Methods in Microbiology serial highlights new advances in the field with this new volume presenting interesting chapters. Each chapter is written by an international board of authors.

The contemporary crisis of emerging disease has been a century and a half in the making. Human, veterinary, and crop health practitioners convinced themselves that disease could be controlled by medicating the sick, vaccinating those at risk, and eradicating the parts of the biosphere responsible for disease transmission. Evolutionary biologists assured themselves that coevolution between pathogens and hosts provided a firewall against disease emergence in new hosts. Most climate scientists made no connection between climate changes and disease. None of these traditional perspectives anticipated the onslaught of emerging infectious diseases confronting humanity today. As this book reveals, a new understanding of the evolution of pathogen-host systems, called the Stockholm Paradigm, explains what is happening. The planet is a minefield of pathogens with preexisting capacities to infect susceptible but unexposed hosts, needing only the opportunity for contact. Climate change has always been the major catalyst for such new opportunities, because it disrupts local ecosystem structure and allows pathogens and hosts to move. Once pathogens expand to new hosts, novel variants may emerge, each with new infection capacities. Mathematical models and real-world examples uniformly support these ideas. Emerging disease is thus one of the greatest climate change-related threats confronting humanity. While time is short, the danger is great, and we are largely unprepared, The Stockholm Paradigm offers hope for managing the crisis. By using the DAMA (document, assess, monitor, act) protocol, we can "anticipate to mitigate" emerging disease, buying time and saving money while we search for more effective ways to cope with this challenge.

Biology of Mycobacterial Lipids covers various topics pertaining to the advancements and current research in the field of mycobacterial lipids, and on the significant progress in lipidomics, in recent times. The chapters present comprehensive, yet systematic cutting-edge research, comprising mycobacterial lipid terminologies, classifications, biosynthetic pathways, tools and techniques, and functional burgeoning. This unique reference book has contributions from pioneer researchers, experts, and eminent veterans from around the globe. It covers ground-breaking work that will bridge the gap between understanding biochemical patterns related to virulence, pathogenesis, and resistance and elucidating new targets for drug design, identifying biomarkers for predicting risk, early diagnosis, and therapeutic outcome.

Molecular Driving Forces, Second Edition is an introductory statistical thermodynamics text that describes the principles and forces that drive chemical and biological processes. It demonstrates how the complex behaviors of molecules can result from a few simple physical processes, and how simple models provide surprisingly accurate insights into the workings of the molecular world.

Widely adopted in its First Edition, Molecular Driving Forces is regarded by teachers and students as an accessible textbook that illuminates underlying principles and concepts. The Second Edition includes two brand new chapters: (1) "Microscopic Dynamics" introduces single molecule experiments; and (2) "Molecular Machines" considers how nanoscale machines and engines work. "The Logic of Thermodynamics" has been expanded to its own chapter and now covers heat, work, processes, pathways, and cycles. New practical applications, examples, and end-of-chapter questions are integrated throughout the revised and updated text, exploring topics in biology, environmental and energy science, and nanotechnology. Written in a clear and reader-friendly style, the book provides an excellent introduction to the subject for novices while remaining a valuable resource for experts.

Food Microbiology clarifies complex topics in the field of food microbiology and encourages students to venture beyond memorization and think critically to gain a broader conceptual understanding of food microbiology and acquire the understanding and skills necessary to ensure the safety of tomorrow's food supply. Authoratative coverage presented in a format designed to facilitate teaching and learning.

Biotechnology of Microbial Enzymes: Production, Biocatalysis, and Industrial Applications, Second Edition provides a complete survey of the latest innovations on microbial enzymes, highlighting biotechnological advances in their production and purification along with information on successful applications as biocatalysts in several chemical and industrial processes under mild and green conditions. The application of recombinant DNA technology within industrial fermentation and the production of enzymes over the last three decades have produced a host of useful chemical and biochemical substances. The power of these technologies results in novel transformations, better enzymes, a wide variety of applications, and the unprecedented development of biocatalysts through the ongoing integration of molecular biology methodology, all of which is covered insightfully and in-depth within the book. This fully revised, second edition is updated to address the latest research developments and applications in the field, from microbial enzymes recently applied in drug discovery to penicillin biosynthetic enzymes and penicillin acylase, xylose reductase, and microbial enzymes used in antitubercular drug design. Across the chapters, the use of microbial enzymes in sustainable development and production processes is fully considered, with recent successes and ongoing challenges highlighted.

Antimicrobial Peptides: Challenges and Future Perspectives covers the latest developments about antimicrobial peptides in the scenario of drug resistance. The book is divided into 16 chapters arranged in sequence and preceded by chapters on historical developments and their role as regulatory molecules in innate defense mechanism. Emphasis is given to purification techniques and characterization suitable for interdisciplinary research. Chapters provide an inventory of various antimicrobial peptides, from a diverse array of organisms such as bacteria, fungi, insects, amphibians, plants and mammals. A section on marine ecosystem broadens readers understanding on marine based antimicrobial peptides. Additional sections provide an informative overview on peptides with antiviral properties and those targeting multi-drug resistant bacteria. Recent reports and mechanism on resistance against antimicrobial peptides are also provided, along with key insights into the challenges and future perspectives of peptide drug development.

A comprehensive guide to understanding the biology and biological conditions of the treatment process

Due to the importance of anaerobic digesters in wastewater treatment processes, a review of the microbiology of the bacteria and the operational conditions that affect their activity are of value in addressing successful and cost-effective operation.

The Microbiology of Anaerobic Digesters – the third book in the Wastewater Microbiology Series – provides an in-depth review of the bacteria, their activity, and the operational conditions that affect anaerobic digester performance. Avoiding the technical jargon, chemical equations, and kinetics that typically accompany such texts, this comprehensive resource also discusses troubleshooting and process control measures that will allow you to maintain treatment efficiency, prevent system upsets, and reduce operational costs.

Prepared for an audience of operators and technicians who are responsible for the daily operation of anaerobic digesters, The Microbiology of Anaerobic Digesters covers important issues in this field, including:

• Substrates, products, and biogas
• Operational conditions, including nutrients, temperature, and alkalinity
• Process controls and troubleshooting
• Types of digesters

Fixed film anaerobic digesters are becoming more and more common in the treatment of soluble organic compounds in wastewater. The Microbiology of Anaerobic Digesters will introduce readers to this important topic and provide them with the necessary information for understanding biological conditions of this treatment process.

In 2020, the novel coronavirus gripped the world in a global pandemic and led to the death of hundreds of thousands. The source of the previously unknown virus? Bats. This phenomenon-in which a new pathogen comes to humans from wildlife-is known as spillover, and it may not be long before it happens again. Prior to the emergence of our latest health crisis, renowned science writer David Quammen was traveling the globe to better understand spillover's devastating potential. For five years he followed scientists to a rooftop in Bangladesh, a forest in the Congo, a Chinese rat farm, and a suburban woodland in New York, and through high-biosecurity laboratories. He interviewed survivors and gathered stories of the dead. He found surprises in the latest research, alarm among public health officials, and deep concern in the eyes of researchers. Spillover delivers the science, the history, the mystery, and the human anguish of disease outbreaks as gripping drama. And it asks questions more urgent now than ever before: From what innocent creature, in what remote landscape, will the Next Big One emerge? Are pandemics independent misfortunes, or linked? Are they merely happening to us, or are we somehow causing them? What can be done? Quammen traces the origins of Ebola, Marburg, SARS, avian influenza, Lyme disease, and other bizarre cases of spillover, including the grim, unexpected story of how AIDS began from a single Cameroonian chimpanzee. The result is more than a clarion work of reportage. It's also the elegantly told tale of a quest, through time and landscape, for a new understanding of how our world works-and how we can survive within it.

"Introduction to Geomicrobiology" is a timely and comprehensive overview of how microbial life has affected Earth's environment through time. It shows how the ubiquity of microorganisms, their high chemical reactivity, and their metabolic diversity make them a significant factor controlling the chemical composition of our planet.

The following topics are covered:
how microorganisms are classified, the physical constraints governing their growth, molecular approaches to studying microbial diversity, and life in extreme environments
bioenergetics, microbial metabolic capabilities, and major biogeochemical pathways
chemical reactivity of the cell surface, metal sorption, and the microbial role in contaminant mobility and bioremediation/biorecovery
microbiological mineral formation and fossilization
the function of microorganisms in mineral dissolution and oxidation, and the industrial and environmental ramifications of these processes
elemental cycling in biofilms, formation of microbialites, and sediment diagenesis
the events that led to the emergence of life, evolution of metabolic processes, and the diversification of the biosphere.

Artwork from the book is available to instructors at www.blackwellpublishing.com/konhauser.

Advances in Microbial Physiology, Volume 83 in this ongoing serial, highlights new advances in the field with this new volume presenting interesting chapters. Each chapter is written by an international board of authors. Topics of interest in this update include RidA paradigm, Targeting the cell envelope to overcome antimicrobial resistance, Biosynthesis and function of microbial methylmenaquinones, Antibiotic efficacy, Role of central metabolism/bacterial physiology on tolerance to cell wall-acting antibiotics, and Physiology of diazotrophs.

Plant Microbiology provides a comprehensive source of information on DNA sequencing and mapping, the newest technology and procedures in areas such as radiation hybrid mapping, FISH and specialized sequencing techniques are covered. The book also describes how transgene expression is controlled in plants and how advanced information strategies can be used to manipulate and modify the plant genome. An exciting final chapter provides and overview of all the applications of plant transformation in agriculture, medicine and industry.

Presents an integrated view of the expression of bacterial genetic information, genome architecture and function, and bacterial physiology and pathogenesis This book blends information from the very latest research on bacterial chromosome and nucleoid architecture, whole-genome analysis, cell signaling, and gene expression control with well-known gene regulation paradigms from model organisms (including pathogens) to give readers a picture of how information flows from the environment to the gene, modulating its expression and influencing the competitive fitness of the microbe. Structure and Function of the Bacterial Genome explores the governance of the expression of the genes that make a bacterium what it is, and updates the basics of gene expression control with information about transcription promoter structure and function, the role of DNA as a regulatory factor (in addition to its role as a carrier of genetic information), small RNAs, RNAs that sense chemical signals, ribosomes and translation, posttranslational modification of proteins, and protein secretion. It looks at the forces driving the conservation and the evolution of the dynamic genome and offers chapters that cover DNA replication, DNA repair, plasmid biology, recombination, transposition, the roles of repetitive DNA sequences, horizontal gene transfer, the defense of the genome by CRISPR-Cas, restriction enzymes, Argonaute proteins and BREX systems. The book finishes with a chapter that gives an integrated overview of genome structure and function. Blends knowledge of gene regulatory mechanisms with a consideration of nucleoid structure and dynamics Offers a 'DNA-centric' approach to considering transcription control Views horizontal gene transfer from a gene regulation perspective Assesses the opportunities and limitations of designing synthetic microbes or rewiring existing ones Structure and Function of the Bacterial Genome is an ideal book for graduate and undergraduate students studying microbial cell biology, bacterial pathogenesis, gene regulation, and molecular microbiology. It will also appeal to principal investigators conducting research on these and related topics and researchers in synthetic biology and other arms of biotechnology.

Biocontrol Mechanisms of Endophytic Microorganisms introduces endophytic microorganisms, colonization, diversity and distribution, describes the isolation and identification of endophytic microorganisms by traditional cultivation and by next generation sequencing technologies, and covers biocontrol mechanisms, bacterial priming, endophytic based methods, the significance on fungi, and metabolite based formulations. The book concludes with chapters on biofilms, microbiota and safety issues of microorganisms. The intensive use of chemicals to control these plant pathogens has resulted in negative consequences such as the release of toxic chemicals in the environment, reduced soil fertility and human health problems. Therefore, environmentally-friendly and sustainable replacement of chemical fertilizers or pesticides is highly challenging.

Advanced Microbial Technology for Sustainable Agriculture and Environment focuses on plant-microbe interactions in respect to bioremediation and plant growth promotion, providing insights on diverse approaches such as genomics, metagenomics, proteomics, bioinformatics and other high-throughput analyses of environmentally relevant microorganisms. The impact of frequent applications of potentially toxic chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers) and increased industrialization processes on microbial diversity emphasizes the potential threat to microbial biodiversity in ecosystems. This is an ideal resource on current trends and the future of PGPR developments with bioremediation potential. Moreover, it gives a deep understanding of the genetics of microbial biodegradation and different remediation mechanisms that help to re-establish the natural environment.

Microorganisms can be both beneficial and harmful to the oil and gas industry and therefore there is an increasing need for the oil industry to characterize, quantify and monitor microbial communities in real time. Oilfield Microbiology offers a fundamental insight into how molecular microbiological methods have enabled researchers in the field to analyze and quantify in situ microbial communities and their activities in response to changing environmental conditions. Such information is fundamental to the oil industry to employ more directed, cost-effective strategies to prevent the major problems associated with deleterious microbial activities (e.g., souring and biocorrosion), as well as to encourage beneficial microbe activity (e.g. oil bioremediation). The aim of the book is to understand how the technological advances in molecular microbiological methods over the last two decades are now being utilized by the oil industry to address the key issues faced by the sector. This book contains a comprehensive collection of chapters written by invited experts in the field from academia and industry and provides a solid foundation of the importance of microbes to the oil and gas industry. It is aimed at microbial ecologists, molecular biologists, operators, engineers, chemists, and academics involved in the sector.

Trends of Applied Microbiology for a Sustainable Economy discusses the role of modern tools and next-generation technologies in applied microbial research, including recent trends and innovation in global biofertilizers. Agriculture has seen dramatic changes since the time of its inception. Starting with the domestication of wild plants to small-scale traditional farming and then large-scale, chemical-intensive agriculture. It is at a crossroads once again, putting a huge amount of pressure on available natural resources like soil, water and biodiversity which is bound to increase with the ever-growing human population. This book helps readers understand the challenges associated with these demographic changes.

Consumer concerns play a critical role in dictating the direction of research and development in food protection. The rising demand for minimally processed foods, growing concerns about the use of synthetic preservatives, and suspected links between the overuse of antibiotics and multi-drug resistance in microbes has made food safety a global priority. Natural Food Antimicrobial Systems focuses on advances in the technology of food safety. Numerous antimicrobial agents exist in animals and plants where they evolved as defense mechanisms. For example, the antimicrobial components of milk have been unraveled in recent years. The book covers how these components - such as lactoferrin - can be used as multifunctional food additives such as antioxidants and immuno-modulating agents. The six sections cover lacto-antimicrobials, ovo-antimicrobials, phyto-antimicrobials, bacto-antimicrobials, acid-antimicrobials, and milieu-antimicrobials. Each chapter provides background and historical information, molecular properties, antimicrobial activity, biological advantage, applications, safety, tolerance, and efficacy, and biotechnology. To satisfy the rapidly changing consumption patterns of the global market, the food processing industry continuously searches for new technologies in food science. Designed as a reference for academia and corporate R & D, Natural Food Antimicrobial Systems fills this need, offering in-depth information on emerging biotechnology, efficacy, and applications of natural food antimicrobial systems.

Drug resistance is a fundamental factor in treatment failure in diseases like leishmaniasis, although additional factors also play a role in this phenomenon. This volume is the second edition of a well-received book that provides a comprehensive update on the pathology of the disease, as well as on the concept of parasitic drug resistance, its molecular basis, consequences and possible treatments. A valuable resource for scientists both from academia and industry involved in biomedical research and drug design, the book provides the knowledge needed to understand leishmaniasis and to contibute to combatting this disease worldwide.

Contents:
Part 1 Identifying the issues: control of microbial contamination in cosmetics, toiletries and non-sterile pharmaceuticals; hazards associated with the microbiological contamination of cosmetics, toiletries and pharmaceuticals. Part 2 Control in manufacture: microbiological control of raw materials; control of microbial contamination during manufacture. Part 3 Control through preservation: natural and physical preservative systems; the effect of container materials and multiple phase formulation components on the activity of antimicrobial agents; formulation aspects of the preservation of skin and hair products; preservation of solid oral dosage forms; development of preservative systems; microbial resistance to preservative systems; safety evaluation of preservatives. Part 4 Microbiological control - methods and standards: preservative efficacy testing of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and toiletries and its limitations; challenge tests and their predictive ability; new methodology for microbial quality assurance; microbial contamination of manufactured products - official and unofficial limits.

In recent decades we have come to realize that the microbial world is hugely diverse, and can be found in the most extreme environments. Fungi, single-celled protists, bacteria, archaea, and the vast array of viruses and sub-viral particles far outnumber plants and animals. Microbes, we now know, play a critical role in ecosystems, in the chemistry of atmosphere and oceans, and within our bodies. The field of microbiology, armed with new techniques from molecular biology, is now one of the most vibrant in the life sciences. In this Very Short Introduction Nicholas P. Money explores not only the traditional methods of microscopy and laboratory culture but also the modern techniques of genetic detection and DNA sequencing, genomic analysis, and genetic manipulation. In turn he demonstrates how advances in microbiology have had a tremendous impact on the areas of medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

This book presents biotechnological advances and approaches to improving the nutritional value of agri-foods. The respective chapters explore how biotechnology is being used to enhance food production, nutritional quality, food safety and food packaging, and to address postharvest issues. Written and prepared by eminent scientists working in the field of food biotechnology, the book offers authentic, reliable and detailed information on technological advances, fundamental principles, and the applications of recent innovations. Accordingly, it offers a valuable guide for researchers, as well as undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of biotechnology, agriculture and food technology.

This is the first book to provide a detailed treatment of the field of larval ecology. The 13 chapters use state-of-the-art reviews and critiques of nearly all of the major topics in this diverse and rapidly growing field. Topics include:
o patterns of larval diversity
o reproductive energetics
o spawning ecology
o life history theory
o larval feeding and nutrition
o larval mortality
o behavior and locomotion
o larval transport
o dispersal
o population genetics
o recruitment dynamics
o larval evolution
Written by the leading new scientists in the field, chapters define the current state of larval ecology and outline the important questions for future research.

The complexity of food chemistry makes it a challenging subject for students studying in a food science course. Although there are excellent food chemistry books available in the market they have two major flaws: they are either encyclopedic or they are not pitched correctly to undergraduate food science students. The first problem creates difficulties for students to identify what is important and how much they need to know. The second problem arises when the book is written by authors that are not food scientists (e.g., chemists), they are not academics that are engaged with teaching or they are not sufficiently qualified to teach. In this case, it is difficult to find links between the chemistry of foods and its relevance to applications or, quite frequently, future employment prospects of the student. Introduction to Food Chemistry bridges this gap in the relevant literature, as it employs the latest pedagogical theories in textbook writing to present the subject to students with broad range of cognitive skills. This book presents specific learning objectives for each chapter and is self-contained so students will not need to search for essential information outside the textbook. To support learning, the book has: Didactic elements with information being conveyed with 3D-figures, color-coded schemes and graphs, annotations on figures that link it to the text descriptions Built-in pedagogy and learning activities at the end of each chapter that are linked to the learning objectives. Keywords and concepts for online search to instigate curiosity for further studies. Conversational writing style without losing academic rigor To support lecturers, the book has: Helps focus teaching preparation on key aspects of food chemistry relevant to both industry and modern research. Aids the preparation of exams, assignments and other types of assessment or learning activities. For lecturers in search of a singular source to aid in their introductory food chemistry courses, look no further than Introduction to Food Chemistry.

Microbial Syntrophy-Mediated Eco-enterprising summarizes and reviews possible microbial applications for eco-industrial sustainability. The book emphasizes a wide spectrum of experimental and theoretical contributions from eminent researchers in the field. In 13 chapters, there is a focus on the microbial intrusions for remediating sites by accumulated pesticides, heavy metals, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and other industrial effluents. Moreover, the potentiality and key mechanisms used by microorganisms for sustainable environmental management and their prospects are also considered in this new release. The term syntrophy for nutritional interdependence is often used in microbiology to describe the symbiotic relationship between bacterial species. Understanding such interactions can be of considerable interest when we come to manipulate microbes to our own benefit, such as by disrupting pathogenic communities with antibiotics or by promoting efficiency in communities that produce energy or break down waste.