Genhua Niu is a professor in controlled environment horticulture at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas. Renowned for her expertise in stress physiology of horticultural crops, she is a leading authority on salt and drought tolerance of landscape ornamental plants. More recently, her focus has expanded to controlled environment urban horticulture. Dr. Niu earned her Ph.D. from Chiba University in Japan and holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Zhejiang University in China. JoiningTexas A&M AgriLife Research in 2004, her initialresearch was concentrated on stress physiology of horticultural crops, particularly examining drought and salinity tolerance of horticultural crops, and she quickly became the authority in this field nationally and internationally. Dr Niu’s present researchfocuses on controlled environment horticulture (CEH), also known as controlled environment agriculture. Remaining attuned to industry needs, particularly the specialty crops like leafy greens, herbs, and medicinal plants, Dr. Niu leverages CEH technologies to enable year-round production. She has contributed efforts as an editor to four books on "Plant Factory," synonymous with indoor vertical farming. Dr. Niu's exceptional research accomplishments manifest in an extensive scholarly portfolio, encompassing 160 peer-reviewed journal articles, 4 co-edited books, 25 book chapters, 50 proceedings papers, and 24 industry and extension articles. Her impactful research has culminated in 90 invited presentations, including five keynote addresses at international symposia in China, France, Italy, and Mexico. Dr. Niu's publications enjoy high citation rates among her peers, with a total citation count of 7,402, an h-index of 45, and an i10-index of 125. In addition to her research, she has made substantial contributions to graduate student education. Dr. Niu is a fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Sciences.

Title of Talk : Exploring the evolution of research and technologies in indoor vertical farming: past, present and future perspectives

M. Z. Abdin Born in the village, Quadirabad, Dist. Sidhartha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India in June 1963, Professor Abdin has graduated from Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, U.P., India in 1985 in Botany and did Ph.D. in Plant Physiology from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India in 1991. Thereafter, he joined Department of Botany, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India as Assistant Professor. After a short period working as Vice-Chancellor of Singhania University, Rajasthan, India in 2008, he took over as the Dean, Faculty of Science, Member of Executive Council, and Jamia Hamdard Society in Jamia Hamdard.Currently Professor Abdin is working as Professor and Head, Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India. So far, he has guided 53 Ph.D. students as supervisor and 31 as Co-Supervisor in the area of Biotechnology. Professor Abdin has published more than 260 original research papers with the citation index of 11734: h-index:58, I10:212, I50:12, I100:05, edited six books and granted twelve patents. He has delivered more than 90 lectures in various institutions and at National/International conferences in Indiaand abroad. He has also visited several countries including U.S.A., France, Germany, Japan, Australia, China, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, and Iran to deliver lectures at academic/research institutions and international conferences.

Title of Talk: Bioengineering of Industrial Crops to enhance secondary metabolites yield

Paulo C. DE MORAIS, PhD, was full Professor of Physics at the University of Brasilia (UnB) – Brazil up to 2013, Appointed as UnB’s Emeritus Professor (2014), Appointed as Guest Professor of Huazhong University of Science and Technology– China (2011), Visiting Professor at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) – China (2012-2015), Appointed as Distinguished Professor at Anhui University (AHU) – China (2016-2019), Appointed as Full Professor at Catholic University of Brasília (UCB) – Brazil (2018), Appointed as CNPq-1A Research Fellowship since 2010. 2007 Master Research Prize from UnB, 2008-member of the European ERA NET Nanoscience Committee, Member of the IEEE-Magnetic Society Technical Committee, Senior Member of the IEEE Society, 2012 China’s 1000 Foreign Expert Recipient, and 2012 Academic Excellence Award from Brazilian Professor’s Union. He held two-years (1987-1988) post-doc position with Bell Communications Research – New Jersey, USA and received his Doctoral degree in Solid State Physics (1986) from the Federal University of Minas Gerais – Brazil. He graduated in both Chemistry (1976) and Physics (1977) at UnB.ProfessorMorais is member of the Brazilian Physical Society and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers – IEEE. He has served as referee for more than 50 technical journals, takes part of the Editorial Board of more than 15 technical journals and has conducted research on nanomaterials for over 40 years. He has delivered more than 150 Invited Talks all over the World. He is known for his research in preparation, characterization and applications of nanosized materials (magnetic fluid, magnetoliposome, magnetic nanoemulsion, magnetic nanocapsule, magnetic nanofilm, magnetic nanocomposite, nanosized semiconductors, polymeric dots, carbon dots, and graphene quantum dots). With nearly 500 published papers in peer reviewed journals, more than12,000 citations and 15 patents, he has appeared in recent World ranking of top scientists, such as 2020-Stanford, 2022-Research.com, 2023-AD Scientific Index, and 2023-Research.com

Title Of Talk : Cell viability assays under radiofrequency application modulated by nanomaterials

Professor Sabu Thomas is Director of the International and Interuniversity Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India. He is also currently the Chairman of the Trivandrum Engineering Science and Technology Research Park (TrESPARK), Trivandrum, Kerala, India. He was the former Vice Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India(2019-2023). Prof. Thomas is an outstanding leader with sustained international acclaims for his work in Nanoscience, Polymer Science and Engineering, Polymer Nanocomposites, Elastomers, Polymer Blends, Interpenetrating Polymer Networks, Polymer Membranes, Green Composites and Nanocomposites, Nanomedicine and Green Nanotechnology. In collaboration with India’s premier tyre company, Apollo Tyres, Professor Thomas’s group invented new high performance barrier rubber nanocomposite membranes for inner tubes and inner liners for tyres. Professor Thomas has received more than 30 national and international awards which include, FRSC, Distinguished Professorship from Jozef Stefan Institute, Slovenia, MRSI medal,CRSI medal, Distinguished Faculty Award, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Award for Scientific Excellence – 2016,Mahatma Gandhi University- Award for Outstanding Contribution –Nov. 2016, Lifetime Achievement Award of the Malaysian Polymer Group, Sukumar Maithy Award Faculty Research Award, Trila – Academician of The Year, European Academy of Sciences He is in the list of most productive researchers in India and holds a position of No.5. Prof. Thomas has been conferred Honoris Causa (D.Sc) by the University of South Brittany, Lorient, France, Siberian Federal University, Russia and University of Lorraine, Nancy, France. He was awarded the prestigious Senior Fulbright Fellowship and National Education Leadership Award – 2017 for Excellence in Education. Prof Thomas also won 6th contest of "mega-grants' ' - Russian Federation. Very recently, Prof. Thomas received the coveted Kailali award from Govt of Kerala. He also received the Chancellor's Trophy for the best University of the state from the Chancellor. Very recently Prof. Thomas has been ranked by Stanford university under 2 percent top leading researchers in the world. In the year 2023, Prof.Thomas won of the most coveted Lifetime achievement Award of Clarivate and Careers 360 award from Mr.Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology. Professor Thomas has published over 1400 peer reviewed research papers, reviews and book chapters. He has co-edited 210 books and is the inventor of 16 patents. The H index of Prof. Thomas is 139 and has more than 93,000 citations. Prof. Thomas has delivered over 350 Plenary/Inaugural and Invited lectures in national/international meetings over 30 countries. Prof. Thomas has supervised 125 PhD programmes and his students occupy leading positions in academia and industry in India and abroad.

Title of Talk : Engineering at the Nanoscale: A Strategy for Developing High Performance Functional Materials from Biomass

Dr Stanisław Karpiński - Polish biotechnologist, professor in biological sciences, in 2012 secretary of state in the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Scientist, inventor, academic teacher. In 1994 he received a PhD from SLU in Umea Sweden. In1995 - 1997 was a postdoctoral fellow at the John Innes Center in Norwich, UK. In 1997 – 1999 was assistant professor at SLU in Umea, in 1999-2008 professor of the Stockholm University in Botany, 2008 – present professor in the WULS-SGGW in Warsaw, Poland. Karpiński discovered systemic acquired acclimatization (SAA) physiological light memory, the network-acquired acclimatization (NAA) in plants. Laureate of the first "Welcome" competition (Foundation for Polish Science).. 2015 – present a member of the National Development Council at the President Office of the Republic of Poland, member of the Council of the National Science Center in Poland. Honored in 2022 by the Polish Botanical Society with the Medal of Prof. Władysław Szafer Award for outstanding scientific achievements and by the President of the RP with the Cross of Freedom and Solidarity, the Gold Cross of Merit, the Gold Medal for long-term service

Title Of Talk : Chloroplast Retrograde Signaling of the Network Acquired Acclimation and Biotechnological Potential of the Cell Death Regulators in Plants

Dr. RICHARD J. SPONTAK Departments of Chemical & Bimolecular Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA. His Educational Background : Pennsylvania State University, Chemical Engineering, B.S. (with honors/high distinction) University of California at Berkeley, Chemical Engineering, Ph.D. (M.C. Williams, advisor) University of Cambridge, Materials Science & Metallurgy, Research Scholar (A.H. Windle) Institute for Energy Technology, Soft Condensed-Matter Physics, Research Fellow (T. Riste). His Professional Experience : present Distinguished Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering(2016), present Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor(2015), Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering(2002 – 2016), present Professor of Materials Science & Engineering(2002), present Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor(2001), Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering(1997 – 2002) and Associate Professor of Materials Science & Engineering(1997 – 2002). His Awards & Honors : National Awards/Honors while at NC StateHonorary doctorate (doctor honoris causa) degree Jefferson Science Fellowship Underwood Medal McDonald Mentor Award Roy W. Tess Award in Coatings Global Research Project Award SPSJ International Award Norwegian University Sci. and Technol. 2024 U.S. National Academies Institution of Chemical Engineers 2023Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society 2023 American Chemical Society (PMSE) Institution of Chemical Engineers (UK) 2022.

Title Of Talk : we will update soon....

Dr. Annie FRELET-BARRAND studied biochemistry at the University of Franche-Comté (France) and was graduated as MS in 1998. In 2006, she received her PhD degree on MP characterization at the Institute of Plant Biology, Zurich. During her postdoctoral fellowship (CEA Grenoble, France), she developed L. lactis system for functional characterization of MPs. In 2009, she became CNRS Researcher at CEA Saclay, studying MPs involved in liver detoxification. In 2015, she integrated the Institute FEMTO-ST and is now producing and characterizing diverse biological elements from proteins, synthetic & native vesicles to bacteria and cells. She published 21 research articles and 4 book chapters (h=20).

Title of Talk : Lactococcus Lactis, an Interesting & Promising Cell Factory For Membrane Protein Expression & Characterisation

Dr. HosseinHosseinkhani, Biomedical Engineer, has broad experience in life sciences and is an expert in nanotechnology, biomaterials, drug delivery, 3D in vitro systems, bioreactor technology, and bioengineering stem cells technology. His working experience is mainly attributed to academia and industry of biomedical engineering research and development (which includes several years of basic science research experience in a number of premier institutions related to the structure and function of biomaterials, and in polymer-based and mineral-based medical implants development in the medical device industry). He has been awarded several prestigious awards including JSPS (Japan Society for Promotion of Science)Award,European Marie Skłodowska-CurieAward, and JapaneseICYS (International Center for Young Scientists)Award.He authored more than 100 scientific papers published on peer-reviewed Journals, 5 books, and 10 book chapters (H-index: 49Google Scholar). He is inventor of 16 National and International patents, several of which are licensed to companies acting in the biomedical fields and translated to 7 commercial products. He is the founder of Matrix HT, Inc., a world leading Biotech Company dedicated to healthcare technology to improve patient's quality of life.He is Editor-in-Chief ofRecent Progress in Materials,a peer-reviewed Open Access journal published online by LIDSEN Publishing Inc., Editor-in-Chief ofJournal of Modern Nanotechnology,a peer-reviewed Open Access journal published online by the Innovation Forever Publishing Group Ltd., and the Country Editor of Current Drug Delivery.

Title Of Talk :Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Biomedical Engineering

Assistant professor with habilitation and President of the spin off IrIdES srl, Sandra Pucciarelli works in the field of molecular ecology, genetics, and biotechnology. Her main research interest is to decipher the molecular mechanism of cold adaptation in Antarctic microorganisms. Recently, she applied Antarctic bacteria in biopolymers production, as cellulose and bioplastics. Furthermore, she is applying these microorganisms in bioremediation and the production of bioactive molecules with antibiotic activity. This research allowed to produce five patents, recognised at international level. She has been a Visiting Researcher at the Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston-MA, USA, and at the Laboratoire 'Enzymologie et Biochimie Structurales. CNRS, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France. She also participated at the Antarctic field campaign in Palmer Station, Antarctica. She co-authored 59 peer-reviewed papers on international journals (ORCID: 0000-0003-4178-2689), most of which as first or last author. Her h-index is 20. Sandra Pucciarelli has been the principal investigator (PI) and international coordinator of the H2020-Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions RISE-Metable – 645693. Title: Advanced bioinformatics for genome and metagenome analyses with discovery of novel bio-catalysts from extremophiles: implications for improving industrial bio-processes. She is a member of the teaching board of the PhD program in Life Science e Computer Science, at the University of Camerino, and of the National PhD program on Sustainable Development and Climate Change, headed by IUSS Pavia.

Title Of Talk : Antarctic bacteria as a source of biotechnological products and biomaterials.

Marc Güell is an ICREA Research Professor, working at Pompeu Fabra University. His work includes several synthetic biology breakthroughs (radically recoded genome, PERVs-free pigs, novel gene writing technologies, skin microbiome engineering) that have produced important impact (>18,000 citations, 3 companies developing therapies, patents licensed to leading companies) and he is currently developing new principles for biological engineering and synthetic evolution (https://synbio.upf.edu). He is an EMBO Young Investigator and member of Academia Joven de España. He has been recognized as 'Highly Cited Researcher' (2019); and with the National Research Award to the young talent (2018), the August Pi i Sunyer Award (2021) and the National Research Award Ángela Ruiz Robles (2022).

Title Of Talk : Precise writing in genomes, metagenomes and the advent of synthetic evolution

Serafina Pacilio, Her Education and Training : (1/03/2022– 01/05/2022 - Bologna, Italy), Tools for data Analysis and Visualization – Formindustria Emilia Romagna Working on Data collection and Data Enrichment; Data wrangling; Data Visualization (July 2022 – Bologna, Italy), Innovation and Technology Management in Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology - Bologna Business School Summer school: training on basic bio-business concepts, such as product development, intellectual property rights, financing models the main prerequisites in the biotechnology business world (01/10/2018 – 12/10/2020 – Bologna, Italy), Master Degree : Medical Biotechnology- Alma mater studiorum Bologna, Bachelor Degree : Biology Science – Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia Work Experience (15/09/2023 – Present – Paris, France) Visiting Ph.D. student – University Paris Est Creteil (UPEC), French National Institute of health and medical research (INSERM) and the Institute Mondor of biomedical research. Project: “Role of TNPO3 in the pathogenetic mechanism of LGMD D2: comparison between disease models”, funded by Association Française contre les Myopathies Telethon (AFM-Telethon) 01/11/2021 – Present – Bologna, Italy. Ph.D. Student – Alma mater studiorum Bologna. Dept. of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences and Dept. of Chemistry, Doctoral Course in Health and Technology. Project concerns “Design of synthetic scaffolds for skeletal muscle tissue differentiation”. Engineering skeletal muscle tissue by using electrospinning and 3D bio-printing techniques 15/01/2021 – 31/10/21 – Bologna, Italy. Research Fellowship– Alma mater studiorum Bologna. I awarded a fellowship from the Consorzio Interuniversitario Biotecnologie (CIB) for working at the Dept. of Medicine (Anatomical Pathology- Sant’Orsola Malpighi) and Dept. of Chemistry under the supervision of Prof. Giovanna Cenacchi and Prof. Maria Letizia Focarete. The project concerns “Innovative approaches to tissue regeneration through the use of functionalized biomaterials and 3D cell cultures”. Research topics and techniques used: Biomaterials; Electrospinning; Material characterization techniques (Differential scanning calorimetry, DSC; Thermogravimetric analysis, TGA; Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, DMTA; Scanning electron microscopy, SEM; Transmission electron microscopy, TEM; 3D cell culture; MTS assay. Computer: TA Universal Analysis (01/03/2020 – 1/10/2020 – London, United Kingdom) Internship – UCL Cancer Institute I awarded a scholarship for international study projects from the School of Medicine (University of Bologna) to work within the Cell Death, Cancer and Inflammation Research Group in collaboration with Henning Walczak. My focus was on “A newly mouse model of mutant-IDH1 with ATRX and Trp53 loss recapitulates human astrocytomas”. Techniques used: Sectioning; Cell culture; Immunohistochemistry (IHC); Immunofluorescence (IF); Western/Immunoblotting Computer: Zen; ImageJ; NDP.view; Graphpad Prism (01/02/2018 – 10/06/2018 – Nijmegen, Netherlands). Publications : Pacilio S, et al., “Electrospun Poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) Scaffold Potentiates C2C12 Myoblast Bioactivity and Acts as a Stimulus for Cell Commitment in Skeletal Muscle Myogenesis”. «BIOENGINEERING», 2023 Costa R, Rodia MT, Pacilio S, Angelini C, Cenacchi G., LGMD D2 TNPO3-Related: From Clinical Spectrum to Pathogenetic Mechanism.«FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY», 2022.

Title Of Talk : Engineering 3D models to investigate muscular dystrophy: insight into myogenic process and contractile dysfunction

Dr. Kenneth Ikejiofor Ogbu, a Veterinary Consultant in Small Animal Medicine was born on 7th July, 1982 and hails from Aji, Enugu Ezike, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State. He attended his primary and secondary education at Community Primary School Umuodeje, Aji (1988 – 1994) and Aji High School Aji, Enugu Ezike (1994 – 2000) respectively. He proceeded to University of Nigeria Nsukka and obtained Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), Master in Science (Small Animal Medicine) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) (Small Animal Medicine) degrees in 2009,2016 and 2021 respectively. Dr. K. I. Ogbu attended a professional postgraduate fellowship program and was awarded Fellow College of Veterinary Surgeon Nigeria (FCVSN) (Small Animal Medicine) by College of Veterinary Surgeon, Nigeria in 2019. He has also attended many other professional trainings in other to improve in his career and service delivery. In 2009, he was employed as a resident doctor at Kings Agro-Vet Gwagwalad, Abuja. He was later posted to Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology Vom for National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) after which he was employed by the same Institution as a lecturer. In addition, he has been a Veterinary Clinician and has contributed in clinical practices and quality animal health care service delivery in the Veterinary Clinic of the Institution. He has also contributed to many cooperate social responsibility (CSR) within his immediate community. Dr. K. I. Ogbu has held some administrative and organizational positions at Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology Vom and in other professional bodies and committees. His research interest is in the area of Small Animal Medicine with much interest in infectious diseases and has published over 66 articles in reputable local and foreign impact factor journals, presented over 30 conference/seminar papers both international and local conferences and supervised over 91 research projects. He is registered with the Veterinary Council of Nigeria and also a member ofthe Association of Veterinary Research Officers, National Veterinary Research Institute Vom (AVRO), Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), Small Animal Veterinary Association of Nigeria (SAVAN) and African Small Companion Animal Network (AFSCAN).

Title Of Talk : Update on molecular and phylogenetic divergence of canine parvovirus -2 vaccine and field strains; knowledge, attitude and practices of dog owners in North Central Nigeria

Dr. Raoudha DZIRI, PhD in Microbiology, from the University of Tunis El Manar, Tunisia. Her Scientific backgrounds was covered a wide range of topics in microbiology, molecular biology, genomics, sequencing, bioinformatics and biotechnology. As part of her research, she has been interested in antimicrobial resistance, one of worldwide concern problem. She held several positions including a postdoctoral position in the Laboratory of Microorganisms and active biomolecules, Faculty of sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, TUNISIA, a teachning assistant in the Higher Institute of Medical Technology, University of Tunis El Manar, TUNISIA and currently, an assistant professor at Pasteur Institute of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, TUNISIA. She has been author and coauthor of several scientific publications and has served as reviewer in several scientific journals and has also supervised graduated and under graduated students.

Title Of Talk : Multi-resistant bacteria: Current Situation and Novel Therapeutic Approaches

Paolo Sassu is a distinguished Italian physician specializing in orthopedic surgery, with a focus on reconstructive microsurgery of the limbs, hand and wrist surgery, as well as brachial plexus and peripheral nerve surgery. Born on June 1, 1973, Dr. Sassu embarked on his medical journey at the University of Cagliari, where he earned his MD degree between 1991 and 1999. He completed his Ph.D. program at the University of Florence Dr. Sassu has held prestigious positions across the globe, including a Senior Consultant and Vice Director at the Department of Orthoplastics at IstitutoOrtopedico Rizzoli in Bologna, Italy, as of June 2022. Prior to this, from July 2012 to June 2022, he directed the Hand Transplant Program, which led to the first bilateral hand transplantation in Scandinavia, and served as the Principal Investigator for the Bionic Limb Reconstruction program at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden. His career is marked by several visiting physician roles and clinical fellowship programs in renowned institutions worldwide, from the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan to the Kleinert and Kutz Institute In Louisville, USA. These positions allowed him to deepen his expertise in areas such as reconstructive microsurgery and brachial plexus injuries. An esteemed researcher, Dr. Sassu has contributed extensively to the medical literature, authoring or co-authoring numerous publications that span the gamut of his research interests. These include innovative surgical techniques, the outcomes of various reconstructive surgeries, and advancements in prosthetic limb control and coordination. Beyond his clinical and research endeavors, Dr. Sassu is an active educator and member of several international medical societies, reflecting his commitment to advancing the field of reconstructive microsurgery and sharing his knowledge with the next generation of surgeons. His work in hand transplantation and bionic limb reconstruction, in particular, positions him as a leading figure in the integration of advanced technology with surgical practice, aiming to improve the quality of life for patients worldwide.

Title Of Talk : Interfacing the neuromusculo-skeletal system to a prosthetic device.