Dr. Priyanka Sharma is an Associate Professor at Bioengineering Sciences & Research, MIT-Art, Design and Technology University, Pune. She has over 15 years of research teaching experience in Phytoremediation, Plant Stress Physiology, Heavy Metal Detoxification, Advanced Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Microbial Bioengineering for Sustainable Agriculture. She obtained her Ph.D. in Botany from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, and has completed prestigious postdoctoral fellowships under the UGC–Dr. D.S. Kothari and DBT-BioCARe (Govt. of India) programs at Savitribai Phule Pune University. She is also mentoring several M.Sc, B.Tech, M.Tech and Ph.D. students.Her research focuses on plant host–microbial interactions, molecular mechanisms of heavy metal stress tolerance, secondary metabolites, nano-biofertilizer formulations, and metabolomic profiling of stress responses. She has authored plentiful high-impact research papers, book chapters, and textbooks, with over 1,500 citations (h-index: 15). Dr Sharma serves as an editorial member for Frontiers in Microbiomes, Frontiers in Plant Science and Current Indian Science (Bentham) and reviewer in many leading international journals like Acta Physiologiae Plantarum (Springer), Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety (Elsevier), International Journal of Green Pharmacy, Journal of Hazardous Materials –Elsevier, Journal of Plant Growth Regulation, BMC Plant Biology, Frontier Plant Science etc.Dr. Priyanka Sharma is the recipient of the Best Women Young Scientist Award (2020) and a Fellow of the Young Academy of India (2021). Her recent academic endeavours integrate climate-resilient and microbial role in sustainable approaches in agribiotech, reflecting her commitment to advancing sustainable applied agribiotechnology.Dr. Renu Bhardwaj is a distinguished plant scientist and academic leader with over four decades of experience in teaching, research, and higher education administration. She holds a Ph.D. in Plant Physiology from Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar, where she has served in several key leadership roles, including, Controller of Examinations, Director of Research, Dean of Life Sciences, and Director of the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC). Her academic career reflects an exceptional commitment to research excellence, institutional development, and quality assurance in higher education.Dr. Bhardwaj’s research expertise spans plant stress physiology, plant growth regulators, biochemistry, molecular biology, ecophysiology, phytoremediation, and environmental sciences. She has authored over 500 scholarly publications with over 28,855 citations (h-index: 82)., including high-impact research articles and book chapters, and has edited 9 internationally published books with leading publishers such as Springer, Elsevier, Wiley, Nova Science, and CRC Press. She is also an accomplished inventor with 3 patent and 4 design in area of Thermal Insulating materials, Sound Proofing system. She has also guided 48 Ph.D. scholars and successfully completed more than 20 major funded research projects supported by national agencies including DST, DBT, CSIR, UGC, and MoEF.An internationally recognized scholar, Dr. Bhardwaj is a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher, listed among the Top 2% Scientists worldwide by Stanford–Elsevier, and ranks prominently in Scilit, Scholar GPS, AD Scientific Index, and Research.com. Her contributions have been acknowledged through numerous honors, including Lifetime Achievement Award, Scientist of the Year, and fellowships of the National Environmental Science Academy and the Linnean Society of London.Dr. Bhardwaj has served extensively as a NAAC Peer Team Coordinator and Member, contributing significantly to accreditation and quality enhancement across Indian higher education institutions. As an editor, she brings deep scientific insight, editorial rigor, and a strong interdisciplinary vision to advancing contemporary research in plant and environmental sciences.Dr. Anil Kumar holds a Ph.D. in Biotechnology from Savitribai Phule University in Pune, India. His research topic focused on studying Bordetella pertussis antigens and their nasal delivery, where he developed proteomics and immuno proteomics approaches to assess the quality of whole cell pertussis vaccine and encapsulated aP antigens using PLGA microparticles to develop a nasal pertussis vaccine.Dr. Kumar is a highly accomplished professional in the field of biotechnology with a specialization in new product development and analytical method design for biologicals and immunobiologicals. He has over 23 years of industry experience in field of Vaccines in Pune, India. He has expertise in managing quality control laboratories and ensuring compliance with strict regulatory requirements. He has a proven track record in designing, developing, and validating quality control assays for various vaccines including acellular pertussis antigens and combination vaccines, Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV), Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), and whole-cell pertussis-based combination vaccines.In addition to his technical expertise, Dr. Kumar has extensive experience in collaborating with international regulatory agencies and ensuring compliance with standards set by organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
