Environmental Microbiology: Methods and Protocols (Methods in Biotechnology, 16)

The methods included in Environmental Microbiology: Methods and Pro- cols can be placed in the categories “Communities and Biofilms,” “Fermented Milks,” “Recovery and Determination of Nucleic Acids,” and the review s- tion, containing chapters on the endophytic bacterium, Bacillus mojavensis, the engineering of bacteria to enhance their ability to carry out bioremediation of aromatic compounds, using the hemoglobin gene from a strain of Vitreoscilla 23 spp., and the use of chemical shift reagents and Na NMR to study sodium gradients in microorganisms, all of which should be of interest to investigators in these fields. The subjects treated within the different categories also cover a wide range, with methods ranging from those for the study of marine organisms, through those for the investigation of microorganisms occurring in ground waters, including subsurface ground waters, to other types of environmental waters, to as varied subjects as the biodiversity of yeasts found in northwest Argentina. The range of topics described in the Fermented Milks section is smaller, but significant for investigators in areas concerned with milk as an item of foods for infants, small children, and even adults.

Understanding the relationship between a microorganism and its environment is essential to the successful manipulation of industrial, biochemical, and medical processes. In Environmental Microbiology: Methods and Protocols, highly practiced experimentalists who often have perfected the methods they write about describe readily reproducible techniques for determining most of the important factors governing microorganisms and their habitats. Presented in step-by-step detail, these cutting-edge methods range from those for the study of marine organisms, to those for investigating microorganisms occurring in groundwater, to the biodiversity found in remote environments. The protocols for studying fermented milks are significant for investigators concerned with milk as an item of food for infants, small children, and even adults. Additional methods for the recovery and determination of nucleic acids and other compounds affecting, and affected by, microorganisms, are provided for certain enzymes produced by plant pathogens and for obtaining microbial species tolerant of such inhibitors as heavy metals. Review articles discuss the endophytic bacterium Bacillus mojavensis, the engineering of bacteria to enhance their ability to carry out bioremediation of aromatic compounds, and the use of chemical shift reagents and Na-NMR to study sodium gradients in microorganisms. The protocols follow the successful Methods in Molecular Biology™ series format, each one offering step-by-step laboratory instructions, an introduction outlining the principle behind the technique, lists of equipment and reagents, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.
State-of-the-art and highly practical, Environmental Microbiology: Methods and Protocols offers microbiological researchers a powerful set of techniques for investigating and understanding microorganisms in their native environments.