Microbiology: An Integrated Approach

Microbiology is the study of microbial life. This discipline encompasses the study of acellular, unicellular and multicellular organisms, such as viruses, bacteria, archaea, fungi, algae, etc. The study of microbiology is significant due to the extensive use of microorganisms in industrial fermentation processes, bioremediation of wastes and for the production of a variety of biopolymers, such as polyesters, polysaccharides and polyamides. There is immense scope of microbial use in medical science, notable among which are antibiotic production, production of beneficial vitamins and amino acids, suppression of pathogenic microbes and development of biopolymers with applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery. Research that explores microbes as therapeutic agents against cancer is also being pursued. This book brings forth some of the most innovative concepts and elucidates the unexplored aspects of microbiology. The various advancements in this area of study are glanced at and their applications as well as ramifications are looked at in detail. With state-of-the-art inputs by acclaimed experts of this field, this book targets students and professionals.