Environmental concerns regarding continuous use of synthetic dyes saw a revival in the demand for natural dyes as natural dyes exhibit better biodegradability and generally have a higher compatibility with the environment. However, one of the limitations on the use of natural dyes or pigments is the low extraction yield factors (a few grams of pigment per kg of dried raw material). Therefore, the exploitation of other biological sources such as fungi, bacteria and cell cultures offers interesting alternative. Microbial pigments such as from bacterial origins offer the advantage in terms of production compared to pigments extracted from vegetables or animals, due to its simple cell and fast culturing technique. This book offers interesting insight into initial works carried out to demonstrate the potential use of bacterial pigment as colorant for various applications.

W. Klingmuller Lehrstuhl fur Genetik, Universitat Bayreuth, UniversitatsstraBe 30, 8580 Bayreuth, FRG Growth of higher plants, particularly agricultural crops, de pends on combined nitrogen. To obtain high yields, combined nitrogen has to be supplied as fertilizer. However, the che- cal production of nitrogen fertilizers is very energy consuming and costly. In underdeveloped countries there is in addition the problem of how to get such fertilizer and how to distribute it. Efforts to replace chemical nitrogen fertilizers by other means of nitrogen fertilization are therefore important. Some bacteria have the capability to use molecular nitrogen from the atmosphere. Such nitrogen is thus transformed into a bound form. Responsible for this capability is a gene group they carry, the nif genes, and an enzyme system, they produce, nitrogenase. An example for such bacteria are rhizobia, which grow in symbioses with leguminous plants, and in their root nodules bind molecular nitrogen. The host plant takes advantage of this. Less well known, but being studied with increasing intensity, are the so called Azospirillum bacteria. They too bind molecular nitrogen. But, in contrast to rhizobia, they do not form nodules on the roots of legumes, but live in loose associations with the roots of other plants, for instance maize, wheat, rice or other grain crops. By exploiting the capabilities of these bacteria it can be hoped to find a way for supplying biologically bound nit- gen to grain crops."

This book is appropriate for advanced undergraduate students of micro biology and biological sciences in universities and colleges, as well as for research workers entering the field and requiring a broad contemporary view of anaerobic bacteria and associated concepts. Obligate anaerobes, together with microaerophils, are characterized by their sensitivity to oxygen. This dictates specialized laboratory methods a fact which has led to many students being less familiar with anaerobes than their distribution and importance would warrant The metabolic strategies such as methanogenesis, an oxygenic photosynthesis and diverse fermenta tive pathways which do not have equivalents in aerobic bacteria also make anaerobes worthy of attention. In these limited pages an attempt has been made to cover the varied aspects of anaerobic bacteria, and a bibliography has been included, which will allow individual topics to be pursued in greater detail. We are grateful to Mrs Winifred Webster and Mrs Hilary Holdsworth for typing the manuscript and to the Leeds University Audio Visual Service for preparing the figures. Finally, our thanks go to the students, postgradu ates and wives who read and criticized the manuscript."

Bacteriologists from all levels of expertise and within all specialties rely on this Manual as one of the most comprehensive and authoritative works. Since publication of the first edition of the Systematics, the field has undergone revolutionary changes, leading to a phylogenetic classification of prokaryotes based on sequencing of the small ribosomal subunit. The list of validly named species has more than doubled since publication of the first edition, and descriptions of over 2000 new and realigned species are included in this new edition along with more in-depth ecological information about individual taxa and extensive introductory essays by leading authorities in the field.

I assume that you already know a good deal of microbiology. In this book, I frequently use the word "we" by which I mean "you and I." Together we are going to consider bacteriology from a broader perspective and we will think our way through the important biological problems that are frequently just skipped over in every microbiology course. My most important reason for writing this book is to make accessible the relevant thinking from fields of science other than microbiology that are important to microbiology. The book is written for people that have already have a fascination with bacteria, but can see that their background for understanding is far complete. This book consists of topics that are largely omitted from microbiology textbooks and includes some mathematics, physics, chemistry, and evolutionary biology. It contains a good deal of my own work, both experimental and theoretical, together with a lot of speculation. If ten times bigger, it would be a full text book on microbial physiology. A third of the microbial physiology is covered by the recent is no longer treated even in textbook by White (2000). Another third current specialized tests and is greatly underrepresented in text books.

Strategies of Bacterial Interaction with Eukaryotic Cells *Tobias A. Oelschlaeger and Jorg Hacker 1. BENEFICIAL BACTERIAL-HOST INTERACTIONS Already during birth and soon thereafter mammals are colonized by bacte- ria belonging to the resident microbial flora. Cutaneous and mucosal sur- faces and the gastrointestinal tract are the areas which become colonized. These indigenous or autochthonous bacteria have a variety of beneficial effects on their hosts. They play a protective role by bacterial antagonism in fighting infections (Hoszowski and Truszczynski, 1997; Hentges, 1979). Pro- duction of vitamin K is another essential contribution of the resident microbial flora to the health of the host (Hill, 1997). Even more important, studies with germ-free animals demonstrated the involvement of the microbial flora on the development of the immune system. Such animals have underdeveloped and relatively undifferentiated lymphoid tissues and low concentrations of serum immune globulins ( Cebra et at., 1998). They TOBIAS A. OELSCHLAEGER and JORG HACKER Institut filr Molekulare lnfektionsbiologie, Universitiit Wiirzburg, 97070 Wiirzburg, Germany. *Corresponding author; Phone: (0)931-312150; FAX: (0)931-312578; E-mail: [email protected] xxix Tobias A. Oelschlaeger and Jorg Hacker also show defects in specific immune responsiveness and in nonspecific resistance induced by endotoxin, which may account for their lowered resis- tance. A more typical example of symbiotic interaction of bacteria with a host are bacteria like Ruminococcus in the gut of ruminants, essential for degradation of cellulose (Hobson, 1988). The closest benefical bacterial-host interactions are those of intracellular symbiotic bacteria and their host cells.

This volume focuses on integrated pest and disease management (IPM/IDM) and biocontrol of some key diseases of perennial and annual crops. It continues a series originated during a visit of prof. K. G. Mukerji to the CNR Plant Protection Institute in Bari (Italy), in November 2005. Both editors aim at a series of five volumes embracing, in a multi-disciplinary approach, advances and achievements in the practice of crop protection, for a wide range of plant parasites and pathogens. Two volumes of the series were already produced, dedicated to general concepts in IPM and to management and biocontrol of nematodes of grain crops and vegetables. This Volume deals, in particular, with diseases due to bacteria, phytoplasma and fungi. Every day, in any agroecosystem, farmers face problems related to plant diseases. Since the beginning of agriculture, indeed, and probably for a long time in the future, farmers will continue to do so. Every year, plant diseases cause severe losses in the global production of food and other agricultural commodities, worldwide. Plant diseases are not limited to episodic events occurring in single farms or crops, and should not be regarded as single independent cases, affecting only farms on a local scale. The impact of plant disease epidemics on food shortage ignited, in the last two centuries, deep cultural, social and demographic changes, affecting million human beings, through i. e. migration, death and hunger.

The discipline of microbiology that deals with an amazingly diverse group of simple organisms, such as viruses, archaea, bacteria, algae, fungi, and protozoa, is an exciting field of Science. Starting as a purely descriptive field, it has transformed into a truly experimental and interdisciplinary science inspiring a number of investigators to generate th a wealth of information on the entire gamut of microbiology. The later part of 20 century has been a golden era with molecular information coming in to unravel interesting insights ofthe microbial world. Ever since they were brought to light through a pair of ground glasses by the Dutchman, Antony van Leeuwenhoek, in later half of 17th century, they have been studied most extensively throughout the next three centuries, and are still revealing new facets of life and its functions. The interest in them, therefore, continues even in the 21 st century. Though they are simple, they provide a wealth of information on cell biology, physiology, biochemistry, ecology, and genetics and biotechnology. They, thus, constitute a model system to study a whole variety of subjects. All this provided the necessary impetus to write several valuable books on the subject of microbiology. While teaching a course of Microbial Genetics for the last 35 years at Delhi University, we strongly felt the need for authentic compiled data that could give exhaustive background information on each of the member groups that constitute the microbial world.

Seeming sometimes more like science fiction than science, anaerobic bacteria have been at the center of a number of exciting new discoveries. This volume discusses and explains the diversity of metabolism, modes of protein transport, molecular biology and physiology of these unusual microbes. It has practical applications ranging from wastewater treatment to clinical diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions.

J. M. Olson Institute of Biochemistry Odense University OK-5230 Odense M, Denmark Green photosynthetic bacteria have traditionally included only green sulfur bacteria (Chlorobiaceae) and green filamentous bacteria (Chloro- flexaceae) , but in this volume are included also the recently-discovered heliobacteria (Gram-positive line), whose reaction centers are strikingly similar to those of the green sulfur bacteria. Two important papers on reaction centers (not included in this volume) have been published recently. Nitschke et al. (1987) have discovered 2 early electron acceptors (Fe-S centers) in the reaction center of Chlorobium limicola, and Shiozawa et al. (1987) have shown that the reaction center of Chloroflexus aurantiacus contains 2 (rather than 3) polypeptides of Mr = 24 and 24.5 kOa respectively. This volume begIns with papers describing structures on the molecular and macromolecular level and events on a picosecond time scale. It ends with papers describing organisms and populations, and events on time scales of hours, days and weeks. The scope of the volume covers biophysics, biochemistry, physiology, ecology, taxonomy and phylogeny. There is only one paper (Ormerod, 1988) dealing with genetics, an area which ought to receive much more attention in the near future.

Sulfur is one of the most versatile elements in life. This book provides, for the first time, in-depth and integrated coverage of the functions of sulfur in phototrophic organisms including bacteria, plants and algae. It bridges gaps between biochemistry and cellular biology of sulfur in these organisms, and of biology and environments dominated by them. The book therefore provides a comprehensive overview of plant sulfur relations from genome to environment.

This volume collects new information on the genomics of saprophytic soil Pseudomonas, as well as functions related to genomic islands. It explores life styles in different settings and sheds further insights on the wide metabolic potential of this microbe for the removal of pollutants and production of added-value products. This volume also explores how Pseudomonas responds and reacts to environmental signals, including detection of cell density.

For both volumes:
Expert investigators describe not only the classic methods, but also the many novel techniques they have perfected for the transfer of large DNAs into the cells of both microbes and animals via large-insert recombinant DNAs. Volume 1 presents readily reproducible techniques for library construction, physical mapping, and sequencing.. An accompanying volume, Volume 2: Functional Studies, provides a wide variety of methods and applications for functional analysis of the DNA-transformed organisms. Besides protocols, each chapter includes scientific reviews, software tools, database resources, genome sequencing strategies, and illustrative case studies.

Genetic investigations and manipulations of bacteria and bacteriophage have made vital contributions to our basic understanding of living cells and to the development of molecular biology and biotechnology. This volume is a survey of the genetics of bacteria and their viruses, and it provides students with a comprehensive introduction to this rapidly changing subject. The book is written for upper level undergraduates and beginning graduate students, particularly those who have had an introductory genetics course.

The fifth edition has been extensively revised to reflect recent advances in the field. The book now has a reader-friendly look, with end-of-chapter questions, "Thinking Ahead" and "Applications" boxes to challenge students comprehension and insights. A complete glossary of commonly used terms has been revised and expanded.

Several cyanobacterial species can produce powerful toxins that provide a serious threat for water quality, other aquatic organisms, and human health. These harmful cyanobacteria are especially prominent in freshwater ecosystems, and are a major concern for water managers.

From a scientific perspective, there are many recent advances in this research area:
- Owing to the scientific revolution in genomics, new molecular techniques have been developed that enable the detection of toxic cyanobacteria at a very early stage.
- New laboratory culture techniques have enabled eco-physiological studies of toxin production at a detailed scale that was beyond reach until recently.
- Remote sensing of freshwater cyanobacteria is a rapidly expanding field, owing to the increased spectral resolution of airborne data.
- New computational techniques have led to advanced models on the population dynamics of cyanobacteria.

From a management perspective, recognition of the toxins produced by harmful cyanobacteria has recently led to new environmental policies with respect to toxic cyanobacteria in many western countries.

The purpose of this work is to provide an up-to-date overview of the advances in our knowledge of harmful cyanobacteria. The work is directed towards graduate students and scientists in aquatic microbiology, aquatic ecology, environmental toxicology, and water management, and academic professionals in water management and environmental policy.

"This is an outstanding volume that should be a 'must-see' reference for all scientists and environmental professionals who are interested in cyanobacterial ecology and water quality management." Val H. Smith, University of Kansas, USA

Entomopathogenic bacteria (Bacillus thuringiensis and B. sphaericus) are increasingly used as biopesticides to control larval insect populations which are either agricultural or forestry pests and to reduce those which as adults are vectors of severe human diseases. This new book, the first since 1993 to address all aspects of entomopathogenic bacteria, provides undergraduate and graduate students as well as research scientists with a complete, modern view of this important group of bacteria. The authors, chosen for their sustained contributions to the field, cover both fundamental and applied research in this area. The main topics include bacterial ecology and taxonomy, toxin diversity, activity and mode of action, regulation and environment of the genes, safety and ecotoxicology, production and field application of the bacteria, and outbreaks of resistant populations. The book concludes with the most recent data obtained on transgenic biotechnology and addresses environmental impact issues.

The Conference on Pseudomonas syringae which started in 1973 as an informal meeting of a group of scientists working on these bacteria in Angers, France, has become more and more important with time. Many meetings have been held since then: 1984, 1987, 1991, 1995, and 2002 in Cape Sounion, Greece; Lisbon, Portugal; Florence, Italy; Berlin, Germany; and Maratea, Italy; respectively. This Conference is considered as the most important scientific forum in which recent advances in different research aspects on Pseudomonas syringae, a plant pathogenic bacterial species that includes a high number of pathogens (referred as pathovars) and Related Pathogens such as Acidovorax, Burkholderia, Ralstonia, affecting several economically important crops. The proceedings resulting from these meetings are considered as valuable sources of information related to this group of pathogens. The interest in organising this conference regularly is reflected by the attendance of more than 80 scientists from 20 countries worldwide, who participated at the 7th International Conference on Pseudomonas syringae pathovars and related pat- gens organized by the Institut Agronomique et Veterinaire Hassan II in Agadir, Morocco, from 13th to 16th November 2006."

This volume covers major aspects of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) and the virus which causes it. Chapters are written by leading experts in their fields and detail historical, public health, epidemiological, and clinical aspects of CCHF and the genetics and molecular biology of the virus. Additional chapters focus on disease control, tick vectors and infection among animals, both natural and experimental.

Approximately 60% of all hospital-associated infections, over one million cases per year, are due to biofilms that have formed on indwelling medical devices. Device-related biofilm infections increase hospital stays and add over one billion dollars/year to U.S. hospitalization costs. Since the use and the types of indwelling medical devices commonly used in modern healthcare are continuously expanding, especially with an aging population, the incidence of biofilm infections will also continue to rise. The central problem with microbial biofilm infections of foreign bodies is their propensity to resist clearance by the host immune system and all antimicrobial agents tested to date. In fact, compared to their free floating, planktonic counterparts, microbes within a biofilm are 50 - 500 times more resistant to antimicrobial agents. Therefore, achieving therapeutic and non-lethal dosing regimens within the human host is impossible. The end result is a conversion from an acute infection to one that is persistent, chronic, and recurrent, most often requiring device removal in order to eliminate the infection. This text will describe the major types of device-related infections, and will explain the host, pathogen, and the unique properties of their interactions in order to gain a better understanding of these recalcitrant infections.

Env1r0nmenta1 ha5 m1cr0610109y emer9ed an extreme1y act1ve, - and 1mp0rtant area 0f re5earch dur1n9 the few year5 and ha5 cha1- 1en9ed 50me 10n9-he1d 0f F0r examp1e, the num6er5 0f c010ny-f0rm1n9 un1t5 06ta1ned 0n a9ar med1a have way5 6een a55umed t0 ref1ect the num6er5 0f 6acter1a pre5ent any 91ven 5amp1e. H0wever, n0w kn0wn that many 6acter1a the 1a60rat0ry ad0pt unu5ua1 d0rmant 5tate5 when 5u6jected t0 the nutr1ent-1- c0nd1t10n5 1ted c0mm0n many ec05y5tem5, wh1ch, turn, make5 the5e 6- ter1a t0 cu1ture. 7h15 0ur current t0 cu1ture the va5t maj0r1ty 0f6acter1a kn0wn t0 re51de natura1 env1r0nment5. Kn0- ed9e 0f the pre5ence 0f 50me 5pec1e5 a natura1 env1r0nment can 6e 0f cru- 1mp0rtance, w1th part1cu1ar1y re5pect t0 detect10n 0f path09en1c 0r t0 m0n1t0r1n9 the fate and 0f man1pu1ated 9enet1ca11y 0r9an15m5 w1th1n ec05y5tem5. 7heref0re, there ha5 6een much eff0rt 9enerated t0 dev- new and n0ve1 meth0d5 f0r detect10n, and rec0very 0f cr00r9an15m5 fr0m natura1 ha61tat5. Centra1 t0 many 0f the5e meth0d5 ha5 6een the deve10pment and ap- 0f the techn14ue5 0f 610109y m01ecu1ar t0 env1r0nmenta1 09y. 7he5e have re5u1ted d1rect 0fm1cr061a1 6a5ed 0n DNA w1th0ut the need f0r any cu1ture. 7here n0 d0u6t that w0u1d n0t have 6een w1th0ut the rev01ut10n c0mputer techn01- 09y that ha5 t0 the deve10pment 0f data6a5e5 acce55161e h19h1y 0f va5t am0unt5 0f 1nf0rmat10n. M01ecu1ar meth0d5 have 6een harne55ed and exp101ted a150 the deve10pment 0f meth0d5 that ena61e rap1d and aut0mated 0f m1cr00r9an15m5 fr0m natura1 env1r0nment5.

Research on bacterial adhesion and its significance is a major field involving many different aspects of nature and human life, such as marine science, soil and plant ecology, most importantly, the biomedical field. The adhesion ofbacteria to the food industry, and human tissue surfaces and implanted biomaterial surfaces is an important step in the patho genesis of infection. Handbook 0/ Bacterial Adhesion: Principles, Methods, and Applications is an outgrowth of the editors' own quest for information on laboratory techniques for studying bacte rial adhesion to biomaterials, bone, and other tissues and, more importantly, a response to significant needs in the research community. This book is designed to be an experimental guide for biomedical scientists, biomaterials scientists, students, laboratory technicians, or anyone who plans to conduct bacterial adhesion studies. More specifically, it is intended for all those researchers facing the chal lenge of implant infections in such devices as orthopedic prostheses, cardiovascular devices or catheters, cerebrospinal fluid shunts or extradural catheters, thoracic or abdominal catheters, portosystemic shunts or bile stents, urological catheters or stents, plastic surgical implants, oral or maxillofacial implants, contraceptive implants, or even contact lenses. It also covers research methods for the study of bacterial adhesion to tis sues such as teeth, respiratory mucosa, intestinal mucosa, and the urinary tract. In short, it constitutes a handbook for biomechanical and bioengineering researchers and students at all levels."

The new series "Microbiology Monographs" begins with two volumes on intracellular components in prokaryotes. In this second volume, "Complex Intracellular Structures in Prokaryotes," the components, labeled complex intracellular structures, encompass a multitude of important cellular functions. Continuing and newly initiated research will provide a clearer understanding of the complex intracellular structures known at present and will bring to light surprising new ones as well.

This volume details recent developments in magnetotactic bacteria research. It includes reviews on the formation and organization of magnetosomes, the genes controlling magnetosome biomineralization, and new cryogenic techniques to visualize novel cytoskeleton structures. Coverage also describes potential nanobiotechnological applications of the magnetosome crystals.

The field of bacterial diagnostics has seen unprecedented advances in recent years. The increased need for accurate detection and identification of bacteria in human, animal, food, and environmental samples has fueled the development of new techniques. The field has seen extensive research aided by the information from bacterial genome sequencing projects. Although traditional methods of bacterial detection and identification remain in use in laboratories around the world, there is now a growing trend toward the use of nucleic ac- based diagnostics and alternative biochemically and immunologically based formats. The ultimate goal of all diagnostic tests is the accurate detection, identification, or typing of microorganisms in samples of interest. Although the resulting information is of obvious use in the areas of patient management, animal health, and quality control, it is also of use in monitoring routes of infection and outlining strategies for infection control. There is, therefore, a need to ensure that the information being provided is of the highest standard and that any new technique is capable of delivering this.

Genetics and Regulation of Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria This book is the second volume of a seven-volume series, which covers all fields of research related to nitrogen fixation - from basic studies through applied aspects to environmental impacts. Volume II provides a comprehensive and detailed source of information concerning the genetics and regulation of biological nitrogen fixation in free-living prokaryotes. This preface attempts to provide the reader with some insight into how this volume originated, how it was planned, and then how it developed over the several years of its production. Once the editorial team was established, the first job was to decide which of the many free-living diazotrophs that have been subjected to genetic analysis should be included in this volume. Would we need to develop specific criteria for selection or would the organisms, in effect, select themselves? Of course, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Azotobacter vinelandii, which have served (and still serve) as the main model organisms for the genetic analysis of diazotrophy, plus some of the other bacteria described in this volume, did indeed select themselves. However, there was considerable discussion surrounding well-characterized fixing species, like Azorhizobium caulinodans and Herbaspirillum seropedicae, both of which are able to fix atmospheric N under free-living conditions.