Aparna Gunjal has completed her B.Sc. from Annasaheb Magar Mahavidyalaya, Hadapsar; M.Sc. from Modern College Arts, Commerce and Science College, Ganeshkhind and PhD in Environmental Sciences subject from Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, India. She is working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology at Dr. D.Y. Patil, Arts, Commerce and Science College, Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra, India. Her research areas of expertise are solid waste management; plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, e-waste management, bioremediation, etc. Aparna has 115 publications to her credit. She has received 10 Awards for the Best Paper presentations and also received travel grants. Aparna has also received Pune Municipal Corporation Award for excellent work in Environmental Sciences Research in 2015, The Elsevier Foundation - TWAS Sustainability Visiting Expert Programme” in 2018 and the Young Researcher award with Innovative Technology. She has worked on composting aspect as a Senior Researcher Assistant at Hongkong Baptist University, Hongkong. Aparna is an Editor Member of the International Journal of Microbial Science; Frontiers in Environmental Microbiology; Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology Reports and Reviewer.
Rebecca Thombre is a London based Scientist with 19 years of experience in Microbiology and Molecular Biology. She has worked as a Scientist at Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA (2020-2021), Visiting Scientist at University of Kent, UK (2019-2021), and as an Assistant Professor in Microbiology at Modern College, Pune, India (2005-2019). She has a rich teaching, research, and clinical laboratory experience in Microbiology, Bacteriology, Mycology, Antimicrobial Resistance (Testing and handling Drug-resistant strains-MDR, XDR, PDR, MRSA, VRSA, HG2,3 strains, Cancer cell lines), and Extremophilic bacteria. She was the recipient of Academic excellence award and DFF-Eureka Forbes fellowship from University of Mumbai for First rank in the University for M.Sc. Microbiology. She pursued her Ph.D. in Microbiology from Agharkar Research Institute, an institute under Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and her research focused on characterization of the extremozyme cyclodextrin glycosyl transferase from alkaliphiles isolated from Lonar lake, a soda lake formed by a meteorite impact crater. She has received many postdoctoral grants/awards/fellowships and has travelled to the USA, Europe and Taiwan for research. She has received funding as the Principal Scientific Investigator for projects on Microbiology and Astrobiology funded by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) - SPPU Space Technology cell, UGC Govt. of India and Europlanet (European Union). She was involved in Clinical research with hospitals to isolate and characterize oral microorganisms from patients with special reference to Streptococcus species. She has isolated and reported more than 200 extremophilic microorganisms and representative organisms have been deposited in the National Culture Collection, Centers. She has published more than 50 articles including popular science articles, peer-reviewed papers, book chapters and Edited Special issues and books published by Frontiers Publishing group and Elsevier, USA.
Javid Parray holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science and has completed his Research Programme (MPhil and PhD) from the University of Kashmir after qualifying state level prestigious JKSLET examination. He has also done his Post Doctorate Research from the University of Kashmir. Dr Parray was also awarded a Fast Track Young Scientist Project by SERB – DST, GoI New Delhi. He currently teaches at the Department of Environmental Science, GDC Eidgah Srinagar affiliated to Cluster University Srinagar. He has attended many courses and conferences on environmental issues and other biotechnological aspects within and outside the country like Srilanka, Indonesia, Malaysia etc. His fundamental research interests include ecological and agricultural microbiology, climate change and microbial biotechnology, environmental microbiome etc. He has published more than 50 high-impact research papers and book chapters in reputed journals and publishing Hubs. Dr. Parray has authored 08 books with international publishers like Elsevier, Springer, Callisto Reference USA and Wiley-Blackwell. Dr Parray is on the editorial board, and permanent reviewers of many journals and has been an invited speaker at various scientific meetings/conferences within India and abroad. He is also a Guest editor for a special issue on Environmental Biofilms with BioMed Research International, Hindwaii. He is member of many International and National scientific organizations and societies like Asian PGPR Society, IJMS Mumbai, Academy of Eco science, IAES Haridwar etc. Dr Javid was also awarded as “Emerging scientist year Gold Medal” for the year 2018 by Indian Academy of Environmental Science. Dr Parray is currently course coordinator for Two (02) CeC –Swayam Moocs programme on environmental Science.