N. Amaresan is a microbiologist and Professor at the Saveetha Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai. He was previously an Assistant Professor at C.G. Bhakta Institute of Biotechnology, Uka Tarsadia University, Gujarat. He earned his PhD on endophytic plant growth-promoting bacteria from Bharathidasan University, Tamil Nadu. With extensive experience in teaching and research, he has made a number of original contributions across several allied fields of microbiology, principally plant–microbe interactions, bioremediation, and plant pathology. For his discoveries on agriculturally important microorganisms, he has received young scientist awards from the Association of Microbiologists of India and the National Academy of Biological Sciences, along with a visiting scientist fellowship from the National Academy of Sciences, India, to pursue advanced techniques. He has deposited more than 380 bacterial 16S rDNA and fungal ITS rDNA sequences in GenBank (NCBI, EMBL, and DDBJ) and preserved over 150 microbial germplasm accessions in culture collection centers across India. M. Senthil Kumar is a Principal Scientist (Microbiology) at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur. He has extensive research experience in plant–microbe interactions, including the biological control of soybean diseases and microbially mediated abiotic stress management in pulses. He has explored the diversity of endophytic bacteria from wild and cultivated soybean varieties for the biological control of soybean charcoal rot, purified antimicrobial peptides from endophytic bacteria, and developed bioinoculants and microbial consortia to improve moisture-deficit stress tolerance in rainfed chickpea. K. Annapurna formerly headed the Division of Microbiology at the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. A pioneering researcher in the molecular ecology of legume–Rhizobium symbiosis, Azospirillum, and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), she initiated work on the rhizobial genetic diversity of soybean and led whole-genome sequencing of new soybean and chickpea root-nodule strains. She developed a PCR-based marker for rapid identification of slow-growing soybean root-nodulating bacteria and demonstrated the tripartite interactions among legume plants, Rhizobium, and rhizobacteria. Her work on endophytes and soil metagenomics has identified potent biocontrol agents, including Paenibacillus polymyxa HKA 15, which reduced charcoal rot in soybean by almost 80%. Her current work examines how bioinoculants shape soil microbial community diversity and structure. She has held visiting positions at institutions in the USA, Australia, China, Turkey, and the UK, and her awards include recognition as a Woman Leader in Biosciences by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. Dr. Krishna Kumar received his BE degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Govind Ballabh Pant Engineering College, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India, MTech degree in Digital Systems from Motilal Nehru NIT, Allahabad, India, in 2006 and 2012, respectively, and PhD degree in the Department of Hydro and Renewable Energy at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India, in 2023.He is currently working as an Assistant Engineer at UJVN Ltd. (a State Government PSU of Uttarakhand) since January 2013. Before joining UJVNL, he worked as an Assistant Professor at BTKIT, Dwarahat (a Government of Uttarakhand Institution). He has published numerous research papers in international journals and conferences, including IEEE, Elsevier, Springer, MDPI, Hindawi, and Wiley. He has also edited and written books for Taylor & Francis, Elsevier, Springer, River Press, and Wiley. His current research interests include IoT, AI, and renewable energy.A. Sankaranarayanan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Life Sciences, School of Science, GSFC University, Vadodara. He previously served as Associate Professor and Head of Life Sciences at Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence (SSSUHE), Kalaburagi, and has also been associated with the C.G. Bhakta Institute of Biotechnology (CGBIBT), Uka Tarsadia University, Surat, and the Department of Microbiology, K.S.R. College of Arts and Science, Tiruchengodu. He has extensive research and teaching experience in microbiology and environmental sciences, with particular expertise in antimicrobial activity, the antibacterial potential of nanoparticles, and environmental microbiology. His current research focuses on the antibacterial potential of herbal products against multidrug-resistant pathogens and on the degradation of pesticides and insecticides by bacteria and fungi in freshwater ecosystems. He has been awarded a summer research fellowship for young teachers from the National Academy of Sciences, India, for three consecutive years.
