Mohd Kafeel Ahmad Ansari | Botany | Best Faculty Award

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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Kafeel Ahmad Ansari | Botany | Best Faculty Award

Associate Professor | University of Guyana | Guyana

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohammad Kafeel A. Ansari is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Guyana, Georgetown, South America, and Visiting Research Fellow at INTI International University, Malaysia. He is an accomplished biologist and environmental scientist recognized for his contributions to plant stress physiology, phytoremediation, cyanobacterial biotechnology, and environmental microbiology. His research focuses on developing eco-friendly technologies for ecosystem restoration, bioremediation of toxic pollutants, and enhancing stress tolerance in crop plants. Dr. Ansari has extensive academic and research experience across leading institutions in Australia, Turkey, and India, where he has held postdoctoral, research, and teaching positions. He has received several prestigious international fellowships and awards for excellence in higher education and research, including recognition from the Governments of Australia, Turkey, and India. His scholarly work encompasses numerous publications in high-impact international journals, along with active participation in global conferences and collaborations. Dr. Ansari has served on editorial boards, research committees, and academic councils, contributing significantly to curriculum development, postgraduate supervision, and interdisciplinary research initiatives. His dedication to advancing biological sciences, environmental biotechnology, and sustainable development has established him as a respected academic and researcher with an active role in promoting international scientific collaboration.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Manzoor, R., Ahmad, M., Munir, M., Zafar, M., Sultana, S., Ansari, M. K. A., Burkhan Sobirovisch, A., Bekhit, M. M., Idress, M., & Ozdemir, F. A., et al. (2025). Harnessing the potential of novel waste biomass feedstock (Caesalpinia crista L.) for producing clean energy via phyto-fabricated nanocatalyst (Al₂O₃). Waste and Biomass Valorization, Advance online publication.

Manzoor, M., Ahmad, M., Gillani, S. W., Zafar, M., Hussain, J., Ansari, M. K. A., Rizwana, H., Abid, I., Imran, M., & Jabeen, S. (2025). Micromorphological and ultrastructural exploration of Sorbus foliolosa (Rosaceae) populations from the Himalayan region of Kashmir. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, Advance online publication.

Ansari, M. K. A., Turkyilmaz Unal, B., Javad, S., Vardar, F., Ansari, A. A., Ozturk, M., & Iqbal, M. (2023). Application of nanobiotechnology in enabling plants to overcome water-logging stress: A review. Agricultural Reviews, Advance online publication.

Turkyilmaz Unal, B., Ozturk, M., Owens, G., & Ansari, M. K. (2023). Plants as medicine and aromatics. CRC Press.

Ansari, M. K. A. (2022). A case study of medicinal plant conservation in the Jabalpur District, India. Journal Plantarum, December issue.

Hong Li | Plant-Microbial Interaction | Best Researcher Award

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Assoc. Prof. Dr.  Hong  Li | Plant-Microbial Interaction | Best Researcher Award

Associate Professor at Xinjiang Agricultural University, China

Dr. Hong Li earned her Ph.D. from China Agricultural University in 2021 and currently serves as an Associate Professor at Xinjiang Agricultural University. She is a member of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering’s Facility Horticulture Engineering Committee. Dr. Li’s research focuses on plant-microbial interactions, salinity, salt tolerance, and plant mineral nutrition. Her pioneering work, published in The ISME Journal, demonstrated how both salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive plants recruit specific microorganisms to alleviate salt stress and improve resilience. Additionally, she has integrated soil carbon management with water and fertilizer applications to enhance soil quality via microbial activity in facility vegetable cultivation. Her innovative research on microbe-root-knot nematode interactions has led to a screening method for beneficial bacteria and the development of a microbial agent effective against root-knot nematodes, resulting in two Chinese national invention patents. Dr. Li has published approximately 10 refereed articles and continues to contribute to sustainable agricultural research.

Profile:

🎓 Education:

Ph.D., China Agricultural University, 2021

🔬 Research Interests:

  • Plant-microbial interactions

  • Salinity & salt tolerance

  • Plant mineral nutrition

🌟 Key Achievements:

  • Published ~10 peer-reviewed papers, including pioneering work in The ISME Journal

  • Discovered how salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive plants recruit microbes to mitigate salt stress, boosting resilience

  • Integrated soil carbon management with precise water and fertilizer application to enhance soil quality via microbial activity

  • Developed a screening method for bacteria that promote root growth and resist root-knot nematodes

  • Holder of 2 Chinese national invention patents for a microbial agent effective against root-knot nematodes

🤝 Professional Membership:

Member, Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering — Facility Horticulture Engineering Committee

Publication Top Notes:

  1. Understanding the changes of phenylpropanoid metabolism and lignin accumulation in wounded cassava root during postharvest storage
    Scientia Horticulturae, 2023-02
    DOI: 10.1016/j.scienta.2022.111765

  2. Antifungal activity of montmorillonite/peptide aptamer nanocomposite against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides on Stylosanthes
    International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2022-07-12
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.07.034

  3. Antifungal activity of an artificial peptide aptamer SNP-D4 against Fusarium oxysporum
    PeerJ, 2022-02-22
    DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12756

  4. Hfq Regulates Efflux Pump Expression and Purine Metabolic Pathway to Increase Trimethoprim Resistance in Aeromonas veronii
    Frontiers in Microbiology, 2021-11-24
    DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.742114

  5. Integrated analysis reveals an association between the rhizosphere microbiome and root rot of arecanut palm
    Pedosphere, 2021-10
    DOI: 10.1016/s1002-0160(21)60022-x

  6. Network-based analysis of virulence factors for uncovering Aeromonas veronii pathogenesis
    BMC Microbiology, 2021-06-24
    DOI: 10.1186/s12866-021-02261-8

  7. First Report of Grammothele lineata Causing Stem Rot of Areca catechu in Hainan Province, China
    Plant Disease, 2021-04-08
    DOI: 10.1094/pdis-01-21-0218-pdn