Microbiology (non-medical) Books

Book SynopsisThis volume focuses on antibiotics research, a field of topical significance for human health due to the worrying increase of nosocomial infections caused by multi-resistant bacteria. It covers several basic aspects, such as the evolution of antibiotic resistance and the influence of antibiotics on the gut microbiota, and addresses the search for novel pathogenicity blockers as well as historical aspects of antibiotics. Further topics include applied aspects, such as drug discovery based on biodiversity and genome mining, optimization of lead structures by medicinal chemistry, total synthesis and drug delivery technologies. Moreover, the development of vaccines as a valid alternative therapeutic approach is outlined, while the importance of epidemiological studies on important bacterial pathogens, the problems arising from the excessive use of antibiotics in animal breeding, and the development of innovative technologies for diagnosing the “bad bugs” are discussed in detail. Accordingly, the book will appeal to researchers and clinicians alike.Table of Contents

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Book SynopsisHuman coronaviruses caused the SARS epidemic that infected more than 8000 people, killing about ten percent of them in 32 countries. This book provides essential information on these viruses and the development of vaccines to control coronavirus infections.Trade ReviewAus den Rezensionen: "… Das Buch enthält … Informationen über die Genom-Organisation der Coronaviridae … Die einzelnen Kapitel bestechen durch ihre hohe Transparenz, wie auch durch ihre Einheitlichkeit der Gliederung. Insgesamt spannt das Buch mit der Anordnung der Kapitel einen in sich geschlossenen, kohärenten Bogen. Die einzelnen Kapitel sind von herausragenden Wissenschaftlern zu den jeweiligen Thematiken verfasst … Bestechend sind ferner die zumeist sehr ausführlichen und aktuellen Verweise zur Primärliteratur. Zusammenfassend ein top aktuelles Buch, das nur empfohlen werden kann …" (A. Schmidt, in: Der Mikrobiologe, 2007, Vol. 17, Issue 2, S. 56)Table of ContentsCoronavirus genome structure and replication.- Coronavirus transcription: a perspective.- The coronavirus replicase.- Viral and cellular proteins involved in coronavirus replication.- Coronavirus reverse genetics by targeted RNA recombination.- Coronavirus reverse genetics and development of vectors for gene expression.- Reverse genetics of coronaviruses using vaccinia virus vectors .- Development of mouse hepatitis virus and SARS-CoV infectious cDNA constructs.- Subject index

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Book SynopsisThis 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.Trade ReviewFrom the reviews: "The book (334 pages) is an updated revision of the German edition ‘Holdz-und Baumpilze’ from 1994. … The book is illustrated with 74 figures (12 coloured pictures) and 49 tables. … The book is of great interest to scientists, students, professionals working in wood protection, as well as foresters." (Benoit Marçais, Annals of Forest, Vol. 63 (2), 2007)Table of ContentsBiology.- Physiology.- Wood Cell Wall Degradation.- Damages by Viruses and Bacteria.- Wood Discoloration.- Wood Rot.- Habitat of Wood Fungi.- Positive Effects of Wood-Inhabiting Microorganisms.

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Book SynopsisThis Volume presents a comprehensive series of generic protocols for the genetic and genomic analysis of prokaryotic isolates. Genetic methods for functional analyses employ the latest cloning vectors, gene fusion methods and transposon mutagenesis systems, as well as systems for introducing protease-cleavage sequences into permissive sites in proteins under investigation. Genomic methods described include protocols for transcriptomics, shotgun proteomics, interactomics, metabolic profiling, and lipidomics. Bioinformatic tools for genome annotation, transcriptome display and the integration of transcriptomic data into genome-scale metabolic reconstructions are described. Protocols for 13C-based metabolic flux determinations and analysis of the hierarchical and metabolic regulation of fluxes through pathways are included. The Volume thus enables investigators to functionally analyse an isolate over the entire cellular range spanning the gene, the genome, the transcript repertoire, the proteome, the interactome, the metabolic network with its nodes and their regulatory hierarchies, and the metabolic fluxes and their physiological controls.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.Table of ContentsIntroduction.- Broadening the SEVA plasmid repertoire to facilitate genomic editing of Gram-negative bacteria.- Protocols on regulation of gene expression.- Ultra-high-throughput transposon scanning of bacterial genomes.- Knock-in-leave-behind (KILB): Genetic grafting of protease-cleaving sequences into permissive sites of proteins with a Tn5-based transposition system.- Deep sequencing to study microbial transcriptomic responses to hydrocarbon degradation/production/stress.- Shotgun proteomics for hydrocarbon microbiology.- Interactomic characterization of membrane-associated mega-complexes for the anaerobic respiration in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.- Lipidomic analysis of bacteria by thin layer chromatography and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry.- Accurate microbial genome annotation using an integrated and user-friendly environment for community expertise of gene functions: the MicroScope platform.- Approaches for displaying complete transcriptomes of environmental bacteria.- A practical protocol for integration of transcriptomics data into genome-scale metabolic reconstructions.- GC-MS based determination of mass isotopomer distributions for 13C-based metabolic flux analysis.- Analysis of the hierarchical and metabolic regulation of flux through metabolic pathways.

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Book SynopsisThis volume is composed of chapters that review important fundamental aspects of HCV biology and disease pathogenesis including, for example, the discovery and identification of the HCV genome, early virus-cell interactions including identification of various cellular receptors, HCV gene expression studied using the HCV replicon system, identification and characterization of HCV structural- and non-structural HCV proteins, HCV replication in cultured cells, and host factors involved in viral replication. This volume also contains chapters dealing with immunity to HCV infection and pathogenesis. This is particularly important in understanding hepatitis C because HCV infection alone is not cell lytic. Mechanisms underlying the persistent nature of HCV infection are also discussed in these chapters. Many of the authors published articles that were listed among the “top 10 papers” published in the 24 years since HCV was discovered in 1989. Their citations are above 1,000 (Web of Science). The authors describe the background and significance of their contributions to the field in the context of findings from other research groups.Table of ContentsPart I. Hepatitis C Virus.- 1. Towards the Control of Hepatitis C (Michael Houghton).- 2. Hepatitis C Virus Genotypes and Their Evolution (Tadasu Shin-I, Masaya Sugiyama, Masashi Mizokami).- 3. The Structure of HCV (Joseph Marcotrigiano and Maria Teresa Catanese).- Part II. The Viral Life Cycle.- 4. Cell Culture Systems for Propagation of HCV.- 5. HCV Receptors and Virus Entry (Rajiv G. Tawar, Catherine Schuster, and Thomas F. Baumert).- 6. Structural Proteins of HCV and Biological Functions (Kohji Moriishi and Yoshiharu Matsuura).- 7. Role of Nonstructural Proteins in HCV Replication (Tetsuro Suzuki and Ryosuke Suzuki).- 8. The HCV Replicase Complex and Viral RNA Synthesis (Inés Romero Brey and Volker Lohmann).- 9. Host factors and the HCV lifecycle (Glenn Randall).- 10. Lipid Peroxidation and Hepatitis C Virus Replication (Daisuke Yamane and Stanley M. Lemon).- 11. Lipid and Lipoprotein Components Play Important Roles in HCV Egress and Infectivity (Takayuki Hishiki, Yuko Shimizu, Saneyuki Ujino, Hironori Nishitsuji, and Kunitada Shimotohno).- Part III. Immune Recognition and Pathogenesis.- 12. New Animal Models for Hepatitis C (Alex Ploss).- 13. Innate Immune Recognition of Hepatitis C Virus (Kui Li).- 14. B Cell Responses and Control of HCV Infection (Zhen-Yong Keck, Thomas R. Fuerst, Roy A. Mariuzza, and Steven K.H. Foung).

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Book SynopsisThe Conference on Pseudomonas syringae which started in 1973 as an informal meeting of a group of scientists working on these bacteria in Angers, France, has become more and more important with time. Many meetings have been held since then: 1984, 1987, 1991, 1995, and 2002 in Cape Sounion, Greece; Lisbon, Portugal; Florence, Italy; Berlin, Germany; and Maratea, Italy; respectively. This Conference is considered as the most important scientific forum in which recent advances in different research aspects on Pseudomonas syringae, a plant pathogenic bacterial species that includes a high number of pathogens (referred as pathovars) and Related Pathogens such as Acidovorax, Burkholderia, Ralstonia, affecting several economically important crops. The proceedings resulting from these meetings are considered as valuable sources of information related to this group of pathogens. The interest in organising this conference regularly is reflected by the attendance of more than 80 scientists from 20 countries worldwide, who participated at the 7th International Conference on Pseudomonas syringae pathovars and related pat- gens organized by the Institut Agronomique et Veterinaire Hassan II in Agadir, Morocco, from 13th to 16th November 2006.Table of ContentsPreface. Sponsors and Donors. Section 1. Identification and Detection. 1. Current technologies for Pseudomonas spp. and Ralstonia solanacearum detection and molecular typing: M.M. López et al. 2. Siderophore uses in Pseudomonas syringae identification: A. Bultreys, I. Gheysen. 3. Chlorophyll fluorescene imaging for detection of Bean response to Pseudomonas syringae in asymptomatic leaf areas: L. Rodrígues-Moreno et al. 4. Sensitive detection of Ralstonia solanacearum (race 3) using serological methods and Biolog automated system: A.E. Tawfik et al. Section 2. Epidemiology and Disease Management. 5. Epidemiological basis for an efficient control of Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi on olive trees: J.M. Quesada et al. 6. Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae on kiwifruit plants: its role and its control: A. Rossetti and G.M. Balestra. 7. Head rot of cauliflower caused by Pseudomonas fluerescens in southern Italy: P. Lo Cantore and N.S. Iacobellis. 8. Internalization and survival of Pseudomonas corrugata from flowers to fruits and seeds of tomato plants: G. Cirvilleri et al. 9. Copper and streptomycin resistance in pseudomonas strains isolated from pipfruit and stone fruit orchards in New Zealand: J.L. Vanneste et al. 10. Basal defence in Arabidopsis agains Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola: Beyond FLS2?: A. Forsyth et al. 11. Agrobacterium suppresses P. syringae-elicited salicylate production in Nicotiana tabacum leaves: A. Rico and G.M. Preston. 12. Characterization of an inhibitory strain of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae withpotential as a biocontrol agent for bacterial blight on soybean: S.D. Braun and B. Völksch. 13. Characterization of the inhibitory strain Pantoea sp. 48b/90 with potential as a biocontrol agent for bacterial plant pathogens: B. Völksch and U. Sammer. 14. Pseudomonas syringae: Prospects for its use as a weed biocontrol agent: B.M. Thompson et al. 15. Analysis of Pseudomonas syringae populations and identification of strains as potential biocontrol agents against postharvest rot of different fruits: G. Cirvilleri et al. Section 3. Pathogenesis and Determinants of Pathogenicity. 16. The distribution of multiple exopolysaccharides in Pseudomonas syringae biofilms: H. Laue et al. 17. Impact of temperature on the regulation of coronatine biosyntesis in Pseudomonas syringae: Y. Braun et al. 18. Role of flagelling glycosylation in bacterial virulence: Y. Ichinose et al. 19. Genetic relatedness among the different genetic lineages of Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola: M.E. Führer et al. 20. WLIP and Analogues of Tolaasin I, Lipodepsipeptides from Pseudomonas reactans and Pseudomonas tolaasii: A Comparison of their Activity on Natural and Model Membranes: R. Paletti et al. 21. Competitive index in mixed infection: a sensitive and accurate method to quantify growth of pseudomonas syringae in different plants: A.P. Macho et al. Section 4. Genomics and Molecular Characterization. 22. Genomic analysis of Pseudomonas syringae pathovars: Identification of virulence genes and associated regulatory elements using pattern-based searches and genome comparison: W. Lindeberg et al. 23. Gene ontology (GO) for microbe-host interactions and its

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Book SynopsisMorphological, biological, biochemical and physiological characteristics have been used for the detection, identification and differentiation of fungal pathogens up to species level. Tests based on biological characteristics are less consistent. Immunoassays have been shown to be effective in detecting fungal pathogens present in plants and environmental samples. Development of monoclonal antibody technology has greatly enhanced the sensitivity and specificity of detection, identification and differentiation of fungal species and varieties/strains. Nucleic acid-based techniques involving hybridization with or amplification of unique DNA have provided results rapidly and reliably. Presentation of a large number of protocols is a unique feature of this volume.Trade ReviewFrom the reviews:“The first volume of the Microbial plant pathogens - Detection and disease diagnosis focuses on fungal pathogens. … All chapters are summarized in the abstract, well referenced and focused on providing concerns of techniques and improvements of research. Therefore, if you are interested in the methods for detection and diagnosis, this is certainly a book you must have. The book should be available to every mycologist and students studying any aspect of plant pathology. Every library in the world should also have this book.” (Dhanushka Udayanga and Dimuthu S. Manamgoda, Fungal Diversity, April, 2012)Table of ContentsVolume 1 Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Microbial plant pathogens as a major limiting factor of crop production 1.2 Discovery of fungi as plant pathogens 1.3 Detection of fungal plant pathogens and disease diagnosis References Chapter 2 Detection of Fungal Pathogens in Plants 2.1 Detection of fungal pathogens in plant organs 2.1.1 Biological methods 2.1.2 Pathogenicity and host range 2.1.3 Biochemical methods 2.1.4 Immunoassays 2.1.5 Nucleic acid-based detection techniques 2.2 Detection of fungal pathogens in seeds and planting materials 2.2.1 Detection of fungal pathogens in seeds 2.2.2 Detection of fungal pathogens in propagative planting materials 2.2.3 Detection of fungal pathogens in postharvest produce Appendix References Chapter 3 Detection of Fungal Pathogens in the Environment 3.1 Detection of fungal pathogens in soil 3.1.1 Bioassays 3.1.2 Immunoassays 3.1.3 Nucleic acid-based techniques 3.2 Detection of fungal pathogens in water 3.2.1 Immunoassays 3.2.2 Nucleic acid-based techniques 3.3 Detection of fungal pathogens in air 3.4 Detection of fungal pathogens in alternative host plants Appendix References Chapter 4 Assessment of Variability in Fungal Plant Pathogens 4.1 Methods of assessment of variability in fungal pathogens 4.1.1 Assessment of variations in biological characteristics 4.1.2 Assessment of variations in biochemical characteristics 4.1.3 Assessment of variations in immunological characteristics 4.1.4 Assessment of variations in genomic characteristics 4.2 Assessment of variability in sensitivity to chemicals 4.2.1 Assessment of variations in biological characteristics 4.2.2 Assessment of variations in genetic characteristics Appendix References Chapter 5 Diagnosis of Fungal Diseases of Plants 5.1 Choice of diagnostic tests for fungal pathogens 5.1.1 Conventional methods 5.1.2 Molecular methods 5.2 Agencies involved in disease diagnosis 5.2.1 Disease diagnostic centers 5.2.2 Plant quarantines References

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Book SynopsisMany Microorganisms and some macro-organisms can live under extreme conditions. For example, high and low temperature, acidic and alkaline conditions, high salt areas, high pressure, toxic compounds, high level of ionizing radiation, anoxia and absence of light, etc. Many organisms inhabit environments characterized by more than one form of stress (Polyextremophiles). Among them are those who live in hypersaline and alkaline, hot and acidic, cold/hot and high hydrostatic pressure, etc. Polyextremophiles found in desert regions have to copy with intense UV irradiation and desiccation, high as well as low temperatures, and low availability of water and nutrients. This book provides novel results of application to polyextremophiles research ranging from nanotechnology to synthetic biology to the origin of life and beyond.Trade ReviewFrom the book reviews:“It is a document of the terrestrial ecology of free-living microorganisms. … The utility of the volume is enhanced by its general readability; any undergraduate with a basic understanding of microbiology will benefit from reading it. This accessibility is augmented by the color plates that are used throughout the text. … Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above.” (P. K. Strother, Choice, Vol. 52 (2), October, 2014)Table of ContentsPART 1: OPENING CHAPTERSIntroduction; J. Seckbach et al.Foreword; R.W. CastenholzPreface; K. HorikoshiList of Authors and Their AddressesPART 2: GENERAL ASPECTSPolyextremophiles and the Constraints for Terrestrial Habitability; M.C. Capece et al.Life on the Edge and Astrobiology: Who Is Who in the Polyextremophiles World; J. SeckbachThe Dynamic Genomes of Acidophiles; F. J. López de Saro et al.PART 3: HALOPHILESTwo Centuries of Microbiological Research in the Wadi Natrun, Egypt: A Model System for the Study of the Ecology, Physiology, and Taxonomy of Haloalkaliphilic Microorganisms; A. OrenAdaptation in Haloalkaliphiles and Natronophilic Bacteria; H.L. Banciu and D.Y. SorokinA Random Biogeochemical Walk into Three Soda Lakes of the Western USA: With an Introduction to a Few of their Microbial Denizens; R.S. OremlandHalophilic, Acidophilic, and Haloacidophilic Prokaryotes; H. MinegishiLife in Magnesium- and Calcium-Rich Hypersaline Environments: Salt Stress by Chaotropic Ions; A. OrenSurvival Strategies of Halophilic Oligotrophic and Desiccation Resistant Prokaryotes; H. Stan-Lotter and S. FendrihanRadiation Resistance in Extremophiles: Fending Off Multiple Attacks; K.M. Webb and J. DiRuggieroPART 4: THERMOPHILESThermoalkaliphilic Microbes; V. Kumar and T. SatyanarayanaAcido- and Thermophilic Microorganisms, Their Features and Identification of Novel Enzymes or Pathways; Y. KawarabayasiMicrobial Diversity in Acidic High Temperature Steam Vents; R.L. Weiss Bizzoco and S.T. KelleyPART 5: PSYCHROPHILESLeft Out in the Cold: Life in Cryoenvironments; J. Goordial et al.Microbial Diversity and Enzymes in Ikaite Columns; A Cold and Alkaline Environment in Greenland; J.K. Vester et al.Microbial Communities Thriving in Various Ice Ecosystems; B. Sattler and B. PostSnow Algae. Adaptation Strategies to Survive on Snow and Ice; T. LeyaAdaptation of Antarctic Freshwater Green Algae to the Extreme Environments; H. HuPART 6: PRESSUREDeep Sub-Surface Oil Reservoirs as Poly-Extreme Habitats for Microbial Life. A Current Review; A. Wentzel et al.Expanding Limits for Life to a New Dimension: Microbial Growth at Hypergravity; S. Deguchi and K. HorikoshiPART 7: OXYGEN RELATIONSHIPSMicrobial Eukaryotes in Marine Oxygen Minimum Zones; W.D. Orsi and V.P. EdgcombDeep Hypersaline Anoxic Basins as Model Systems for Environmental Selection of Microbial Plankton; A. Stock et al.Microbial Eukaryotes in Hypersaline Anoxic Deep Sea Basins; V.P. Edgcomb and W.D. OrsiLife at High Salt and Low Oxygen: How Do the Halobacteriaceae Cope with Low Oxygen Concentrations in their Environment?; A. OrenPART 8: SELECTED ORGANISMSNiches and Adaptations of Polyextremotolerant Black Fungi; M. Grube et al.Polyextremophilic Photoautotrophic Eukaryotic Algae; W. Reisser Extremophilic Magnetotactic Bacteria; C.T. Lefèvre and D. A. BazylinskiMulticellular Extremophiles – The Case of the Tardigrades; D. Schulze-Makuch and J. SeckbachPART 9: FINAL COMMENTSPolyextremophiles - Summary and Conclusions; J. Chela FloresErratumOrganism IndexSubject IndexAuthor Index

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Book Synopsis1. The viral infections of the developing nervous system: an overview.- 2. Reovirus infections of the central nervous system.- 3. Dysmyelination in transgenic mice containing the early region of JC virus.- 4. Bovine leukaemia: facts and hypotheses derived from the study of an infectious cancer.- 5. Human immunodeficiency virus brain infection in infants and children.- 6. Persistent infection of mice with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus.- 7. Differentiation-linked susceptibility of nervous and muscular tissue of mice to infection with Moloney murine leukaemia virus.- 8. Antigenic phenotype and experimental herpes simplex virus infection of cultured human fetal neural cells.- 9. Human cytomegalovirus: the major envelope glycoprotein as a candidate for a subunit vaccine.- 10. Rubella virus and its effects on the developing nervous system.- 11. Experimental mumps virus infections in the developing nervous system.- 12. Neurotransmitter-related activities of MHV3-infected cortical cells in culture.Table of Contents1. The viral infections of the developing nervous system: an overview.- 2. Reovirus infections of the central nervous system.- 3. Dysmyelination in transgenic mice containing the early region of JC virus.- 4. Bovine leukaemia: facts and hypotheses derived from the study of an infectious cancer.- 5. Human immunodeficiency virus brain infection in infants and children.- 6. Persistent infection of mice with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus.- 7. Differentiation-linked susceptibility of nervous and muscular tissue of mice to infection with Moloney murine leukaemia virus.- 8. Antigenic phenotype and experimental herpes simplex virus infection of cultured human fetal neural cells.- 9. Human cytomegalovirus: the major envelope glycoprotein as a candidate for a subunit vaccine.- 10. Rubella virus and its effects on the developing nervous system.- 11. Experimental mumps virus infections in the developing nervous system.- 12. Neurotransmitter-related activities of MHV3-infected cortical cells in culture.

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Book SynopsisIn spite of the availability of modern broad-spectrum anthelmintic drugs, the prevention and control of helminth zoonoses remain a challenge to human and veterinary parasitologists and to physicians and veterina- rians working on the field. Although the life cycles of most helminths of zoonotic importance are well known, there are still major gaps in our knowledge especially in the fields of epidemiology, diagnosis and treat- ment The International Colloquium on Helminth Zoonoses held at the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, 11-12 December 1986, laid emphasis on more recent advances made in the control and epidemiology of these zoonotic diseases. The disease complexes echinococcosis/hydatidosis, taeniasis/cysticercosis and the larva migrans-syndrome were dealth with in considerable detail. In the first chapter the phenomenon of strain variation in Echinococcus spp. is examined in the light of newer findings. The progress made in recent years towards a more specific diagnosis and drug targeting in hydatidosis is reported. In the second chapter recent advances in immunisation and treatment of cysticercosis are dealt with. The possibili- ty of the existence of strain differences in Taenia saginata is also dis- cussed. The third chapter is devoted to trematode zoonoses with particular reference to the situation in South-east Asia, Senegal (schistosomiasis) and Liberia (paragonimiasis). In the last chapter the larva migrans- syndrome is treated in detail with special attention to its etiology and and diagnosis. Reports on lesser known nematode zoonoses like mammomono- gamosis and oesophagostomiasis are included.Table of ContentsSection 1: Echinococcosis — Hydatidosis.- Changing concepts in the microecology, macroecology and epidemiology of hydatid disease.- The fertility of hydatid cysts in food animals in Greece.- A failure to infect dogs with Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces of human origin.- Experimental infection of sheep and monkeys with the camel strain of Echinococcus granulosus.- Characterization of the hydatid disease organism, Echinococcus granulosus from Kenya using cloned DNA markers.- Kinetics of molecular transfer across the tegument of protoscoleces and hydatid cysts of Echinococcus granulosus and the relevance of these studies to drug targeting.- Diagnosis of ovine hydatidosis by Immunoelectrophoresis.- Characterisation of Echinococcus granulosus proteins and antigens from hydatid cyst fluid.- Existence of an urban cycle of Echinococcus granulosus in Central Tunisia.- Echinococcosis eradication in Cyprus.- Section 2: Taeniasis — Cysticercosis.- Taeniasis: the tantalizing target.- Observations on possible strain differences in Taenia saqinata.- Immunoprophylaxis of Taenia saqinata cysticercosis.- An important focus of porcine and human cysticercosis in West Cameroon.- Cysticercus fasciolaris in mice: a laboratory model for selecting new drug on cysticercosis.- Large-scale use of chemotherapy of taeniasis as a control measure for T. solium infections.- Section 3: Trematode Zoonoses.- Zoonotic trematodiasis in South-east and Far-east Asian countries.- Observations on human and animal schistosomiasis in Senegal.- Occurrence of human lung fluke infection in an endemic area in Liberia.- Section 4: Larva migrans and other nematode zoonoses.- Larva migrans in perspective.- Immunological studies on Ascaris suum infections in mice.- Toxocara vitulorum: a possible agent of larva migrans in humans?.- Antigenic and biochemical analysis of the E.S. molecules of Toxocara canis infective larvae.- Ocular toxocariasis: role of IgE in the pathogenesis of the syndrome and diagnostic implications.- Serological arguments for multiple etiology of visceral larva migrans.- Experimental Trichinella spiralis infection in two horses.- Intestinal mast cells: possible regulation and their function in the gut of Trichinella spiralis infected small rodents.- Variable levels of host immunoglobulin on microfilariae of Brugia pahanoi isolated from the blood of cats.- Mammomonogamosis.- Frequency of symptomatic human oesophagostomiasis (helminthoma) in Northern Togo.- Index of Subjects.

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Book SynopsisGlobal yields of legumes have been relatively stagnant for the last five decades, despite the adoption of conventional and molecular breeding approaches. The use of plant growth-promoting (PGP) bacteria for improving agricultural production, soil and plant health has become one of the most attractive strategies for developing sustainable agriculture. Actinomycetes are bacteria that play an important role in PGP and plant protection, produce secondary metabolites of commercial interest, and their use is well documented in wheat, rice, beans, chickpeas and peas. In order to promote legumes, the general assembly of the UN recently declared 2016 the “International Year of Pulses.” In view of this development, this book illustrates how PGP actinomycetes can improve grain yield and soil fertility, improve control of insect pests and phytopathogens, and enhance host-plant resistance. It also addresses special topics of current interest, e.g. the role of PGP actinomycetes in the biofortification of legume seeds and bioremediation of heavy metals. Trade Review“The present book documents recent research, at ICRISAT and worldwide, on this fascinating subject of study. … Clearly the plant growth promoting, root-associated Actinobacteria constitute a most promising group for further study in the quest to improve the performance and yield of grain legumes, one of the world’s most important crop groups, with great potential for success in helping to strengthen international food security.” (David S. Ingram, Food Security, Vol. 9, 2017)“This work focuses on actinobacteria in soil microbiota and their role in crop production, generally pulse crops such as peas and beans. … Chapters show a consistency of style and format, all with meaningfully titled short subsections, frequent inclusion of tables, extensive cited reference … . This work is strongly recommended for institutions with programs in agriculture, especially those with research soil science or legume cultivation. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through researchers and faculty; professionals.” (J. Cummings, Choice, Vol. 54 (4), December, 2016)Table of Contents1. Direct Plant Growth-Promoting Ability of Actinobacteria in Grain Legumes.- 2. Indirect Plant Growth-Promotion in Grain Legumes: Role of Actinobacteria.- 3. Enhancing Soil Health and Plant Growth: Promotion by Actinomycetes.- 4. Recent Advancement in the Development of Bio-Pesticides by Actinomycetes for the Control of Insect Pests.- 5. Actinomycetes Bio-Inoculants: A Modern Prospectus for Plant Disease Management.- 6. Managing Pests and Diseases of Grain Legumes with Secondary Metabolites from Actinomycetes.- 7. Role of Secondary Metabolites of Actinomycetes in Crop Protection.- 8. Endophytic Actinobacteria: Nitrogen Fixation, Phytohormone Production and Antibiosis.- 9. Role of Endophytic Actinomycetes in Crop Protection: Plant Growth-Promotion and Biological Control.- 10. Synergy of Actinomycetes Co-inoculation.- 11. Role of ACC Deaminase in Stress Control of Leguminous Plants.- 12. Induction of Systemic Resistance in Crop Plants against Plant Pathogens by Plant Growth-Promoting Actinomycetes.- 13. Actinomycetes as Mitigators of Climate Change and Abiotic Stress.- 14. Perspectives of Plant Growth-Promoting Actinomycetes in Heavy Metal Phytoremediation.- 15. Role of Actinomycetes Mediated Nano-System in Agriculture.- 16. Use of Genomic Approaches in Understanding the Role of Actinomycetes as PGP in Grain Legumes.- 17. Exploration of Plant Growth-Promoting Actinomycetes for Biofortification of Mineral Nutrients.- 18. Evaluation of Plant Growth-Promoting Actinomycetes on Vigna.- 19. Plant Growth-Promoting Actinomycetes: Mass Production, Delivery Systems and Commercialization.

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Book SynopsisThis 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.Table of Contents

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Book SynopsisThis book illustrates the importance and significance of the biosurfactants obtained from microorganisms, preferably from bacteria and yeast. It explains the superiority of biosurfactants (green molecule) over chemically synthesized surfactants for the sustainable future. The content of the present book addresses the quest for novel biosurfactants producing strains, high throughput screening methods, and production strategies. It finely describes the aptness of biosurfactants for industrial and environmental applications. It elaborately describes the technical background and cutting-edge advancement of the commercial aspect of biosurfactants. In the later part of the book, the role of green biosurfactants in food processing, control of food spoilage, incorporation in personal health care products, environmental and agricultural remediation are discussed. Finally, the book elucidates a comprehensive and representative description of toxicity assessment of the biosurfactants, which highlights the risk assessment of the incorporation of the microbial biosurfactants in food, healthcare, and pharmaceutical formulations.Table of ContentsChapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 1.1. Properties and characteristics.- Chapter 1.2. General Properties.- Chapter 1.3. Chemical vs. Biosurfactants.- Chapter 1.4. Aptness of biosurfactants for industrial and environmental applications.- Chapter 2. Screening of Biosurfactants.- Chapter 3. Commercial production, optimization and purification.- Chapter 3.1. Low cost substrates and higher productivity.- Chapter 3.2. Recent developments in optimization and purification.- Chapter 4. Industrial and environmental applications.- Chapter 4.1. Biosurfactants in Food.- Chapter 4.2. Biosurfactants in Food.- Chapter 5. Role of biosurfactants in Agriculture and soil reclamation.- Chapter 5.1. Soil washing and soil reclamation.- Chapter 5.2. Soil washing and soil reclamation.- Chapter 6.Toxicity assessment.

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Book SynopsisAssesses a promising new approach to restoring the health of our bodies and our planet Most of us are familiar with probiotics added to milk or yogurt to improve gastrointestinal health. In fact, the term refers to any intervention in which life is used to manage life—from the microscopic, like consuming fermented food to improve gut health, to macro approaches such as biological pest control and natural flood management. In this ambitious and original work, Jamie Lorimer offers a sweeping overview of diverse probiotic approaches and an insightful critique of their promise and limitations. During our current epoch—the Anthropocene—human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment, leading to the loss of ecological abundance, diversity, and functionality. Lorimer describes cases in which scientists and managers are working with biological processes to improve human, environmental, and even planetary health, pursuing strategies that stand in contrast to the “antibiotic approach”: Big Pharma, extreme hygiene, and industrial agriculture. The Probiotic Planet focuses on two forms of “rewilding” occurring on vastly different scales. The first is the use of keystone species like wolves and beavers as part of landscape restoration. The second is the introduction of hookworms into human hosts to treat autoimmune disorders. In both cases, the goal is to improve environmental health, whether the environment being managed is planetary or human. Lorimer argues that, all too often, such interventions are viewed in isolation, and he calls for a rethinking of artificial barriers between science and policy. He also describes the stark and unequal geographies of the use of probiotic approaches and examines why these patterns exist. The author’s preface provides a thoughtful discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic as it relates to the probiotic approach. Informed by deep engagement with microbiology, immunology, ecology, and conservation biology as well as food, agriculture, and waste management, The Probiotic Planet offers nothing less than a new paradigm for collaboration between the policy realm and the natural sciences. Trade Review"This brilliant book delivers an incisive reading of probiotic cultural practices today—taking in everything from home fermentation to permaculture to rewilding. Jamie Lorimer expertly shows us that social and scientific projects that aim at re-calibrating microbial, bodily, and ecological worlds are experiments in the politics of symbiosis. In our days of viral peril, The Probiotic Planet is a vital reminder of the multiple futures biology may yet prepare."—Stefan Helmreich, author of Sounding the Limits of Life: Essays in the Anthropology of Biology and Beyond"Moving between human intestines and forests patches, The Probiotic Planet maps a diverse and emerging terrain of ecological experimentation, both formal and vernacular. A transdisciplinary analysis that brings detailed attention to scientific practices into dialogue with critical social theory, this book is also a bold and important experiment in its own right."—Heather Anne Swanson, director, Aarhus University Centre for Environmental Humanities "Lorimer unravels the multiplicities of present-day scientific designs for the future."—Los Angeles Review of Books "This book bridges the gap between two widely separated topics: healing the planet by rewilding, and internal sanitation of the body by natural allies."—Anthropos "The book is well referenced... and the text is supported by appropriate and readable tables and charts."—CHOICE Table of ContentsContentsIntroduction: Life in the Anthropocene1. The Probiotic Turn: Rewilding and Biome Restoration2. Thinking like Gaia: The Science of the Probiotic Turn3. Symbiopolitics: Governing through Keystone Species4. Wild Experiments: The Controlled Decontrolling of Ecological Controls5. Geographies of Dysbiosis: The Patchiness of the Probiotic Turn6. Future-Pasts: The Temporalities of the Probiotic Turn7. Probiotic Value: Putting Keystone Species to WorkConclusions: A Spectrum of ProbioticsAcknowledgmentsGlossary NotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisFor readers of Plague of Corruption, Thomas S. Cowan, MD, and Sally Fallon Morell ask the question: are there really such things as "viruses"? Or are electro smog, toxic living conditions, and 5G actually to blame for COVID-19? The official explanation for today’s COVID-19 pandemic is a “dangerous, infectious virus.” This is the rationale for isolating a large portion of the world’s population in their homes so as to curb its spread. From face masks to social distancing, from antivirals to vaccines, these measures are predicated on the assumption that tiny viruses can cause serious illness and that such illness is transmissible person-to-person. It was Louis Pasteur who convinced a skeptical medical community that contagious germs cause disease; his “germ theory” now serves as the official explanation for most illness. However, in his private diaries he states unequivocally that in his entire career he was not once able to transfer disease with a pure culture of bacteria (he obviously wasn’t able to purify viruses at that time). He admitted that the whole effort to prove contagion was a failure, leading to his famous death bed confession that “the germ is nothing, the terrain is everything.” While the incidence and death statistics for COVID-19 may not be reliable, there is no question that many people have taken sick with a strange new disease—with odd symptoms like gasping for air and “fizzing” feelings—and hundreds of thousands have died. Many suspect that the cause is not viral but a kind of pollution unique to the modern age—electromagnetic pollution. Today we are surrounded by a jangle of overlapping and jarring frequencies—from power lines to the fridge to the cell phone. It started with the telegraph and progressed to worldwide electricity, then radar, then satellites that disrupt the ionosphere, then ubiquitous Wi-Fi. The most recent addition to this disturbing racket is fifth generation wireless—5G. In The Truth About Contagion: Exploring Theories of How Disease Spreads, bestselling authors Thomas S. Cowan, MD, and Sally Fallon Morell explore the true causes of COVID-19. On September 26, 2019, 5G wireless was turned on in Wuhan, China (and officially launched November 1) with a grid of about ten thousand antennas—more antennas than exist in the whole United States, all concentrated in one city. A spike in cases occurred on February 13, the same week that Wuhan turned on its 5G network for monitoring traffic. Illness has subsequently followed 5G installation in all the major cities in America. Since the dawn of the human race, medicine men and physicians have wondered about the cause of disease, especially what we call “contagions,” numerous people ill with similar symptoms, all at the same time. Does humankind suffer these outbreaks at the hands of an angry god or evil spirit? A disturbance in the atmosphere, a miasma? Do we catch the illness from others or from some outside influence? As the restriction of our freedoms continues, more and more people are wondering whether this is true. Could a packet of RNA fragments, which cannot even be defined as a living organism, cause such havoc? Perhaps something else is involved—something that has upset the balance of nature and made us more susceptible to disease? Perhaps there is no “coronavirus” at all; perhaps, as Pasteur said, “the germ is nothing, the terrain is everything.”

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Book SynopsisPaul A. Offit shares hard-earned wisdom on the dos and don’ts of battling misinformation. From conspiracy theories linking vaccines to autism to Holocaust and climate-change denial. Bad Advice is a humorous guide to taking on quack experts and self-appointed activists and a must-read for any American disturbed by politicized attacks on science.Trade ReviewIn breezy and deceptively conversational prose that often winks with humor, Bad Advice breaks down complex scientific subjects that have been distorted through several cultural lenses. Offit takes to task actors, network news anchors, quack scientists, and even politicians who, unlike Jolie in her thoughtful article, have opined on scientific subjects in ways that misinform the public, on occasion to a potentially dangerous degree. * Washington Post *Bad advice about your health, firmly grounded in fact-free marketing, greed, and science denialism, is omnipresent in the new and old media these days. One of the few reliable sources of good advice is Dr. Paul A. Offit who, unlike all too many scientists and doctors, is ready to take on the hype and lies of celebrities, charlatans, ideologues, and money-grubbers with logic, evidence, and humor. Take my advice: Bad Advice is just what you need to navigate the murky waters of an unending stream of really bad information about your health. -- Arthur L. Caplan, Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor of Bioethics, New York University School of MedicineBad Advice gives us a front row seat to Offit’s role on the leading edge of the vaccine fight as he shows just how important communicating good science can be. The author's rare storytelling blend of equal parts humorous anecdotes and serious facts leads to an entertaining and captivating read that is hard to put down. -- Melissa Stockwell, MD, MPH, Columbia University Medical CenterPaul Offit is a pediatrician, a vaccine scientist, and one of our foremost explainers of science. In Bad Advice, he distills what he has learned—often the hard way—from standing up for science in the face of bogus theories, quack remedies, and the flat-out denial of empirical fact. Skillfully, Offit uses stories of his many missteps in the treacherous public arena to teach us how to confront pseudoscience effectively. In the process, without noticing, we learn fascinating lessons in the relevant science. A forcefully-written, indispensable book, particularly at the present moment. -- Geoffrey Kabat, cancer epidemiologist at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and author of Getting Risk Right: Understanding the Science of Elusive Health RisksWith humor and a unique perspective, Offit takes us step by step through our culture’s missteps (and some of his own), relating stories of real science and the difficulties of communicating complicated concepts clearly to a skeptical and sometimes hostile public. Bad Advice shows us how we can succeed in the battle against pseudoscience, seductive gurus with simple messages, and snake oil-hawking celebrities. -- Adam Ratner, M.D., New York UniversityThe beauty of mass communication in our free society is also our curse. Information flows so quickly, from so many different sources, that one can’t help but be overwhelmed—and too frequently misled. No one has fought harder over the years to educate the public, and to puncture the dangerously false dogmas of pseudoscience, than Paul Offit. Bad Advice is a brilliant extension of his dictate, so aptly stated by Daniel Patrick Moynihan, that one is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts. Celebrities and politicians bear the brunt of Offit’s elegantly written, often hilarious, pinpoint assaults. But what makes this book truly special is its vision of how science can, and must, be defended against its despoilers. Bad Advice is, in every sense, an essential read. -- David Oshinsky, director of the Division of Medical Humanities at NYU School of MedicineBad Advice is a fun and educational book that will leave readers optimistic—as Offit himself is—that fact will ultimately prevail over fiction in the world of science and medicine. “Although science is under siege,” Offit writes toward the end of the book, “science advocates are fighting back.” -- Arlene Weintraub, author of Heal: The Vital Role of Dogs in the Search for Cancer Cures * New York Journal of Books *[Bad Advice] provides a sterling example of this stand in the name of empirical truth. * Publishers Weekly *A well-presented, knowledgeable, and surprisingly engaging look at the pitfalls of the information age. * Foreword Reviews *The author's droll account of attempts to inform the public about vaccines and even before a congressional hearing make for compelling reading....Recommended * Choice *Table of ContentsPrologue: On Being Naïve1. What Science Is—and What It Isn’t2. White Mice and Windowless Rooms3. An Alibi for Ignorance4. Feeding the Beast5. To Debate or Not to Debate6. Make ’Em Laugh7. Science Goes to the Movies8. The Emperor’s New Clothes9. Judgment Day10. The Nuclear Option11. Pharma Shill12. A Ray of HopeEpilogue: The End of the TourAcknowledgmentsAppendix: Blogs and PodcastsNotesSelected BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisArno Karlen, author of Man and Microbes, focuses on a single bacterium in Biography of a Germ, giving us an intimate view of a life that has been shaped by and is in turn transforming our own.Borrelia burgdorferi is the germ that causes Lyme disease. In existence for some hundred million years, it was discovered only recently. Exploring its evolution, its daily existence, and its journey from ticks to mice to deer to humans, Karlen lucidly examines the life and world of this recently prominent germ. He also describes how it attacks the human body, and how by changing the environment, people are now much more likely to come into contact with it. Charming and thorough and smart, this book is a wonderfully written biography of your not so typical biographical subject.

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Book SynopsisThrough a long history of co-evolution, multicellular organisms form a complex of host cells plus many associated microorganism species. Consisting of algae, bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists and viruses, and collectively referred to as the microbiome, these microorganisms contribute to a range of important functions in their hosts, from nutrition, to behaviour and disease susceptibility. In this book, a diverse and international group of active researchers outline how multicellular organisms have become reliant on their microbiomes to function, and explore this vital interdependence across the breadth of soil, plant, animal and human hosts. They draw parallels and contrasts across hosts in different environments, and discuss how this invisible microbial ecosystem influences everything from the food we eat, to our health, to the correct functioning of ecosystems we depend on. This insightful read also pertinently encourages students and researchers in microbial ecology, ecology, and mTrade Review'This book focuses on current research investigations of the microbiomes found in animals, plants, and soils. The authors propose an emerging theoretical framework for investigating the complex interactions between microbiomes and their habitats. They promote advancements for studying microbiomes and microorganisms in situ, or in the natural environment, rather than focusing on classical methods using in vitro studies as conducted in labs. Each chapter reveals the significant roles that microbiomes play in biogeochemical cycling and in homeostatic mechanisms of host organisms and natural environments. Also discussed are the impacts of anthropogenic changes on microbiome interactions. Topics in the book include background information on microbiomes, analytical methods for studying them, a review of microbiome research investigations, and biotechnology applications of microbiome research. Each chapter provides a wealth of primary references. As an added plus, the readability level is appropriate for those lacking an extensive background in science.' B. R. Shmaefsky, Choice'It is a solid, approachable introduction to the role of microbiomes in ecology and could serve as a primary reading for a graduate seminar course or for a researcher just entering the field.' Jonathan Newman and Newman Lab Group, The Quarterly Review of BiologyTable of ContentsPreface; 1. Microbiomes of soils, plants and animals: an introduction Rachael E. Antwis, Xavier A. Harrison, Michael J. Cox, Sophia Carryl, Meagan Dewar, James Doonan, Ellen L. Fry, Jack Gilbert, Bethan Greenwood, Reid N. Harris, Zenobia Lewis, Anne Lizé, James McDonald, Valerie McKenzie, Marc Sze and Feng Zhu; 2. Analytical approaches for microbiome research Xavier A. Harrison and Simon J. S. Cameron; 3. Microbiomes of soils Reuben Margerison, Océane Nicolitch and Yaqian Zhang; 4. Factors that shape the host microbiome Marc Sze, James Doonan, James E. McDonald, Reid Harris and Meagan Dewar; 5. Microbial symbioses and host nutrition Philip Donkersley, Sam Robinson, Ella K. Deutsch and Alastair T. Gibbons; 6. The microbiome and host behaviour Anne Lizé and Zenobia Lewis; 7. Host microbiomes and disease James E. McDonald, Reid N. Harris, James Doonan, Sophia Carryl, Marc Sze, Valerie McKenzie and Jack A. Gilbert; 8. Adapting to environmental change Ellen L. Fry, Feng Zhu and Bethan Greenwood; 9. Microbial biotechnology Rachael E. Antwis, Ellen Fry, Chloë E. James and Natalie Ferry; 10. Synthesis and future directions Rachael E. Antwis, Xavier A. Harrison and Michael J. Cox; Index.

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Book SynopsisPlant growth promoting microorganisms (PGPM) have gained acceptance and importance due to their dual benefits of promoting plant growth in addition to managing plant pests and diseases and are extensively used as microbial inoculants in improving agricultural productivity. Use of PGPM mixtures and their integration with other means, like host resistance and chemicals, has proven to be more useful in management of several disease problems. Successful greenhouse and field demonstrations have been done using PGPM for growth promotion and resistance induction in various crops, against a broad spectrum of pathogens. Practical use of PGPM-based products has advanced and many formulations are made available in commercial scale, and more are currently under development. Further, novel formulation technologies have been formulated. Microorganisms constitute the major players in the rhizosphere and their composition and biomass significantly alters the plants response to the environment. Composition and interaction of rhizomicroflora with its surroundings highly influences plant health and productivity. Such beneficial rhizo-ecosystems engineering and manipulation of the rhizosphere to exploit or enhance this innate genetic potential, which will most probably play a key role in the future development of sustainable agricultural processes, is also reviewed. In recent years, a substantial amount of work has been done in the area of PGPM and voluminous literature is available. This book presents a methodical, comprehensive and latest research survey in this area. An overview of the scale and impact of PGPM in plant growth promotion and management of crop diseases, focusing attention on details most relevant to the development and application of biological control strategies involving various microbial strains is discussed. Problems and prospects of commercialisation, advantages and disadvantages of their use and their potential for integrated pest management are also outlined. Most of the available books either refer to the subject of plant growth promoting fungi or plant growth promoting bacteria, however, this comprehensive book includes research pertaining to all beneficial microorganisms that are plant growth promoting in nature. Moreover, this is a rapidly developing field of research and has global impact. Therefore, keeping in pace with the latest developments in this area is totally necessary, and this book will be a latest and up-to-date compilation of the research from different parts of the world.Table of ContentsFor more information, please visit our website at:https://novapublishers.com/shop/plant-growth-promoting-microorganisms-microbial-resources-for-enhanced-agricultural-productivity/

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Book SynopsisThis book comprises a total of 14 chapters contributed by experts from different countries worldwide. It is a comprehensive collection of articles to illustrate an overview of microbial catalysts that include enzymes widely contribute to many fields infood and industrial products. Microorganisms have served and continue to serve as one of the largest and most useful sources of many enzymes used in foods and the food industry. Microbial catalysts are environmentally friendly and consume lower energy. A particular aim of this book is focused on applied and industrial microbiology, agricultural microbiology, and food microbiology. All sections discuss microbial catalysts viz., enzymes with respect to their function and its benefit to human kind especially, and to biotechnology as a subject of which enzymology is an integral part. The book also deals with structure and function of some microbial enzymes. Microbial catalysts are generally preferred than plant and animal as sources of industrial enzymes because their production cost is low. In addition, enzymes are more predictable and controllable, and more so because of the easy availability of raw materials with constant composition for their cultivation.

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Book SynopsisPseudomonas aeruginosais characterized by its metabolic versatility and found ubiquitously in soil and aquatic habitats and persists survival on various surfaces of plants, animals and humans. Diversity in Pseudomonas characteristics have led to recent technological advances and lay out important avenues of research focused on the role of Pseudomonas and the molecular mechanisms of their beneficial actions. This book brings together respectedP. aeruginosaexperts from around the world to provide a timely, extensive and updated review of Pseudomonas research. It covers various aspects in applications of Pseudomonas in molecular engineering of genetic tools for Pseudomonas protein expression, medical and environmental fields including biofilm development, quorum sensing, heavy metal bioremediation and photodynamic therapy as well as the industrially-important lipoxygenase biocatalysis properties. This book is essential reading for scientists working with Pseudomonas and serves as a ready reference and text book for graduate students, young field microbiologists and research scientists in academia, research institutes and industry.

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Book SynopsisThe Aedes aegypti mosquito is a recognized vector for dengue, chikungunya, and Zika arboviruses, and has had a significant dispersion in recent years across the southern hemisphere. It is a known nuisance species in the United States and is believed to have been brought to the new world on ships used for European exploration and colonization In recent years, the use of entomopathogenic fungi has proven a promising tool for the biocontrol of Culicides that threaten public health. As such, the authors systematically review studies that evaluated the main entomopathogenic genera used in the biological control of these vectors.

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Book SynopsisEnterobacter is a relatively lesser known member of family Enterobacteriaceae with at least fifteen species more or less involved in different human infections. As little knowledge is available about its pathogenicity and virulence factors, this compilation discusses the factors and genes involved. The plants and microbes with antimicrobial potential in the synthesis of nanoparticles for the control of pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae are highlighted, and the authors discuss how, to overcome the complexities regarding antibiotic therapies and multiple drug resistance, there is a dire need to develop some novel clinical approaches and strategies. The factors causing multi-drug resistance are highlighted, including under or overuse of antibiotics, prolonged use of antibiotics, poor infection control, poor hygiene and sanitation.

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Book SynopsisSince the appearance of Darwin's book, "The Origin of Species," adaptation is one of the processes that explains the diversity of species in ecosystems. Adaptive phenomena in the 19th century and until the mid-20th century have been analyzed in macroscopic biological systems, however since the second half of the 20th century and to date the development of disciplines such as Molecular Biology, has allowed us to delve into the mechanisms that regulate cell physiology. The molecular bases that allow explaining the adaptation processes of microorganisms to their environment have special relevance, because through their analysis it is possible to size the complexity of these mechanisms that involve receptors of a protein nature associated with transduction chains that transport the information flow to genomic DNA, and which subsequently involves the emission of a response through the expression of specific genes. From the point of view of the adaptive phenomenon analysis, the approach through the molecular bases makes it possible to understand the enormous diversity of the microbial world. Mainly for two reasons, on the one hand the presence of micro gradients in the bacterial ecological niches that are continuously fluctuating, which forces the microorganisms to a rapid adaptation phenomenon. And on the other hand, horizontal gene transfer phenomena, which allow bacteria the information exchange. These two elements carry great intensity in establishing new relationships. This phenomenon is especially relevant if it is related to a concept that Darwin cites in the Origin of Species, "The tangled riverbank", where it is emphasized that the new interactions establishment is the basic driving force for the new species generation. This mechanism is explained by the positive feedback loop generation, whereby ecosystems with high levels of biological diversity generate new interactions that lead to new species, which in turn tends to make the ecosystem network more complex. This complexity analyzed in its molecular bases allows to generate new research questions that can be applied to other knowledge areas, such as Biotechnology. The analysis of the molecular bases of the microorganisms adequacy, makes it possible to identify and characterize mechanisms that implemented in different pharmaceutical areas and agricultural industry has led to the product generation with high added value, a clear example of this economic development is the enzyme industry and even recombinant protein production. Finally, it is convenient to emphasize the need to incorporate the analysis of the molecular bases of adaptation from the perspective of omics techniques. Techniques that allow the study of processes and mechanisms to be approached from a global perspective. This book summarizes some topics of special relevance referring to adaptive processes of different microorganisms of special relevance both in basic and applied research.Table of ContentsPreface; Nonspecific Convergent Strategies for Bacterial Adequacy to Different Types of Environmental Stress; Molecular Mechanism Implicated in Conidia Production by Entomopathogen Fungi; Molecular Basis of Specific Strategies Used by Microorganisms to Cope with Stress: The Case of Streptomyces; Molecular Basis of Bacterial Homeostasis under Environmental Stress and Cellular Transport at Membrane Level; Laccases, a Protein System for Adaptation through the Use of Recalcitrant Resources: Molecular Basis and Computational Modeling Approaches to Uses in the Bioindustries; Host Diet and Host Derived Glycans as Primary Drivers of Microbial Gut Adaptation; Molecular Basis of Adaptation and Mechanisms Used by Halophilic Bacteria; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis book summarizes the latest scientific research around the influence of gut bacteria on health and well-being as well as their impact on lifestyle diseases. Information is presented in easy-to-understand language and is interspersed with fun facts and anecdotal accounts, which help the audience acquire this fundamental and relevant scientific knowledge. The authors explain the influence of gut bacteria on physical and mental well-being in language friendly to laypeople. They then share insights about the role of gut bacteria in various lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome utilizing the latest published research in peer-reviewed journals. The information provided in this book is useful to anyone who wants to lead a healthy life. It is worth reading even for health care professionals as their current curriculum does not entail extensive information about gut bacteria and their significance in health.Table of ContentsPreface; Introduction; Gut-Flora: What Is It?; Gut Bacteria: What Do They Do For Us?; Gut-Flora: Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome; Gut-Flora: Stress and Behavior; Healthy Gut-Flora Key Concepts; Improving Gut-Flora- the Dos and Donts; Practical Tips for Optimizing Gut Health; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisNeurocysticercosis, a preventable parasitic infection of the central nervous system caused by tapeworm, is a serious, potentially fatal disease that can cause neurologic syndromes such as epileptic seizures. Chapter One of this monograph describes the existing treatment options for neurocysticercosis, along with possible therapeutic alternatives under different drug development phases. Chapter Two explains the difficulties associated with correctly diagnosing neurocysticercosis, resulting from its varied clinical presentation, and mentions current guidelines of diagnostic criteria for neurocysticercosis. Chapter Three describes the various merits and demerits of techniques for detecting the parasites associated with neurocysticercosis, which include radioimaging, genotyping of cysts, and antibody, antigen, and nucleic acid detection in body fluids.Table of ContentsPreface; Treatment of Neurocysticercosis: Current and Future Options; The Challenge of Deciphering Certainty from Ambiguity for the Laboratory Diagnosis of Neurocysticercosis; Trends in the Diagnosis of Human Neurocysticercosis: Issues and Challenges; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis new book presents leading-edge international research in the field of food microbiology. Included in the scope are physiology, genetics, biochemistry, and behaviour of microorganisms that are either used to make foods or that represent safety or quality problems; effects of preservatives, processes, and packaging systems on the microbiology of foods; methods for detection, identification and enumeration of food bourne microorganisms or microbial toxins; microbiology of food fermentations; predictive microbiology; microbial ecology of foods; microbiological aspects of food safety and microbiological aspects of food spoilage and quality.

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