Integrative Approach to Fungal Infections and Bioprospecting for Drug Discovery

Eti Sharma is currently working as an Assistant Professor at the School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, India. She earned her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, India. She has been awarded several prestigious fellowships from reputed organizations in India. She has established herself in the field of bioprospecting and metabolomics of medicinal plants. She has expertise in medicinal plant research, biofabrication, and plant–microbe interactions. Her current research focuses on exploring the role of plant‑associated microbiomes in the production of pharmaceutically significant bioactive compounds. She has completed two edited book proposals, with more currently in progress. Additionally, she has authored numerous research papers in nationally and internationally reputed journals, along with many book chapters. Rekha Puria is working as an Assistant Professor and the Head of the Department, School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, India. She finished her post‑doctorate from Duke University Medical Centre, USA, and her doctorate from the Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), India. She has 15 plus years of experience in yeast genetics and genomics. She is proficient in genetic manipulation techniques and genome‑scale expression profiling through microarrays and transcriptomics. She extensively uses Saccharomyces as a model to understand the concepts of cellular growth and proliferation regulated through both coding and noncoding transcripts. Her research work has added in current understanding of the role of TOR signaling pathway in cell growth under stress conditions. Currently, her interest is in understanding growth, pathogenesis, and drug tolerance of Candida auris and the identification of novel antifungals against Candida. Her research is sponsored by several grants from the Government of India. Her work has been published in a number of international journals with high impact factor. In addition, she has authored several book chapters. Karan Kumar is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in The Blank Lab (Industrial Systems Biotechnology, iAMB) at RWTH Aachen University, working on the EIC Pathfinder project HYDROCOW. His current research integrates pangenome‑guided genome‑scale metabolic models, DBTL experimentation, and machine‑learning‑assisted design to engineer Xanthobacter sp. SoF1 for “food‑from‑air” protein production from CO₂/H₂, in collaboration with Solar Foods, FGen/Ginkgo Bioworks, and the University of Groningen. He earned his Ph.D. in Energy Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati as a Prime Minister’s Research Fellow (2018–2023), where he combined clostridial ABE fermentation on lignocellulosic hydrolysates with comparative/pangenomics, GEMs (FBA/ FVA), omics integration, DoE‑driven bioprocess optimization, and sono‑enzymatic upgrading to n‑butyl levulinate. His dissertation was recognized with the institute’s Best PhD Thesis Award (2024). He has authored over 13 peer‑reviewed journal articles and 10 book chapters in leading international publications. His publication record spans leading venues, including two first‑author articles in Process Safety and Environmental Protection, and additional publications in Biotechnology & Bioengineering, Biomass Conversion & Biorefinery, and Process Biochemistry. He also co‑authored papers in Algal Research and Energy Conversion and Management and contributed invited chapters to multiple volumes published in 2024. Collectively, his contributions cover the domains of biofuel process intensification, metabolic modeling, and computational bioprocess engineering. Since joining RWTH, he has co‑authored an invited review in press in Trends in Biotechnology on gas precision fermentation with hydrogen‑oxidizing bacteria, as well as a 2025 review in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews on fourth‑generation biodiesel, reflecting his broadened systems biotechnology agenda in Aachen. He led Winter/ Virtual Internships in bioinformatics and mathematical biology that trained 30+ students and yielded a preprint, journal papers, book chapters, and student awards. He has been proactive in disseminating his research. He delivered oral presentations at Clostridia XVI (INSA Toulouse, 2022), VII‑SEEC (2022), VI‑SEEC (2021), and AOSS‑4 (2019); presented an e‑poster at ISMB 2022; and gave a 3‑Minute Thesis talk at RIC 2022. His talks received multiple accolades, including the Best Paper Award (VII‑SEEC 2022), Springer Best Paper Award (NERC‑2022), and Best Oral Presentation (BREEECH‑2021). He also secured competitive travel grants from PMRF, DBT‑CTEP, and SERB‑ITS (Young Scientist).

• Chapter 1: Fungal Infections: An emerging global threat to human health, current trends and challenges. Chapter 2: Medicinal plants and their antifungal potential: Ancient knowledge and modern science. Chapter 3: Antimicrobial peptides from medicinal plants: new frontiers in management of multidrug resistance fungus. Chapter 4: Microbial Allies: the role of endophytic fungi in the production of antimicrobial compounds. Chapter 5: Study of Deep Learning and Bioprospecting for Black Fungus Identification and Treatment. Chapter 6: Genetic and molecular mechanisms driving antifungal resistance in emerging fungal species. Chapter 7: Deciphering the role of Biofilm in fungal pathogenesis. Chapter 8: Metagenomic Perspectives on the Human Gut Ecosystem and Disease Associations