Vineet Kumar is currently working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Botany at Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya (GGV), Bilaspur, India and teaches Environmental Microbiology and Cell and Molecular Biology at the same Institution. Before his joining, he worked as Assistant Professor and Academic Coordinator at the Vinayak Vidyapeeth, Meerut, India. Kumar received M.Sc. and M.Phil. degree in Microbiology from Ch. Charan Singh University, Meerut, India. He earned his Ph.D. in Environmental Microbiology from Babasaheb Bhimaro Ambedkar (A Central) University, Lucknow, India and later worked at the Dr. Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University, Lucknow, India as a Guest Faculty. He was a Senior Researcher in the School of Environmental Sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, India and worked on biodiesel production from oleaginous microbes and industrial sludge. He awarded a Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship by the University Grants Commission, India to support his doctoral work on “Distillery Wastewater Treatment in 2012. His research interests include Bioremediation, Phytoremediation, Metagenomics, Wastewater Treatment, Environmental Monitoring, and Bioenergy and Biofuel Production. Currently, his research mainly focuses on the development of integrated and sustainable methods that can help in minimizing or eliminating hazardous substances in the environment. He is the author of numerous research/review articles published in international peer-reviewed journals from Springer Nature, Frontiers, and Elsevier on the different aspects of bioremediation, phytoremediation, and metagenomics of industrial waste polluted sites. In addition, he has published 10 Books on Phytoremediation and Bioremediation from CRC Press (Taylor & Francis Group), and Elsevier Inc., USA. His recently published books are ‘Recent Advances in Distillery Waste Management for Environmental Safety’ (From CRC Press; Taylor & Francis Group, USA), and ‘New Trends In Removal Of Heavy Metals From Industrial Wastewater’ (From Elsevier Inc. USA), Microbe-Assisted Phytoremediation of Environmental Pollutants: Recent Advances and Challenges (from CRC Press; Taylor & Francis Group, USA). He is also a reviewer for many other international journals. He is an active member of numerous scientific societies and has served on the editorial board of the journal Current Research in Wastewater Management. As part of his interest in teaching biology, he is founder of the Society for Green Environment, India (website: www.sgeindia.org). He can be reached at drvineet.micro@gmail.com; vineet.way18@gmail.com. Muhammad Bilal is working as an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Poland. Previously, he served as an assistant/associate Professor at Poznan University of Technology, Poland, and the School of Life Science and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian, China. He earned his Ph.D. from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, specializing in bioengineering and applied biotechnology. His main research activities are oriented to Environmental biotechnology, nanotechnology, enzyme engineering, immobilization, chemical modifications, and industrial applications of microbial enzymes, liquid, and solid waste management. He has authored over 700 peer-reviewed articles, 150 book chapters, 25 edited books. Dr. Bilal is the associate editor of Frontiers in Chemical Engineering and Frontiers in Environmental Science (Frontiers), and an editorial board member for several journals. He was listed as a highly cited researcher (Clarivate) in 2021 and holds several "highly cited papers" in WOS. He has obtained his Ph.D. in 1998 from Allahabad University, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh (UP), India. He has experience of 25 years in teaching and research Environmental Microbial Technology, Nano-biotechnology, herbal technology, herbal antimicrobials, and IPR. He has published more than 60 original research and review articles and 10 book chapters in various reputed national and international journals. He has been awarded a Fellow of various national level scientific societies viz., Indian Botanical Society, Indian Phytopathological Society, Indian Society of Plant Pathologist, International Young Scientist Association. He obtained Patents on some herbal product for the control of fungal disease in humans from USA, UK, Japan, and India: Presently he is trying to develop some eco-friendly technology as microbial-based fuel-cells, biodegradable polythene, and bioremediation of toxic pollutant from the environment. Prof. Vinod Kumar Garg is an environmental scientist and academician currently serving as Professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Technology at the Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India. With over three decades of experience in teaching, research, and academic administration, he has made significant contributions to the field of environmental sciences, particularly in pollution control, radioecology, and sustainable waste management. Prof. Garg’s research interests encompass water and wastewater treatment, solid and hazardous waste management, pesticide pollution, heavy metal contamination, radio-ecology, green chemistry and sustainability. He has published many research papers in reputed national and international journals and contributed to a number of books in the domain of environmental sustainability.
