Hudaa Neetoo is currently a lecturer in microbiology in the faculty of agriculture of the University of Mauritius. She holds a BSc (Hons.) degree in biochemistry from Imperial College London and a Master and PhD in Food Science from the University of Delaware, U.S. Her scientific interests are in the field of food and environmental microbiology, spanning a wide range of topics. She has supervised more than 35 BSc students and has authored more than 40 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, as well as six book chapters. She has taught a wide range of courses, ranging from food and environmental microbiology, biochemistry, microbial ecology and epidemiology among others. She is the reviewer of several international journals including International Food Research, Innovative Food Scienceand Technology and Food Hydrocolloids. She won the 2ndprize for the 2014 Best Young Mauritian Scientist Prize awarded by the Mauritius Research Council

Ackmez Mudhoo holds a First Class B.Eng. (Hons.) degree in Chemical and Environmental Engineering, an M.Phil. degree by research Chemical Engineering and a Ph.D. Environmental Engineering, all from the University of Mauritius. His research interests span (i) bioremediation of organic residues and pollutants, (ii) green chemistry approaches for enhanced biomass pretreatment, (iii) adsorption, and (iv) mathematical analysis and modeling of related processes. He is a Senior Lecturer in the department and has > 13 years experience in lecturing and research. He also reckons two years’ full-time experience (2006-2008) as ‘Chemical Process Engineer’ in the design, operation and maintenance of a sewage treatment plant. He was the Chairperson of the Local Organising Committee for MAURITIUS 2011 – 1st International Conference on Waste Management in Developing Countries and Transient Economies, 5–8 September 2011, CODWAP Conference under CODWAP Project Framework. He has also been a TWAS Affiliate for the 2013-2017 Tenure, and served as Associate Editor for 'Environmental Chemistry Letters' (Springer). His ORCID ID is http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5712-6673.