Highly recommended by CHOICE, Oct 2018 Extremophiles are nature's ultimate survivors, thriving in environments ranging from the frozen Antarctic to abyssal hot hydrothermal vents. Their lifeforms span bacteria to fishes, and are categorized as halophiles from hypersaline environments, acidophiles from acidic waters, psychrophiles from cold habitats, and thermophiles from warm waters. Extremophiles: From Biology to Biotechnology comprehensively covers the basic biology, physiology, habitats, secondary metabolites for bioprospecting, and biotechnology of these extreme survivors. The chapters focus on the novel genetic and biochemical traits that lend these organisms to biotechnological applications. Couples studies of marine extremophile biology/genomics and extremophile culture for biotechnological applications with the latest advances in bio-prospecting and bio-product development Includes practical experiments that a laboratory can use to replicate extreme habitats for research purposes Presents latest advances in extremophile genomics to give the reader a better understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of extremophiles Offers insights into the production of commercially important extremozymes, carotenoids, bioactive compounds and secondary metabolites of medicinal value. This unique guide serves as a resource for biotechnologists who wish to explore extremophiles for their commercial potential, as well as a valuable reference for teaching undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the design, generation and characterization of minimal cell systems. Written by leading experts, it presents an in-depth analysis of the current issues and challenges in the field, including recent advances in the generation and characterization of reduced-genome strains generated from model organisms with relevance in biotechnology, and basic research such as Escherichia coli, Corynebacterium glutamicum and yeast. It also discusses methodologies, such as bottom-up and top-down genome minimization strategies, as well as novel analytical and experimental approaches to characterize and generate minimal cells. Lastly, it presents the latest research related to minimal cells of serveral microorganisms, e.g. Bacillus subtilis. The design of biological systems for biotechnological purposes employs strategies aimed at optimizing specific tasks. This approach is based on enhancing certain biological functions while reducing other capacities that are not required or that could be detrimental to the desired objective. A highly optimized cell factory would be expected to have only the capacity for reproduction and for performing the expected task. Such a hypothetical organism would be considered a minimal cell. At present, numerous research groups in academia and industry are exploring the theoretical and practical implications of constructing and using minimal cells and are providing valuable fundamental insights into the characteristics of minimal genomes, leading to an understanding of the essential gene set. In addition, research in this field is providing valuable information on the physiology of minimal cells and their utilization as a biological chassis to which useful biotechnological functions can be added.

This pioneering book focuses on Neotropical endophytic fungi, providing a comprehensive overview of their diversity, ecology, and biotechnological applications in medicine, agriculture, and industry. Despite their rich diversity, the endophytic fungi associated with plants of Central and South American biomes remain largely unknown. The book addresses that knowledge gap by offering insights into Neotropic endophytic fungal community.

This book highlights the latest discoveries about the nitrogen cycle in the soil. It introduces the concept of nitrogen fixation and covers important aspects of nitrogen in soil and ecology such as its distribution and occurrence, soil microflora and fauna and their role in N-fixation. The importance of plant growth-promoting microbes for a sustainable agriculture, e.g. arbuscular mycorrhizae in N-fixation, is discussed as well as perspectives of metagenomics, microbe-plant signal transduction in N-ecology and related aspects. This book enables the reader to bridge the main gaps in knowledge and carefully presents perspectives on the ecology of biotransformations of nitrogen in soil.

The first and second editions of Food Microbiology and Hygiene are established reference texts for the food industry, giving practical information on food microbiology, hygiene, quality assurance and factory design. This third edition has been revised and updated to include the latest developments concerning HACCP, food legislation and modern methods of microbial examination. The book is designed for microbiologists working in the food industry, quality assurance personnel and academic researchers.

Teaching can happen anywhere, at any time - not just in classrooms but in churches, in bookstores, in homes, anywhere people get together to share ideas that affect their daily life. In Teaching Community, bell hooks shows how complex ideas of cultural theory can be simplified and made relevant to the lives of working people, and how the values of shared knowledge and learning can be a catalyst for progressive social change. Teaching - so often undervalued in our society - can be a joyous and inclusive activity and, as hooks shows, can never be confined to the classroom.

This second edition is fully updated throughout and covers the emerging evidence that indicates that the Gadd45 family of proteins plays a unique and critical role as sensors of stress, including genotoxic, physiological, and oncogenic stress. It sheds light on the complex cellular stress response, encompassing myriad molecular pathways with a plethora of regulators and effectors. The GADD45 stress response genes encode small (18 kd) nuclear/cytoplasmic proteins. These genes are rapidly induced by a wide variety of endogenous and exogenous stress stimuli. Despite marked similarities, Gadd45 genes are regulated differentially and exhibit functional diversity. Gadd45 proteins respond to physiological and oncogenic stress, and are implicated in cell cycle arrest, DNA demethylation and repair, apoptosis, cell survival, genomic stability, and inflammation. The purpose of this book is to provide a comprehensive overview of the unique global role that Gadd45 proteins play as stress sensors and the molecular pathways involved.

This book aims to advance the understanding of deubiquitinases (DUBs) and DUB-like enzymes. Chapters detail methods used to identify, classify,and biochemically characterize DUBs along with approaches that enable both the determination and alteration of DUB biological function.. Written in the format of the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, each chapter includes an introduction to the topic, lists necessary materials and reagents, includes tips on troubleshooting and known pitfalls, and step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Deubiquitinases: Methods and Protocols aims to be a useful and practical guide to new researchers and experts looking to expand their knowledge.

In recent years there has been increased interest in the possibility of rapid microbiological methods offering enhanced potential error detection capabilities. However, these methods raise a number of questions, such as how to validate new methods, will they be accepted by the pharmacopoeias, and, most importantly, how will the regulators respond? Rapid Microbiological Methods in the Pharmaceutical Industry answers these questions and more. Martin Easter and his panel of experts: Describe the range of rapid microbiological methods and their applications, including practical tips, and their status regarding validation, established use, and regulatory acceptance Explore the origins of current methods and the current issues facing the requirements of microbiology and its associated test methods Delineate the challenges involved in seeking better and more pragmatic methods for the assessment of microbial hazards and risks to ensure product and consumer safety The book assists you in applying an effective system to assess the real microbiological hazards and, hence, quantify realistic risks. Additionally, it provides monitoring methods that will deliver meaningful, useful data for effective decision making in manufacturing, quality assurance, and product safety. The expert and authoritative information in Rapid Microbiological Methods in the Pharmaceutical Industry will help you find better solutions to ensuring the microbiological safety of pharmaceutical products. Features

Toxic substances threatens aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and ultimately human health. The book is a thoughtful effort in bringing forth the role of biotechnology for bioremediation and restoration of the ecosystems degraded by toxic and heavy metal pollution. The introductory chapters of the book deal with the understanding of the issues concerned with the pollution caused by toxic elements and heavy metals and their impacts on the different ecosystems followed by the techniques involved in monitoring of the pollution. These techniques include use of bio-indicators as well as modern techniques for the assessment and monitoring of toxicants in the environment. Detailed chapters discussing the role of microbial biota, aquatic plants, terrestrial plants to enhance the accumulation efficiency of these toxic and heavy metals are followed by remediation techniques involving myco-remediation, bio-pesticides, bio-fertilizers, phyto-remediation and rhizo-filtration. A sizable portion of the book has been dedicated to the advanced bio-remediation techniques which are finding their way from the laboratory to the field for revival of the degraded ecosystems. These involve bio-films, micro-algae, genetically modified plants and filter feeders. Furthermore, the book is a detailed comprehensive account for the treatment technologies from unsustainable to sustainable. We believe academicians, researchers and students will find this book informative as a complete reference for biotechnological intervention for sustainable treatment of pollution.

The fascinating, untold story of the air we breathe, the hidden life it contains, and invisible dangers that can turn the world upside down

Every day we draw in two thousand gallons of air—and thousands of living things. From the ground to the stratosphere, the air teems with invisible life. This last great biological frontier remains so mysterious that it took over two years for scientists to finally agree that the Covid pandemic was caused by an airborne virus.

In Air-Borne, award-winning New York Times columnist and author Carl Zimmer leads us on an odyssey through the living atmosphere and through the history of its discovery. We travel to the tops of mountain glaciers, where Louis Pasteur caught germs from the air, and follow Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh above the clouds, where they conducted groundbreaking experiments. We meet the long-forgotten pioneers of aerobiology including William and Mildred Wells, who tried for decades to warn the world about airborne infections, only to die in obscurity.

Air-Borne chronicles the dark side of aerobiology with gripping accounts of how the United States and the Soviet Union clandestinely built arsenals of airborne biological weapons designed to spread anthrax, smallpox, and an array of other pathogens. Air-Borne also leaves readers looking at the world with new eyes—as a place where the oceans and forests loft trillions of cells into the air, where microbes eat clouds, and where life soars thousands of miles on the wind.

Weaving together gripping history with the latest reporting on Covid and other threats to global health, Air-Borne surprises us on every page as it reveals the hidden world of the air.

ANOXIA defines the lack of free molecular oxygen in an environment. In the presence of organic matter, anaerobic prokaryotes produce compounds such as free radicals, hydrogen sulfide, or methane that are typically toxic to aerobes. The concomitance of suppressed respiration and presence of toxic substances suggests these habitats are inhospitable to Eukaryota. Ecologists sometimes term such environments 'Death Zones'. This book presents, however, a collection of remarkable adaptations to anoxia, observed in Eukaryotes such as protists, animals, plants and fungi. Case studies provide evidence for controlled beneficial use of anoxia by, for example, modification of free radicals, use of alternative electron donors for anaerobic metabolic pathways, and employment of anaerobic symbionts. The complex, interwoven existence of oxic and anoxic conditions in space and time is also highlighted as is the idea that eukaryotic inhabitation of anoxic habitats was established early in Earth history.

This thesis studies the impact of food processing on the stability and antioxidant capacity of anthocyanins in aqueous and real food systems. It investigates the effects of temperature and pH on the stability and antioxidant capacity of anthocyanins in aqueous systems and in real semi-solid and solid food systems including bread and biscuits. The results of this thesis offer food manufacturers valuable guidelines on the production of functional foods containing anthocyanins, helping to reduce anthocyanins loss and achieve a desired amount of anthocyanins in foods with extra health benefits.

This book is published on behalf of the Biological Stain Commission.
For 75 years "Conn's Biological Stains "has been a standard reference for all those who used dyes and colorants in the biological and medical sciences. This long-awaited Tenth Edition appears 25 years after R.D. Lillie's Ninth Edition and has been completely rewritten to reflect the increase in range of uses. Although the staining of microscopical preparations continues to expand the uses of dyes and fluorochromes now extend far beyond this traditional application.
This book provides the first critical overview of the whole range of low molecular weight fluorescent probes, outside the catalog literature. The first ten chapters are essays, by leading experts, on the important aspects of colorants and their uses. Most of the remainder of the book consists of descriptions by Dr. Horobin of the properties and recent applications of hundreds of individual compounds, in about twenty chemical classes. The last chapter reviews the procedures employed at the Biological Stain Commission's laboratory to assay and test dyes and certify them as suitable for their intended applications.

This is an engaging and fascinating story of a conditional human success story. Smallpox has been one of the most devastating scourges of humanity throughout recorded history, and it is the only human illness to have been eradicated, though polio may soon follow it to official extinction through human agency. However, while smallpox is officially extinct in nature, literally tons of the virus remain in guarded storage in Russia and at Fort Detrick in the US. Our fears that smallpox may return as a weapon of bioterrorists have led to the stockpiling of vaccine, and continuing vigilance, even though the official victory over smallpox is now 15 years old. The Life and Death of Smallpox presents the entire engaging history of our struggle and ultimate (?) victory over one of our oldest and worst enemies. The story of the campaign to track down and eradicate the virus throughout the world - the difficulties, setbacks, and the challenges successfully met - is a highlight of a fascinating book, but we can't be confident of the ending. The final chapter of the book clearly and authoritatively explains the current status of the threat, from the deliberate release of smallpox or other potential agents of biological terrorism.

Every spring, the University of Massachusetts - Amherst welcomes all ''Soils Conference" Scientific Advisory Board members with open arms as we begin the planning process responsible for bringing you quality conferences year after year. With this "homecoming" of sorts comes the promise of reaching across the table and interacting with a wide spectrum of stakeholders, each of them bringing their unique perspective in support of a successful Conference in the fall. This year marks the 20 DEGREES DEGREES anniversary of what started as a couple of thoughtful scientists interested in developing partnerships that together could fuel the environmental cleanup dialogue. Since the passage of the Superfund Law, regulators, academia and industry have come to realize that models that depend exclusively on ''command and control" mandates as the operative underpinning limit our collective ability to bring hazardous waste sites to productive re-use. It is with this concern in mind that the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection privatized its cleanup program in 1993, spurring the close-out of over 20,000 sites and spills across the Commonwealth to date, in a manner that is both protective of human health and the environment while also flexible and responsive to varied site uses and redevelopment goals. So we gather together again, this year, to hear our collective stories and share success and challenges just as we share stories at a family gathering. Take a read through the stories contained in these proceedings.

While evolving molecular diagnostic methods are being heralded for the role they will play in improving our ability to cultivate and identify bacteria, fungi, and viruses, the reality is that those new methods are still beyond the technical and financial reach of most clinical laboratories. Most clinical microbiology laboratories still rely upon culture methods for the identification of microorganisms of medical importance. The newest edition of the Handbook of Media for Clinical Microbiology addresses the needs of clinical microbiology laboratories and infectious disease researchers. Authored by Ronald Atlas and James Snyder, who over the years have built solid reputations among researchers for their exceptionally reliable media handbooks, this volume gives microbiologists in clinical and medical laboratories the reference they need to quickly and effectively deal with the modern challenges shaping the field. Organized for a fast-paced environment, this fully updated Second Edition provides clinical diagnostic laboratories with an easy-to-use reference for those routine and specialized media employed in the cultivation of pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Almost 1,650 media are described in this edition, among them many newly developed media designed for the rapid detection and identification of disease-causing microorganisms, including those responsible for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Describes media designed to cultivate and identify Escherichia coli O157:H7, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci Includes chromogenic or fluorogenic substrates that permit the rapid detection of specific pathogens critical to the diagnosis of individuals with specific infectious diseases The Handbook provides a compilation of the formulations, methods of preparation, and applications for media used in the clinical microbiology laboratory. Listings are alphabetical, and each inc

The parasitic load in cold northern climates is widely under-appreciated. Many texts on parasitology concentrate on tropical parasitic infections, so the reader can be forgiven for thinking that parasites are not a problem in the northern part of the world. Parasites of the Colder Climates redresses the balance by focusing on parasites indigenous to the cooler climates of the northern hemisphere. A multi-authored text-with chapters covering Scandinavia and the Baltic States, Canada, Alaska, Iceland and Russia-this book provides a comprehensive overview of the parasites present in northern climates and the diseases that they cause. Topics include epidemiology, biology and pathogenesis, clinical presentations, laboratory investigations and methods for laboratory diagnosis. Parasites of the Colder Climates presents a concise single reference of diagnostic methods and preventative information for epidemiologists, clinicians and parasitologists and forms a unique account suitable for researchers, advanced undergraduates and postgraduates.

Uniting-for the first time-current information on anaerobic fungi from a number of different disciplines, this unique reference examines the taxonomy, physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, and ecology of anaerobic fungi-focusing on fungi from the rumen and other gut environments such as the cecum and hindgut of nonruminant herbivores. Anaerobic Fungi Presents new techniques for culturing anaerobic fungi! analyzes the isolation, culture, and survival of anaerobic fungi describes the nucleic acids of anaerobic fungi, gene cloning, and the establishment of molecular phylogeny discusses the fermentation of carbohydrates explains how anaerobic fungi interact with other microorganisms investigates the ultrastructure of plant cell walls degraded by fungi details the effects of diet on fungal populations delineates specific procedures for quantifying anaerobic fungi outlines potential directions for future research in molecular genetics and more!

Principles of Microbiological Troubleshooting in the Industrial Food Processing Environment provides proven approaches and suggestions for finding sources of microbiological contamination of industrially produced products.Industrial food safety professionals find themselves responsible for locating and eliminating the source(s) of food contamination. These are often complex situations for which they have not been adequately prepared. This book is written with them, the in-plant food safety/quality assurance professional, in mind. However, other professionals will also benefit including plant managers, regulatory field investigators, technical food safety policy makers, college instructors, and students of food science and microbiology. A survey of the personal and societal costs of microbial contamination of food is followed by a wide range of respected authors who describe selected bacterial pathogens, emerging pathogens, spoilage organisms and their significance to the industry and consumer. Dr. Kornacki then provides real life examples of in-plant risk areas / practices (depicted with photographs taken from a wide variety of food processing facilities). Factors influencing microbial growth, survival and death area also described. The reader will find herein a practical framework for troubleshooting and for assessing the potential for product contamination in their own facilities, as well as suggestions for conducting their own in-plant investigations. Selected tools for testing the environment and statistical approaches to testing ingredients and finished product are also described. The book provides suggestions for starting up after a processing line (or lines) have been shut down due to a contamination risk. The authors conclude with an overview of molecular subtyping and its value with regard to in-plant investigations. Numerous nationally recognized authors in the field have contributed to the book. The editor, Dr. Jeffery L. Kornacki, is President and Senior Technical Director of the consulting firm, Kornacki Microbiology Solutions in Madison, Wisconsin. He is also Adjunct Faculty with the Department of Food Science at the University of Georgia and also with the National Food Safety & Toxicology Center at Michigan State University.

This thoroughly revised and updated reference provides comprehensive coverage of the latest developments and scientific advances in dairy microbiologya "emphasizing probiotics, fermented dairy products, disease prevention, and public health and regulatory control standards for dairy foods.

Containing more than 2350 bibliographic citations, tables, drawings and photographsa "550 more than the previous editiona "Applied Dairy Microbiology, Second Edition is an invaluable reference for all food and dairy microbiologists, scientists, and technologists; toxicologists; food processors; sanitarians; dietitians; epidemiologists; bacteriologists; public health and regulatory personnel; and veterinarians; and an important text for upper-level undergraduate, graduate, and continuing-education students in these disciplines.

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The common bean Phaseolus vulgaris L. is the most important pulse crop in Latin America, as well as in large parts of Asia and Africa. It is particularly important due to its ability, in symbiosis with Rhizobium bacteria, to fix atmospheric nitrogen and due to its high nutrient value. Incorporating contributions from plant breeders, microbiologists, plant physiologists and soil scientists, this volume reports the results of an FAO/IAEA Coordinated Research Programme (1985-1991), whose main objective was to enhance yield and biological nitrogen fixation in the common bean by reducing its reliance on soil and fertilizer nitrogen. The volume should be useful for scientists working on biological nitrogen fixation and legume production.

Fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables have an excellent safety record. However, surveillance data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and recent foodborne illness outbreaks have demonstrated that the incidence of foodborne illnesses linked to the consumption of contaminated fresh fruit and vegetable products may in fact be more prevalent than previously thought. U.S. FDA and USDA microbiological surveys of domestic and imported fresh fruits and vegetables demonstrate that human pathogens are sporadically found to be associated with fresh produce. In addition to increased safety concerns, microbial spoilage represents a significant source of waste for growers, packers, retailers, and consumers. Microbiology of Fruits and Vegetables reviews the extensive research that has been conducted on microbiological problems relating to the safety and spoilage of fruits and vegetables in recent years. It considers incidences of human pathogen contamination, sources of microbial contamination, microbial attachment to produce surfaces, intractable spoilage problems, efficacy of sanitizing treatments for fresh produce, novel interventions for produce disinfection, and methodology for microbiological evaluation of fruits and vegetables. The text is divided into five sections: (I) contamination and state of microflora on fruits and vegetables (II) microbial spoilage of fruits and vegetables (III) food safety issues (IV) interventions to reduce spoilage and risk of foodborne illness (V) microbiological evaluation of fruits and vegetables. In Microbiology of Fruits and Vegetables, the editors, three leaders in the field, have endeavored to present a comprehensive examination, focusing on issues needing coverage, rather than attempting an encyclopedic compilation. They have selected chapter authors who are active researchers in their respective fields and thus bring a working knowledge of current issues, industry practices, and advances in technology.

The development of biofilms and their role in public health - particularly drinking water - is often overlooked. Ideal for anyone interested in water related issues, Microbiological Aspects of Biofilms and Drinking Water presents an overview of the public health effects associated with drinking water. It highlights the microbiological aspects relating to the development of biofilms.

The first four chapters focus on the state of the water supply. The authors review methods for studying the epidemiological spread of waterborne infections and those used in surveillance and control of pathogenic microbes. He includes the methods used for the detection of pathogens of public health importance in drinking water.

In the subsequent chapters the authors pay close attention to biofilm development within drinking water systems, underlining the public health threat. They cover the microbes important to public health and include the methods used to detect biofilms. In conclusion they review the methods involved in biofilm control - both conventional and biocidal treatments.

Overall, Microbiological Aspects of Biofilms and Drinking Water provides a snapshot of public health and the water supply. It covers the future of drinking water and its associated health hazards and provides a deeper understanding of biofilms and how they provide a safe haven for pathogens and water related diseases.

A preventative medicine physician and staff writer for The Atlantic explains the surprising and unintended effects of our hygiene practices in this informative and entertaining introduction to the new science of skin microbes and probiotics.
 
Keeping skin healthy is a booming industry, and yet it seems like almost no one agrees on what actually works. Confusing messages from health authorities and ineffective treatments have left many people desperate for reliable solutions. An enormous alternative industry is filling the void, selling products that are often of questionable safety and totally unknown effectiveness.

In Clean, doctor and journalist James Hamblin explores how we got here, examining the science and culture of how we care for our skin today. He talks to dermatologists, microbiologists, allergists, immunologists, aestheticians, bar-soap enthusiasts, venture capitalists, Amish people, theologians, and straight-up scam artists, trying to figure out what it really means to be clean. He even experiments with giving up showers entirely, and discovers that he is not alone.

Along the way, he realizes that most of our standards of cleanliness are less related to health than most people think. A major part of the picture has been missing: a little-known ecosystem known as the skin microbiome—the trillions of microbes that live on our skin and in our pores. These microbes are not dangerous; they’re more like an outer layer of skin that no one knew we had, and they influence everything from acne, eczema, and dry skin, to how we smell. The new goal of skin care will be to cultivate a healthy biome—and to embrace the meaning of “clean” in the natural sense. This can mean doing much less, saving time, money, energy, water, and plastic bottles in the process.

Lucid, accessible, and deeply researched, Clean explores the ongoing, radical change in the way we think about our skin, introducing readers to the emerging science that will be at the forefront of health and wellness conversations in coming years.