PROF. ANTONY BINU

Prof. Binu Antony is Senior Expert and Research Lead in Insect Molecular Biology at the Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology at United Arab Emirates University. Prof. Antony has extensive international experience in the fields of entomological biotechnology, chemical ecology and functional genomics, with particular reference to the development of innovative and sustainable strategies for the control of harmful insects in agriculture. He received his PhD from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) - Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, affiliated with the University of Kerala (India), thanks to a USDA/US India Fund scholarship. Subsequently, he did postdoctoral research at the University of Tokyo (Japan) and Lund University (Sweden) and served as Associate Professor in Insect Molecular Biology at King Saud University. His scientific work has focused on the development of innovative approaches for the sustainable control of harmful insects, the biotechnological production of pheromones using heterologous systems, such as yeast, the functional characterization of genes involved in insect chemical communication mechanisms, and the design of biosensors for the early detection of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus infestations. His research has made significant contributions in the area of crop protection, with particular reference to the identification and characterization of olfactory proteins and receptors involved in the recognition of pheromones and other semiochemical compounds in phytophagous insects. In the 2026/2027 academic year, Prof. Antony will hold seminars for students of the Biotechnology and Biotechnology Courses for medical, pharmaceutical, and veterinary diagnostics, as well as doctoral students of the Doctoral Course in "Sciences." Educational activities will be devoted mainly to bioinformatics analysis and the use of advanced tools and software for the study of genes and proteins, with particular attention to their applications in the biotechnology and agro-industrial sectors. Prof. Antony's participation will help expand students' skills in functional genomics and modern biotechnologies applied to insects, while fostering the integration of advanced training and international scientific research.