Ravishankar V. Rai received his MSc (1980) and PhD (1989) from the University of Mysore, India. Currently, he is working in the Department of Studies in Microbiology, University of Mysore, Mysore. His current research and publications in food microbiology, microbial quorum sensing, microbial influenced corrosion and nanotechnology have been well received by the international scientific committee. He edited books with reputed publishers such as CRC Press and Wiley publications. Prof. Rai has received awards from UNESCO Biotechnology Action Council Programme (Visiting Fellow, 1996), UGC Indo-Israel Culture Exchange Programme (1998), DBT Overseas Fellowship (2008), Indo-Hungarian Educational Exchange Programme Fellowship (2011) and INSA - bilateral exchange fellowship (2015), Incoming Fellowship (2017) from Cardiff University in the UK, and invitation from Mauritius Research Council, Mauritius (2018), to conduct collaborative research with renowned scientists from international universities. He visited Massey University, New Zealand,under Eric Ojala fund International Travel Fellowship in 2019.

Jamuna A. Bai is working as an Assistant Professor in JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysore. She has completed MSc and PhD in Microbiology from University of Mysore, India. She pursued her PhD under the guidance of Dr. Ravishankar Rai V. Her doctoral research was funded by NMPB, Govt of India and Indian Council of Medical Research. As an ICMR Senior Research Fellow and for her doctoral research, she carried out studies on food safety, role of quorum sensing and biofilms in food-related bacteria and developed phytochemical based quorum-sensing inhibitors and anti-biofilm agents. She completed her post doctoral research in UGC sponsored University with Potential Excellence Project on synthesis and biological application of functionalized nanoparticles from University of Mysore.

Her research work included application of functionalized nanomaterials and peptides as antimicrobials, biofilm inhibitors and anti-cancer agents. She has authored 30 research articles, reviews and book chapters and co-edited 6 books for CRC Press, USA . She has received grants and awards from IAFP, USA and ICFMH to present her research findings at international conferences. She has been awarded the Interstellar Initiative Early Career Investigator Funding jointly by the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) and the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) in 2021.