M. SharathKumarMalleshaiah SharathKumar is a Senior Scientist at Deliflor Chrysant and a researcher in the Horticulture and Product Physiology group at Wageningen University & Research (WUR), The Netherlands. He has extensive international experience in moleular physiology, crop development, and ornamental breeding. His expertise is in flowering regulation, stress physiology, and vertical farming innovations in ornamental crops. He has supervised both MSc and PhD students and is frequently invited as a keynote speaker at international conferences. He also teaches advanced courses on horticultural crop physiology and molecular breeding, including the Wageningen Summer School on Greenhouse Horticulture. He has authored highly cited scientific publications, received the Young Researcher Award from the International Society for Horticultural Science, and has two orchid species named after him, officially registered with the Royal Horticultural Society at Kew. His research career began in Singapore, with positions at the Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology and the National Orchid Garden, followed by work at WUR and the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Germany. His current research integrates molecular physiology and genomics to breed novel ornamentals and to enhance yield and resilience in ornamental crops, with a focus on photobiology and speed breeding of short-day crops. Read More Read Less