Luis Botana is a full Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Santiago and director of the Department of Pharmacology.  He is expert in development of new detection methods for marine toxins and marine products, and search of new therapeutic applications from marine compounds. Director of 52 PhD thesis. Author of over 400 international articles. H index 56 (Scopus), 70 (Google Scholar), 19000citations in Scopus, 33000 in Google Scholar. Author of 23 patents, some of them licensed to the private sector. Director of the Department of Pharmacology of the USC for 8 years, and Director of the European Reference Laboratory for Marine Toxins for 4 years. Director of the Pharmacy Service of the Clinical Veterinary Hospital Rof Codina, and Coordinator of the research group FARMATOX. Editor of 16 International books about natural toxins, pharmacology and climate change. Scientific advisor and member of working groups about toxins in FVO, EFSA, FAO and WHO. Coordinator of several European projects (Detectox, Pharmatlantic, Atlantox, Ciguatools, Alertox-Net, Agritox, BEAP-MAR), and work package leader in several European projects (Conffidence, μAQUA, Biocop, Pharmasea, Bammbo, Beads, Emertox, COMBO, BiotoxDoc). Member of all the working groups for marine toxins in the Contaminants panel of EFSA. Advisor for FAO and WHO for several TEF (toxicity equivalent factor) marine toxins working groups. National expert for FVO (Food Veterinary Office) for marine toxins.

Luísa Custódio is a Principal Investigator at the Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of Algarve, Portugal. She holds a degree in Agronomy and a PhD in Biotechnological Sciences, with specialization in Plant Biotechnology. Her work lies at the interface of Green and Blue Biotechnology, and includes the bioprospecting of marine organisms, the study of salt-tolerant plants (STP) as sources of high-value metabolites and functional ingredients, and the biotechnological valorisation of invasive species as an approach to support their management and reduce their ecological impact. Her research integrates phytochemical profiling, bioactivity-guided screening, saline cultivation systems, and sustainable valorisation approaches, including circular bioeconomy and biorefinery strategies. Luísa has coordinated 7 R&D projects at national and international levels, focusing on the biotechnological valorisation of STP and marine resources, including the identification of bioactive compounds, the development of sustainable cultivation systems for STP (e.g., saline agriculture), and the production of novel food ingredients and functional products. She also participates in international research networks, including COST Action SUSTAIN, dedicated to the sustainable use of salt-affected lands, and COST Action FLAVOURsome, focused on the future of plant-based food and new protein sources. She has authored 184 peer-reviewed scientific publications (h-index 40, Scopus).