This book provides useful information on microbial physiology and metabolism. The key aspects covered are prokaryotic diversity, growth physiology, basic metabolic pathways and their regulation, metabolic diversity with details of various unique pathways. Another focus area is stress physiology with details on varying environmental stresses, signal transduction, adaptation and survival. For instructional purposes, the book provides case studies, interesting facts, techniques etc. which help in showcasing the inter-disciplinary nature and bridge the gap between various aspects of applied microbiology.

This book contains over 1200 multiple choice questions based on biochemistry, environmental microbiology, microbial genetics, general microbiology, cell biology, industrial microbiology, immunology and mycology. As most modern evaluations in science are based on multiple choice questions, this book provides a valuable resource for those studying microbiology and related fields.

Great Salt Lake is an enormous terminal lake in the western United States. It is a highly productive ecosystem, which has global significance for millions of migrating birds who rely on this critical feeding station on their journey through the American west. For the human population in the adjacent metropolitan area, this body of water provides a significant economic resource as industries, such as brine shrimp harvesting and mineral extraction, generate jobs and income for the state of Utah. In addition, the lake provides the local population with ecosystem services, especially the creation of mountain snowpack that generates water supply, and the prevention of dust that may impair air quality. As a result of climate change and water diversions for consumptive uses, terminal lakes are shrinking worldwide, and this edited volume is written in this urgent context. This is the first book ever centered on Great Salt Lake biology. Current and novel data presented here paint a comprehensive picture, building on our past understanding and adding complexity. Together, the authors explore this saline lake from the microbial diversity to the invertebrates and the birds who eat them, along a dynamic salinity gradient with unique geochemistry. Some unusual perspectives are included, including the impact of tar seeps on the lake biology and why Great Salt Lake may help us search for life on Mars. Also, we consider the role of human perceptions and our effect on the biology of the lake. The editors made an effort to involve a diversity of experts on the Great Salt Lake system, but also to include unheard voices such as scientists at state agencies or non-profit advocacy organizations. This book is a timely discussion of a terminal lake that is significant, unique, and threatened.

This book focuses on the application of nanotechnology in medicine and drug delivery, including diagnosis and therapy. Nanomedicine can contribute to the development of a personalized medicine both for diagnosis and therapy. By interacting with biological molecules at nanoscale level, nanotechnology opens up an immense field of research and applications. Interactions between artificial molecular assemblies or nanodevices and biomolecules can be understood both in the extracellular medium and inside human cells. Operating at nanoscale allows exploitation of physical properties different from those observed at microscale, such as the volume to surface area ratio. A number of clinical applications of nanobiotechnology, such as disease diagnosis, target-specific drug delivery, and molecular imaging are being investigated. Some promising new products are also undergoing clinical trials. Such advanced applications of this approach to biological systems will undoubtedly transform the foundations of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease in the future. Nanomedicine sales reached $16 billion in 2015, with a minimum of $3.8 billion in nanotechnology R&D being invested each year. Global funding for emerging nanotechnology increased by 45% per year in recent years, with product sales exceeding $1 trillion in 2013. As the nanomedicine industry continues to grow, it is expected to have a significant impact on the global economy. This book provides clear, colorful and simple illustrations, tables, and case studies to clearly convey the content to a general audience and reader. This book also discusses the development of nanobiomaterials from biogenic (biological sources) systems for healthcare and disease therapies. This book, therefore, is useful for researchers and academicians in the fields of nanotechnology, medicine, nano-biotechnology and pharmacology.

This book reviews recent knowledge of the role of gut microbiome in health and disease. It covers extensive topics for several diseases, including metabolic-related diseases, allergies, gastrointestinal diseases, psychiatric diseases, and cancer, while also discussing therapeutic approaches by microbiota modification. Comprehensive and cutting-edge, Gut Microbiome-Related Diseases and Therapies deepens a reader's theoretical expertise in gut microbiome. Graduate and postdoctoral students, medical doctors, and biomedical researchers will benefit from this book.

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 volume provides a comprehensive overview of the major applications and potential of fungal biotechnology. The respective chapters report on the latest advances and opportunities in each topic area, proposing new and sustainable solutions to some of the major challenges faced by modern society. Aimed at researchers and biotechnologists in academia and industry, it represents essential reading for anyone interested in fungal biotechnology, as well as those working within the broader area of microbial biotechnology. Written in an accessible language, the book also offers a valuable reference resource for decision-makers in government and at non-governmental organizations who are involved in the development of cleaner technologies and the global bioeconomy. The 21st century is characterized by a number of critical challenges in terms of human health, developing a sustainable bioeconomy, facilitating agricultural production, and establishing practices that support a cleaner environment. While there are chemical solutions to some of these challenges, developing bio-based approaches is becoming increasingly important. Filamentous fungi, 'the forgotten kingdom,' are a group of unique organisms whose full potential has yet to be revealed. Some key properties, such as their exceptional capacity to secrete proteins into the external environment, have already been successfully harnessed for the production of industrial enzymes and cellulosic biofuels. Many further aspects discussed here -such as feeding the hungry with fungal protein, and the potential applications of the various small molecules produced by fungi -warrant further exploration. In turn, the book covers the use of fungal cell factories to produce foreign molecules, e.g. for therapeutics. Strategies including molecular approaches to strain improvement, and recent advances in high-throughput technologies, which are key to finding better products and producers, are also addressed. Lastly, the book discusses the advent of synthetic biology, which is destined to greatly expand the scope of fungal biotechnology. The chapter "Fungal Biotechnology in Space: Why and How?" is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License at link.springer.com.

Functional foods and nutraceuticals are food products that naturally offer or have been modified to offer additional health benefits beyond basic nutrition. As such products have surged in popularity in recent years, it is crucial that researchers and manufacturers understand the concepts underpinning functional foods and the opportunity they represent to improve human health, reduce healthcare costs, and support economic development worldwide. Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals: Bioactive Components, Formulations and Innovations presents a guide to functional foods from experienced professionals in key institutions around the world. The text provides background information on the health benefits, bioavailability, and safety measurements of functional foods and nutraceuticals. Subsequent chapters detail the bioactive components in functional foods responsible for these health benefits, as well as the different formulations of these products and recent innovations spurred by consumer demands. Authors emphasize product development for increased marketability, taking into account safety issues associated with functional food adulteration and solutions to be found in GMP adherence. Various food preservation methods aimed at enhancing the quality and shelf life of functional food are also highlighted. Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals: Bioactive Components, Formulations and Innovations is the first of its kind, designed to be useful to students, teachers, nutritionists, food scientists, food technologists and public health regulators alike.

In this book, researchers and practitioners working in the field present the major promises of algae biotechnology and they critically discuss the challenges arising from applications. Based on this assessment, the authors explore the great scientific, industrial and economic potential opened up by algae biotechnology. The first part of the book presents recent developments in key enabling technologies, which are the driving force to unleash the enormous potential of algae biotechnology. The second part of the book focuses on how practical applications of algae biotechnology may provide new solutions to some of the grand challenges of the 21st century. Algae offer great potential to support the building of a bio-based economy and they can contribute new solutions to some of the grand challenges of the 21st century. Despite significant progress, algae biotechnology is yet far from fulfilling its potential. How to unleash this enormous potential is the challenge that the own field is facing. New cultivation technologies and bioprocess engineering allow for optimization of the operation strategy of state-of the art industrial-scale production systems and they reduce the production costs. Parallel to this, new molecular technologies for genetic and metabolic engineering of (micro)algae develop quickly. The optimization of existing biochemical pathways or the introduction of pathway components makes high-yield production of specific metabolites possible. Novel screening technologies including high-throughput technologies enables testing of extremely large numbers of samples and, thus, allow for large scale modelling of biomolecular processes, which would have not been possible in the past. Moreover, profitable production can demand for integrated biorefining, which combines consecutive processes and various feedstocks to produce both transportation fuel, electric energy and valuable chemicals.

This book offers a comprehensive introduction to electron-based bioscience, biotechnology, and biocorrosion. It both explains the importance of electron flow during metabolic processes in microorganisms and provides valuable insights into emerging applications in various fields. In the opening section, readers will find up-to-date information on topics such as electron transfer reactions, extracellular electron transfer mechanisms, direct interspecies electron transfer, and electron uptake by sulfate-reducing bacteria. The focus then shifts to state-of-the-art advances and applications in the field of biotechnology. Here, the coverage encompasses e.g. progress in understanding electrochemical interactions between microorganisms and conductive particles, enzymatic reactions and their application in the bioproduction of useful chemicals, and the importance of redox balance for fatty acid production. In closing, the book addresses various aspects of the complex phenomenon of microbiologically induced corrosion, highlighting novel insights from the fields of electromicrobiology and electrochemistry and their implications.

The increased demand due to anthropogenic activity leads to emerging contaminants, resulting in a substantial environmental hazard. The long-term presence and exposure of contaminants lead to severe negative impacts on the environment, humans, and other life forms. Hence, emerging contaminants in the environment is a worldwide concern, and new technologies to mitigate these contaminants are being developed. This book covers the source, occurrence, toxicity, and detection techniques of a wide range of emerging contaminants. This collection also discusses the scope and applications of diverse techniques, including Bio/Phyto and Nano-remediation technologies, to mitigate the emerging contaminants; along with their sustainability issue and prospects. As a result, this book appears to provide insight into several modern and environmentally friendly waste management options, the possibility to minimize and lessen the effects of contaminants, and striving to lower toxicological endpoints to assure environmental safety. This book delivers the most recent advancements by prominent specialists in environmental sciences to academics, researchers, students, and practitioners interested in the identification and eradication of emerging pollutants from the environment.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge on plant-microbiome interactions and associations. It covers all major mechanistic approaches used to investigate microbes' impacts on plant growth promotion, disease control and health. The industrial manufacture of nitrogen currently accounts for roughly 2% of the world's total energy consumption. Microbial products are expected to reduce the need for costly fertilizers, as well as chemical pesticides and fungicides. While beneficial microorganisms are increasingly being used in agriculture, abiotic and biotic stresses such as heat, drought, cold, and salt can quickly kill or render them useless in the field. However, discovering new and better treatments is a lengthy process due to the considerable microbial diversity found in soils. Researchers have now proposed using biotechnological approaches to accelerate the process of microbial technology development. The fact that plant-associated microbes stimulate plant growth and development is well known, as the examples of rhizobia and mycorrhizal fungi show. The mechanisms by which these microorganisms maintain plant growth include the production of phytohormones, fixation of nitrogen, and the mobilization of phosphorus and minerals. The plant microbiome is also involved in pathogen suppression, and especially the root microbiome acts as a protective shield against soil-borne pathogens. A special feature of this book is its multidisciplinary approach, spanning from plant microbiology/biocontrol, fungal and bacterial endophytes, plant physiology, to biochemistry, proteomics and genomics. It is ideally suited for researchers and student of agri-biotechnology, soil biology and fungal biology.

There is a growing global awareness of the link between good diet and health. This fascinating book reviews various functional foods or nutraceuticals and the bio-active compounds they contain in order to identify the role of bioactive compounds such as nisin, micronutrients, and hydrocolloids in the diet in overall human health. It also provides up-to-date information on functional elements like antioxidants, dietary fibres, pre & probiotics, vitamins and mineral-enriched foods in the human diet. Consisting of fifteen chapters, the book offers a systematic review of the key factors in the preparation of functional foods from selected sources, and also describes the processing, preservation and packaging of a range of functional food products. This book is a valuable resource for students and researchers working in the field of food science, food technology, and nutrition, as well as for industry experts.

Nanotechnology progresses its concerts and suitability by improving its effectiveness, security and also reducing the impact and risk. Various chapters in this book are written by eminent scientists and prominent researchers in the field of nanotechnology across the world. This book is focused to put emerging techniques forward using nanoparticles for safe and nutritional food production, protecting crops from pests, increasing nutritional value and providing solutions for various environmental issues. The outcome of this book creates a path for wide usage of nanoparticles in food, agriculture and the environment fields. This book has clear and simple illustrations, tables and case studies to understand the content even by non-experts. This book especially deals with the nanotechnology for controlling plant pathogens, food packaging and preservation, agricultural productivity, waste water treatment and bioenergy production. Hence, this book can be adopted and used by many researchers and academicians in the fields of food, agriculture, environment and nanotechnology for catering the needs of sustainable future. The salient features of this book are * Describes nanotechnology as an interdisciplinary and emerging field in life sciences* Useful for researchers in the cutting edge life science related fields of nanoscience, nanobiology and nanotechnology* Deal with various problems in food, agriculture and environmental sector for sustainable solutions through the application of nanotechnology* Supported with illustrations in color, tables and case studies (wherever applicable), and * Contributed and well written by nanotechnology experts from across various disciplines

The aim of this book is to present, in depth, updated information on soil and microbial processes involved in mixed plantations of Eucalyptus and N2-fixing species, especially Acacia mangium, focusing on Forestry, Soils, Biology, Ecosystem Services and Sustainability. The potential of substituting chemical N fertilizer by a consortium of leguminous species that fix atmospheric nitrogen is an interesting solution for a more sustainable, economically and environmentally sound forest system. Among the main topics, we present reference topics on soil microbiology, as biological nitrogen fixation, the role of mycorrhiza in mixed plantations, bio-indicators of soil quality, and plantgrowth promoting bacteria with biotechnological potential. Here we discuss Ecosystem services and ecological benefits of these systems, the invasive potential of A.mangium, as well as the regulations and perspectives of land use policies for mixed forests and their role in the sustainability of the system.