Melatonin: A Ubiquitous Pleiotropic Molecule - Softcover

Über die Autorinnen und Autoren

Dr. Sheikh Mansoor Shafi currently serves as a postdoctoral researcher at the Phenomics Laboratory within Jeju National University in South Korea. His primary research focuses on high-throughput phenomics, remote sensing and precision agriculture. Prior to this role, he held positions as a Postdoc Research Associate at SKIMS Srinagar and as a Project Associate-I at CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine Jammu (IIIM). Throughout his academic journey, Dr. Mansoor has had the opportunity to work in reputed laboratories, including the Transcriptomics Labs at SKUAST Kashmir and the Department of Biotechnology and Pathology at Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture (CITH) Rangreth Srinagar. His educational background comprises a BSc degree from SP College of Science (University of Kashmir), an MSc degree from HNBGU Uttarakhand, and a Ph.D. degree from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu.

Dr. Faheem Shahzad Baloch is working as Professor of plant genetics and breeding Mersin University, Turkey. He received his Ph.D. with a dissertation on ‘QTL mapping in wheat’ from the faculty of agriculture, University of Çukurova, Adana, Turkey in 2012 with a joint fellowship of Turkish ministry of education and Turkish scientific and Technological council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK). In 2013, he started to work as assistant professor at Niğde Ömer Halis Demir University, Niğde Turkey. In 2015, he joined Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal Bolu, Turkey as Assistant professor. In 2018, he was promoted to associate professor in the same institute. In August 2020, he joined Sivas university of science and Technology as associate professor and is currently working as professor in the Mersin university. Dr. Faheem has more than 11 years of teaching and research experience in the plant phenomics, genetics and genomics, biotechnology specially in next generation sequencing (NGS) and DNA molecular markers in plant genetics for germplasm characterization, identification of genomic regions for traits of agricultural interest, development and validation of molecular markers for their use in marker assisted selection, and genomic prediction for plant improvement program particularly cereals and legumes and also for developing strategies for preserving this precious germplasm from Türkiye, which is the hot spot of biodiversity for most of agricultural crops and also thousands of endemic species. He led and participated in many projects funded by national and international organizations. He supervised and co-supervised MSC, PhD and post doc candidates from various countries. He visited more than 30 countries over different continents for research and collaborative purposes. He is now Management Committee from Türkiye of two COST actions (CA22146 and CA22157) and active members of different COST actions and playing important roles in different work packages of various COST actions. He participated in many international trainings on plant molecular genetics particularly at ICARDA-Syria, Copenhagen University -Denmark, Minnesota University-USA. He has over 120 publications in Web of Sciences database. He has co-edited 6 books and written over 17 book chapters on important aspects of molecular genetics in relation to plant species. He has extensive array of citations with over 4000 times as per google scholar with an h-Index of 34. Dr. Faheem serves as Editorial board member of several impacted journals such as Turkish journal agriculture and forestry, BMC Genomic data, Agronomy Journal. Biotechnology and Biotechnological Equipment, BMC Plant Biology, and guest editor for special issues in Plants and Molecular Biology Reports and also reviewer for more than 55 peer-reviewed international journals with more than 121 verified reviews according to Publons.

Young Suk Chung is an Associate Professor in the field of Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics, with a specialization in Precision Agriculture. Currently affiliated with Jeju National University in South Korea, he holds a pivotal role in the
Department of Plant Resources and Environment. His academic journey commenced
with a Bachelor of Science degree from Korea
University, followed by a Master of Science
degree from the University of Wisconsin-
Madison. He further advanced his studies at
the same institution, completing his PhD
and serving as a Postdoctoral Research
Associate. He engaged in phenomics
research activities at the Plant Sciences
Institute at Iowa State University. His
expertise lies at the intersection of plant
breeding, phenomics, and precision agriculture,
areas in which he has made substantial
contributions. Notably, he has been
an active member of the Working Group in
COST Action CA22146 for Harnessing the
Potential of Underutilized Crops to Promote
Sustainable Food Production (DIVERSICROP),
representing a commitment to sustainable
agricultural practices on a global
scale. Additionally, his involvement with
the European Cooperation in Science and
Technology underscores his dedication to
collaborative research endeavors. With over
200 publications to his credit, he has established
himself as a prolific researcher,
contributing valuable insights to the scientific
community. His expertise is further
recognized through his roles as an editor
and reviewer for esteemed journals, indicating
his commitment to upholding
academic rigor and quality standards.
Additionally, his role as an Adjunct
Professor at Ton Duc Thang University in
Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, reflects his global
engagement in advancing agricultural
knowledge and education.

Alejandro Romero Martínez, PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Vigo (2000), is a Tenured Professor in Toxicology at the University Complutense of Madrid. His research activity has resulted in 105 Journal Citation Reports (JCR) articles (h-index 38). He is also the coauthor of 12 international book chapters and 4 national. Moreover, he coauthors >50 international and >40 national congress communications and 2 patents. He has supervised two doctoral theses. He is a member of 4 editorial committees and has acted as reviewer/evaluator of 72 international journals in his specialty with JCR relative quality index. He combines his interest and background on molecular toxicology and neuroprotection studies of new molecules with therapeutic interest against neurodegeneration and focuses on novel melatonin-based therapies. He has made important contributions in cell/molecular biology of new multitarget compounds synthesized against key targets in Alzheimer’s disease and advances in the knowledge of melatonin as a pleiotropic agent against several pathologies and mechanisms of toxicity. Dr. Martinez led the MELVES project (medical countermeasures program SYP41804) to test melatonin as a potential health support measure for treatment and prophylaxis. Remarkably, the Spanish Ministry of Defence-General Directorate of Armament and Material/SDG PLATIN has displayed interest by selecting his project. He has collaborated as an external reviewer for the Czech Science Foundation and Medical Research Council’s Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme (DPFS). Moreover, he is a member of the Spanish Association of Toxicology (AETOX) since January 2011, and certified as a European Registered Toxicologist (ERT).

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Melatonin: A Ubiquitous Pleiotropic Molecule offers a comprehensive examination of the multifaceted roles of melatonin across various organisms, presenting an in-depth exploration of its contributions in different scientific realms.

This book is divided into two distinct sections. Part I delves into the multifaceted roles of melatonin in plants. This encompasses an exploration of its synthesis mechanisms, regulatory processes, antioxidative properties, function as a growth regulator, intercellular communication, and its pivotal role in stress management within plants. Moving to Part II, the focus shifts to the influence of melatonin within the human system. This part comprises individual chapters dedicated to elucidating melatonin’s involvement in circadian rhythms, cellular signaling pathways, modulation of the sleep cycle, immune system dynamics, its therapeutic potential, and its recognized attributes as an anticancer agent.

This book’s extensive coverage spans a wide array of disciplines, including plant sciences and animal biology. It serves as an indispensable resource for researchers immersed in diverse fields, such as agriculture, botany, biotechnology, biochemistry, physiology, and human sciences.