Dr. Radhakrishnan Manikkam is a visionary researcher at the forefront of microbial bioprospecting for sustainable development. Presently he is working as a Professor (Research) and Head of the Centre for Drug Discovery and Development at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai. A distinguished microbiologist, he earned his Ph.D. on Anti TB Drug Discovery from actinobacteria from the National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (ICMR) and holds UG and PG degrees in Microbiology and Marine Microbiology from Sri Sankara College and Annamalai University, respectively. With over two decades of experience in research and teaching, his work primarily focuses on the ecology, taxonomy, and therapeutic potential of Actinobacteria sourced from rare and extreme habitats. He has spearheaded ten major research projects funded by premier Indian agencies and has recently expanded his reach into the cryosphere, participating in landmark expeditions to the Antarctic Ocean (2020) and the first-ever Arctic Winter Expedition (2024) to study the diversity, adaptation and bioprospecting cryosphere actinobacteria. An accomplished author, he has published 160 journal articles (H-index 23), 50 Book chapters and edited four foundational books with Springer and Elsevier, including Protocols in Actinobacterial Research, Advances in Translational Biomedical Research, Mangrove Microbiome, Marine Microbiome and Harnessing microbial resources for sustainable agriculture. His contributions to sustainable agriculture earned him the prestigious Outstanding Research Award from AATSEA, Thailand in 2024. Committed to nurturing the next generation of scientists, he currently mentors eight Ph.D. scholars. He is very much open for strategic partnerships with industry and academia aimed at harnessing microbial resources to unlock the secrets of extreme microbial life for sustainable development.