This volume explores the latest techniques used to study environmental microbial evolution, with a focus on methods capable of addressing deep evolution at long timescales. The chapters in this book are organized into three parts. Part One introduces molecular dating approaches and time calibration ideas that allow for the determination of evolutionary timescales of microbial lineages. Part Two describes several advanced phylogenomic tools such as models for genome tree construction, a taxon sampling method, outgroup-independent tree-rooting methods, and gene family evolution models. Part Three covers techniques used to study trait evolution. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Cutting-edge and comprehensive, Environmental Microbial Evolution: Methods and Protocols is a valuable tool for all researchers who are interested in learning more about this important and evolving field.

Orgnized in an A-to-Z format, this reference guide is designed to help users find their way in the vast--and sometimes bewildering--world of living things too small to be discerned with the naked eye. Entries cover environmental, industrial, and food microbiology, in addition to the microbiology of health and disease. Scientific techniques used for studying microorganisms are discussed, and biographies of key individuals are provided. A chronology of infections and disease epidemics from 430 B.C. to the present is included as an appendix.

This book brings together many of the world s leading experts in the fields of Antarctic terrestrial soil ecology, providing a comprehensive and completely up-to-date analysis of the status of Antarctic soil microbiology.

Antarctic terrestrial soils represent one of the most extreme environments on Earth.Once thought to be largely sterile, it is now known that these diverse and often specialized extreme habitats harbor a very wide range of different microorganisms.

Antarctic soil communities are relatively simple, but not unsophisticated. Recent phylogenetic and microscopic studies have demonstrated that these communities have well established trophic structuring and play a significant role in nutrient cycling in these cold and often dry desert ecosystems. They are surprisingly responsive to change and potentially sensitive to climatic perturbation.

Antarctic terrestrial soils also harbor specialized refuge habitats, where microbial communities develop under (and within) translucent rocks. These cryptic habitats offer unique models for understanding the physical and biological drivers of community development, function and evolution."

Anaerobic digestion is a major field for the treatment of waste and wastewater. Lately the focus has been on the quality of the effluent setting new demands for pathogen removal and for successful removal of unwanted chemicals during the anaerobic process. The two volumes on Biomethanation are devoted to presenting the state of art within the science and application of anaerobic digestion. They describe the basic microbiolgical knowledge of importance for understanding the processes of anaerobic bioreactors along with the newest molecular techniques for examining these systems. In addition, the applications for treatment of waste and wastewaters are presented along with the latest knowledge on process control and regulation of anaerobic bioprocesses. Together these two volumes give an overview of a growing area, which previously has never been presented in such a comprehensive way.

Provides in-depth coverage of lectins and their interactions with micro-organisms and demonstrates how lectins function as probes for viral, bacterial, fungal and protozoal surfaces, as well as for blood group antigens.

This book provides an updated knowledge on the biohydrogen production from industrial and municipal organic waste materials. Microbes are increasingly being included in the hydrogen based biofuel production and this book covers the processes and protocols for biohydrogen production. There is an urgent need of alternative energy research to fulfill the global energy demand. Biohydrogen is a promising source of sustainable and clean energy as it harnessed by biological means. Biohydrogen may be produced by utilizing different waste materials as a substrate, and by optimization of various parameters of bioreactors such as temperature, pH, partial pressure etc. The waste materials used in hydrogen production are categorized as agricultural waste, municipal waste, industrial waste, and other hazardous wastes. Biohydrogen production from wastes materials opened a new opportunity for the widespread use of everlasting renewable energy source. This book is useful for professional scientists, academicians, biotechnologist and environmentalist along with research scholars in various biotechnology and bioenergy industries by addressing the latest research going on in the field of renewal bioenergy production from waste and their global impact on the environment.

Bridging the gap between laboratory observations and industrial practices, this work presents detailed information on recombinant micro-organisms and their applications in industry and agriculture. All recombinant microbes, bacteria, yeasts and fungi are covered.

Handbook of Methods in Aquatic Microbial Ecology is the first comprehensive compilation of 85 fundamental methods in modern aquatic microbial ecology. Each method is presented in a detailed, step-by-step format that allows readers to adopt new methods with little difficulty. The methods represent the state of the art, and many have become standard procedures in microbial research and environmental assessment. The book also presents practical advice on how to apply the methods. It will be an indispensable reference for marine and freshwater research laboratories, environmental assessment laboratories, and industrial research labs concerned with microbial measurements in water.

This Volume covers protocols for in-silico approaches to hydrocarbon microbiology, including the selection and use of appropriate statistical tools for experimental design replication, data analysis, and computer-assisted approaches to data storage, management and utilisation. The application of algorithms to analyse the composition and function of microbial communities is presented, as are prediction tools for biodegradation and protein interactions. The basics of a major open-source programming language, Python, are explained. Protocols for calculating reaction kinetics and thermodynamics are presented, and modelling the environmental fate of hydrocarbons during bioremediation is explained. With the exception of molecular biology studies of molecular interactions, the use of statistics is absolutely essential for both experimental design and data analysis in microbiological research, and indeed in the biomedical sciences in general. Moreover, studies of highly varying systems call for the modelling and/or application of theoretical frameworks. Thus, while two protocols in this Volume are specific to hydrocarbon microbiology, the others are generic, and as such will be of use to researchers investigating a broad range of topics in microbiology and the biomedical sciences in general. Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology ProtocolsThere are tens of thousands of structurally different hydrocarbons, hydrocarbon derivatives and lipids, and a wide array of these molecules are required for cells to function. The global hydrocarbon cycle, which is largely driven by microorganisms, has a major impact on our environment and climate. Microbes are responsible for cleaning up the environmental pollution caused by the exploitation of hydrocarbon reservoirs and will also be pivotal in reducing our reliance on fossil fuels by providing biofuels, plastics and industrial chemicals. Gaining an understanding of the relevant functions of the wide range of microbes that produce, consume and modify hydrocarbons and related compounds will be key to responding to these challenges. This comprehensive collection of current and emerging protocols will facilitate acquisition of this understanding and exploitation of useful activities of such microbes.

Covers developments in food safety and foodborne illness, organizing information to provide easy access to many topics, both general and specific. Comprehensive summaries of important advances in food science, compiled from over 550 sources worldwide, are presented.

This detailed book provides a collection of protocols for numerous experimental approaches perfected by the authors for lactic acid bacteria (LAB) research. Split in to three parts, the volume delves into the identification and metabolism of LABs, the applications of the bacteria for the food industry, as well as healthy functions of LAB. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introduction to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and accessible, Lactic Acid Bacteria: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal inspiration for many research efforts in the domains of food science and health science.

This book has arisen from the Second European Meeting on Bacterial Genetics and Ecology (Bageco-2) held at the University of Wales, College of Cardiff which we organised on 11-12 April 1989. The meeting was attended by some 60 participants from eight European countries and was made possible by partial financial support from the Commission of the European Communities (CEC) and Imperial Chem ical Industries (UK) Ltd. The meeting was organised to discuss modern developments in the genetics of bacteria in aquatic and terrestrial habitats. It followed on from, and complemented, the first meeting of this series organised by Jean-Pierre Gratia in Brussels during April 1987 which concentrated more on medical and epidemiological issues. ! The next meeting will be organised by Michel J. Gauthier in 1991 at Nice, France. If you have been fired with enthusiasm for ecological bacterial genetics after having read this book, and want to attend the next meeting but did not hear about the one in Cardiff, you should write to Dr Gauthier to be put on the address list. A lot is now known about bacterial genetics at the physiological, biochemical and molecular level, and bacterial ecology has developed rapidly over the last 20 years. However, until very recently, few researchers have crossed the divide and linked these two specialisms.

This book describes emerging and established industrial processes of biomining technologies used for the recovery of metals of economic interest from, e.g. mineral ores, mining and electronic wastes using microbiological technologies. Multiple chapters focus on engineering design and operation of biomining systems. Several industrial case studies from China, Chile, Peru, Russia/Kazakhstan and Finland are included, which emphasises the practical approach of the book. The reader not only learns more about the biology, diversity and ecology of microorganisms involved in biomining processes, but also about microbial biomolecular and cultivation tools used in the biomining industry. Special emphasis is put on emerging biotechnologies enabling the use of biomining for recycling metals from e-wastes, waste streams and process waters. Finally, the future impacts and direction of biomining towards sustainability in a metal-demanding world are also highlighted. The book is aimed at an interdisciplinary audience involving operators and researchers working across disciplines including geology, chemical engineering, microbiology and molecular biology. This is reflected by the content of this book, as well as by its authors, who are all leading practitioners and authorities in their fields.

This book covers all the aspects of food-grade enzymes, including their classification, kinetics, microbial production, biosynthetic pathways, commodity-wise industrial applications, and downstream processing strategies. The broad focus of this book is on the application of various classes of enzymes in dairy, fruits and vegetables, cereals and oilseeds, meat and poultry, and brewing and food packaging industries. Certain recent areas such as nanotechnological perspective in enzyme immobilization, infusion strategies as well as its efficient usage in food packaging and preservation are some of the salient highlights of this book. This book also discusses the aspects related to application of enzymes in functional food development and shelf life extension of various commodities food products. This book is beneficial for researchers, students, entrepreneurs, and industry experts in broad disciplines such as food processing, food biotechnology, food microbiology, biochemistry, agriculture, biotechnology, biochemical engineering, and bioprocess technology.

This volume includes treatments of systematics and related topics for both fungi and fungus-like organisms in four eukaryotic supergroups, as well as specialized chapters on nomenclature, techniques and evolution. These organisms are of great interest to mycologists, plant pathologists and others, including those interested in the animal parasitic Microsporidia. Our knowledge of the systematics and evolution of fungi has made great strides since the first edition of this volume, largely driven by molecular phylogenetic analyses. Consensus among mycologists has led to a stable systematic treatment that has since become widely adopted and is incorporated into this second edition, along with a great deal of new information on evolution and ecology. The systematic chapters cover occurrence, distribution, economic importance, morphology and ultrastructure, development of taxonomic theory, classification, and maintenance and culture. Other chapters deal with nomenclatural changes necessitated by revisions of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants, including the elimination of separate names for asexual states, as well as methods for preservation of cultures and specimens, character evolution and methods for ultrastructural study, the fungal fossil record, and the impact of whole genomes on fungal studies.

This timely book discusses antimicrobial drug resistance, specifically, the resistance against the beta-lactam class of antibiotics by Gram-Negative bacteria. The book is broadly divided into five sections. The first section describes the underlying mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance in Gram-negative bacteria. It gives an insight into the beta-lactamases, their types, classification, inhibitors, etc. The second section delves deep into the genetic basis of resistance. It talks about transposons, integrons, insertion sequences associated with antibiotic-resistant genes. The next section describes phenotypic and molecular methods to detect beta-lactam resistance. The fourth section talks about the epidemiology and prevalence of beta-lactamases in the environment. The last section of the book describes the various therapeutic options to combat this growing public threat of antimicrobial resistance. It talks about the current reserve drugs, as well as the newer antibiotic agents that are in the pipeline. This book is essential for clinical practitioners, students, and researchers in basic and medical microbiology.

This edited volume covers all aspects of microbes in consortia; their roles in the ecological balance of soil by mineralize soil nutrients, plant growth promotion, protecting plants from disease by acting as biocontrol agents etc. Step-by-step descriptions are provided to the development and designing strategies of microbial consortia of rhizobacteria, phytohormone producing with biocontrol; ACC-deaminase producing with siderophore producing; vice-versa, and many combinations of multifaceted bacteria. The development of microbial consortia into successful bioinoculant and biofertilizers is also included in various chapters. In addition, molecular mechanisms to study the synergistic behaviors of rhizobacteria, accompanied by numerous helpful schematic drawings. Using phylogeny to justify the molecular similarity among two different bacteria identifies the possibility of microbial synergism, fruitful to development of microbial consortium and establish them in the rhizosphere with consorted mechanisms. In addition, clear drawings are included in support of understanding the natural phenomenon of synergism in below-ground ecosystem. Essential information is provided on ecological management by consorted mechanisms of rhizobacteria that directly affect ‘agriculture sustainability’ and an individual chapter is devoted to the understanding of future research, and addressing bottlenecks and successful steps.  This book assists the academicians, researchers and NGOs in negotiating the steep learning curve involved in gaining the skills needed to perform design and development of microbial consortiums, preparation of PGPR-based fertilizers, which offers significant advantages in terms of pertaining novel knowledge on the groundbreaking research, still ongoing. 

This book critically evaluates recently investigated feedstock for biofuels production. Biofuel sector is rapidly evolving to cater the renewable energy demands. Novel and advanced feedstock are being investigated for their techno-economic feasibility. Environmental concerns, food vs fuel debate, energy security, economic feasibility, and availability are the major drivers for exploring different feedstock for biofuel production. This book explores a wide range of potential biofuels feedstock, their functional concepts, recent advancement, novel technique and critical evaluation with other available biofuel feedstock. This book also discusses future prospects of biofuel production. It is a useful read for students, researchers, faculty, industry and policy makers in the biofuel field.

Diatoms are the most species rich group of algae, and they contribute about 20% of annual global carbon fixation. They play major roles in ocean food webs and global biogeochemical cycles. They are also a target of the biotechnology industry because of their nano-patterned silica cell wall and high lipid content. Diatoms have received increasing attention as more genomes became available and because of the development of genome editing tools such as the CRISPR/Cas9 technology, which has made diatoms as genetically tractable as well-established biological model species. This book provides an overview on diatom molecular biology. It brings together international leading experts in the field to discuss the latest data and developments from genes to ecosystems. As the understanding of diatoms is currently experiencing a step change, it is critical to allow for synergistic approaches on diverse aspects of diatom biology and evolution. The books offers fundamental insights into the molecular life of diatoms; at the same time new scientific concepts are developed based on the application of the latest molecular tools and genomic information to explore the fascinating lifestyle of diatoms.

Big Data technologies have the potential to revolutionize the agriculture sector, in particular food safety and quality practices. This book is designed to provide a foundational understanding of various applications of Big Data in Food Safety. Big Data requires the use of sophisticated approaches for cleaning, processing and extracting useful information to improve decision-making. The contributed volume reviews some of these approaches and algorithms in the context of real-world food safety studies. Food safety and quality related data are being generated in large volumes and from a variety of sources such as farms, processors, retailers, government organizations, and other industries. The editors have included examples of how big data can be used in the fields of bacteriology, virology and mycology to improve food safety. Additional chapters detail how the big data sources are aggregated and used in food safety and quality areas such as food spoilage and quality deterioration along the supply chain, food supply chain traceability, as well as policy and regulations. The volume also contains solutions to address standardization, data interoperability, and other data governance and data related technical challenges. Furthermore, this volume discusses how the application of machine-learning has successfully improved the speed and/or accuracy of many processes in the food supply chain, and also discusses some of the inherent challenges. Included in this volume as well is a practical example of the digital transformation that happened in Dubai, with a particular emphasis on how data is enabling better decision-making in food safety. To complete this volume, researchers discuss how although big data is and will continue to be a major disruptor in the area of food safety, it also raises some important questions with regards to issues such as security/privacy, data control and data governance, all of which must be carefully considered by governments and law makers.

This edited book discusses the latest advancements in the area of biofuel development. It covers extensive information regarding different aspects and types of biofuels. The book provides a road map of the various kinds of biofuels available for consideration. It focuses on microbial based power generation, applications of nanotechnology in biofuel development, advancements in molecular techniques, economic and life cycle assessments. The book also highlights the commercialization prospects and economics of the various processes and an overview of the life cycle assessment of the various different kinds of biofuels. The contributors are experienced professors, academicians and scientists associated with renowned laboratories and institutes in India and abroad. This book is of interest to teachers, researchers, biofuel scientists, capacity builders and policymakers. Also the book serves as additional reading material for undergraduate and graduate students. National and international scientists, policy makers will also find this to be a useful read.

Soils would not exist without the complex and heterogeneous activities of microorganisms. For the third volume of Soil Biology, an international board of renowned scientists shed light on the significant role of these organisms. The following key topics are covered: Microorganisms in bioerosion, humification, mineralization and soil aggregation; Microbial energetics and microbes in biogeochemical processes such as carbon and nitrogen cycles and phosphorus bio-availability; Interactions in the mycorrhizosphere, e.g. between mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria; Impact of microbes on plant nutrient cycling and the possible effects of transgenic rhizospheres on soil fungi; Functions of microbes in specific soil compartments such as soil surface or toxic metal polluted soils; Regulation of microbial activities in functional domains that are influenced by biotic or abiotic factors; Use of marker genes and isotopes as examples for modern techniques in soil microbiology.

Based on the proceedings of the Federation of European Microbiological Societies Symposium held at the Cranfield Institute of Technology, this book serves to highlight a wide variety of areas of civil engineering where microbiological activity needs to be considered more thoroughly by engineers during the design, construction and operation phases of projects. Examples of where microbial processes are now known to have a significant affect include corrosion, deterioration of concrete and other construction materials, impairment of flow in groundwater abstraction systems in pipes and pumps, pressure relief and drainage systems in embankment dams, clogging of irrigation and drainage systems, alteration of soil and rock properties and the production of harmful gases. For a long time many of these "buried" problems have been thought of, purely in terms of physical and chemical processes. What is often happening, but going unnoticed, is some form of microbial activity, which initiates, enhances or is encouraged by other processes. When it is considered that the average bacteria cell is only a few microns in size, then it is hardly surprising if their activity does often go unnoticed. At

Valuable progress has been made in food packaging over the past two decades, reflecting advancements in process efficiency, improved safety and quality throughout the supply chain, and the need to reduce product loss and environmental impact. A new generation of food packaging systems, including active and intelligent packaging, is emerging, based on technological breakthroughs that offer the possibility of extending shelf-life, reducing food loss, and monitoring changes in the food product. Releasing Systems in Active Food Packaging closely examines such a technological breakthrough, active releasing systems, which add compounds such as antimicrobials, antioxidants, flavors, colorants, and other ingredients to packaged food products. Chapters detail examples of recent innovations in active releasing systems, and the authors systematically address their application to different food groups. Such an in-depth approach makes this a useful reference researchers, health professionals, and food and packaging industry professionals interesting in innovative food packaging technologies.