Navanietha Rathinam is a Research Scientist in the Composite and Nanocomposite Advanced Manufacturing-Biomaterials Center, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, South Dakota Mines, Rapid City, SD. His research activities are focused on bio-electrochemical interface technologies, biomaterials, and biofilm engineering. He received the Young Faculty Award for his accomplishments in teaching and research. In 2016, he received the Award for Cutting Edge Research (Fulbright Faculty Award). He has been a PI/Co-I for 4 research grants and served as a panelist for NASA and National Science Foundation. He is currently serving as an Ambassador to the American Society for Microbiology. He also serves as an editor for books on Bioelectrochemical Interface Engineering (WILEY), Biofilm engineering (American Chemical Society), and Biomanufacturing (American Chemical Society). He is an Associate editor for IEEE Access and an editorial board member for a few reputed journals.

Rajesh Sani is a Professor in the Departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Applied Biological Sciences at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, South Dakota, USA. His research expertise includes Extremophilic Bioprocessing, Biocatalysis, Rules of Life in Biofilms, Biomaterials, Gas to Liquid Fuels, Genome Editing of Extremophiles and Space Biology. Over the past 14 years, he has been the PI or co-PI on over $44.45 million in funded research. He has one patent, seven invention disclosures, and published over 94 peer-reviewed articles in high impact factor journals and have contributed to over 24 book chapters. In addition, he has edited eight books and one Proceedings for Springer International Publishing AG, Wiley, and ACS publications. Dr Sani has been leading a research consortium funded by the NSF with the aid of 84 scientists and engineers.