**About the Editor**

**Oisik Das** research activities pertain to carbon-based materials and polymeric composites, specifically improvement of their performance properties (e.g., mechanical, flammability, dimensional) through physical and chemical means. Of particular interest is the production and characterisation of biochar (i.e., bio-based carbon materials) for composite applications. Oisik has extensive experience in determining the material properties of numerous types of biochars through nanoindentation. Additionally, Oisik is interested in enhancing the fire-resistant properties of polymeric composites by using both conventional and natural fire retardants. Oisik teaches courses related to material science and fire engineering and supervises students. Oisik worked at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden for two years as a post-doctoral fellow conducting research on bio-based polymers and their composites. Oisik completed his PhD at the Centre for Advanced Composite Materials (CACM) at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. His research was focused on the utilisation of biochar (obtained from the pyrolysis/thermochemical conversion of lignocellulosic wastes) in areas of biocomposite development. Oisik's master's degree is from Washington State University, Pullman, USA where he worked on the thermochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to produce value-added products (e.g., biocarbon and bio-oil). In the past, Oisik served Maharishi Markandeshwar (M.M.) University in India as an Assistant Professor where he worked with students regarding various applications of biocarbon/biochar.
