Editors

About the Editor

Professor Dr. Kishan G. Ramawat is a Former Professor & Head of the Botany Department, M.L. Sukhadia University, Udaipur, India. He has 45 years of research experience in the areas of medicinal plants and secondary metabolites. He received his Ph.D. in Plant Biotechnology from the University of Jodhpur, India in 1978, and subsequently joined the university as a faculty member. In 1991 he moved to the M.L. Sukhadia University in Udaipur, initially as an Associate Professor, and became a Professor in 2001.

Prof. Ramawat completed his postdoctoral studies at the University of Tours, France from 1983 to 1985, and later often returned to France as a Visiting Professor (mainly to Tours and Bordeaux). Through these visits in France, Prof. Ramawat and Prof. Mérillon established a strong connection, which has since resulted in productive collaborations and several book and reference work publications.

Prof. Ramawat has published more than 175 peer-reviewed papers and articles, and edited several books and reference works on topics such as the biotechnology of medicinal plants, secondary metabolites, bioactive molecules, herbal drugs, and many others. His research has been supported by several funding agencies. In addition, Prof. Ramawat is an active member of several academic bodies and associations and serves on the editorial boards of numerous journals.

Prof. Dr. Jean-Michel Mérillon received his M.Pharma (1979) and Ph.D. (1984) from the University of Tours, France. He joined the University of Tours as an Assistant Professor in 1981, and became an Associate Professor in 1987. In 1993 he moved to the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Bordeaux, France, accepting a position as a Full Professor. He has been the director of the research group on biologically active plant substances at the Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences (University of Bordeaux, France), which comprises 25 scientists and research students, for over 15 years. The group has been working on phenolic compounds from vine and wine for the past several years, mainly complex stilbenes and their role in health. He is involved in developing teaching on plant biology, natural bioactive compounds and biotechnology. Prof. Mérillon has published more than 180 research papers in internationally recognized journals, and has coedited numerous books and reference works on secondary metabolites and biotechnology.

Throughout his career, Prof. Mérillon has traveled extensively as a Senior Professor. Scientists from several countries have worked and are currently working at his laboratory, and his research has garnered funding from the Aquitaine Regional Government, the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, and various private companies. In 2004 he founded the technology transfer unit “Polyphenols Biotech,” which provides support for R&D programs for SMEs and major groups from the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, agricultural and health-nutrition sectors. He is currently the manager of this unit.

Profs. Ramawat and Mérillon are experienced editors and have already published numerous books and reference works with Springer, including “Natural Products - Phytochemistry, Botany and Metabolism of Alkaloids, Phenolics and Terpenes” (http://www.springer.com/978-3-642-22143-9) and “Polysaccharides - Bioactivity and Biotechnology” (http://www.springer.com/978-3-319-16297-3).