Sanjay Kumar | Food Safety | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Sanjay Kumar | Food Safety | Best Researcher Award

Principal Scientist at Niagara Bottling, United States

Dr. Sanjay Kumar is a Principal Scientist specializing in food safety and microbiology with over two decades of international research experience. He holds a Ph.D. from ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, India, with a strong foundation in microbial ecology and antimicrobial interventions. Dr. Kumar’s research centers on the inactivation of foodborne pathogens using novel, GRAS-status antimicrobials, quantitative microbiological risk assessment, and the microbiome of food animals.

Profile:

🎓 Education:

  • Ph.D. in Microbiology, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, India (2010)

  • M.S. in Microbiology, Kurukshetra University, India (2001)

  • B.S. in Industrial Microbiology, Kurukshetra University, India (1998)

🔬 Research Interests:

  • Control of foodborne pathogens using GRAS-status antimicrobials

  • Microbial ecology and contamination in food processing systems

  • Risk assessment through omics-based microbial exposure evaluation

💼 Professional Experience:

  • Principal Scientist, Niagara Bottling LLC (2019–Present)
    Leads microbiological R&D, food safety strategy, and regulatory compliance across 40+ plants.

  • Staff Scientist, Poultry Science, University of Georgia (2015–2019)
    Focused on microbiome, food safety interventions, and poultry gut health.

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Pennsylvania (2013–2015)
    Investigated antimicrobial resistance and microbiome shifts in dairy cattle.

  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology (2012–2013)
    Characterized rumen methanogens and enzymes for methane mitigation.

🧪 Notable Funded Projects (Co-PI):

  • U.S. Soybean Board: Gut health in antibiotic-free broilers

  • Innovation Enzymes: Enzyme supplementation and poultry performance

  • Huvepharma: Probiotics against poultry pathogens

🏆 Awards and Honors:

  • Best Poster Awards (CAES, Center for Food Safety, ASAS)

  • ICAR Senior Research Fellowship

  • DBT Travel Award (BioMicroWorld, Lisbon)

  • Outstanding Teacher Award – Dolphin College, India

Citation Metrics:

  • Total Citations: 3,680

  • Citations Since 2020: 2,237

  • h-index: 29 (26 since 2020)

  • i10-index: 41 (30 since 2020)

Publication Top Notes:

  • Chicken Gut Microbiota: Importance and Detection Technology
    BOWKK Yue Shang, Sanjay Kumar
    Frontiers in Veterinary Sciences, 2018
    📚 Citations: 479

  • Magnesium ammonium phosphate formation, recovery and its application as valuable resources: a review
    YH Liu, S Kumar, JH Kwag, CS Ra
    Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, 2012
    📚 Citations: 229

  • Probiotics and atopic dermatitis: an overview
    YHP IA Rather, VK Bajpai, S Kumar, J Lim, WK Paek
    Frontiers in Microbiology, 2016
    📚 Citations: 224

  • New aspects and strategies for methane mitigation from ruminants
    S Kumar et al.
    Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2014
    📚 Citations: 205

  • Effect of antibiotic withdrawal in feed on chicken gut microbial dynamics…
    HT S Kumar et al.
    PLoS ONE, 2018
    📚 Citations: 199

  • Factors affecting rumen methanogens and methane mitigation strategies
    S Kumar et al.
    World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2009
    📚 Citations: 169

  • Associative patterns among anaerobic fungi, methanogenic archaea and bacteria…
    D Kumar, S., Indugu, N., Vecchiarelli, B., Pitta
    Frontiers in Microbiology, 2015
    📚 Citations: 168

  • Temporal dynamics in the ruminal microbiome of dairy cows during the transition period
    Pitta, Kumar, et al.
    Journal of Animal Science, 2014
    📚 Citations: 155

  • Metagenomic assessment of the functional potential of the rumen microbiome…
    Pitta, Kumar, et al.
    Anaerobe, 2016
    📚 Citations: 133

  • Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Salmonella…
    Velasquez, Macklin, Kumar, et al.
    Poultry Science, 2018
    📚 Citations: 118

 

Pukhraj Meena | Food Technology | Best Researcher Award

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Dr Pukhraj Meena | Food Technology | Best Researcher Award

Department of Food Technology, Aditi Mahavidyalaya, University of Delhi, New Delhi,  India

Dr. Pukhraj Meena is a dedicated researcher in Food Science & Technology, specializing in biosensor development, enzyme production, and food waste utilization. He earned his Ph.D. from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, focusing on the development of an amperometric biosensor for caffeine detection. His M.Sc. research involved optimizing alkaline protease production from agro-industrial waste using the Taguchi DOE methodology.

Profile:

👨‍🎓 Academic Background:

Dr. Pukhraj Meena holds a Ph.D. in Food Science & Technology (2019) from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, with research focused on amperometric biosensors for caffeine detection. He also earned an M.Sc. in Food Science & Technology (2011) from BHU and a B.Tech. in Food Technology (2009) from MPUA&T, Udaipur.

🔬 Research Interests:

  • Biosensor Development: Designing caffeine and phenolic compound-based biosensors.

  • Enzyme Production: Optimization of alkaline protease production using agro-industrial waste.

  • Food Product Development & Waste Utilization: Innovating sustainable food solutions.

📜 Research Contributions:

His Ph.D. research developed an amperometric biosensor for caffeine detection, while his M.Sc. work optimized alkaline protease production using Taguchi DOE methodology.

📚 Additional Qualifications:

  • NET (CBSE-UGC) Qualified (2016) in Home Science.

  • PG Diploma in Rural Development (IGNOU, 2014).

Publication Top Notes:

1️⃣ Utilization of Agro-Industrial Waste (Wheat Bran) for Alkaline Protease Production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in SSF Using Taguchi (DOE) Methodology
📌 Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology, 2013

2️⃣ Effect of PGPR on Morphological Properties of Different Varieties of Wheat (Triticum aestivum)
📌 The Pharma Innovation, 2017

3️⃣ Sensory Evaluation and Cost Estimation of Guava-Based Papaya Fruit Cheese
📌 The Pharma Innovation, 2017

4️⃣ Application of Computer-Aided Artificial Intelligence Techniques in Food Industry
📌 Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology, 2023

5️⃣ Fundamentals and Applications of Various Types of Biosensors in Food Analysis
📌 International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 2017

6️⃣ Application of Gold Screen Printed Electrode (GSPE)-Based Caffeine Biosensor for Real Sample Analysis
📌 The Pharma Innovation, 2018

7️⃣ Development of an Amperometric Biosensor Against Caffeine Over a Concentration Range
📌 The Pharma Innovation, 2018

8️⃣ Development of Various Functional Food Components in Health Aspects
📌 The Pharma Innovation, 2017

9️⃣ Biochemical Analysis of PGPR and Its Effect on Chlorophyll, Ascorbic Acid, Starch & Total Polyphenolic Content (TPC) of Different Wheat Varieties
📌 The Pharma Innovation, 2017

🔟 Impact of Industrial Microbial Alkaline Proteases from Isolated Bacillus Strains
📌 Ecology, Environment and Conservation, 2024

Tania Merinas-Amo | Food | Best Researcher Award

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Dr Tania  Merinas-Amo | Food |  Best Researcher Award

Dr at Department of Genetics, University of Córdoba (Spain), Spain

Dr. Tania Merinas-Amo is a researcher at the Department of Genetics, University of Córdoba, Spain. She holds a degree in Biology (2008) and a Master’s in Translational Biomedical Research (2011) from the University of Córdoba, where she also earned an international Ph.D. in Biosciences and Agri-Food Sciences in 2017. Her research focuses on food safety, nutraceutical foods, genotoxicity, and chemoprevention, utilizing in vivo and in vitro model systems to evaluate the safety and health benefits of various foods. With over 20 scientific articles, 10 books and book chapters, and an h-index of 10 (Google Scholar), Dr. Merinas-Amo has made significant contributions to the field.

Profile:

📚 Academic Background:

Graduated in Biology (2008) and earned a Master’s in Translational Biomedical Research (2011) from the University of Córdoba. She obtained her international Ph.D. in Biosciences and Agri-Food Sciences in 2017, with research experience at the Laboratory of Ethnobotany and Ethnopharmacology, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague.

🔬 Research Focus:

Food safety, nutraceutical food, genotoxicity, and chemoprevention. Her work involves in vivo and in vitro model systems, such as Drosophila melanogaster and HL-60 tumor cells, to evaluate the safety and nutraceutical potential of various foods.

📊 Achievements:

  • Published 20+ scientific articles in journals with JCR impact.
  • Authored/co-authored 10 books and book chapters.
  • h-index: 10 (Google Scholar/ResearchGate) and 9 (Scopus).

Citation Metrics:

  • Total Citations: 488
  • Citations Since 2020: 388
  • h-index: 10 (overall and since 2020)
  • i10-index: 11 (overall), 10 (since 2020)

Publication Top Notes:

  • Evolution of some physicochemical and antioxidant properties of black garlic whole bulbs and peeled cloves
    MA Toledano-Medina, J Pérez-Aparicio, R Moreno-Rojas, T Merinas-Amo
    Food Chemistry, 199, 135-139 (2016) – 123 citations
  • Biological effects of food coloring in in vivo and in vitro model systems
    R Merinas-Amo, M Martínez-Jurado, S Jurado-Güeto, Á Alonso-Moraga, …
    Foods, 8(5), 176 (2019) – 68 citations
  • Physicochemical characterization and biological activities of black and white garlic: In vivo and in vitro assays
    MÁ Toledano Medina, T Merinas-Amo, Z Fernández-Bedmar, R Font, …
    Foods, 8(6), 220 (2019) – 49 citations
  • Role of zucchini and its distinctive components in the modulation of degenerative processes: Genotoxicity, anti-genotoxicity, cytotoxicity and apoptotic effects
    D Martínez-Valdivieso, R Font, Z Fernández-Bedmar, T Merinas-Amo, …
    Nutrients, 9(7), 755 (2017) – 42 citations
  • In vitro antibacterial activity of extracts from Samoan medicinal plants and their effect on proliferation and migration of human fibroblasts
    A Frankova, L Vistejnova, T Merinas-Amo, Z Leheckova, I Doskocil, …
    Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 264, 113220 (2021) – 38 citations
  • In Vivo and In Vitro Genotoxic and Epigenetic Effects of Two Types of Cola Beverages and Caffeine: A Multiassay Approach
    M Mateo-Fernández, T Merinas-Amo, M Moreno-Millán, Á Alonso-Moraga, …
    BioMed Research International, 2016(1), 7574843 – 22 citations
  • In vivo and in vitro studies of the role of lyophilised blond Lager beer and some bioactive components in the modulation of degenerative processes
    T Merinas-Amo, I Tasset-Cuevas, AM Díaz-Carretero, Á Alonso-Moraga, …
    Journal of Functional Foods, 27, 274-294 (2016) – 17 citations
  • Food safety and nutraceutical potential of caramel colour class IV using in vivo and in vitro assays
    M Mateo-Fernández, P Alves-Martínez, M Del Río-Celestino, R Font, …
    Foods, 8(9), 392 (2019) – 14 citations
  • Nutraceutical potential of two Allium species and their distinctive organosulfur compounds: A multi-assay evaluation
    Z Fernández-Bedmar, S Demyda-Peyrás, T Merinas-Amo, …
    Foods, 8(6), 222 (2019) – 14 citations
  • Role of glucosinolates in the nutraceutical potential of selected cultivars of Brassica rapa
    T Merinas-Amo, MD Lozano-Baena, S Obregón-Cano, Á Alonso-Moraga, …
    Foods, 10(11), 2720 (2021) – 10 citations