Advances in Applied Microbiology, Volume 118 continues the comprehensive reach of this widely read and authoritative review source in microbiology. Users will find invaluable references and information on a variety of areas relating to the topics of microbiology.

The definitive story of COVID-19 and how global politics shape our health - from a world-leading expert and the pandemic's go-to science communicator

Professor Devi Sridhar has risen to prominence for her vital roles in communicating science to the public and speaking truth to power. In Preventable she highlights lessons learned from outbreaks past and present in a narrative that traces the COVID-19 pandemic - including her personal experience as a scientist - and sets out a vision for how we can better protect ourselves from the inevitable health crises to come.

In gripping and heartfelt prose, Sridhar exposes the varied realities of those affected and puts you in the room with key decision makers at crucial moments. She vibrantly conveys the twists and turns of a plot that saw: deadlier varients emerge (contrary to the predictions of social media pundits who argued it would mutate to a milder form); countries with weak health systems like Senegal and Vietnam fare better than countries like the US and UK (which were consistently ranked as the most prepared); and the quickest development of game-changing vaccines in history (and their unfair distribution)

Combining science, politics, ethics and economics, this definitive book dissects the global structures that determine our fate, and reveals the deep-seated economic and social inequalities at their heart - it will challenge, outrage and inspire.

It is well established that certain strains of yeasts are suitable for transforming grape sugars into alcohol, while other yeast strains are not suitable for grape fermentations. Recent progress has clearly demonstrated that the sensory profile of a wine is characteristic of each vine cultivated, and the quality and technological characteristics of the final product varies considerably due to the strains which have performed and/or dominated the fermentation process. Because of their technological properties, wine yeast strains differ significantly in their fermentation performance and in their contribution to the final bouquet and quality of wine, such as useful enzymatic activities and production of secondary compounds related both to wine organoleptic quality and human health. The wine industry is greatly interested in wine yeast strains with a range of specialized properties, but as the expression of these properties differs with the type and style of wine to be made, the actual trend is in the use of selected strains, which are more appropriate to optimize grape quality. Additionally, wine quality can be influenced by the potential growth and activity of undesirable yeast species, considered spoilage yeasts, which cause sluggish and stuck fermentation and detrimental taste and aroma in the wine.

The author team of Prescott's Microbiology continues to provide a modern approach to microbiology using evolution as a framework. This new 12th edition integrates impactful new changes to include a fresh new design to engage students and important content updates including SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 which are prominently featured, taxonomic schemes that have been extensively revised, recent epidemiological data, and mRNA vaccines which just scrapes the surface of this new edition.

Natural gums are polysaccharides consisting of multiple sugar units linked together via glycosidic linkages. Most natural gums reveal appropriate safety for oral consumption in the form of food additives or drug carriers. Challenges related to the utilization of natural polysaccharides, however, include uncontrolled rates of hydration, pH dependent solubility, viscosity reduction during storage, and weak interfacial properties. Modification provides an efficient route for not only removing such drawbacks but also improving physicochemical properties, such as solubility, viscosity and swelling index, and introducing new properties for varied applications.This book provides a comprehensive review of the various modifications on gums to make them suitable for food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The book is divided in four parts: an introduction to natural gums followed by in-depth coverage of chemical modification, physical modification, and enzymatic modification of gums. Each chapter includes reaction mechanisms, physicochemical properties, rheological properties, interfacial properties, applications and future perspectives. Presenting a succinct account on gum modification from a practical point of view, this book is a helpful reference for academic and industrial scientists and engineers in food technology, materials chemistry, pharmaceuticals, chemical, industrial, and applied engineering, biochemistry, and biopolymers.

'A brilliant book [that] shows a way out of the destructive trap of Anthropocentric arrogance.' Vandana Shiva, from the Foreword Biocivilisations is a fascinating, original and important exploration into how complex civilisations existed on Earth long before humans. What is life? This is arguably the most important question in all of science. Many scientists believe life can be reduced to ‘mechanistic’ factors, such as genes and information codes. Everything can be sequenced and explained. But in a world as rich and complex as this one, can such an assertion really be true? A growing army of scientists, philosophers and artists do not share this mechanistic vision for the science of life. The gene metaphor is not only too simplistic but also misleading. If there is a way to reduce life to a single principle, how does that principle acknowledge the creativity of life that turns both genetic and information determinism on their heads? Biocivilisations is a groundbreaking book exploring the mysteries of life and its deep uncertainty. Dr Predrag Slijepčević turns anthropocentric scientific thinking on its head, showing how the humble bacteria created the equivalent of cities and connected them with information highways, bringing our planet to life three thousand million years ago. He explains how bacteria, amoebas, plants, insects, birds, whales, elephants and countless other species not only preceded human beings but also demonstrate elements of complex civilisation – communication, agriculture, science, art, medicine and more – that we associate with human achievement. More than 99.99 percent of life on Earth has existed without humanity, and life will continue without humans long into the future. Biocivilisations is an important rethinking of the current scientific paradigm. It challenges us to reconsider the limited scope and time-window of our current ‘scientific revolution’ and to fundamentally reimagine what we call ‘life on Earth’.

This text comprehensively covers the rituals, traditions and receipts of ancestral processes of bread making from multiple countries, including the scientific and technological character of the science of bread making and sourdough biotechnology. Individual chapters cover the scientific aspects of bread making in different cultures and traditions as well as the technological phenomena occurring during the bread making process, utilizing the full network of SOURDOMICS from the COST initiative. Pictures and illustrations are used to explain the science behind bread making processes and the cultural, historical and traditional elements associated with bread making in multiple countries. Authored by bread making experts from the breadth of Europe, the process of bread fermentation in each country and region is covered in detail. The traditions surrounding bread making are simply the empirical know-how passed between generations, and this book's main purpose is to perpetuate these traditions and know-how. Provides a description of the culture of European peoples with respect to the technology of bread making and sourdough biotechnology; Explains the process of bread fermentation using simple language combined with scientific rigor; High quality pictures and illustrations enrich the scientific and cultural elements mentioned in each chapter.

Extremophiles are organisms that live in extreme conditions. Their ability of surviving in extreme environments is due to their unique physiological and genetic adaptations. Extremophiles are harnessed for their extremozymes that have wide applications in biotechnology, pharmaceutics and industry. Recent developments in genomics and proteomics have helped unravel the mechanism of survival, physiological adaptation and genomics structure of extremophiles. This book covers the latest developments in understanding the physiology and biochemistry of extremophiles. It gives a complete idea about the microorganisms in these groups along with their biotechnological applications and also discusses the molecular genomics and molecular aspects of the extremophiles. It also presents detailed aspects related to newer applications of extremophiles in the industry will also be covered. The study of extremophiles is gaining wide interest and this book bridges the critical gap in knowledge related to extremophiles. This book is essential to anyone who is interested in studying the microbiology, biochemistry and application of these microorganisms.