Mukesh Verma is Chief of the Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program's (EGRP) Methods and Technologies Branch (MTB), and oversees its research portfolio and initiatives that focus on methods to address epidemiologic data collection, study design and analysis, and to modify technological approaches developed in the context of other research endeavors for use as biomarkers and methods to understand cancer susceptibility. He is responsible for stimulating EGRP-funded research on epigenetic approaches in cancer epidemiology and has been instrumental in developing epigenetics research for NIH as a whole. Dr. Verma helped to develop a Request for Applications (RFA) on Environmental Influences on Epigenetics with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and represents the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS), in NIH's Roadmap Initiative on EpigeneticsExternal Web Site Policy. He helped develop an RFA on Comparative Systems Genetics of Cancer with NCI's Division of Cancer Biology (DCB), and is known within the extramural research community as an EGRP Program Director for Program Announcements (PAs) on Small Grants for Cancer Epidemiology and Pilot Studies in Pancreatic Cancer. He also organized a workshop to explore developing a concept for a research initiative on mitochondrial DNA and cancer epidemiology. Dr. Verma was, and continues to be, a co-Program Director for initiatives in gene-environment interactions in cancer etiology, including the Breast and Prostate Cancer and Hormone-Related Variants Cohort Consortium (BPC3), which is a collaborative project to pool data and biospecimens from a group of large prospective cancer epidemiology cohorts. Dr. Verma joined EGRP as a Program Director in 2004. In 2005, he was appointed Acting Chief of EGRP's former Analytic Epidemiology Research Branch (AERB). When EGRP reorganized in 2007, he was appointed Acting Chief of MTB and of the Host Susceptibility Factors Branch (HSFB), for which he served as Acting Chief through 2008. Before joining EGRP, he was a Program Director in NCI's Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP), where he worked in the areas of biomarkers, early detection, risk assessment, and prevention. He also was Coordinator of DCP's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs. He was on the faculty in the Biochemistry Department of Georgetown University before joining NIH.

Biomarkers, Epigenetics, Epidemiology Technologies, Proteomics, MicroRNA, Methylation, Mitochondria, Nanotechnology, Risk Assessment, Susceptibility Factors, Systems Genetics, Metabolomics

Lawrence E. Murr is Mr. & Mrs. MacIntosh Murchison Professor and Chairman of the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering and Ph.D. Program Director in the Materials Research & Technology Institute at The University of Texas at El Paso. Dr. Murr received his B.Sc. in physical science from Albright College, and his B.S.E.E. in electronics, his M.S. in engineering mechanics, and his Ph.D. in solid-state science, all from the Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Murr has taught at the Pennsylvania State University, the University of Southern California, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and the Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology. He was Director of the John D. Sullivan Center for In-Situ Mining Research, President of the New Mexico Tech Research Foundation, and Professor and Head of the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. He was a past Chairman of the New Mexico Joint Center for Materials Science and served as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Research and Director of the Office of Academic and Research Programs at the Oregon Graduate Institute, where he was also Professor of Materials Science and Engineering. Dr. Murr has published 20 books, over 700 scientific and technical articles in a wide range of research areas in materials science and engineering, environmental science and engineering, manufacturing science and engineering (especially rapid prototype/layered manufacturing), and biological sciences and engineering roughly half with undergraduate and graduate student researchers. During more than 45 years of university teaching, Professor Murr has also directed 64 M.S. theses and 32 Ph.D. dissertations. Recent honors include the 2001 Buehler Technical Paper Merit Award for Excellence (IMS), the TMS 2007 Educator Award, the 2007 John S. Rinehart Award (a TMS Symposium Award for global leadership in shock and high-strain-rate phenomena), and the 2008 Henry Clifton Sorby Award presented by the International Metallographic Society (IMS) for recognition of lifetime achievement in the field of metallurgy. Dr. Murr has more than 40 years of experience in ballistic and high-strain/high-strain-rate research and research involving imaging technologies, especially electron microscopy. In 2009, Professor Murr received the Albert Easton White Distinguished Teacher Award from ASM International. Dr. Murr was also awarded a Lee Hsun Research Award by the Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMR-CAS) “in recognition of past accomplishments in materials science and technology” (2009-2010). In 2010, Professor Murr was honored as a Visiting Professor for Senior International Scientists by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) for the Institute of Metal Research (IMR) of the Shenyang National Laboratory (SYNL) for Materials Science. Also in 2010, Professor Murr was appointed as the Guest Professor of Harbin Engineering University. Professor Murr was chosen for a Piper Professor of 2010 Award for “Outstanding scholarly achievements and superior teaching at the college level”, a Texas higher education program of the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation. Professor Murr is also a Fellow of ASM International and a licensed professional engineer. He holds 3 patents and has 1 pending.

Nanoparticulate materials, Friction-stir welding and processing,3D Printing/Additive manufacturing of advanced materials, Laser & electron beam melting technologies, 3D materials science, Nanoparticle health effects; especially soots, fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, Materials aspects of ballistic and hypervelocity impact & penetration phenomena.

Ara Kanekanian gained his PhD from Reading University – UK in 1983. He has been in academia for over 20 years with main interest in protein chemistry and fermentation technology. He has also been working for 10 years in the food industry and undertook several consultancy and turnkey projects related to food and dairy processing within Europe and the Middle East. He is a member of the publication committee of the International Journal of Dairy Technology and has published several scientific and technical papers. Other research activities include milk allergy, immune modulation and growth factors in colostrum, micro- and nano-encapsulation of nutraceuticals. Currently, he has been participating in several European projects regarding bioactive compounds in food for their health benefits as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, antihypercholesterolemic, antihypertensive and anticarcinogenic agents. He is also editing a book titled “Milk and Dairy Products as Functional Foods” commissioned by the Society of Dairy Technology – UK to be published by Wiley-Blackwell in 2013.

Probiotics & Prebiotics,Protein chemistry & enzymology, Product development; Membrane technology

Munis was born May 2, 1961. He took undergraduate degree at Erciyes University, Faculty of Medicine in 1985. He made Ph.D. on Medical Genetics at Duncan Guthrie Institute of Medical Genetics, University of Glasgow/Scotland in 1994 and got Professor Title in 2003. He is founder and head of Medical Genetics Department at Erciyes University and he has been currently carrying out various administrative tasks since 1996. He took part as Project Coordinator and Assistant Investigator in many research projects and many prepared articles out of them have been publishing in international journals since 1995. He is a lecturer at European University Consortium, Job Creation Oriented Biotechnology for first level degree and master program students, since 2006. He is president of the Turkish Medical Genetic Society, representative of EPMA in Turkey and EBTNA President (European Biotechnology Thematic Network Association).

Medical Genetics, Genetic Syndrome

D'souza is a professor and Director of Graduate Programs in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Mercer University. In addition, he is also director of the Mercer Clinical Laboratory and Co-Director of the Center for Drug Delivery Research. Research work in his Nanotechnology Laboratory has been focused on evaluating the nanoencapsulation and microencapsulation of vaccines and drugs as delivery vehicles thereby achieving targeted and sustained release of the encapsulated vaccine/drug with the aid of biodegradable polymers. Currently his group is also working on oral delivery of vaccines, proteins and peptides. The strategy is to prepare sustained release nanosphere/microsphere formulations which are enteric coated so as to prevent degradation in the stomach. We have recently formulated and have conducted preliminary testing of the efficacy after oral vaccination in cancers such as melanoma, breast, ovarian and prostate. They are also evaluating the efficacy of viral and bacterial vaccines such as TB, Typhoid, Pneumococcal, Hepatitis B, Influenza, HIV and H1N1 vaccines. Recently, we have also been working on the delivery of vaccines and proteins via the transdermal route with the use of DermarollersR and microneedle technology. Several patents related to the research mentioned have been issued/filed and various grants have been awarded.

Evaluation of the nanoencapsulation and microencapsulation of vaccines and drugs as delivery vehicles, oral delivery of vaccines, proteins and peptides.

Achuth Padmanabhan received his PhD in biological sciences from University of Maryland Baltimore County, USA. His PhD work led to the discovery of a novel signaling pathway that causes accumulation of the key oncoprotein MYC in cancer cells, a discovery that has huge therapeutic potential. He also uncovered new mechanisms that regulate the stability of the prostate-specific tumor suppressor protein NKX3.1. He currently works as a postdoctoral associate at Yale University, USA where he studies the assembly of yeast and mammalian proteasomes. Achuth has authored many research papers in reputed international journals and serves as reviewer and editorial board member for several journals.

Protein biochemistry, proteomics, Mass spectrometry, protein kinases, protein phosphorylation and ubiquitination, proteasome assembly and function, protein degradation, cancer biology, mammalian and yeast genetics

Professor Nikolai Zhelev is professor of medical biotechnology and director of CMCBR atAbertay University, Dundee, Scotland. He is also honorary professor in eight universities in UK, China and Bulgaria. Prof.Zhelev has been involved in founding four start-up biotech companies and has worked as head of the departments of Biochemistry, Cell Biology and Proteomics in Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals Inc. Professor Zhelev has published three books in the field of systems biology, cancer research and treatment, DNA damage and repair as well as papers in high impact journals, including Nature Medicine, with more than 1000 citations

Systems biology, DNA damage and repair

Manuel Pérez Alonso (PhD in Molecular Genetics) is a Professor of Genetics at the University of Valencia. He participated in five international genome sequencing consortia and (as PI) in a number of basic research projects. He is promoter and founding partner in four biomedical companies: Valentia BioPharma (www.valentiabiopharma.com), The Institute of Genomic Medicine (www.imegen.es), GenAGen (www.genagen.es) and Genera Biotech (www.generabiotech.com), all of them located at the University of Valencia Science Park. His research is now focused in the development of genomics tools for genetic testing. He also contributes to biopharmaceutical research through the study of the pathways leading to rare genetic disease. He is President of the Valencia BioRegion (BIOVAL) and President of the Spanish Association of Entrepreneurs in Science.

Development of genomic tools for genetic testing of inherited disease. I also contribute to biopharmaceutical research in the understanding of biological pathways leading to rare genetic disease.

Ramón Serrano is Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Department of Biotechnology and researcher at the Institute of Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain. He works on the homeostasis of monovalent cations (H+, K+ and Na+) in connection to cellular growth and death and to stress responses. He has published more than 180 articles in reputed journals including Nature, Science, EMBO Journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA) and Plant Cell. He has received more than 13,600 cites and his “h index” is 70. He is member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and “Doctor Honoris Causa” by the University of Regensburg, Germany.

Ion Homeostasis, Cellular Stress and Genomics

Ruben Artero is Associate Professor of Genetics at the University of Valencia-INCLIVA Biomedical Research Institute, where he leads the Translational Genomics group dedicated to discovering mechanisms of pathogenesis of human genetic diseases as well as to design novel Drosophila models for in vivo drug discovery, particularly in myotonic dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy and breast cancer. Before his interest in biotechnology he performed basic research in the field of developmental genetics studying Drosophila myogenesis both in University of Valencia and in the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (NY, USA), where he spent some six years as postdoctoral fellow. He is co-founder of the Genera Biotech company, scientific advisor of Valentia BioPharma and inventor in four patents. He has participated in 30 international journal research publications and serves as academic editor for the PLoS ONE journal.

Discovering mechanisms of pathogenesis of human genetic diseases as well as to design novel Drosophila models for in vivo drug discovery, particularly in myotonic dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy and breast cancer

Francesc Xavier Aviles, PhD, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB), Spain, is director and full professor at the Department of Biochemistry & Mol Biol of UAB and group leader at the Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine of this institution (center also directed by him time ago). Besides UAB, where he got his PhD, he has been trained at the field of structural biology and biotechnology of proteins at the CSIC (Inst. Rocasolano, Madrid), University of Porstmouth (Biophysics Lab.), ETH-Zurich (Inst. Mol Biol & Biophys, Wüthrich Dpt.), Max-Planck Inst. Biochemie Munich (Huber Dpt.), University of Cambridge (Dept. Biochemistry), University of Uppsala (& BMC center) and University of Lund (Clinical Med. Dpt. & Grand Hosp.), with long or medium stays. There, also completed his training in bioinformatics and proteomics and a further specialization on proteolytic enzymes and inhibitors. He supervised 39 PhD thesis, coauthored more than 230 peer-reviewed publications (H-index 39) and leaded a significant number of research projects and networks at the national and international levels. He organized and/or has been invited as speaker in more that a hundred of international and national scientific meetings or workshops. Also, has been member of the executive committees and/or coordinator of sections of scientific societies (such as SEBBM, SBE, SCB), and member of editorial boards of international scientific journals, particularly in the fields of protein sciences and molecular-structural biology, protein biotechnology and proteomics.

Proteolytic enzymes and inhibitors

Beatriz Amorena is the Head of the Group of Animal Health at the Institute of Agrobiotechnology (IdAB), a joint Centre involving the Research Council of Spain(CSIC), the Public University of Navarra (UPNA) and the Government of Navarra. Beatriz Amorena is a CSIC Research Professor and her research interests include: the study of host – pathogen interactions, the innate and adaptive immune response and the genetic markers, vaccine/diagnostic tools design and understanding the mechanisms of pathogenicity in livestock infections. Graduated in Biology at the University of Barcelona (1970), Beatriz Amorena obtained in the 70’s a Master and a Ph.D. degree in Geneticsat the University of Wisconsin-Madison (United States). In the 80’s she taught Genetics as Professor at the University of Zaragoza. And as a CSIC scientist, she worked in the 90’s in the Campus Aula Dei (Animal Health Unit, Agricultural Research Center, presently CITA) of Zaragoza (Spain). Finally, she has been working in Navarra at the IdAB since 2001. As a scientist, she has been responsible for a variety of Master and Ph.D. theses as well for research grants; Entrerprise-funded, Regional, National and International. She is author in over 100 internationally recognized scientific papers and of different patents.

The study of host - pathogen interactions, the innate and adaptive immune response and the genetic markers, vaccine/diagnostic tools design and understanding the mechanisms of pathogenicity in livestock infections.

Damian F. de Andres-Cara is a research staff member of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), the largest multidisciplinary research agency in Spain, at the Institute of Agrobiotechnology of Navarra (CSIC-UPNA-Government of Navarra). He has been involved for over 35 years in research on domestic animals (horse, pig, sheep) in the fields of genetics, immunology and virology, with the final objective of improving their production, health and welfare. He has co-authored different patents and scientific articles published in peer reviewed journals. He has participated in a variety of regional, national and european research projects, and has co-directed a series of doctoral, master and degree thesis by Spanish and foreign students. He has been teaching in different doctoral, master and specialization programs from the Universities of Córdoba, Montevideo, Pamplona, Zaragoza and Tunisia. Dr. de Andrés-Cara holds a PhD in Genetics from the University of Córdoba and enjoyed a three year post-doctoral stage in France at the CNRS, INRA and CEA. He has collaborated with different American, African and European research teams. Interestingly, once erroneously reprimanded for studying “genealogy and heraldry of domestic animals”, the leitmotif of Dr. de Andrés research is genetic variability as a tool for improving animal production, health and welfare.

Genetic variability as a tool for improving animal production, health and welfare, Immunology and Animal Health Biotechnology

Manuel Martinez Garcia has graduated with full marks and honors in Biology from the University of Alicante (Spain). He received his PhD in Molecular Microbial Ecology from the same University in 2005, where he joined the Division of Microbiology as assistant lecturer of Microbiology. During that period he focused on the study of the diversity and function of uncultured marine microbial symbionts in addition to the study of extremophile microorganisms by using different molecular and physiological techniques. He conducted three postdoctoral stays in Europe at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians Universitat (Munich) and the Laboratory of Photosynthesis at the Academy of Sciences (Czech Republic). During 2009-2011, he moved to USA, where as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Single Cell Genomics Center (Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, Maine), he was developing cutting-edge techniques of Single Cell Genomics combined with Metagenomics to study the metabolic capabilities of uncultured microbes. Currently he is assistant professor in Microbiology at the University of Alicante.

Cutting-edge techniques of Single Cell Genomics combined with Metagenomics and new sequencing platforms (Illumina and PacBio) to study the metabolic capabilities of uncultured marine and freshwater microbes

Maria Pilar Santamarina is the director of Institutional Relations and Social Affairs. She got her degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Valencia. Undergraduate and doctoral degrees from the University of Valencia (made in the area of Microbiology, Department of Biotechnology, Polytechnic University of Valencia). It is University Professor of Botany area. SHe gives her teaching at the School of Rural Environments and Enology. He has held the position of Assistant Director of Educational Innovation (2001-2004) and is currently Assistant to the European Higher Education Area.

Mycology and Fungal Metabolites

Sergi Ferrer received his Ph.D. with honours from the University of Va- lencia, Spain in 1984. Dr. Ferrer currently works as a professor for the de- partment of Microbiology at the same university. His areas of expertise in- clude; industrial microbiology, Oenology, Food Biotechnology, Application of molecular techniques for identification and characterization of lactic acid bacteria of biotechnological interest; Selection of starter cultures for use in malolactic fermentation, Systematics of lactic acid bacteria of biotechno- logical interest. Dr. Ferrer is a member of many professional societies and committees including, member of the Spanish Society for Microbiology, Gienol Net, Lactic Acid Bacteria Net, CYTED net. Dr. Ferrer’s scientific output has included more than 100 publications in international journals and book chapters, and a dozen of popular science papers have been published. He has also participated in numerous research projects.

Industrial microbiology, Oenology, Food Biotechnology, Application of molecular techniques for identification and characterization of lactic acid bacteria of biotechnological interest; Selection of starter cultures for use in malolactic fermentation, Systematics of lactic acid bacteria of biotechno- logical interest.

Salvador Ventura is Associate Prof. at the Dep. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and leader of the Protein Folding and Design group at the Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). He has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed research and review papers on protein folding and proteomics, apart from several book chapters and patents. He got his Ph. D. in Biology at the UAB in 1998 and worked as postdoctoral fellow (1999-2001) at EMBL-Heidelberg under the supervision of Dr.Luis Serrano. He has been researcher at Harvard Medical School (USA) andKarolinska Institutet (Sweden) among other centres. He rejoined UAB as a Ramon y Cajal researcher in 2003. Dr. Ventura received the UAB 2008 Excellence Research Award. In 2009 the ICREA-Academia Award for excellence in Biological and Medical Sciences

protein folding, misfolding and amyloid formation, with special focus on their role in conformational diseases such as Alzheimer, Diabetes or Mitochondrial and Prionic disorders.

Marisa Manzano is working as a Associate Professor in Faculty of Agriculture Department of Food Science,University of Udine,Italy.She is the Co-author of an international patent for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes from various substrates.Co-author of an international patent for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes from various substrates (1996).

Molecular Biology,Food Microbiology, Biotechnolgy of Microrganisms,Wine microbiology

Robert S. Marks is the Associate Professor, Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. He completed his Ph. D. In Chemical Immunology at The Weizmann Institute of Science (1987-1992). His research activites includes: Biosensors, Chemiluminescent fiber-optic immunosensors to clinical pathogens, Bioluminescent fiber-optic bio-reporter biosensors to environmental toxicants, Biotin-modified alginate, synthesis, characterization and applications, Indium tin oxide fiber-optic biosensors, Field studies using fiber-optic biosensors, Bioluminescent fiber-optic bio-reporter biosensors to environmental toxicants , Magnetic immuno-phage Assay to Listeria monocytogenes in food, Enzymatic nanolithography. He is the editor of Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Talanta, Applied Journal of Toxicology. He guided. He wrote 1 books with more than 40 book chapters and many more.

Biosensors, Chemiluminescent fiber-optic immunosensors to clinical pathogens, Bioluminescent fiber-optic bio-reporter biosensors to environmental toxicants, Biotin-modified alginate, synthesis, characterization and applications, Indium tin oxide fiber-optic biosensors, Field studies using fiber-optic biosensors, Bioluminescent fiber-optic bio-reporter biosensors to environmental toxicants , Magnetic immuno-phage Assay to Listeria monocytogenes in food, Enzymatic nanolithography.

Fragiskos N. Kolisis is the professor of Biotechnology in School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical university of Athens and Head of the Program Metabolic Engineering and Bioinformatics of the Institute of Biological Research & Biotechnology, National Hellenic Research Foundation Athens,Greece. His field of research includes biocatalysis in non conventional media (low water content systems, organic solvents, solvent free systems, microemulsion systems, supercritical carbon dioxide) with en-zymes and catalytic antibodies, Production, purification, characterization, immobilization and structure/function studies of enzymes.

Biocatalysis in non conventional media (low water content systems, organic solvents, solvent free systems, microemulsion systems, supercritical carbon dioxide) with en-zymes and catalytic antibodies, Production, purification, characterization, immobilization and structure/function studies of enzymes.

Zlatka Miltcheva Alexieva is the head of Division of General Microbiology and Head of Dept. Microbial Genetics at the Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Education: 1971-1976 Department of Biology, University of Sofia, Graduating in the specialty of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Scientific degree: MSc 1981-1985 PhD /in Biology/ - “Investigation of the lysine genes structure and regulation in Bacillus subtilis” - Dept. Gene engineering, Institute of Molecular biology, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Kiev. 1987-1988 University of Baltimore, Department of Biology, specialization in molecular biology Recent area of scientific work - Investigation of physiological, biochemical, genetic and molecular characteristics and biodiversity of microorganisms capable to degrade toxic aromatic pollutants of the environment Guidance, participation and consultant of 15 national and international research projects. The list of publication consists of 110 scientific papers published in national and international journals and conference proceedings. The list of citations includes about 400 papers. Member of General Assembly to the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Member of the Scientific Council in the Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Member of the Bulgarian Society of Microbiology, Union of Scientist in Bulgaria Vice president of the Commission for GMO to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources in Bulgaria Expert to the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency, Ministry of Education, Youth and Science, Bulgaria Member of the Editorial Board of the scientific journal Biotechnology & Biotechnological Equipment Reviewer for many international journals as Biodegradation, Process Biochemistry, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, Bioremediation Journal, and others

Investigation of physiological, biochemical, genetic and molecular characteristics and biodiversity of microorganisms capable to degrade toxic aromatic pollutants of the environment

Graciela Brelles-Mariño is a professor of microbiology at the School of Exact Sciences, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, and a researcher at the Center for Research and Development on Industrial Fermentations (CINDEFI) at the same university. She was an Associate Professor of microbiology at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, USA from 2003 to 2013. She is an elected member of the Committee on the Status of Women in Microbiology (CSWM) for the American Society for Microbiology. Assistant Professor, University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo from 1996-2001. She was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Granada, Spain, in 1999–2000 and a Research Associate at the Laboratoire des Interactions Plantes- Microorganismes, Toulouse, France, in 2001–2002. She has received a PhD in Biochemical Sciences from the Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina and a MS in Biochemical Sciences and BS in Chemistry from the same university. She received the 1998 UNESCO-ASM Travel Award and the 2007 Minority travel award both awarded by the American Society for Microbiology, and the 2005-2006 Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies Faculty Fellow. She serves as a study section member for the National Institutes of Health - Biomaterials and Biointerfaces. She served as an Ad hoc reviewer for the National Science Foundation (NSF), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). She has been a reviewer of the IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science Journal, Journal of Diary Research, the American Journal of Infection Control, Journals of the American Chemical Society, Journal of Food Engineering, among others. She is an active reviewer of textbooks and book chapters.

Plasma-mediated biofilm inactivation. Molecular communication among bacteria and plants.

Luca Rastrelli is the full Professor of Food Chemistry at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Italy. He completed his Doctor in Pharmacy: March 1990, Università di Napoli and PhD in Natural Products at the Faculty of Pharmacy of University of Naples. Appointments and Professional Experience: 1996- Specialization in Science and Technique of Medicinal Plants at the Faculty of Pharmacy of University of Naples, 1996-1998: Postdoctoral position at the Faculty of Pharmacy of University of Salerno, 1999:Nominated Researcher in Pharmaceutical Biology at the Faculty of Pharmacy of University of Salerno, 2002: Nominated Associate Professor of Food Chemistry at the Faculty of Pharmacy of University of Salerno, 2002-2005 -Member of Board of Directors of University of Salerno, Since 2004: Director of the Master course “Hydrology and Thermal Medicine” at the Faculty of Pharmacy of University of Salerno, Since 2007-Nominated Expert in the Italian Ministry of Health (D.M. 26 April 2007) , 1994-1995- Visiting Scientist Chimborazo Superior School, Riomamba Ecuador, 1995-1996-Visiting Professor University of San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala City,1997-Visiting Professor, University of Valle, Guatemala , 1998-1999:Visiting Scientist, CQF (Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department), Cuban Ministry of Health, 2004-Honorary Professor University of SUR, Lima Perù, 2009-Honorary Professor University of Havana Cuba,2010-Nominated Full Professor of Food Chemistry at the Faculty of Pharmacy of University of Salerno.

Chemical,nutritional and biological characterization of food plant species, Quality control and safe of foodstuff matrices, food supplements, dietetic products and water

Giuseppe Manco is the Senior Researcher and Group Leader at Institute of Protein Biochemistry, National Research council of Italy. Main research line is the study of the structure-function relationship in enzymes from the viewpoint of understanding the determinants that underlay (thermal)stability and the molecular processes which control the substrate recognition, enzyme inhibition and enzyme catalysis. The tasks are approached mainly by studying enzymes from (hyper)thermophilic sources, mainly from Archaea and are also performed by comparison with mesophilic, homologous counterparts, which allow tracing back evolution of enzyme activity by looking at sequence/structure hallmarks and promiscuous activities. Furthermore, the potential uses of these enzymes in the industry, for the environment and for human health are investigated.

Study of the structure-function relationship in enzymes from the viewpoint of understanding the determinants that underlay (thermal)stability and the molecular processes which control the substrate recognition, enzyme inhibition and enzyme catalysis

Candidate of Physics and Mathematical Sciences, Associate Professor, Marina Vladimirovna FRONTASYEVA is a graduate of the Department of theoretical and experimental nuclear physics, physical faculty, Saratov State University. Since 1970 she has been working at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna, first in the Laboratory of Nuclear Problems and since 1977 in the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics in the field of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). M.V. Frontasyeva is one of the founders of the radioanalytical complex REGATA at the reactor IBR-2 designed for studies in the Life Sciences and Material Science. Since 1997 she is the Head of the Department of NAA at FLNP JINR combining her activities with lecturing on nuclear methods for studying the environment at the Department of Chemistry of the International University of Nature, Society and Man of Dubna. She is leader of numerous international projects co-ordinated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA, Vienna) and by the European Union Frame Programmes. She is a holder of several grants for environmental studies from the JINR member-states mostly connected with studies on biomonitoring trace element deposition based on moss analysis. The results of these investigations in Central Russia, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia, as well as in Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia, Macedonia, Croatia, Turkey (European Thrace Region) are presented in the Atlas on Heavy Metal Atmospheric Deposition in Europe edited under the auspices of the United Nations. She is a holder of several First and Second Prizes awarded by JINR for the best investigations. She gave courses of lectures at international Schools for Young Scientists in Dubna, China, Egypt, Mongolia and Vietnam. Since 1994 M.V. Frontasyeva is a Scientific Secretary of the Scientific Council on Applied Nuclear Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In 1997 she was elected to the International Committee on Activation Analysis (ICAA). She was a member of the editorial board of the international journal «The Science of the Total Environment», and since 2005 – of the international «Journal of Nuclear and Radiation Physics». M.V. Frontasyeva is the author and co-author of more that 300 scientific publications in refereed journals, two books and two patents of Russian Federation.

Application of nuclear and related analytical techniques in microbial biotechnology for tracing technological processes; in nanobiotechnology based on blue-green microalga Spirulina platensis, bacterial strains of actinomycetes Streptomyces glaucus and Arthrobacter oxydans. Biomonitoring of trace element and radionuclide atmospheric deposition at regional scale. Investigation of high-purity and new materials

Tiina Leiviskä received her M.Sc. degree in Chemistry in 2001 and a D. Sc. (Tech.) degree in Water Engineering in 2010, both from the University of Oulu, Finland. Currently, she is working as a researcher in Chemical Process Engineering Laboratory at the University of Oulu. Her research interests include biological wastewater treatment, coagulation-flocculation, ion exchange, adsorption, and development of water treatment chemicals. She is currently serving as an editorial board member of the Journal of Bioremediation and Biodegradation.

Water treatment chemicals, coagulation-flocculation in water and wastewater treatment, Colloid chemistry and surface charge measurements.

Nicola M. Pugno was born in 1972 in Pavia, Italy and is currently married and has three babies. He holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Theoretical Physics, as well as a Ph.D. in Fracture Mechanics (Mathematical Foundations) and he is currently following a Ph.D in Biology (Learning Solid and Structural Mechanics from Spiders). He is a Professor of Solid and Structural Mechanics at the Politecnico di Torino, Italy. Founder and Head of the Laboratory of Bio-Inspired Nanomechanics “Giuseppe Maria Pugno” and Leader of the BioNanoMech Group@POLITO. He has published more than 150 international journal papers on Solid-, Structural-, Fracture-, Bio- and Nano-Mechanics in leading international journals (e.g. Nature Materials). He is a Reviewer for more than 60 int. j. and is in the Editorial Board of more than 10 int. j. NMP has received the 2011 Ideas Award (of 1 M€, where “Excellence is the only selection criterion”) from the European Research Council.

Solid, Structural, Fracture, Bio and Nano Mechanics

Bonilla Rodriguez, Gustavo O. , completed his Diploma: Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil, 1984. Master degree: Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 1989. PhD: Sciences, State University of Campinas, Brazil, 1992. Associate Professor at the State University of São Paulo (UNESP), Brazil. Professor of Biochemistry and leader of a Research Group of Functional and structural analysis of plant and microbial hydrolases with potential use in biotechnological or industrial processes. The research line includes frequently interrelated projects for undergraduate and graduate students. The first studies performed at LPB involved plant proteases, and over the years we have included new subclasses of hydrolases: lipases, cellulases, β-glucosidases and pectinases. The guiding objective of the research is to isolate and characterize hydrolases with interesting functional properties that could, potentially, be incorporated into biotechnological or industrial processes. Whenever possible we advance beyond the screening and basic characterization stage, performing a further characterization of the enzymes in terms of their structural and functional properties, ocasionally involving collaboration with other research labs. The Laboratory of Protein Biochemistry, thanks largely to the financial support of Brazilian Agencies such as FAPESP and FUNDUNESP, has a basic infrastructure for the isolation and characterization of enzymes. We currently maintain collaboration with a research group of Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology at our campus, allowing us to expand the sources of the enzymes in order to include microorganisms, particularly thermophilic fungi.

Functional and structural analysis of plant and microbial hydrolases with potential use in biotechnological or industrial processes.

Shailendra Saxena is a Medical Microbiologist at Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in India. His main research interest is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of host defense during human viral infections. He has received many awards and honors including the Fogarty International Center, NIH (USA) MERIT Award, and named as “Global Leader in Science” by The Scientist magazine (USA) and “International Opinion Leader / Expert” involved in the vaccination for JE by IPIC (UK).

Epidemiology and molecular mechanisms of host-defense during human viral infections and to develop new predictive, preventive and therapeutic strategies for them; using Japanese encephalitis virus as a model.

Feng Yan obtained her M. D. in biochemistry and molecular biology at the Bethune Medical University in 1994. During 1994-1996, She worked as a COE fellow at the National Institute of Bioscience and Human-Technology, Japan. She became an associate professer and later a professor in Jilin University in 1994 and 2000, respectively. In 2003, She became the Director of the Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of Ministry of Education, Jilin University. In 2009, Dr. Feng took the offer to be a professor in School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiaotong University. Her research work mainly focused on revealing the determinants that govern the catalysis, specificity and stability of enzymes. Using those information, the natural enzymes were redesigned in her lab to generate novel functions for various industry processes. Prof. Feng has received several honors in recent years: “The Excellent Youth Scholars of Ministry of Education of China”,” State Council Expert for Special Allowance”, ”New Century Excellent Talents in Chinese Universities” and “Senior experts in Jilin Province”. Two of her achievements were awarded as “Science and Technology Progress prize of Jilin province”.

Structure-Function Relationship of Enzymes, Molecular Evolution of Enzymes, Exploring new enzymes for industrial application, Synthetic Biology

Stefano Curcio obtained his Degree in Chemical Engineering “cum laude”, University of Calabria (Italy), 1995;PhD in Chemical Technologies and Novel Materials, University of Calabria (Italy), 1998;Author of 31 scientific publications on international scientific journals (ISI ranked), of three bookchapters, of one Italian patent and of more than 100 presentations held in international conferences andpublished in the Conference proceedings.

Transport Phenomena Modeling, Control and Optimization of Chemical processes Food Engineering Biotechnology and Bioengineering.

Abd El-Latif Hesham graduated and got his M.Sc from Genetics department, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, Egypt and his PhD degree from Chinese academy of Sciences in Microbial Genetics and Environmental Meta-Genome Biotechnology. He awarded postdoctoral studies from CAS-TWAS. His research experiences: in "Microbial Genetics", "Molecular Genetics", " Biofuels Biotechnology ", "Environmental Meta-genome Biotechnology", "Biodegradation & Bioremediation (PAHs and Rubber degradation)"; "Microbial community structure and diversity", "Wastewater treatment", "Medicinal plant extracts and antimicrobial activities". He expert in molecular biological techniques, including Clone library, RFLP and gene sequencing, phylogenetic analysis, florescent in situ hybridization (FISH), PCR-DGGE, MPN-PCR, reverse transcriptase PCR , and real time PCR (RT-PCR). He has published about 30 papers in reputed journals and serving as an editor in chief, editorial board member and reviewer of international reputed journals.

Clone library, RFLP and gene sequencing, phylogenetic analysis, florescent in situ hybridization (FISH), PCR-DGGE, MPN-PCR, reverse transcriptase PCR , and real time PCR (RT-PCR)

Mohamed is an Associate Professor of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU). He received his B.Sc and M.Sc. degrees from Cairo University, Egypt. Dr. Mohamed obtained his Ph.D. degree from the University of Florida, USA, where his research focused on modeling contaminants transport and biotransformation in the subsurface. After serving for a year as a postdoctoral research associate at the university of Florida, and prior to his affiliation with the UAEU, he joined the GPRG (groundwater protection and restoration group) at Sheffield University, UK as a research scientist. Dr. Mohamed is a member of several international professional associations. He teaches several courses in the fields of water resources and environmental engineering. His research activities are focused on contaminants fate and transport in the subsurface, groundwater bioremediation, stochastic subsurface hydrology, and in-situ characterization of contaminated groundwater sites.

Groundwater mathematical and numerical modeling, Contaminants transport in the subsurface, Natural attenuation, Biodegradation and biotransformation, In-situ assessment tools, Stochastic subsurface hydrology.

Sawson Mohammed Bakhubira is the Vice Dean of faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences for Medical Laboratories,University of Aden, Yemen. Director of National Canter of Public Health Laboratories- Aden(2006-2012).She completed her Doctor of Haematology Ph.D . Faculty of Medicine . Alexandria University(2002-2003). She published more than 10 research publication and organized more than 10 traning workshops.

Evaluation of Hematopoietic stem cell in Bone Marrow of patients with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma

Shweta Kulshreshtha, is a lecturer in Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University of Rajasthan, Jaipur. I born in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh (India) and complete my study there. After marriage, I moved to Jaipur and complete PhD from University of Rajasthan, Jaipur. I have qualified UGC-CSIR NET- 2004, GATE-2002 and TIFR examinations. She has 7 years of teaching experience. She worked as Microbiologist with Medispan limited (A unit of Shriram Group, Chennai). Her general research subjects include bioremediation of paper and pulp industrial waste, mushroom cultivation, genotoxicity assays, Ames test and Immunological techniques. I also diagnosed Tuberculosis using FAST plaque TB test. She attended 16 National or International Conferences and presented her work in oral and poster presentation. She won four awards or prizes in various National and International Conferences during research. She has published 6 research papers in National and International Journal. Chapter on bioremediation of pulp and paper industrial waste has been submitted for publication in the Springer’s book. At present, she is publishing papers and books in the field of Biotechnology, Microbiology and Immunology.

Bioremediation of paper and pulp industrial waste, mushroom cultivation, genotoxicity assays, Ames test and Immunological techniques.

Anna Serafina Rapisarda was borne in Rome where she had a bachelor degree in Biotechnology at “Tor Vergata” University. She completed her studies with a master degree in biotechnology at “La Sapienza” University of Rome obtaining the highest marks. During two years she worked at the University Hospital Sant’Andrea in the department of Nuclear Medicine. In the same period she has been involved in the organization of two international congress: in 2011 she was in the Congress Secretariat at the congress “From Dosimetry to Biological Effect: Radiobiology as Guide to Clinical Practice in Nuclear Medicine”, Sorrento (NA, Italy). In 2012 she was in the organizing committee of the 21st IRIST International Congress, Bertinoro (Bo, Italy) and presented her Project “Synthesis Of 99mT‐anti‐CD56 Monoclonal antibody for molecular imaging of NK cells: in vitro and in vivo studies.”and won the 21°IRIST International Congress Award for the best oral presentation.