In the past the number of artificial compounds in existence has increased exponentially, and many are extremely resistent to decomposition, causing environmental problems. Microorganisms have been discovered that can break down these compounds, and this book presents key results of an international research project on microbial evolution. Following an overview of basic knowledge and perspectives on microbial diversity and the genetics of biodegradation of aromatic compounds, the biochemistry of xenobiotic biodegradation is described in detail. Several chapters discuss microbial ecology and community structure while others consider evolutionary mechanisms and pathway diversity of 2,4-D and PCB degradation.
Koki Horikoshi — discoverer of the alkaliphiles, microbes that thrive in alkaline environments — describes in his autobiography how the research on extremophiles started and developed. He is a pioneer in the study of these microorganisms that thrive in extreme conditions, and in his book he opens a new vista of the microbial world, pushing the field to expand from the surface of the Earth to the subsurface, to the deep sea and outer space. All major developments in extremophiles research are covered, stretching back to the historical use of microbes in mixed fermentation, indigo dyeing and the pasteurisation of sake. Events in Horikoshi’s life provide many valuable insights into the life of a budding scientist, inspired by the Renaissance culture of Florence that led him to the discovery of the alkaliphiles. Our daily lives have been greatly affected by Horikoshi’s research, such as the extensive screening he conducted for enzymes produced by alkaliphiles, now applied in many industries from biological laundry detergents to pharmaceutics. The book also reflects on numerous milestone events and people who contributed to the establishment of this field, including colleagues from all over the world. This book is a good read for all microbiologists, encouraging readers to reach out to new worlds and discoveries. It will be treasured by all those interested in a life of a real pioneer.
Many organisms in deep-sea environments are extremophiles thriving in extreme conditions: high pressure, high or low temperature, or high concentrations of inorganic compounds. This book presents the microbiology of extremophiles living in the deep sea and describes the isolation, cultivation, and taxonomic identification of microorganisms retrieved from the Mariana Trench, the world's deepest point. Also explained are techniques for recovering pressure-loving bacteria, the barophiles (piezophiles), and for whole genome analysis of "Bacillus halodurans" C-125. Physiological analysis of the pressure effect in "Saccharomyces cerevisiae" and "Escherichia coli" is used to answer the question of how deep-sea organisms survive under high hydrostatic pressure. These research results are useful in both basic science and industrial applications. Readers discover a new microbial world in the ocean depths, with state-of-the-science information on extremophiles.
