Professor Olubukola Oluranti Babalola (Pr.Sci.Nat, MASSAF, FASLP, FTWAS, FAS, FAAS), Vice-President of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), and Vice-President of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) (Africa region) is an NRF-rated scientist, an MBA graduate, a Director and Principal Investigator at NWU. After a PhD with a Fellowship from the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and OWSD, she had postdoctoral experiences at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, and the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. She has over 20 years of experience focusing on rhizosphere metagenomics. She is a member or International Advisor to several editorial boards and has completed the supervision of 31 doctoral fellows, 24 masters, and numerous Honors students. Prof Babalola has more than 300 publications. Her international experience spans the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania including research grants and international partnerships across the globe.Dr. Joginder Singh is a Professor in the Department of Botany at Nagaland University, Lumami, India. His previous positions include a professorship at Lovely Professional University's School of Bioengineering and Biosciences and a Young Scientist role at Jai Narain Vyas University's Microbial Biotechnology and Biofertilizer Laboratory (funded by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India). He is a member of several scientific societies, including the Association of Microbiologists of India and the European Federation of Biotechnology. Dr. Singh has an extensive publication record, with over 250 research and review articles, 35 edited books (with publishers like Elsevier and Springer), and 125 book chapters. He is a reviewer for numerous prestigious journals. He has actively participated in and presented at numerous national and international scientific events.Gustavo Santoyo is a Professor of Agrogenomics at the Institute of Chemical and Biological Research, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Mexico. His current research focuses on elucidating plant–soil–microbe interactions and on investigations in agrogenomics. He serves as a Special Content Editor for Microbiological Research (Elsevier) and as an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Plant Sciences (Frontiers), Journal of Advanced Research (Elsevier), and Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (Springer). He is a member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences and holds the Nivel III distinction in the Sistema Nacional de Investigadores of Mexico. In 2024, he received the State Award for Science, Technology, and Innovation, granted by the Government of the State of Michoacán.Ajay Kumar is currently an Assistant Professor at the Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida, India. He previously served as a Visiting Scientist at the Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Israel (2018–2022), and completed his doctoral research at the Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India, focusing on plant–microbe interactions. Dr. Kumar’s research expertise spans plant–microbe interactions, microbial biocontrol, postharvest fruit disease management, microbial endophytes of medicinal plants, and cyanobacteria–pesticide interactions. He is a prolific author in leading international journals and is also actively engaged in academic editing with major publishers such as Elsevier, Springer, CRC Press, and Wiley. Dr. Kumar currently serves as an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Microbiology and BMC Microbiology, a Guest Editor for Microorganisms and Plants (MDPI), and a Series Editor for Plant and Soil Microbiome (Elsevier).
