Microbial Diversity in the Genomic Era


Book Description

Microbial Diversity in the Genomic Era presents insights on the techniques used for microbial taxonomy and phylogeny, along with their applications and respective pros and cons. Though many advanced techniques for the identification of any unknown bacterium are available in the genomics era, a far fewer number of the total microbial species have been discovered and identified to date. The assessment of microbial taxonomy and biosystematics techniques discovered and practiced in the current genomics era with suitable recommendations is the prime focus of this book. - Discusses the techniques used for microbial taxonomy and phylogeny with their applications and respective pros and cons - Reviews the evolving field of bacterial typing and the genomic technologies that enable comparative analysis of multiple genomes and the metagenomes of complex microbial environments - Provides a uniform, standard methodology for species designation




Microbial Systematics


Book Description

This book presents recent scientific investigations in microbial ecology and systematics. Advanced microbial science investigations employ the latest technologies for research in microbiology and microbial applications. The book has complete information on classical microbiology techniques for assessment of the composition of microbial diversity assessment, advancement in next-generation technology, advantages of microbial products in sustainable developments and their application for societal benefits. Current research on microorganisms is presented as a perfect book for studies on "Microbial Systematics". This book will serve as an important resource for practising research and review for the scientific community.




The New Science of Metagenomics


Book Description

Although we can't usually see them, microbes are essential for every part of human life-indeed all life on Earth. The emerging field of metagenomics offers a new way of exploring the microbial world that will transform modern microbiology and lead to practical applications in medicine, agriculture, alternative energy, environmental remediation, and many others areas. Metagenomics allows researchers to look at the genomes of all of the microbes in an environment at once, providing a "meta" view of the whole microbial community and the complex interactions within it. It's a quantum leap beyond traditional research techniques that rely on studying-one at a time-the few microbes that can be grown in the laboratory. At the request of the National Science Foundation, five Institutes of the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Energy, the National Research Council organized a committee to address the current state of metagenomics and identify obstacles current researchers are facing in order to determine how to best support the field and encourage its success. The New Science of Metagenomics recommends the establishment of a "Global Metagenomics Initiative" comprising a small number of large-scale metagenomics projects as well as many medium- and small-scale projects to advance the technology and develop the standard practices needed to advance the field. The report also addresses database needs, methodological challenges, and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in supporting this new field.




Uncultivated Microorganisms


Book Description

In 1898, an Austrian microbiologist Heinrich Winterberg made a curious observation: the number of microbial cells in his samples did not match the number of colonies formed on nutrient media (Winterberg 1898). About a decade later, J. Amann qu- tified this mismatch, which turned out to be surprisingly large, with non-growing cells outnumbering the cultivable ones almost 150 times (Amann 1911). These papers signify some of the earliest steps towards the discovery of an important phenomenon known today as the Great Plate Count Anomaly (Staley and Konopka 1985). Note how early in the history of microbiology these steps were taken. Detecting the Anomaly almost certainly required the Plate. If so, then the period from 1881 to 1887, the years when Robert Koch and Petri introduced their key inventions (Koch 1881; Petri 1887), sets the earliest boundary for the discovery, which is remarkably close to the 1898 observations by H. Winterberg. Celebrating its 111th anniversary, the Great Plate Count Anomaly today is arguably the oldest unresolved microbiological phenomenon. In the years to follow, the Anomaly was repeatedly confirmed by all microb- logists who cared to compare the cell count in the inoculum to the colony count in the Petri dish (cf., Cholodny 1929; Butkevich 1932; Butkevich and Butkevich 1936). By mid-century, the remarkable difference between the two counts became a universally recognized phenomenon, acknowledged by several classics of the time (Waksman and Hotchkiss 1937; ZoBell 1946; Jannasch and Jones 1959).




Trends in the Systematics of Bacteria and Fungi


Book Description

Methods in microbial systematics have developed and changed significantly in the last 40 years. This has resulted in considerable change in both the defining microbial species and the methods required to make reliable identifications. Developments in information technology have enabled ready access to vast amounts of new and historic data online. Establishing both the relevance, and the most appropriate use, of this data is now a major consideration when undertaking identifications and systematic research. This book provides some insights into how current methods and resources are being used in microbial systematics, together with some thoughts and suggestions as to how both methodologies and concepts may develop in the future.




Bioprospecting of Microbial Diversity


Book Description

Bioprospecting of Microbial Diversity: Challenges and Applications in Biochemical Industry, Agriculture and Environment Protection gives a detailed insight into the utilization of microorganisms or microorganism-based bioactive compounds for the development of sustainable approaches, covering recent advances and challenges in the production and recovery of bioactive compounds such as enzymes, biopesticides, biofertilizers, biosensors, therapeutics, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products. The challenges associated with the different approaches of microbial bioprospecting along with possible solutions to overcome these limitations are addressed. Further, the application of microbe-based products in the area of environmental pollution control and developing greener technologies are discussed. Providing valuable insight into the basics of microbial prospecting, the book covers established knowledge as well as genomic-based technological advancements to offer a better understanding of its application to various industries, promoting the commercialization of microbial-derived bioactive compounds and their application in biochemical industries, agriculture, and environmental protection studies. - Describes the advanced techniques available for microbial bioprospecting for large-scale industrial production of bioactive compounds - Presents recent advances and challenges for the application of microbe-based products in agriculture and environment pollution control - Provides knowledge of microbial production of bioenergy and high-value compounds such as nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals




The Social Biology of Microbial Communities


Book Description

Beginning with the germ theory of disease in the 19th century and extending through most of the 20th century, microbes were believed to live their lives as solitary, unicellular, disease-causing organisms . This perception stemmed from the focus of most investigators on organisms that could be grown in the laboratory as cellular monocultures, often dispersed in liquid, and under ambient conditions of temperature, lighting, and humidity. Most such inquiries were designed to identify microbial pathogens by satisfying Koch's postulates.3 This pathogen-centric approach to the study of microorganisms produced a metaphorical "war" against these microbial invaders waged with antibiotic therapies, while simultaneously obscuring the dynamic relationships that exist among and between host organisms and their associated microorganisms-only a tiny fraction of which act as pathogens. Despite their obvious importance, very little is actually known about the processes and factors that influence the assembly, function, and stability of microbial communities. Gaining this knowledge will require a seismic shift away from the study of individual microbes in isolation to inquiries into the nature of diverse and often complex microbial communities, the forces that shape them, and their relationships with other communities and organisms, including their multicellular hosts. On March 6 and 7, 2012, the Institute of Medicine's (IOM's) Forum on Microbial Threats hosted a public workshop to explore the emerging science of the "social biology" of microbial communities. Workshop presentations and discussions embraced a wide spectrum of topics, experimental systems, and theoretical perspectives representative of the current, multifaceted exploration of the microbial frontier. Participants discussed ecological, evolutionary, and genetic factors contributing to the assembly, function, and stability of microbial communities; how microbial communities adapt and respond to environmental stimuli; theoretical and experimental approaches to advance this nascent field; and potential applications of knowledge gained from the study of microbial communities for the improvement of human, animal, plant, and ecosystem health and toward a deeper understanding of microbial diversity and evolution. The Social Biology of Microbial Communities: Workshop Summary further explains the happenings of the workshop.




Microbial Forensics


Book Description

Microbial Forensics is a rapidly evolving scientific discipline. In the last decade, and particularly due to the anthrax letter attacks in the United States, microbial forensics has become more formalized and has played an increasingly greater role in crime investigations. This has brought renewed interest, development and application of new technologies, and new rules of forensic and policy engagement. It has many applications ranging from biodefense, criminal investigations, providing intelligence information, making society more secure, and helping protect precious resources, particularly human life. A combination of diverse areas is investigated, including the major disciplines of biology, microbiology, medicine, chemistry, physics, statistics, population genetics, and computer science. Microbial Forensics, Second Edition is fully revised and updated and serves as a complete reference of the discipline. It describes the advances, as well as the challenges and opportunities ahead, and will be integral in applying science to help solve future biocrimes. - A collection of microbiology, virology, toxicology and mycology as it relates to forensics, in one reference - New and expanded content to include statistical analysis of forensic data and legal admissibility and the standards of evidence, to name a few - Includes research information and application of that research to crime scene analysis, which will allow practitioners to understand and apply the knowledge to their practice with ease




Competition and Coexistence


Book Description

The question "Why are there so many species?" has puzzled ecologist for a long time. Initially, an academic question, it has gained practical interest by the recent awareness of global biodiversity loss. Species diversity in local ecosystems has always been discussed in relation to the problem of competi tive exclusion and the apparent contradiction between the competitive exclu sion principle and the overwhelming richness of species found in nature. Competition as a mechanism structuring ecological communities has never been uncontroversial. Not only its importance but even its existence have been debated. On the one extreme, some ecologists have taken competi tion for granted and have used it as an explanation by default if the distribu tion of a species was more restricted than could be explained by physiology and dispersal history. For decades, competition has been a core mechanism behind popular concepts like ecological niche, succession, limiting similarity, and character displacement, among others. For some, competition has almost become synonymous with the Darwinian "struggle for existence", although simple plausibility should tell us that organisms have to struggle against much more than competitors, e.g. predators, parasites, pathogens, and envi ronmental harshness.