Engineered Nanomaterials for Agricultural Sustainability

Dr. Sanghamitra Majumdar is a visiting scientist, NCTR Nanotechnology Core facility. She earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Texas at El Paso, where she worked on the toxicological implications and in situ detection of engineered nanomaterials (ENM) in edible plants, and their trophic transfer in terrestrial environment. Dr. Majumdar’s primary research interest lies in exploring the scope and challenges towards the safe and sustainable use of ENMs in medicine, food and agriculture industries. She serves as a member on the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Committee E56 on Nanotechnology and has co-authored over research articles and reviews, and has delivered over presentations in national and international scientific meetings. She has served as the guest editor for a special issue for the journal Agronomy and serves as a reviewer for more than 10 scientific journals. Dr. Jose R. Peralta-Videa was an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Environmental Science and Engineering PhD program at the University of Texas at El Paso until February 2023. He earned a Doctor of Science degree from the Genetic Center in the Postgraduate College at Chapingo, Mexico, 1986 and a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Engineering from The University of Texas at El Paso in 2002. His research is focused on the area of nanotoxicology, with an emphasis on the toxicity of nanoparticles in terrestrial systems. He has published more than 220 referred articles, 25 book chapters, 19 proceedings, and 4 manuals/booklets. As Senior Research Associate of Dr. Gardea-Torresdey, former Chair of the Chemistry Department, Dr. Peralta-Videa was an active member of the University of California Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (UC CEIN). UTEP was the branch of UC CEIN responsible for investigating the interaction of nanoparticles with terrestrial plants.

1. Engineering nanomaterials for agricultural applications
2. Nanomaterial characterization for studying plant interactions
3. Detection and quantitation of nanomaterials in plants
4. Nano-fertilizers: nanomaterials for smart delivery and nutrient regulation
5. Nano-pesticides for biotic stress
6. Nanomaterials for soil and nutrient management
7. Nanosensors for monitoring parameters critical for plant growth and productivity.
8. Nanomaterial-induced plant response to abiotic stress
9. Tools for detecting nano-induced biological response and mechanisms in plants
10. Application of nanotechnology in storage and packaging of agricultural products
11. Co-exposure of plants to nano-based agrochemicals and residual chemicals
12. Nutritional implication and food safety of nanomaterial use in agricultural products
13. Risk assessment and regulatory decision making for nanomaterial use in agriculture