At the dawn of the 21st century, biotechnology is emerging as a key enabling technology for sustainable environmental protection and stewardship. Biotechnology for the Environment: Strategy and Fundamentals captures the dynamism of environmental biotechnology as it addresses the molecular functioning of microorganisms as cleanup agents, their communal interactions in natural and polluted ecosystems, and the foundations of practical bioremediation processes. Chapters on biological pollution control in the chemical industry, biodegradation of persistent molecules (halogenated compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, detergents, etc.), microbial diversity with impact on global change, bioaugmentation strategies, and sensors for ecotoxicological monitoring, will be of value to environmental scientists, engineers, and decision-makers involved in the development, evaluation, or implementation of biological treatment systems.

For information on Soil Remediation, see Focus on Biotechnology volume 3B, and for information on Waste Water and Waste Gas Handling, see Focus on Biotechnology volume 3C.

This textbook addresses global and local environmental problems and the involvement of microorganisms in their development and remediation. In particular, methodological aspects, some of them molecular genetic, for the study of microbial communities are considered. Overall, the prominent role of microorganisms in various material cycles is presented. In addition to biochemical principles for the degradation of environmental pollutants, the use of microorganisms in environmental biotechnological processes for the purification of air, water or soil as well as in environmentally friendly production processes is discussed. The book is intended for biologists with an interest in environmental microbiological issues, but also for students of process or environmental engineering, geoecology or geology, as well as students of other environmental science disciplines. For the 3rd edition, the authors have completely revised, corrected, updated and supplemented the book.

In diesem Fachbuch werden die globalen und lokalen Umweltprobleme sowie die Beteiligung von Mikroorganismen an der Entstehung und Beseitigung dieser Probleme angesprochen. Insbesondere werden methodische, teils molekulargenetischen Aspekte zur Untersuchung mikrobieller Lebensgemeinschaften berucksichtigt. Insgesamt wird die herausragende Rolle der Mikroorganismen in verschiedenen Stoffkreislaufen dargestellt. Neben biochemischen Grundlagen zum Abbau von Umweltschadstoffen wird der Einsatz von Mikroorganismen in umweltbiotechnologischen Verfahren zur Reinigung von Luft, Wasser oder Boden sowie in umweltschonenden Produktionsverfahren diskutiert. Gedacht ist das Buch fur Biologen mit Interesse an umweltmikrobiologischen Fragen, aber auch fur Studierende der Verfahrens- oder Umweltverfahrenstechnik, der Geooekologie oder Geologie sowie Studierende anderer umweltwissenschaftlicher Fachrichtungen. Fur die 3. Auflage haben die Autoren das Buch komplett durchgearbeitet, korrigiert, aktualisiert und erganzt.