Relationship Between Microbes and the Environment for Sustainable Ecosystem Services, Volume 1

Dr. Jastin Samuel (PhD) is working as Assistant Professor leading waste valorization research lab at Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India. He has more than a decade experience in R&D. He has been an active part of DST, EU-DBT, and CSIR-funded projects. He was awarded the prestigious CSIR-SRF fellowship in Engineering (ENG42) in 2013. Along with his team, he has developed lab-scale mine wastewater treatment system for opencast mines at Orissa, India; established ETP tertiary treatment facility for two industries (sugar industry and distillery industry) with reuse and business proposition in Andhra Pradesh, India, that is, approved by CPCB; established a water treatment facility at Pondicherry in PPP mode with the State Government. He is presently working on pathway assessment and mitigation of Micro and Nano-plastics. He has been a member of review boards of various journals and conferences in India and abroad. Ajay Kumar is currently an Assistant Professor at the Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida, India. He previously served as a Visiting Scientist at the Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Israel (2018–2022), and completed his doctoral research at the Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India, focusing on plant–microbe interactions. Dr. Kumar’s research expertise spans plant–microbe interactions, microbial biocontrol, postharvest fruit disease management, microbial endophytes of medicinal plants, and cyanobacteria–pesticide interactions. He is a prolific author in leading international journals and is also actively engaged in academic editing with major publishers such as Elsevier, Springer, CRC Press, and Wiley. Dr. Kumar currently serves as an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Microbiology and BMC Microbiology, a Guest Editor for Microorganisms and Plants (MDPI), and a Series Editor for Plant and Soil Microbiome (Elsevier). Dr. Joginder Singh is a Professor in the Department of Botany at Nagaland University, Lumami, India. His previous positions include a professorship at Lovely Professional University's School of Bioengineering and Biosciences and a Young Scientist role at Jai Narain Vyas University's Microbial Biotechnology and Biofertilizer Laboratory (funded by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India). He is a member of several scientific societies, including the Association of Microbiologists of India and the European Federation of Biotechnology. Dr. Singh has an extensive publication record, with over 250 research and review articles, 35 edited books (with publishers like Elsevier and Springer), and 125 book chapters. He is a reviewer for numerous prestigious journals. He has actively participated in and presented at numerous national and international scientific events.

• 1. Microbial food products: A sustainable solution to alleviate hunger2. Role of soil microbiome in transformation and reclamation of soil3. Microorganisms as biocontrol agents for sustainable agriculture4. Relationship between probiotics and living beings for sustainable life on land5. Microbial adaptation to climate change and its impact on sustainable development6. Earthworm Microbial Interaction for sustainable soil ecosystem and Crop productivity7. Avenues of Sustainable Pollutant Bioremediation Using Microbial Biofilms8. Endophytic bacteria in a biocontrol perspective 9. Microbiome stimulants and their applications in crop plants10. Microbes: A sustainable tool for healthy and climate smart agriculture11. Microbes as biocontrol agent: From crop protection till food security12. Composting process: Fundamental and molecular aspects13. Lichenized fungi, a primary bioindicator/ biomonitor for bio-mitigation of excessive ambient air nitrogen deposition worldwide14. Molecular markers and genomics assisted breeding for improving crop plants15. Nanoherbicides: a sustainable option for Field Applications16. Coupling of photocatalysis and biodegradation (ICPB): A viable method for removing pesticides from contaminated sites