Download or read book The Social Biology of Microbial Communities written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2013-01-10 with total page 633 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Sea Ice written by David N. Thomas and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2017-03-06 with total page 666 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the past 20 years the study of the frozen Arctic and Southern Oceans and sub-arctic seas has progressed at a remarkable pace. This third edition of Sea Ice gives insight into the very latest understanding of the how sea ice is formed, how we measure (and model) its extent, the biology that lives within and associated with sea ice and the effect of climate change on its distribution. How sea ice influences the oceanography of underlying waters and the influences that sea ice has on humans living in Arctic regions are also discussed. Featuring twelve new chapters, this edition follows two previous editions (2001 and 2010), and the need for this latest update exhibits just how rapidly the science of sea ice is developing. The 27 chapters are written by a team of more than 50 of the worlds’ leading experts in their fields. These combine to make the book the most comprehensive introduction to the physics, chemistry, biology and geology of sea ice that there is. This third edition of Sea Ice will be a key resource for all policy makers, researchers and students who work with the frozen oceans and seas.

Download or read book Deep Subsurface Microbiology written by Andreas Teske and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2015-07-01 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Deep subsurface microbiology is a highly active and rapidly advancing research field at the interface of microbiology and the geosciences; it focuses on the detection, identification, quantification, cultivation and activity measurements of bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes that permeate the subsurface biosphere of deep marine sediments and the basaltic ocean and continental crust. The deep subsurface biosphere abounds with uncultured, only recently discovered and – at best - incompletely understood microbial populations. In spatial extent and volume, Earth's subsurface biosphere is only rivaled by the deep sea water column. So far, no deep subsurface sediment has been found that is entirely devoid of microbial life; microbial cells and DNA remain detectable at sediment depths of more than 1 km; microbial life permeates deeply buried hydrocarbon reservoirs, and is also found several kilometers down in continental crust aquifers. Severe energy limitation, either as electron acceptor or donor shortage, and scarcity of microbially degradable organic carbon sources are among the evolutionary pressures that have shaped the genomic and physiological repertoire of the deep subsurface biosphere. Its biogeochemical role as long-term organic carbon repository, inorganic electron and energy source, and subduction recycling engine continues to be explored by current research at the interface of microbiology, geochemistry and biosphere/geosphere evolution. This Research Topic addresses some of the central research questions about deep subsurface microbiology and biogeochemistry: phylogenetic and physiological microbial diversity in the deep subsurface; microbial activity and survival strategies in severely energy-limited subsurface habitats; microbial activity as reflected in process rates and gene expression patterns; biogeographic isolation and connectivity in deep subsurface microbial communities; the ecological standing of subsurface biospheres in comparison to the surface biosphere – an independently flourishing biosphere, or mere survivors that tolerate burial (along with organic carbon compounds), or a combination of both? Advancing these questions on Earth’s deep subsurface biosphere redefines the habitat range, environmental tolerance, activity and diversity of microbial life.

Download or read book Lake Pavin written by Télesphore Sime-Ngando and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-10-31 with total page 422 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book represents the first multidisciplinary scientific work on a deep volcanic maar lake in comparison with other similar temperate lakes. The syntheses of the main characteristics of Lake Pavin are, for the first time, set in a firmer footing comparative approach, encompassing regional, national, European and international aquatic science contexts. It is a unique lake because of its permanently anoxic monimolimnion, and furthermore, because of its small surface area, its substantially low human influence, and by the fact that it does not have a river inflow. The book reflects the scientific research done on the general limnology, history, origin, volcanology and geological environment as well as on the geochemistry and biogeochemical cycles. Other chapters focus on the biology and microbial ecology whereas the sedimentology and paleolimnology are also given attention. This volume will be of special interest to researchers and advanced students, primarily in the fields of limnology, biogeochemistry, and aquatic ecology.

Download or read book Marine Metagenomics written by Takashi Gojobori and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-07-24 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents the state-of-art marine metagenome research and explains the method of marine metagenomic analysis in an easy-to-understand manner. Changes in the marine environment due to global warming and pollution have become a major global problem. Maintaining a healthy marine ecosystem requires advanced environmental monitoring and assessment systems. As such, the book presents a novel metagenomic monitoring method, which has been developed for comprehensive analyses of the DNA of microorganisms living in seawater to further our understanding of the dynamics of the marine environment. The book can be used as a primer for new researchers and as a manual on experimental methods.

Download or read book Archaeal Virus host Interactions written by Tessa Quax and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The work presented in this thesis provides novel insights in several aspects of the molecular biology of Archaea, Bacteria and their viruses. The archaeal virus Sulfolobus islandicus rod-shaped virus 2 (SIRV2), has a remarkable infection cycle. Infection with SIRV2 results in the formation of large virus associated pyramids (VAPs) on the host cell surface. The pyramids open during the final step of the infection cycle, to allow the release of virions. This virus release mechanism is unique. The VAPs are formed by self-assembly of one virus-encoded protein, PVAP. VAPs exist as discrete particles, and are baseless pyramids with heptagonal perimeter. The assembly process of the VAPs is described, based on cryo-electron tomography experiments and mutational analysis of PVAP. VAPs consists of two layers of which the outer one continuous with the cell membrane. PVAP expression in bacterial and eukaryotic cells resulted in VAP formation on nearly all membranes, demonstrating that PVAP serves as a universal membrane remodeling system, which might be exploited for biotechnological purposes. Whole transcriptome sequencing allowed determination of a global map of virus and host gene expression during the infection cycle. Host genes involved in anti-viral defence are activated (i.e. CRISPR-Cas and toxin anti-toxin systems). The multi-subunit protein complexes crucial for CRISPR anti-viral defence have an uneven stoichiometry and are encoded on operons. It is shown that differential translation is a key determinant of modulated expression of genes clustered in operons and that codon bias generally is the best in silico indicator of unequal protein production.

Download or read book Microbial Evolution and Co Adaptation written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2009-05-10 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dr. Joshua Lederberg - scientist, Nobel laureate, visionary thinker, and friend of the Forum on Microbial Threats - died on February 2, 2008. It was in his honor that the Institute of Medicine's Forum on Microbial Threats convened a public workshop on May 20-21, 2008, to examine Dr. Lederberg's scientific and policy contributions to the marketplace of ideas in the life sciences, medicine, and public policy. The resulting workshop summary, Microbial Evolution and Co-Adaptation, demonstrates the extent to which conceptual and technological developments have, within a few short years, advanced our collective understanding of the microbiome, microbial genetics, microbial communities, and microbe-host-environment interactions.

Download or read book Life in Extreme Environments written by Ricardo Amils and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-07-30 with total page 468 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides an intriguing look at how life can adapt to many different extreme environments. It addresses the limits for life development and examines different strategies used by organisms to adapt to different extreme environments.

Download or read book Archaea written by Roger A. Garrett and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2008-05-12 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introduced by Crafoord Prize winner Carl Woese, this volumecombines reviews of the major developments in archaeal researchover the past 10–15 years with more specialized articlesdealing with important recent breakthroughs. Drawing on majorthemes presented at the June 2005 meeting held in Munich to honorthe archaea pioneers Wolfram Zillig and Karl O. Stetter, the bookprovides a thorough survey of the field from its controversialbeginnings to its ongoing expansion to include aspects ofeukaryotic biology. The editors have assembled articles from the premier researchersin this rapidly burgeoning field, including an account by CarlWoese of his original discovery of the Archaea (until 1990 termedarchaebacteria) and the initially mixed reactions of the scientificcommunity. The review chapters and specialized articles address theemerging significance of the Archaea within a broader scientificand technological context, and include accounts of cutting-edgeresearch developments. The book spans archaeal evolution,physiology, and molecular and cellular biology and will be anessential reference for both graduate students and researchers.

Download or read book 1998 Ocean Sciences Meeting written by and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Handbook of Molecular Microbial Ecology I written by Frans J. de Bruijn and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-07-26 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The premiere two-volume reference on revelations from studying complex microbial communities in many distinct habitats Metagenomics is an emerging field that has changed the way microbiologists study microorganisms. It involves the genomic analysis of microorganisms by extraction and cloning of DNA from a group of microorganisms, or the direct use of the purified DNA or RNA for sequencing, which allows scientists to bypass the usual protocol of isolating and culturing individual microbial species. This method is now used in laboratories across the globe to study microorganism diversity and for isolating novel medical and industrial compounds. Handbook of Molecular Microbial Ecology is the first comprehensive two-volume reference to cover unculturable microorganisms in a large variety of habitats, which could not previously have been analyzed without metagenomic methodology. It features review articles as well as a large number of case studies, based largely on original publications and written by international experts. This first volume, Metagenomics and Complementary Approaches, covers such topics as: Background information on DNA reassociation and use of 16 rRNA and other DNA fingerprinting approaches Species designation in microbiology Metagenomics: Introduction to the basic tools with examples Consortia and databases Bioinformatics Computer-assisted analysis Complementary approaches—microarrays, metatranscriptomics, metaproteomics, metabolomics, and single cell analysis A special feature of this volume is the highlighting of the databases and computer programs used in each study; they are listed along with their sites in order to facilitate the computer-assisted analysis of the vast amount of data generated by metagenomic studies. Handbook of Molecular Microbial Ecology I is an invaluable reference for researchers in metagenomics, microbiology, and environmental microbiology; those working on the Human Microbiome Project; microbial geneticists; molecular microbial ecologists; and professionals in molecular microbiology and bioinformatics.

Download or read book Subseafloor Biosphere Linked to Hydrothermal Systems written by Jun-ichiro Ishibashi and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-01-10 with total page 651 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is the comprehensive volume of the TAIGA (“a great river ” in Japanese) project. Supported by the Japanese government, the project examined the hypothesis that the subseafloor fluid advection system (subseafloor TAIGA) can be categorized into four types, TAIGAs of sulfur, hydrogen, carbon (methane), and iron, according to the most dominant reducing substance, and the chemolithoautotrophic bacteria/archaea that are inextricably associated with respective types of TAIGAs which are strongly affected by their geological background such as surrounding host rocks and tectonic settings. Sub-seafloor ecosystems are sustained by hydrothermal circulation or TAIGA that carry chemical energy to the chemosynthetic microbes living in an extreme environment. The results of the project have been summarized comprehensively in 50 chapters, and this book provides an overall introduction and relevant topics on the mid-ocean ridge system of the Indian Ocean and on the arc-backarc systems of the Southern Mariana Trough and Okinawa Trough.

Download or read book Volcanic Lakes written by Dmitri Rouwet and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-03-02 with total page 526 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book aims to give an overview on the present state of volcanic lake research, covering topics such as volcano monitoring, the chemistry, dynamics and degassing of acidic crater lakes, mass-energy-chemical-isotopic balance approaches, limnology and degassing of Nyos-type lakes, the impact on the human and natural environment, the eruption products and impact of crater lake breaching eruptions, numerical modeling of gas clouds and lake eruptions, thermo-hydro-mechanical and deformation modeling, CO2 fluxes from lakes, volcanic lakes observed from space, biological activity, continuous monitoring techniques, and some aspects more. We hope to offer an updated manual on volcanic lake research, providing classic research methods, and point towards a more high-tech approach of future volcanic lake research and continuous monitoring.

Download or read book Microbiology A Very Short Introduction written by Nicholas P. Money and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2014-12-04 with total page 137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent decades we have come to realize that the microbial world is hugely diverse, and can be found in the most extreme environments. Fungi, single-celled protists, bacteria, archaea, and the vast array of viruses and sub-viral particles far outnumber plants and animals. Microbes, we now know, play a critical role in ecosystems, in the chemistry of atmosphere and oceans, and within our bodies. The field of microbiology, armed with new techniques from molecular biology, is now one of the most vibrant in the life sciences. In this Very Short Introduction Nicholas P. Money explores not only the traditional methods of microscopy and laboratory culture but also the modern techniques of genetic detection and DNA sequencing, genomic analysis, and genetic manipulation. In turn he demonstrates how advances in microbiology have had a tremendous impact on the areas of medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Download or read book VIRUSES OF PROKARYOTES written by Hans-Wolfgang Ackermann and published by Springer. This book was released on 1987-10-31 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Desk Encyclopedia of Microbiology written by Moselio Schaechter and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2010-04-19 with total page 1277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Desk Encyclopedia of Microbiology, Second Edition is a single-volume comprehensive guide to microbiology for the advanced reader. Derived from the six volume e-only Encyclopedia of Microbiology, Third Edition, it bridges the gap between introductory texts and specialized reviews. Covering topics ranging from the basic science of microbiology to the current "hot" topics in the field, it will be invaluable for obtaining background information on a broad range of microbiological topics, preparing lectures and preparing grant applications and reports. - The most comprehensive single-volume source providing an overview of microbiology to non-specialists - Bridges the gap between introductory texts and specialized reviews - Provides concise and general overviews of important topics within the field making it a helpful resource when preparing for lectures, writing reports, or drafting grant applications

Download or read book The Deep Hot Biosphere written by Thomas Gold and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-12-01 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book sets forth a set of truly controversial and astonishing theories: First, it proposes that below the surface of the earth is a biosphere of greater mass and volume than the biosphere the total sum of living things on our planet's continents and in its oceans. Second, it proposes that the inhabitants of this subterranean biosphere are not plants or animals as we know them, but heat-loving bacteria that survive on a diet consisting solely of hydrocarbons that is, natural gas and petroleum. And third and perhaps most heretically, the book advances the stunning idea that most hydrocarbons on Earth are not the byproduct of biological debris ("fossil fuels"), but were a common constituent of the materials from which the earth itself was formed some 4.5 billion years ago. The implications are astounding. The theory proposes answers to often-asked questions: Is the deep hot biosphere where life originated, and do Mars and other seemingly barren planets contain deep biospheres? Even more provocatively, is it possible that there is an enormous store of hydrocarbons upwelling from deep within the earth that can provide us with abundant supplies of gas and petroleum? However far-fetched these ideas seem, they are supported by a growing body of evidence, and by the indisputable stature and seriousness Gold brings to any scientific debate. In this book we see a brilliant and boldly original thinker, increasingly a rarity in modern science, as he develops potentially revolutionary ideas about how our world works.