Abdullahi Adekilekun Jimoh (Author) Dr Abdullahi Adekilekun Jimoh is an accomplished researcher and microbiologist specialising in industrial and environmental biotechnology. He earned his PhD in Microbiology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville Campus), South Africa, where his doctoral research focused on biosurfactant synthesis, product optimisation, biotechnological applications, and molecular perspectives. Dr. Jimoh possesses extensive experience in a diverse range of laboratory and analytical techniques, including microbiological methods, molecular biology (gene cloning, expression studies, and gene knockouts), genetic engineering, bioinformatics, bioprocess development and various omics approaches. He has contributed to several research projects supported by prestigious organizations, including the National Research Foundation of South Africa, North-West University (NWU) Postdoctoral Grant, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research/Technology Innovation Agency/Department of Science Innovation (CSIR/TIA/DSI South Africa), the South African Water Research Commission (WRC), University of Johannesburg (UJ) and the Faculty of Science Research Committee. Dr Jimoh remains an active member of several professional scientific associations and currently contributes to microbiology and biotechnology through research, teaching, supervision, and collaborative projects across Africa and globally.Adeyemi Ayotunde Adeyanju (Author) Dr Adeyemi Adeyanju is a Lecturer in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria. He teaches courses in food chemistry, food biochemistry, and cereal and legume processing, drawing from a rich background in food science and nutrition research. He holds a PhD in Food Science from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, where his doctoral research was supported by the Office of Agricultural Research and Policy, Bureau for Food Security and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). His academic and research pursuits are deeply rooted in exploring the link between food and health, with a particular focus on African cereal grains and legumes. Dr Adeyanju's research interests span metabolomic profiling, chemistry, and the physiological effects of bioactive phenolic compounds found in African grains. His work combines both in vitro and in vivo approaches to evaluate the health-promoting potential of these compounds. He has published over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers, in addition to contributing 10 book chapters in related areas of food science and nutrition. He is currently a Research Fellow at the Centre for Innovative Food Research, Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology, University of Johannesburg, South Africa. His work at the Centre, supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa, focuses on enhancing traditional food processes, improving the nutritional and health benefits of food, and developing nutrient-dense products from underutilized food sources through both conventional and novel technologies.Gabriel Bidemi Akanni (Author) Dr Gabriel Bidemi Akanni is an accomplished food scientist and microbiologist specializing in food microbiology, biotechnology and food safety. He earned his PhD in Food Science from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. His research interests span antimicrobial resistance, microbial risk assessment, and the use of molecular and genomic techniques for foodborne pathogen surveillance. He has held postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Johannesburg and tenure-track position at Mountain Top University, where he contributed to foodborne disease epidemiology surveillance projects, co-funded by international organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He has published extensively on fermented food products, microbial safety in food production, and the metabolomics of African fermented foods. He is the lead author of the book Microbiology of African fermented foods. His work has been presented at international conferences and has garnered him several prestigious awards, including a VLIR-UOS scholarship and sponsorship from the International Committee for Food Microbiology and Hygiene. Currently, he continues to contribute to food science and biotechnology through research, teaching, and collaborative projects across Africa and globally.Oluwafemi Ayodeji Adebo (Author) Professor Oluwafemi Ayodeji Adebo is Vice Dean: Global Engagement in the Faculty of Science and Professor of Food Technology at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), South Africa. He is also Director of the Centre for Innovative Food Research (CIFR) at UJ and an International Affiliate at the College of Agriculture and Food Science, Florida Agriculture & Mechanical University, USA. He leads multidisciplinary research focused on African fermented and indigenous foods, resilient food systems, improvement of traditional food processing, enhancement of health-promoting food constituents, and the valorisation of underutilised resources using conventional and emerging technologies, including 3D food printing. He is a National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa-rated researcher and recipient of several national and international awards. Since 2022, he has consistently been recognised among the world's Top 2% Scientists and currently ranks among the leading food science and technology researchers in South Africa and Africa. He has authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications, edited and authored books, hold patents and has contributed to technical reports. Prof. Adebo has delivered numerous invited, keynote, and plenary lectures internationally, supervised and graduated many postgraduate students, secured millions of dollars in grants from national and international organisations and established collaborative research partnerships across Africa and the global scientific community.Ramesh C Ray (Series Edited By) Ramesh C. Ray, Ph.D., is an agriculture and food microbiologist, author, editor and is currently serving as an adjunct professor in industrial biotechnology at Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (SOA), deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, India. He is a former distinguished member of Agricultural Research Service of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, and Head of the Regional Centre, ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute at Bhubaneswar, India. Dr. Ray has over 45 years of research experience in agriculture, food, and industrial microbiology. He has published around 250 research and scientific articles including 80 book chapters, edited and co-edited 26 books, and co-authored three books. Dr. Ray was a visiting professor and scientist at several universities and research institutes in India and abroad and a consultant on sweet potato with the International Potato Center (CIP). He was a guest faculty member in Applied Microbiology at Utkal University, India, from 2000 to 2010. Dr. Ray is a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi, and the National Academy of Biological Sciences, Chennai, India. His name is included among the top 2% of scientists in the world (in the year 2020-2024) in the database prepared by Stanford University.
