Dr. Ramesh C. Ray is a former Principal Scientist (Microbiology) and Head of the ICAR- Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (Regional Centre), Bhubaneswar, India. He has 37 years of research experience in agriculture and food microbiology, published 140 research and review papers in national and international journals, 80 books chapters, edited 22 books, and authored 3 books, and received more than 5450 citations. He is a distinguished fellow of the prestigious National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi, India, National Academy of Biological Sciences, Chennai, India, and 8 other scientific societies.