and National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. He has published many scientific articles in international peer-reviewed journals and has authored many chapters as well as review articles. He was recognized for his contributions and received awards from national and international organizations. He has been awarded Best Postdoctoral Researcher Award for 2016 and 2017 from Durban University of Technology and Young Scientist Researcher Award 2016 from Pearl Foundation. He was evaluated by the National Research Foundation and was awarded a Y1 rating which is given to promising young researchers. He is Member of various editorial boards of the journals of the international reputation. His research interests include organic chemistry, heterocyclic chemistry, medicinal biochemistry, drug discovery and delivery, extracellular vesicles, nanotoxicology, clinical biochemistry and chemical pathology. Dr. B. Ravindran, Ph.D is an Assistant Professor in Department of Environmental Energy & Engineering, Kyonggi University, Suwon, South Korea. He obtained his doctorate from the Environmental Science and Engineering Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI), which is an affiliated with the University of Madras, Tamil Nadu, India. His primary research focuses on the development and evaluation of treatment technologies for solid waste and wastewater from domestic and industrial outlets through aerobic and anaerobic fermentatione; Composting/vermicomposting of fermented metabolites / solid waste/ nanotechnology applications and phytotoxic/plant growth studies. He has also developed an improved process technology for the fast production of nutrient-rich vermicompost from different waste sources using the different type of earthworms. He also collaborates and developed a process for the separation of enzymes from the aqueous phase using surface modified mesoporous activated carbon. Besides, he filed patents based on the above novel process. His current research focus on the “Biochar/Black carbon amendment and the strategies for carbon sequestration; nitrogen conservation; reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from compost and vermicompost production systems while degrading the different waste and animal manures. He has more than 100 publications in international peer reviewed journals., edited books and published a notable book chapters and three patents to his credit. He has received national and international funds for his research project. He is serving as Guest Editor in several international journals and act as a potential reviewer in top international journals, and received “Outstanding reviewer award” from Elsevier and Springer Journals. He has also received prestigious “Best Researcher- IBET 2017” award (in waste management research) for Exceptional Performance and Contributions to ‘International Bioenergy technology/eco-protection/organic food/green businesses given by the International Centre for Biogas & Bioenergy Technology, India. Dr. B. Balamuralikrishnan, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Sejong University, Seoul, South Korea. His area of research focuses multidisciplinary in biological science on Molecular Genetics, Food Microbiology, Animal Science, Nutrition Science and Food Biotechnology, especially Food Resources and Microbiological Science. His interests include synthesis of nanomaterials/bioactive compounds from natural-by products and their applications nutraceutical; isolation, and characterization of probiotic for food/feed supplementation and biological field; interested in Nutrition in Aquaculture. To, his credit, he has participated in various International/symposia/conferences in USA, Canada, Japan, Austria, Italy, Czech Republic, Thailand, South Korea and has published more than seventy-five research papers in international journal of repute. He has been serving as Guest Editor in Animals [MDPI] and act as potential reviewer in many high reputed journals. He has been acted Life Member in various scientific societies such as The Korean Society of Food Science and Technology, Poultry Science Association, Korean Society of Animal Science and Technology, Animal Nutrition Society of India (ANSI). Dr. B. Balamuralikrishnan, worked as post-doctoral researcher in Department of Animal Science, Dankook University, Cheonan, South Korea. Hendrik C Swart is an internationally acclaimed researchers and currently a senior professor in the Department of Physics at the University of the Free State. He brought luminescence materials to South Africa in the beginning of 1996 after a highly productive sabbatical spendin the lab of Paul Holloway, Florida University, Gainesville. This laid the foundation for his subsequent research at the UFS and was one of the most exhilarating times of his academic career. Since than he has led research in the area of the degradation of phosphors for field emission displays, as well as developing materials for nano solid-state lighting. He has been key in the development of processes to synthesise and deposit thin films of various types of semiconductor nano-particles, which will enhance the colour, luminescent intensity and lifetime of such displays. His research led to the establishment of a strong group working on luminescent materials and also to the establishment of several smaller groups all over South Africa. He has more than 690 publications in international peer reviewed journals, 112 peer reviewed conference proceedings and editor/author or co-editor/author of 25 book chapters and or books with more than 12360 cited author references, H-index of 47, i10index of 372 on google scholar (40 and 308 since 2015) and more than 660 national and international conference contributions (authored and co-authored). He has an ISI H-and scopus index of 41 (rid=g-2696-2012) and 42, respectively. He is a reviewer for more than 100 international and national professional journals in his field (or in related fields), and a member of the editorial board of the high impact factor journal ‘Critical Reviews in Solid State and Materials Sciences” (IF-8.344). He is on the editorial board of Applied Surface Science (IF- 6.182). He has received the South African National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) award in 2009 for research capacity development of students in the niche area of nanophysics. His commitment to the next generation of scientists is also reflected by the awards he received from the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of the Free State, South Africa for excellence (deans medal) (2012), research (2014), mentorship (2008), for academic entrepreneurship (2009), best researcher (2018). He received honorary membership of the Golden Key Association (2012). The Radio Rosestad, a local radio station, award for outstanding research and post graduate teaching in 2017. He was chair of national and international conferences. He has supervised more than 80 Ph D and MSc students successfully in the past with another 20 in progress and has established a National Nano Surface Characterization Facility (NNSCF) containing state of the art surface characterization equipment. A research chair in Solid State Luminescent and Advanced Materials was awarded to him from the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARCh I) at the end of 2012 which was renewed for another 5 years at the end of 2017. The main focus of his research group is the improvement of luminescent materials for applications in flat panel displays, solar cells, solid state lighting, dosimetry, and thermometry. Dr. Sarojini Jeeva Panchu, Ph.D. is a Post-doctoral Researcher in Department of Physics, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. She has expertise in functional nanomaterials for energy and biomedical applications.  She received her doctoral degree in Physics in the Discipline of Physics, School of Chemistry and Physics, University of Kwa Zulu-Natal, South Africa. She has worked as a research assistant in central electrochemical research institute (CSIR-CECRI), Karaikudi, India from 2012- 2016. She received national research foundation (NRF) fellowship in South Africa for doctoral research at Discipline of physics, School of chemistry and physics, University of Kwa Zulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. She has published scientific articles in international peer-reviewed journals and membership in energy science society of India (ESSI). Her research interest includes nanomaterials synthesis by using hydrothermal, solvothermal, physical vapour deposition and chemical vapour deposition methods, solar cells, electrochemistry, fabrication of energy storage energy conversion and sensor devices systems for multianalyte analysis. Ram Prasad, Ph.D. is associated with Department of Botany, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari, Bihar, India. His research interest includes applied & environmental microbiology, plant-microbe-interactions, sustainable agriculture and nanobiotechnology. Dr. Prasad has more than one hundred seventy-five publications to his credit, including research papers, review articles & book chapters and five patents issued or pending, and edited or authored several books. Dr. Prasad has twelve years of teaching experience and has been awarded the Young Scientist Award & Prof. J.S. Datta Munshi Gold Medal by the International Society for Ecological Communications; FSAB fellowship by the Society for Applied Biotechnology; the American Cancer Society UICC International Fellowship for Beginning Investigators, USA; Outstanding Scientist Award in the field of Microbiology by Venus International Foundation; BRICPL Science Investigator Award and Research Excellence Award etc. He has been serving as editorial board members: Frontiers in Microbiology, Frontiers in Nutrition, Archives of Phytopathology and Plant Protection, Phyton- International Journal of Experimental Botany; Academia Journal of Biotechnology, Journal of Renewable Materials, Biocell including Series editor of Nanotechnology in the Life Sciences, Springer Nature, USA. Previously, Dr. Prasad served as Assistant Professor Amity University Uttar Pradesh, India, Visiting Assistant Professor, Whiting School of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, United States and Research Associate Professor at School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.