Dr. N. Thajuddin, Professor, Department of Microbiology, formerly, Dean, Faculty of Science, Engineering & Technology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli is a microbiologist with vast experience in cyanobacterial and microalgal taxonomy, cultivation, extraction of valuable products, employing molecular tools in the identification and phylogeny of various microorganisms and bioremediation of effluents. His preliminary work on the survey of marine cyanobacteria has resulted in the establishment of National Facility for Marine Cyanobacteria funded by Govt. of India. Previously, he had one-year post-doctoral training on molecular taxonomy and phylogeny of cyanobacteria at the Department of Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA through Dept of Biotechnology (Govt of India) long term overseas award. He deposited 605 ribosomal RNA of various microbes in GenBank and developed barcodes for 6 indigenous fungi using ITS region. He published 370 research articles, review articles, a book on Microbiology & Immunology in Tamil, 3 lab manuals and 5 edited books. He is a life member of various academic bodies and member in editorial boards in national and international journals. He is also a member of Research Advisory Committee, project evaluation committee, chairmen of project monitoring committee for government funded projects. Recently he established National Repository for Freshwater Microalgae & Cyanobacteria funded by the Department of Biotechnology (Govt of India). He filed 5 Indian Patents and two US patents of which one US patent is granted on April 2022. His academic excellence was rewarded in the form of several prestigious awards including Tamil Nadu Scientist Award (TANSA), Dr. G. S.Venkataraman Memorial Best Scientist Award, Dr. M. S. Swaminathan Leadership Award etc., Elected Fellow of Royal Society of Biology (FRSB) London, Fellow of Mycological Society of India (FMSI), Fellow of National Academy of Biological Sciences (FNABS), India and Fellow of Linnean Society (FLS), London. Dr. Dhanasekaran Dharumadurai is working as an Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India. He has experience in fields of actinobacteriology, phycology and mycology. He has 17 years teaching experience and awarded UGC-Raman Post-Doctoral Fellowship from University Grant Commision, New Delhi and worked in the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, USA. He has awarded elected Fellow of Linnean Society, London, UK and INSA Visiting Scientist Fellowship awarded by the National Science Academy, New Delhi, Government of India, He is serving as a State President of Microbiologists Society, India for Tamil Nadu. His current research focus is microbiome profiling of plants, animals and human. He filed with two Indian Patent, deposited around 139 nucleotide sequences and 7 metagenome sequences, bacterial draft genome sequence in GenBank, 5 bioactive compounds in Pubchem, published 106 research and review articles. He has edited 11 edited books and authored 4 laboratory manuals.Dr. A. Sankaranarayanan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Life Sciences, Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India from June 2021 onwards. His current research focus is on Microbial degradation of pollutants and Fermented food products. He has published 12 books, 35 chapters, 63 research articles in International and National journals of repute. From 2002 -2015, he worked as an Assistant Professor & Head, Department of Microbiology, K.S.R. College of Arts & Science, Tiruchengode, Tamil Nadu and August, 2015- May, 2021 associated with Uka Tarsadia University, Surat, Gujarat, India. He has awarded with Indian Academy of Sciences (IASc), National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and The National Academy of Sciences (TNAS) sponsored summer research fellowship for young teachers consecutively for three years and name is included as a Mentor in DST-Mentors/Resource persons for summer/winter camps and other INSPIRE initiatives, Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India, New Delhi.
