Melatonin: A Ubiquitous Pleiotropic Molecule

Melatonin: A Ubiquitous Pleiotropic Molecule equips researchers with an understanding of the molecular biology of melatonin in plants. The book explores the occurrence of melatonin in several plant species, covering key aspects, including its biosynthesis, physiological function in plant growth and development, and signaling pathways. It then discusses the benefits melatonin has for plant and agricultural development, as well as how it can be utilized as a therapeutic in the treatment of human diseases. The role it can play in the oxidative stress response and circadian rhythm modulation are covered, as well as its nutraceutical potential for human health.

The book also covers the importance of melatonin in a range of fields, including drug discovery and disease resistance, agriculture, botany, and biotechnology, and is an ideal reference for researchers across these disciplines.

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.

Dr. Faheem Shahzad Baloch is working as
a Professor of Plant Genetics and Breeding,
Mersin University, Turkey. He received his
PhD 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
(TÜB_ITAK). In 2013, he started to work as
Assistant Professor at Ni?gde Ömer
Halisdemir University, Ni?gde, Turkey. In
2015, he joined Bolu Abant _Izzet Baysal Bolu,
Turkey, as an 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 an Associate Professor and is currently
working as a Professor in the Mersin University.
Dr. Faheem has more than 11 years
of teaching and research experience in plant
phenomics, genetics and genomics, and
biotechnology. He specializes in next-generation
sequencing (NGS) and DNA molecular
markers in plant genetics for germplasm
characterization. Additionally, he focuses on
the 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
programs, particularly cereals and legumes.
Dr. Faheem also develops strategies for preserving
this precious germplasm from
Türkiye, which is the hot spot of biodiversity
for most agricultural crops and thousands of
endemic species. He led and participated in
many projects funded by national and international
organizations. He supervised and
cosupervised MSc, PhD, and postdoc candidates
from various countries. He has 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 has 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 Science database. He has
coedited 6 books and written over 17 book
chapters on the important aspects of molecular genetics in relation to plant species.
He has an extensive array of citations with
over 4000 times as per Google Scholar with an
h-Index of 34. Dr. Faheem serves as an editorial
board member of several journals such as
Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry,
BMC Genomic Data, Agronomy Journal,
Biotechnology and Biotechnological Equipment,
BMCPlant Biology, and guest editor for special
issues in Plants and Molecular Biology Reports
and also reviewer formore than 55 peerreviewed
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).