This book provides a comprehensive and critical review of the work and advancements made so far in the field of microbial physiology. It is divided into five chapters and contains comprehensive information on topics such as bacterial virulence, mechanisms and regulation, bioluminescence, and heat shock proteins, among others. This book shall be of great use to students, research scholars, and teachers pursuing their career in the fields of microbiology, medical sciences and life sciences.
The rapid growth in biotechnology in recent years has led to an upsurge in interest in microbial technology amongst many biochemists, molecular biologists, geneticists, virologists, endocrinologists, and clinicians. Their objectives may be very diverse, ranging from the isolation of a stableenzyme from a hyperthermophile to the expression of a human protein by a recombinant yeasts or bacterium. Advance in microbial physiology have made possible a rational approach to optimization of product yield based on analysis of cultures, growth kinetics, and biochemical pathways. The applicationof statistical optimization methods, widely used in other fields, also has much to offer microbiology and biotechnology. The choice of material for this book has been influenced by both the need for practical information to enable to the isolation, handling, and culture of organisms and thenecessity to generate and analyse data enabling the development of a process. It therefore contains chapters covering the 'husbandry' of microbiology, the generation of data by chemical and physical analysis, and the interpretation of such data. Data interpretation is considered from two points ofview. Kinetic analyses of growth and product formation have frequently illuminated the development of fermentation processes. More recently, the analysis of the flux of metabolites through intermediate biochemical pathways has shown up important factors in metabolic engineering through theapplication of molecular biology techniques in microbial physiology. Applied Microbial Culture: A Practical Approach is a useful resource and guide to the successful culture of microorganisms in pure form, optimizing the culture conditions, and the scaling-up process to enable more detailedstudy.
The Fourth Edition of Microbial Physiology retains the logical, easy-to-follow organization of the previous editions. An introduction to cell structure and synthesis of cell components is provided, followed by detailed discussions of genetics, metabolism, growth, and regulation for anyone wishing to understand the mechanisms underlying cell survival and growth. This comprehensive reference approaches the subject from a modern molecular genetic perspective, incorporating new insights gained from various genome projects.
This book presents a comprehensive collection of articles illustrating the importance of microbial community structure and function for ecosystem sustainability and environmental reclamation. It addresses a diverse range of topics, including microbial diversity, physiology, genomics, ecosystem function, interaction, metabolism, and the fruitful use of microbial communities for crop productivity and environmental remediation. In addition, the book explores issues ranging from general concepts on the diversity of microorganisms in soil, and ecosystem function to the evolution and taxonomy of soil microbiota, with future prospects. It covers cutting-edge methods in soil microbial ecological studies, rhizosphere microflora, the role of organic matter in plant productivity, biological nitrogen fixation and its genetics, microbial transformation of plant nutrients in soil, plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria, and organic matter transformation. The book also discusses the application of microbes in biodegradation of xenobiotic contaminants. It covers bio-fertilizers and their role in sustainable agriculture and soil health, biological control of insect pests and plant pathogens, and the latest tools of omics in soil microbiology, i.e. genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics, which offer pioneering approaches to the exploration of microbial structure and function.
Recent determination of genome sequences for a wide range of bacteria has made in-depth knowledge of prokaryotic metabolic function essential in order to give biochemical, physiological, and ecological meaning to the genomic information. Clearly describing the important metabolic processes that occur in prokaryotes under different conditions and in different environments, this advanced text provides an overview of the key cellular processes that determine bacterial roles in the environment, biotechnology, and human health. Prokaryotic structure is described as well as the means by which nutrients are transported into cells across membranes. Glucose metabolism through glycolysis and the TCA cycle are discussed, as well as other trophic variations found in prokaryotes, including the use of organic compounds, anaerobic fermentation, anaerobic respiratory processes, and photosynthesis. The regulation of metabolism through control of gene expression and control of the activity of enzymes is also covered, as well as survival mechanisms used under starvation conditions.
Microbes in the Spotlight: Recent Progress in the Understanding of Beneficial and Harmful Microorganisms contains a selection of papers presented at the VI International Conference on Environmental, Industrial and Applied Microbiology - BioMicroWorld2015 (Barcelona, Spain). This book offers the outcomes of completed and outgoing research works and experiences of several microbiology research groups across the world. The volume is divided into the following sections: --Agricultural and environmental microbiology. Biodeterioration, biodegratation, bioremediation --Food microbiology --Medical microbiology. Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy. Antimicrobial resistance --Industrial microbiology. Microbial production of high-value products --Biotechnologically relevant enzymes and proteins --Methods and technology development --Microbial physiology Readers will find this book a useful opportunity to keep up with the latest research results, insights and advances in the microbiology field.
Extremophiles are organisms that are able to live in extreme conditions due to their unique physiological and genetic adaptations. Extremophiles are harnessed for their extremozymes that have wide applications in biotechnology, pharmaceutics, and industry. Recent developments in genomics and proteomics have helped unravel the mechanism of survival, physiological adaptation, and genomics structure of extremophiles. Physiology, Genomics, and Biotechnological Applications of Extremophiles covers innovative developments in understanding the physiology and biochemistry of extremophiles using the -omics perspective, focuses on the advancement in mechanisms of the extremophiles that makes them able to survive under extreme conditions, and discusses the applications of extremophiles in astrobiology. Covering topics such as genomics and the history and identification of extremophiles, it is ideal for students, professors, researchers, academicians, microbiologists, agricultural scientists, and biotechnologists.
Although we can't usually see them, microbes are essential for every part of human life-indeed all life on Earth. The emerging field of metagenomics offers a new way of exploring the microbial world that will transform modern microbiology and lead to practical applications in medicine, agriculture, alternative energy, environmental remediation, and many others areas. Metagenomics allows researchers to look at the genomes of all of the microbes in an environment at once, providing a "meta" view of the whole microbial community and the complex interactions within it. It's a quantum leap beyond traditional research techniques that rely on studying-one at a time-the few microbes that can be grown in the laboratory. At the request of the National Science Foundation, five Institutes of the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Energy, the National Research Council organized a committee to address the current state of metagenomics and identify obstacles current researchers are facing in order to determine how to best support the field and encourage its success. The New Science of Metagenomics recommends the establishment of a "Global Metagenomics Initiative" comprising a small number of large-scale metagenomics projects as well as many medium- and small-scale projects to advance the technology and develop the standard practices needed to advance the field. The report also addresses database needs, methodological challenges, and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in supporting this new field.
Microbial Resources: From Functional Existence in Nature to Applications provides an exciting interdisciplinary journey through the rapidly developing field of microbial resources, including relationships to aspects of microbiology. Covers the functional existence of microorganisms in nature, as well as the transfer of this knowledge for industrial and other applications. Examines the economic perspective of revealing the potential value of microbial material and figuring it into socio-economic value; legal perspectives; and how to organize a fair allotment of socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders who have effectively contributed to the preservation, study, and exploitation of microbiological material. - Covers aspects of foundational information related to microbiology, microbial ecology, and diversity, as well as new advances in microbial genomics - Provides information on the utilization of microbial resources in biotechnology - Covers legislative issues and related law in biodiscovery - Fills a need for a very broad audience and is a good resource for microbiologists seeking to know the extent of microbiology approaches, the policies associated with microbiology, and potential career paths for researchers - Has significant added value due to the inclusion of comprehensive coverage of the biology, ecology, biochemistry and international legislation surrounding these applications
The fourth edition of Soil Microbiology, Ecology and Biochemistry updates this widely used reference as the study and understanding of soil biota, their function, and the dynamics of soil organic matter has been revolutionized by molecular and instrumental techniques, and information technology. Knowledge of soil microbiology, ecology and biochemistry is central to our understanding of organisms and their processes and interactions with their environment. In a time of great global change and increased emphasis on biodiversity and food security, soil microbiology and ecology has become an increasingly important topic. Revised by a group of world-renowned authors in many institutions and disciplines, this work relates the breakthroughs in knowledge in this important field to its history as well as future applications. The new edition provides readable, practical, impactful information for its many applied and fundamental disciplines. Professionals turn to this text as a reference for fundamental knowledge in their field or to inform management practices. - New section on "Methods in Studying Soil Organic Matter Formation and Nutrient Dynamics" to balance the two successful chapters on microbial and physiological methodology - Includes expanded information on soil interactions with organisms involved in human and plant disease - Improved readability and integration for an ever-widening audience in his field - Integrated concepts related to soil biota, diversity, and function allow readers in multiple disciplines to understand the complex soil biota and their function
