Rani Bhagat | Sustainable Agriculture | Women Researcher Award

Dr. Rani Bhagat | Sustainable Agriculture | Women Researcher Award

Associate professor at Baburaoji Gholap College, India

Dr. Rani Babanrao Bhagat, born on June 7, 1979, in Hol (8-Phata), Maharashtra, is a dedicated botanist and academician with over two decades of teaching and research experience. She holds an M.Phil. from Alagappa University and a Ph.D. in Botany from Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), focusing her doctoral research on Jatropha species for their potential values.

Profile:

πŸŽ“ Academic Background:

  • 🧬 B.Sc. (Botany) – University of Pune, 1999 (Distinction)

  • 🌿 M.Sc. (Botany) – University of Pune, 2001 (First Class)

  • πŸ“œ M.Phil. – Alagappa University, 2008
    Topic: Floristic Survey of Baramati Tahsil

  • πŸ§ͺ Ph.D. (Botany) – SPPU, 2018
    Topic: Studies on some Jatropha species for potential values

πŸ§‘β€πŸ« Teaching & Research Experience:

  • πŸ“š Teaching: Over 10 years (UG Level)

  • πŸ”¬ Research: 15+ years post-PG

  • πŸ“– Recognized Ph.D. and M.Phil. Guide in Botany and Environmental Science

🧾 Academic Roles & Contributions:

  • 🌱 IQAC (Criterion III) Coordinator

  • 🌼 Coordinator for Botanical Garden & Campus Enrichment

  • πŸ“š Organizer: Science Exhibitions, Biodiversity & Plastic Awareness

  • 🌍 Member: SPPU Syllabus Committee, Maharashtra Biodiversity Board

  • πŸ“– Compiled Academic Calendar, College Magazine, Research Compendium

πŸ“’ Public Outreach & Media Engagement:

  • πŸŽ™οΈ Speaker on All India Radio (Pune & Akola) on Environmental Topics

  • πŸ“– Published an article on “Flora of Baramati” in Braille

  • 🏞️ Discussant on biodiversity on Vidyawani FM, Pune University

🌐 Professional Memberships:

  • 🌿 Life Member – Indian Association for Angiosperm Taxonomy (IAAT), Calicut

πŸ“š Faculty Development & Training:

  • πŸŽ“ Orientation & Refresher Courses at Goa, Nagpur, Bangalore Universities

  • πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» FDP on Research and Online SWAYAM Course on Solid Waste Management

πŸ“Š Research Citation Metrics:

  • Total Citations: 257

  • Citations Since 2020: 119

  • h-index: 9

  • h-index Since 2020: 6

  • i10-index: 8

  • i10-index Since 2020: 5

Publication Top Notes:

  • Antidiarrhoeal activity of Acacia nilotica Willd. bark methanol extract

  • A new species of Eriocaulon (Eriocaulaceae) from Maharashtra, India

  • Anti-inflammatory activity of Jatropha gossypifolia L. leaves in albino mice and Wistar rat

  • Phytochemical profile, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-proliferative activities of Pogostemon deccanensis essential oils

  • Evaluation of larvicidal and antifeedant potential of three Jatropha species against Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and two predators (Coleoptera)

  • Flora of Baramati

  • Prospective wild edible fruit plants from part of northern Western Ghats (NWG), Mulshi (MS), India

  • Phytochemical, antioxidant and antimicrobial analysis of endemic and endangered Jatropha nana Dalz. & Gibs. from Maharashtra

  • The importance of conserving fragmented forest patches with high diversity of flowering plants in the northern Western Ghats: an example from Maharashtra, India

  • Phytochemical evaluation and in vitro antimicrobial activity of Jatropha glandulifera Roxb. (family Euphorbiaceae)

  • Physico‐Chemical analysis, NMR spectroscopy and gas chromatographic studies of Jatropha curcas L. germplasm

  • Occurrence of pentatomoid bug on Jatropha nana Dalz.

  • Evaluation of phytochemical, antibacterial and antidiarrhoeal activity of Jatropha gossypifolia L. root methanol extract in Swiss albino mice

  • Habitat conservation of Chinkara (Gazella gazella) in protected areas of Maharashtra and Gujarat

  • The flora of Baramati District in Maharashtra

  • Insecticidal properties of three Jatropha species against stored grain pests

  • In vitro antimicrobial activity, lipid content and physico-chemical analysis of non-edible oils

  • Screening and optimization of IAA production by PGPR isolated from rhizosphere of a Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb. and their effect on plant growth

  • Status of floristic diversity and impact of development on two sacred groves from Maval Tehsil (Maharashtra, India) after a century

  • HPTLC analysis and anti-inflammatory activity of Jatropha gossypifolia L. root in mice and Wistar rats

 

Jinli Gong | Horticulture | Women Researcher Award

Dr. Jinli Gong | Horticulture | Women Researcher Award

Assistant Professor at Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, China

Dr. Jinli Gong is a specialist in pomology, with a research focus on postharvest biology and the mechanisms of environmental signals regulating fruit coloration and ripening. She completed her Ph.D. at Huazhong Agricultural University and was a visiting researcher at Durham University, UK, in cell biology. Dr. Gong has led four research projects, published 21 peer-reviewed papers (SCI/Scopus), and holds three patents. Her notable contributions include the discovery of red and blue light-responsive mechanisms in citrus and the development of advanced techniques for studying plastid protein complexes.

Profile:

πŸŽ“ Education & Training:

  • Ph.D. in Pomology, Huazhong Agricultural University (2015–2021)

  • Research Exchange, Cell Biology, Durham University, UK (2019–2020)

πŸ”¬ Research Focus:

  • 🍊 Postharvest biology of horticultural fruits

  • 🌈 Environmental signal mechanisms in fruit coloration and ripening

πŸ§ͺ Research Highlights & Innovations:

  • Identified red light-responsive proteins influencing citrus fruit coloration.

  • Developed advanced plastid isolation and visualization techniques in citrus.

  • Established real-time dynamic organelle imaging in citrus roots and fruits.

πŸ“Š Research Output:

  • πŸ“„ 21 Publications (SCI, Scopus)

  • πŸ” 4 Research Projects

  • 🀝 6 Industry Consultancies

  • πŸ” 3 Patents

  • πŸ” Reviewer: Journal of Experimental Botany, New Phytologist, Horticulture Research

  • πŸ“ˆ Citations: ResearchGate Profile

Publication Top Notes:

  1. Autophagy positively regulates ethylene-induced colouration in citrus fruits
    Guo Y., Gong J., Cheng Y., Wang P.
    Plant Journal, 2025.

  2. Advances in the Relationship Between Cell Wall Metabolism and Physiological Diseases of Citrus Peel
    Zhang S., Zheng S., Wang X., Sun X., Gong J.
    (2025, Source details not available).

  3. Red and blue light promote tomato fruit coloration through modulation of hormone homeostasis and pigment accumulation
    Xu Y., You C., Xu C., Zhang C., Hu X., Li X., Ma H., Gong J., Sun X.
    Postharvest Biology and Technology, 2024.

  4. Tracking organelle activities through efficient and stable root genetic transformation system in woody plants
    Gong J., Chen Y., Xu Y., Gu M., Ma H., Hu X., Li X., Jiao C., Sun X.
    Horticulture Research, 2024.

  5. Combining BN-PAGE and microscopy techniques to investigate pigment-protein complexes and plastid transitions in citrus fruit
    Gong J., Zhang H., Zeng Y., Cheng Y., Sun X., Wang P.
    Plant Methods, 2022.

  6. Red light-induced kumquat fruit coloration is attributable to increased carotenoid metabolism regulated by FcrNAC22
    Gong J., Zeng Y., Meng Q., Guan Y., Li C., Yang H., Zhang Y., Ampomah-Dwamena C., Liu P., Chen C., Deng X., Cheng Y., Wang P.
    Journal of Experimental Botany, 2021.

  7. Differential regulation of red light- and ethephon-induced degreening in postharvest kumquat fruit
    Gong J., Yang H., Xu Y., Zeng Y., Liu P., Chen C., Wang P., Sun X.
    Postharvest Biology and Technology, 2023.

  8. Illuminating the cells: transient transformation of citrus to study gene functions and organelle activities related to fruit quality
    Gong J., Tian Z., Qu X., Meng Q., Guan Y., Liu P., Chen C., Deng X., Guo W., Cheng Y., Wang P.
    Horticulture Research, 2021.

  9. Transient expression assay and microscopic observation in kumquat fruit
    Gong J., Sun X.
    Bio-Protocol, 2024.

  10. Cytological and metabolomic analysis of Citrus fruit to elucidate puffing disorder
    Wang T., Zheng S., Ke F., Zhang S., Xiao J., Sun X., Zhang S., Zhang L., Gong J.
    Food Chemistry, 2024.

  11. Regulation of chlorophyll and carotenoid metabolism in citrus fruit
    Lu Y., Shen X., Li Y., Xu Y., Chen Y., Hu X., Li X., Sun X., Gong J.
    Horticultural Plant Journal, 2024.

  12. Diversity in plastids contributes to variation in fruit color
    Gong J., Li Y., Shen X., Xu Y., Hu X., Shen D., Chen C., Sun X.
    Scientia Horticulturae, 2024.