Vibhav Gautam received his postgraduate degree in Biotechnology from Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India. He has completed his PhD degree in Biotechnology from National Institute of Plant Genome Research, India (Degree awarded by Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India). Dr. Gautam is currently working as Assistant Professor at Centre of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Institute of Medical sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. Currently, his work involves the use of various spectroscopy‐based techniques to identify the lead compound/s derived from fungal endophytes that show potential activity against breast cancer. Furthermore, his work also includes the use of various microscopic techniques to study the surface topology and architecture of bioengineered nanoparticles mediated by fungal endophytes.Hemant K. Gautam earned his Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Microbiology from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi, India. He has Post-doctoral experience in France and Israel. He presently works as a Chief Scientist and Professor at the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology in New Delhi. He is affiliated with several universities and belongs to a variety of scientific and academic organizations. He is a recipient of the SARC Award, Bharat Excellence Award, Biotechnology Award, Israel Government Fellowship, UNESCO Fellow, and International Project Reviewer RBUCE-UP, UniverSud, Paris. He has authored over 100 academic papers, two books, and has submitted over 500 novel sequences to the NCBI database. He has visited several countries, including France, Israel, Australia, Bulgaria, China, Thailand, Germany, the United States, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Ukraine. He is a Biosafety expert from Department of Biotechnology India. Dr. Gautam is involved in a variety of interdisciplinary projects, including in the areas of microbiology, microbial biotechnology, genomics, and nanobiotics. Dr. Gautam’s goal is to develop techniques for rationally engineering next-generation smart antimicrobials by understanding their fundamental features and exploiting such structures to battle the “Antimicrobial resistance” silent pandemic knocking on the door.Rajiv Pathak began his academic journey with an M.Sc. from the University of Lucknow, India (2007–2009). He went on to pursue a Ph.D. at the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi, India (2010–2016), where his research focused on understanding the role of potential G-quadruplex-forming sequences in microbial genomes. Following this, he undertook a scientifically enriching postdoctoral tenure in the Department of Genetics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA (2017–2022). Since 2022, Dr. Pathak has been serving as a Staff Scientist in the same department. With over eight years of postdoctoral research experience in virology and related biomedical fields, Dr. Pathak has contributed significantly to multiple interdisciplinary projects aimed at advancing therapeutic strategies and addressing key questions in infectious disease research. His work spans a wide spectrum, including the functional relevance of G-quadruplexes in microorganisms, development of novel therapeutic approaches against multidrug-resistant bacteria, HIV-1 latency and persistence, early replication kinetics of SARS-CoV-2, and the molecular pathogenesis of SMARCB1-associated atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (a rare pediatric cancer). His scientific expertise encompasses a diverse range of model systems, from microorganisms—including viruses, multidrug-resistant bacteria, and yeast—to human cell lines, iPSC-derived microglial cells, and COVID-19 autopsy samples. Dr. Pathak possesses excellent communication and interpersonal skills, reflected in his extensive scholarly output: over 19 original research publications (including 9 as first or co-first author) and 14 review articles/book chapters (with 2 as first/co-first author and 6 as corresponding author). In total, he has authored approximately 33 peer-reviewed scientific articles published in high-impact international journals such as Nucleic Acids Research, Acta Neuropathologica, and Nature Communications. Dr. Pathak’s pioneering contributions have received international recognition, including accolades at prominent scientific forums such as the prestigious Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York. His commitment and dedication to scientific advancement is further demonstrated by his active involvement in the academic community. He has served on editorial board member for 6 journals and reviewed over 55 manuscripts for more than 20 respected journals, including top-tier publications like Nature Communications and cell press journals. Notably, he was invited to serve as a guest editor for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). In addition to his editorial responsibilities, Dr. Pathak has also contributed as an international grant reviewer for the National Science Center (NSC) of Poland under its OPUS-26 funding scheme.Lalit Kumar received his MBBS and Master of Surgery (MS) degrees from the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. He subsequently completed his M.Ch. degree in Urology from S.P. Medical College, Bikaner, India. Dr. Kumar is currently working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. He has undergone advanced training through prestigious fellowships, including a Fellowship in Laparoscopic and Robotic Urology at AIIMS, New Delhi; the ATLAS Internationale Fellowship in Robotic Surgery by the Vattikuti Foundation at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, USA, and observerships at Singapore General Hospital and National University Hospital, Singapore. He is an expert in minimally invasive laparoscopic and robotic surgeries for the management of various urological tract pathologies. Currently, his work involves the integration of high-throughput transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling to uncover molecular signatures associated with various urological cancers. Furthermore, his research focuses on biomarker discovery and the development of novel diagnostic and prognostic tools to enhance early detection and precision management of bladder and prostate cancers.
