The history of research on hog cholera (HC)/classical swine fever (CSF) can be roughly divided into three phases which are characterized by the methods available at the time for demonstrati ng the causati ve agent. Phase covered the period before the viral etiology of HC was discovered by de Schweinitz and Dorset (1904)*. Thereafter (Phase II) the detection of HC virus (HCV) was accomplished by laborious, time-consuming and costly pig inoculation experiments. This explains the extensive search for methods not only for detection but also for accurate infectivity titration as well as for applicable serological techniques to solve urgent problems concerning the pathogenesis, diagnosis, epidemiology and prophylaxis of HC. It was not before the late fifties that HC research entered Phase III when fluorescent antibody techniques offered not only the means for detection and titration of HCV in porcine cell cultures but also for more intensive research on hog cholera and its virus. And yet, there are a number of questions to be answered, e. g. on the genetic and antigenic relation of HCV to bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) virus. There are indications that Phase IV of HC research will bear the stamp of biotechnology. In view of this development it appears appropriate to give an up-dating and summarizing account of HC/CSF including comparative aspects of infections caused by structurally related viruses. The editIon of the present volume would have been impossible without the cooperation of several known scientists who instantly agreed when asked for contribution.

Plants produce more than 30,000 types of chemicals, including pharmaceuticals, pigments and other fine chemicals, which is four times more than those obtain ed from microbes. Plant cell culture has been receiving great attention as an alternative for the production of valuable plant derived secondary metabolites, since it has many advantages over whole plant cultivation. However, much more research is required to enhance the culture productivity and reduce the pro cessing costs, which is the key to the commercialization of plant cell culture pro cesses. The recent achievements in related biochemical engineering studies are reviewed in Chapter 1. The effect of gaseous compounds on plant cell behavior has been little studied, and Chapter 2 focuses on these gas concentration effects (including oxygen, carbon dioxide, ethylene and others, such as volatile hor mones like methyl jasmonate) on secondary metabolite production by plant cell cultures. Two metabolites of current interest, i. e. , the antimalarial artemisinin (known as "qing hao su" in China) that is produced by Artemisia annua (sweet wormwood) and taxanes used for anticancer therapy that are produced by species of Taxus, are taken as examples. Bioprocess integration is another hot topic in plant cell culture technology. Because most of the plant secondary meta bolites are toxic to the cells at high concentrations during the culture, removal of the product in situ during the culture can lead to the enhanced productivity. Various integrated bioprocessing techniques are discussed in Chapter 3.

In the first edition of Calcium Signaling Protocols I began by writing "The regula- 2+ tion of intracellular Ca is a common theme presented in many papers over the last 20 2+ or so years and the description of the Ca -sensitive indicator dye fura-2 in 1985 resulted in a massive increase in these types of studies. " This statement is as true in 2005 as it was in 1999, but 20 or so years is now 30 years! There has been some reorganization of the volume such that there are now 22 ch- ters including five new ones, all written by experts in their field. These new chapters 2+ include use of the FlexStation and electrophysiological measurement of Ca channel activity. The book is broken into six parts. Part I is a general coverage of basic theory and the simplest use of fluorescent indicators. Part II covers specialist measurement 2+ systems and Part III covers measurement of Ca channel activity. Assessment of 2+ release of stored Ca is covered in some detail in Part IV, with Parts V and VI cover- 2+ ing specialist measurement techniques and Ca -sensitive targets. Putting a book like this together, even as a second edition, takes time and I am, again, indebted to the individual authors for their help and patience. I am also very grateful to Professor John M. Walker, the series editor, for his continued help and advice over the course of this project.

Grain legume crops, e.g. common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), and soyabeans (Glycine max L.) are amongst the main sources of protein in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Their high protein content derive from their ability, in symbiosis with Rhizobium bacteria, to fix atmospheric nitrogen. Incorporating contributions from molecular biologists, microbiologists, plant breeders and soil scientists, this volume reports the results of an FAO/IAEA Co-ordinated Research Programme (1992-1996), whose main objective was to develop molecular biological methods to study rhizobial ecology. Use of better tracking methods will help enhance biological nitrogen fixation and thus grain legume yields, while reducing their reliance on soil- and/or fertilizer-nitrogen. This volume will be invaluable to scientists working on biological nitrogen fixation, soil microbial ecology and legume production.

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.

This book review series presents current trends in modern biotechnology. The aim is to cover all aspects of this interdisciplinary technology where knowledge, methods and expertise are required from chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, genetics, chemical engineering and computer science. Volumes are organized topically and provide a comprehensive discussion of developments in the respective field over the past 3-5 years. The series also discusses new discoveries and applications. Special volumes are dedicated to selected topics which focus on new biotechnological products and new processes for their synthesis and purification. In general, special volumes are edited by well-known guest editors. The series editor and publisher will however always be pleased to receive suggestions and supplementary information. Manuscripts are accepted in English.

From Fossils to Astrobiology reviews developments in paleontology and geobiology that relate to the rapidly-developing field of Astrobiology, the study of life in the Universe. Many traditional areas of scientific study, including astronomy, chemistry and planetary science, contribute to Astrobiology, but the study of the record of life on planet Earth is critical in guiding investigations in the rest of the cosmos. In this varied book, expert scientists from 15 countries present peer-reviewed, stimulating reviews of paleontological and astrobiological studies. The overviews of established and emerging techniques for studying modern and ancient microorganisms on Earth and beyond, will be valuable guides to evaluating biosignatures which could be found in the extraterrestrial surface or subsurface within the Solar System and beyond. This volume also provides discussion on the controversial reports of "nanobacteria" in the Martian meteorite ALH84001. It is a unique volume among Astrobiology monographs in focusing on fossil evidence from the geological record and will be valuable to students and researchers alike.

This title discusses various effects of heavy metal exposure to legumes as well as the bioremediation potential of rhizosphere microbes. Availability of heavy metals, their uptake and the effects of metals on various signaling pathways within legumes are presented. Furthermore, the effects of heavy metals to nitrogen fixing microorganisms and how microsymbionts can overcome metal stress is presented in detail. The role of nitrogen fixers in decontamination of heavy metal toxicity, mycoremediation of metal contaminated soils, microbially mediated transformation of heavy metals and action of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and nitrogen fixers together in detoxifying heavy metals are broadly explained. This volume is a useful tool for scientists, policy makers and progressive legume growers intending to develop safe and healthy legumes for future generations.

Bacterial Physiology and Biochemistry provides the most current, authoritative, and relevant presentation of bacterial physiology and biochemistry on subject, chemical composition and functional bacterial cell structure, nutrition and growth, the process of cell differentiation, metabolism and the influence of environmental factors. The book helps the reader learn and obtain modern knowledges on bacterial physiology and biochemistry, including chemical composition and functional cell structures, bacterial nutrition and growth, and the processes of cell differentiation, bacterial metabolism and microbial growth in nature, and the effect of environmental factors on bacterial cells. This book is an educational resource designed for use in advanced bachelor's and master's courses in biology, including microbiology, biochemistry and molecular biology. It contains curriculum taught to biology students specializing in microbiology.

The future of agriculture strongly depends on our ability to enhance productivity without sacrificing long-term production potential. An ecologically and economically sustainable strategy is the application of microorganisms, such as the diverse bacterial species of plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB). The use of these bio-resources for the enhancement of crop productivity is gaining worldwide importance.

" Bacteria in Agrobiology: Plant Growth Responses " describes the application of various bacteria in plant growth promotion and protection, including symbiotic, free living, rhizospheric, endophytic, methylotrophic, diazotrophic and filamentous species.

The articles in this volume provide a comprehensive overview of our current understanding of the roles played by cellular factors in the early steps of retroviral replication. A better understanding of these functions will provide critical new insights into retrovirus-host cell interactions and is likely to prove useful for the future development of effective antiretroviral therapies.

Introductory Microbiology Lab Skills and Techniques in Food Science covers topics on isolation, identification, numeration and observation of microorganisms, biochemistry tests, case studies, clinical lab tasks, and basic applied microbiology. The book is written technically with figures and photos showing details of every lab procedure. This is a resource that is skills-based focusing on lab technique training. It is introductory in nature, but encourages critical thinking based on real case studies of what happens in labs every day and includes self-evaluation learning questions after each lab section. This is an excellent guide for anyone who needs to understand how to apply microbiology to the lab in a practical setting.

This book series focuses on current progress in the broad field of medical microbiology, and covers both basic and applied topics related to the study of microbes, their interactions with human and animals, and emerging issues relevant for public health. Original research and review articles present and discuss multidisciplinary findings and developments on various aspects of microbiology, infectious diseases, and their diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Advances in Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Public Health is a subseries of Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, which has been publishing significant contributions in the field for over 30 years and is indexed in Medline, Scopus, EMBASE, BIOSIS, Biological Abstracts, CSA, Biological Sciences and Living Resources (ASFA-1), and Biological Sciences. 2016 Impact Factor: 1.881.

The microbiology of drinking water remains an important worldwide concern despite modem progress in science and engineering. Countries that are more technologically advanced have experienced a significant reduction in water borne morbidity within the last 100 years: This reduction has been achieved through the application of effective technologies for the treatment, disinfec tion, and distribution of potable water. However, morbidity resulting from the ingestion of contaminated water persists globally, and the available ep idemiological evidence (Waterborne Diseases in the United States, G. F. Craun, ed. , 1986, CRC Press) demonstrates a dramatic increase in the number of waterborne outbreaks and individual cases within the United States since the mid-1960s. In addition, it should also be noted that the incidence of water borne outbreaks of unknown etiology and those caused by "new" pathogens, such as Campylobaeter sp. , is also increasing in the United States. Although it might be debated whether these increases are real or an artifact resulting from more efficient reporting, it is clear that waterborne morbidity cannot be ignored in the industrialized world. More significantly, it represents one of the most important causes of illness within developing countries. Approxi mately one-half the world's population experiences diseases that are the direct consequence of drinking polluted water. Such illnesses are the primary cause of infant mortality in many Third World countries.

Dr. Hilary Koprowski is the pioneer of live polio vaccine, the first researcher to advance the diagnostic and therapeutic use of monoclonal antibodies, and the developer of the "gold standard" rabies vaccine. A world-reknowned maverick in biomedical research, Koprowski's research methods were often considered controversial and even radical. Nonetheless, he acquired key positions in many research organizations, such as the Rockefeller Foundation, Lederle Labs, and Wistar Institute, initiating landmark studies from cancer research to multiple sclerosis. One of his crowning achievements, the successful crusade for monoclonal antibodies, resulted in his founding of Centocor, a forerunner in the corporate world of biomedicine. This account of Koprowski's life history is a mixture of personal interviews, anecdotes, and legends of the art and science behind the man.

Plant innate immunity is a potential surveillance system of plants and is the first line of defense against invading pathogens. The immune system is a sleeping system in unstressed healthy plants and is activated on perception of the pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP; the pathogen s signature) of invading pathogens. The PAMP alarm/danger signals are perceived by plant pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs). The plant immune system uses several second messengers to encode information generated by the PAMPs and deliver the information downstream of PRRs to proteins which decode/interpret signals and initiate defense gene expression. This book describes the most fascinating PAMP-PRR signaling complex and signal transduction systems. It also discusses the highly complex networks of signaling pathways involved in transmission of the signals to induce distinctly different defense-related genes to mount offence against pathogens."

Baculovirus Expression Protocols, Second Edition, provides the detailed steps required to perform the techniques involved with the use of baculoviruses and insect cell culture and discusses problems that may be encountered. This newly-revised and updated edition provides a cutting edge step-by-step guide for biochemists, molecular biologists, biochemical engineers and others using the BEVS and/or insect cells for producing recombinant proteins. Furthermore, Baculovirus Expression Protocols, Second Edition, provides assistance to scientists and engineers interested in developing and producing baculovirus insecticides. Authors list all available insect cell lines and provide methods for isolating new cell lines. The procedures involved in producing products, both at laboratory scale and large scale, are discussed, as well as the production in insect larvae. It is hoped that this volume will not only aid the user in successfully completing the tasks described herein, but will also stimulate the development of improved techniques and new applications of baculoviruses and insect cell culture. Timely and thorough, this volume will become an essential reference for anyone using baculoviruses and insect cell culture.

This book is an excellent, up-to-date reference on a relatively young area of research in which virology, cellular biology and molecular pathogenesis govern the principles of coinvestigation. Thus, the book will be of great interest to virologists, molecular immunologists and biologists, and biochemists but also to clinical pharmacologists in the long-term search for new antiviral agents. Ulrich Desselberger, Gif-sur-Yvette/Cambridge. Infection of a naive (non-immune) host with a virus elicits an immediate response which results in a cascade of changes in the host, including an interferon response (innate immunity). The outcome of this interaction is influenced by the genes of the virus as well as the genes of the host. Interestingly, different viruses do it in different ways. Not only is there a plethora of mechanisms used by the invading organisms, but the host has also evolved a great variety of redundant and robust countermeasures. This interplay of host and virus represents one of the most significant frontiers in biology today. A clearer understanding of the mechanisms involved will arm us with better strategies to deal with viruses, including emerging pathogens and potential bioterrorism agents. This book is sure to benefit students, scientists, and physicians working in the areas of virology, immunology, microbiology, and infectious diseases. Pharmaceutical industry professionals will also find interest in this illuminating look into virus/host interactions.

Mycobacteria is divided into two volumes. The first volume deals with the basic biology of mycobacteria. With its emphasis on the state of the art outlook, this volume includes taxonomy and molecular biology of mycobacteria, modern approaches for detection of mycobacteria, and immunology and immunization against tuberculosis. The second volume covers drug trestments for mycobacteria anad tuberculosis. It outlines trends of discovery and development of chemotherapy, starting from the mid-50's to present day uses of chemotherapy in treating AIDS, drug-resistant tuberculosis, and other non-tuberculosis mycobacterial diseases.

Aimed at research scientists and biotechnologists, this book is an essential reading for those working with extremophiles and their potential biotechnological application. Here, we provide a comprehensive and reliable source of information on the recent advances and challenges in different aspects of the theme. Written in an accessible language, the book is also a recommended as reference text for anyone interested in this thriving field of research. Over the last decades, the study of extremophiles has provided ground breaking discoveries that challenge our understanding of biochemistry and molecular biology. In the applied side, extremophiles and their enzymes have spawned a multibillion dollar biotechnology industry, with applications spanning biomedical, pharmaceutical, industrial, environmental, and agricultural sectors. Taq DNA polymerase (which was isolated from Thermus aquaticus from a geothermal spring in Yellowstone National Park) is the most well-known example of the potential biotechnological application of extremophiles and their biomolecules. Indeed, the application of extremophiles and their biologically active compounds has opened a new era in biotechnology. However, despite the latest advances, we are just in the beginning of exploring the biotechnological potentials of extremophiles.

The genus Pseudomonas represents a large group of medically and envi ronmentally important bacteria. Interest in these bacteria is reflected in the extensive number of publications devoted to original research, re views, and books on this subject. In this volume selected areas of Pseu domonas research are presented in depth by persons who have been active in their fields over many years. The extensive reviews presented are an effort to provide a balanced perspective in a number of areas not readily available in the current literature. In the style of the previous Biotechnology Handbooks most of these topics have not been reviewed at all, and several are also presented from a new direction. For example, in addition to structural and compositional aspects, the chapter on lipids provides shifts in lipid parameters that result from environmental changes. This information will be invaluable to a cross section of Pseu domonas researchers in pathogenesis and bioremediation. The chapters presented include basic aspects of plasmid biology and carbohydrate metabolism and regulation. A major emphasis is placed on the Pseudomonas aeruginosa cell surface. Chapters cover lipo polysaccharide, capsular polysaccharide and alginate, the outer mem brane, transport systems, and the flagellum. Uptake of iron is also neces sarily an important portion of the chapter on iron metabolism."

This book provides an up-to-date overview of the various wood and tree fungi that damage trees, lumber, and timber. Special focus is given to identification, prevention, and remediation techniques, and the book bridges the gap between research and application. It covers the fundamentals of cytology and morphology.

There is a more practical section describing damage by viruses and bacteria on trees. The habitats of wood fungi are described as well as tree care. Important tree pathogens and wood decay fungi are characterized for prevention and identification. The final section focuses on the positive effects of wood-inhabiting microorganisms.

This text contains the Proceedings of the Federation of European Microbiological Societies Symposium held in Troia, Portugal, during 18-23 September 1988.

The excessive use of antibiotics has given rise to an increase in microbial resistance, threatening our ability to treat infectious diseases. The growth in resistance to antimicrobials and antibiotics threatens to reverse almost a century of medical progress. urgent action plans to tackle the crisis of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and multi-resistant bacteria are needed. It is a major research task to find effective ways to reduce the release and degradation of antibiotics and ARBs to the environment. Degradations of Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance Bacteria from various sources addresses various issues related the generations and degradations, eliminations of antibiotics and antibiotics resistance bacteria. Degradations of Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance Bacteria from various sources contains both practical and theoretical latest and broad aspects of antibiotics and antibiotics resistance bacteria management through the various recent methods. Various factors which are responsible for the efficient degradations are highlighted in the Degradations of Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance Bacteria from various sources as separate chapters. Socioeconomic and policies on the ARBs are also discussed.