Latif Ahmad Peer | Plant Science | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Latif Ahmad Peer  | Plant Science | Best Researcher Award

Associate Professor at University of Kashmir, India

Dr. Latif Ahmad Peer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Botany at the University of Kashmir, specializing in plant morphogenesis and climate-smart agriculture. He earned his Ph.D. in Botany in 2022 with research focused on morphogenetic assessment in Zea mays L., contributing to sustainable agricultural practices. With over two decades of academic and teaching experience, Dr. Peer has served in various roles, progressing from Lecturer to Associate Professor since 2007.

Profile:

🎓 Academic Journey:

Dr. Latif Ahmad Peer earned his Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Kashmir in 2022, with a thesis titled “Morphogenetic assessment in Zea mays L. with reference to climate smart agriculture.” He also holds a Master’s degree in Botany (2003) and a Bachelor’s in Biology and Chemistry (2001).

👨‍🏫 Academic Roles & Experience:

With over 20 years of teaching and research experience, Dr. Peer currently serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Botany, University of Kashmir. He has previously worked as a Lecturer and Assistant Professor, contributing significantly to both undergraduate and postgraduate education.

🔬 Research Focus:

His research interests center around climate-smart agriculture, morphogenetic plant analysis, and the adaptation of Zea mays L. (maize) to environmental stress, with an emphasis on improving crop resilience and sustainability.

🏛️ University Service & Leadership:

Dr. Peer plays an active role in the university’s academic and administrative activities:

  • Academic & Career Counsellor

  • Member of UG/PG Boards of Studies

  • Incharge of the Computer Lab & Department Auditorium

  • Member of Research and Admission Committees

🌱 Impact & Vision:

Dedicated to sustainable agricultural development and botanical innovation, Dr. Peer’s work contributes to environmentally adaptive farming practices in the Himalayan region and beyond.

Publication Top Notes:

  • Floral Induction Pathways: Decision Making and Determination in Plants to Flower – A Comprehensive Review

  • High Temperature Triggered Plant Responses From Whole Plant to Cellular Level

  • Potential Antioxidant Activity of Some Mushrooms Growing in Kashmir Valley

  • Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Toxicology of the Genus Artemisia L. (Asteraceae): A High-Value Medicinal Plant

  • Phenolic Content, Antioxidant and Allelopathic Potential of Artemisia brevifolia Wall. ex DC. Across the Elevations of Western Himalayan Region of Ladakh

  • Phytochemistry, Pharmacological Activities, and Ethnomedicinal Importance of the Highly Valuable Endangered Plant, Podophyllum hexandrum: A Comprehensive Review

  • Rhizosphere Mycobiome Diversity of Medicinal Plants: A Review

  • Genetic, Molecular and Physiological Crosstalk During Drought Tolerance in Maize (Zea mays): Pathways to Resilient Agriculture

  • Repurposing of Plant-Based Antiviral Molecules for the Treatment of COVID-19

  • Drought Stress-Induced Impact on Morpho-Physiological Traits in Maize Landraces of Kashmir

  • Phytochemistry, Biological Properties, Economic and Ecological Importance of Taraxacum officinale: A Review

  • Genetic Diversity Analysis in Maize Landraces Under Temperate Ecology

  • Phytochemistry, Biological Activity and Medicinal Importance of Urtica dioica: A Review

  • Self-Incompatibility Patterns and Signal Transduction

  • Medicinal Plants of the Himalayan Tral Region of Kashmir, India: An Ethnobotanical Study of Their Diversity, Use Patterns, and Health Implications

  • Maize Characterization: From Genotyping to High-Throughput Phenotyping

  • Effect of Plant Growth Promoting Bacillus Species on the Growth of Blue Pine Seedlings

  • Cowpea Wild Relatives for Cowpea Sustainability Through Introgression Breeding

  • Harnessing Phytohormone Dynamics to Fortify Crop Resilience Against Drought: A Comprehensive Review

  • Comprehensive Morphological Characterization of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) Genotypes for Enhanced Breeding Programs in Jammu and Kashmir

 

Jinli Gong | Horticulture | Women Researcher Award

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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:

🎓 Education & Training:

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

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

🔬 Research Focus:

  • 🍊 Postharvest biology of horticultural fruits

  • 🌈 Environmental signal mechanisms in fruit coloration and ripening

🧪 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.

📊 Research Output:

  • 📄 21 Publications (SCI, Scopus)

  • 🔍 4 Research Projects

  • 🤝 6 Industry Consultancies

  • 🔏 3 Patents

  • 🔁 Reviewer: Journal of Experimental Botany, New Phytologist, Horticulture Research

  • 📈 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.