Ashok Pandey: Professor Ashok Pandey obtained Master's degree in Chemistry in 1976 and PhD in 1979 in Microbiology from the University of Allahabad. He was scientist at National Sugar Institute, Kanpur during1982-85. During 1985-1986, he worked as Research Scientist in Suddeutsche Zucker AG in Germany. In 1987, he joined the CSIR's National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology at Trivandrum as Scientist and since then continuing there. Professor Pandey's current main research focus are on bioprocess and product developments, mainly focused agro-industrial solid waste utilization for the production of biofuels, biopolymers, industrial enzymes, etc. He has developed and transferred three technologies on industrial enzymes to the industries and has completed several industrial consultancy projects. He has 900 publications/communications, which include 12 patents, 29 books, 23 special issues of the journals as Guest Editor, 25 Technical reports, 95 chapters in the books, 354 original and review papers and 362 research communications in international and national conference. Professor Pandey is the recipient of many national and international awards and fellowships, which include Fellow of National Academy of Science, India, International Organization of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Biotech Research Society of India and Association of Microbiologists of India; Honorary Doctorate degree from Univesite Blaise Pascal, France; Thomson Scientific India Citation Laureate Award, USA; Lupin Visiting Fellowship, Visiting Professor in the University Blaise Pascal, France, Federal University of Parana, Brazil and EPFL, Switzerland; Best Scientific Work Achievement award, Govt of Cuba; UNESCO Professor; Raman Research Fellowship Award, CSIR; GBF, Germany and CNRS, France Fellowship; Young Scientist Award, etc. He was Chairman of the International Society of Food, Agriculture and Environment, Finland ((Food & Health) during 2003-2004. He is Founder President of Biotech Research Society, India (www.brsi.in) and International Coordinator and General Secretary of International Forum on Industrial Bioprocesses (www.ifibiop.org). He is editor-in-chief of Bioresource Technology, the Elsevier journal and editorial board member of several international and Indian journals. The books published by him during last ten years are listed below: Duu-Jong Lee is currently a Life-Time Specially Appointed Professor of National Taiwan University (NTU) and Chair Professor and Dean of College of Engineering of National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST). He obtained his Bachelor (1984) and PhD (1989) degrees both at Chemical Engineering Department, NTU. Professor Lee has strong research interest in the area of industrial wastewater treatment, biomass to energy and environmental management, especially in microscale transport/reaction process in biomass matrix. During the past 25 years of his career, he has completed several projects successfully and developed various processes with full-scale applications. The research carried out till-date has credited him with more than 1000 publications/communications. The citations in SCOPUS on Dr Lee's work has exceeded 8000 with h=42. Professor Lee is the recipient of many national and international awards and fellowships. He is currently also the President of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers with 3500 members in Taiwan and overseas. Yusuf Chisti is Professor of Biochemical Engineering in the School of Engineering, Massey University, New Zealand. Professor Chisti holds a MSc (Biochemical Engineering) degree from University of London, England, and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from University of Waterloo, Canada. He is a Chartered Engineer, CEng, and Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (FIChemE), UK. His previous appointments were with the University of Almeria, Spain; Chembiomed Ltd, Edmonton, Canada; University of Waterloo, Canada; and The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Nigeria. Professor Chisti has produced nearly 200 publications including a highly cited book (Airlift Bioreactors, Elsevier, 1989). He has lectured at nearly 180 international events. His work addresses many aspects of biochemical and chemical engineering, applied biotechnology, and environmental technology. His many publications on microalgal biotechnology are highly cited. He sits is on editorial boards of numerous journals including Biotechnology Advances (Elsevier), Journal of Biotechnology (Elsevier), Journal of Applied Phycology (Springer) and Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining (Wiley). He is a senior editor of Biofuels. He received a Doctor Honoris Causa degree from Gheorghe Asachi Technical University, Iasi, Romania, in recognition of his many contributions to chemical and biological engineering. Prof Carlos Ricardo Soccol is the research group leader of Department of Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology at the Federal University of Parana, Brazil, with vast experience in biotechnological research and development of bioprocesses with industrial application. He graduated in Chemical Engineering (UFPR, 1979), Masters in Food Technology (UFPR, 1986) and PhD in Genie Enzymatique, Microbiologie et Bioconversion (Universite de Technologie de Compiegne,- France, 1992); post-doctoral at Institut ORSTOM/IRD (Montpellier, 1994 and 1997) and at the Universite de Provence et de la Mediterranee (Marseille, 2000). He is HDR Professor at Ecole d'Ingenieurs Superiure of Luminy, Marseille-France. He main research activities are in the areas of Food Science & Technology, with emphasis on agro-industrial and Agro-alimentary Biotechnology, with specific topics on bioprocess engineering and solid-state fermentation, submerged fermentation, bioseparations, industrial bioprocesses, enzyme technology, tissue culture, bio-industrial projects and bioproduction. He is currently Coordinator of Master BIODEV-UNESCO program at UFPR. He is Associate Editor of five international journals and Editor-in-Chief of Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology. Professor Soccol has received several national and international awards which include Science & Technology award of the Govt. of Parana (1996), Scopus/Elsevier award (2009), Doctorate Honoris Causa, University Blaise Pascal-France (2010), Outstanding Scientist - 5th International Conference on Industrial Bioprocesses, Taipei, Taiwan (2012). He is a technical and scientific consultant of several companies, agencies and scientific journals in Brazil and abroad. He has 946 publications/communications which include 16 books, 95 book chapters, 255 original research papers, 543 research communications in international and national conferences and has registered 37 patents.