Microbiomes of the Built Environment

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Author :
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309449839
Total Pages : 318 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (94 download)

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Book Synopsis Microbiomes of the Built Environment by : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Download or read book Microbiomes of the Built Environment written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2017-10-06 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: People's desire to understand the environments in which they live is a natural one. People spend most of their time in spaces and structures designed, built, and managed by humans, and it is estimated that people in developed countries now spend 90 percent of their lives indoors. As people move from homes to workplaces, traveling in cars and on transit systems, microorganisms are continually with and around them. The human-associated microbes that are shed, along with the human behaviors that affect their transport and removal, make significant contributions to the diversity of the indoor microbiome. The characteristics of "healthy" indoor environments cannot yet be defined, nor do microbial, clinical, and building researchers yet understand how to modify features of indoor environmentsâ€"such as building ventilation systems and the chemistry of building materialsâ€"in ways that would have predictable impacts on microbial communities to promote health and prevent disease. The factors that affect the environments within buildings, the ways in which building characteristics influence the composition and function of indoor microbial communities, and the ways in which these microbial communities relate to human health and well-being are extraordinarily complex and can be explored only as a dynamic, interconnected ecosystem by engaging the fields of microbial biology and ecology, chemistry, building science, and human physiology. This report reviews what is known about the intersection of these disciplines, and how new tools may facilitate advances in understanding the ecosystem of built environments, indoor microbiomes, and effects on human health and well-being. It offers a research agenda to generate the information needed so that stakeholders with an interest in understanding the impacts of built environments will be able to make more informed decisions.

Microbiomes of the Built Environment

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Author :
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309449804
Total Pages : 318 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (94 download)

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Book Synopsis Microbiomes of the Built Environment by : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Download or read book Microbiomes of the Built Environment written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2017-11-06 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: People's desire to understand the environments in which they live is a natural one. People spend most of their time in spaces and structures designed, built, and managed by humans, and it is estimated that people in developed countries now spend 90 percent of their lives indoors. As people move from homes to workplaces, traveling in cars and on transit systems, microorganisms are continually with and around them. The human-associated microbes that are shed, along with the human behaviors that affect their transport and removal, make significant contributions to the diversity of the indoor microbiome. The characteristics of "healthy" indoor environments cannot yet be defined, nor do microbial, clinical, and building researchers yet understand how to modify features of indoor environmentsâ€"such as building ventilation systems and the chemistry of building materialsâ€"in ways that would have predictable impacts on microbial communities to promote health and prevent disease. The factors that affect the environments within buildings, the ways in which building characteristics influence the composition and function of indoor microbial communities, and the ways in which these microbial communities relate to human health and well-being are extraordinarily complex and can be explored only as a dynamic, interconnected ecosystem by engaging the fields of microbial biology and ecology, chemistry, building science, and human physiology. This report reviews what is known about the intersection of these disciplines, and how new tools may facilitate advances in understanding the ecosystem of built environments, indoor microbiomes, and effects on human health and well-being. It offers a research agenda to generate the information needed so that stakeholders with an interest in understanding the impacts of built environments will be able to make more informed decisions.

Environmental Chemicals, the Human Microbiome, and Health Risk

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Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309468698
Total Pages : 123 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (94 download)

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Book Synopsis Environmental Chemicals, the Human Microbiome, and Health Risk by : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Download or read book Environmental Chemicals, the Human Microbiome, and Health Risk written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2018-03-01 with total page 123 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A great number of diverse microorganisms inhabit the human body and are collectively referred to as the human microbiome. Until recently, the role of the human microbiome in maintaining human health was not fully appreciated. Today, however, research is beginning to elucidate associations between perturbations in the human microbiome and human disease and the factors that might be responsible for the perturbations. Studies have indicated that the human microbiome could be affected by environmental chemicals or could modulate exposure to environmental chemicals. Environmental Chemicals, the Human Microbiome, and Health Risk presents a research strategy to improve our understanding of the interactions between environmental chemicals and the human microbiome and the implications of those interactions for human health risk. This report identifies barriers to such research and opportunities for collaboration, highlights key aspects of the human microbiome and its relation to health, describes potential interactions between environmental chemicals and the human microbiome, reviews the risk-assessment framework and reasons for incorporating chemicalâ€"microbiome interactions.

The Chemistry of Microbiomes

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Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309458390
Total Pages : 133 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (94 download)

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Book Synopsis The Chemistry of Microbiomes by : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Download or read book The Chemistry of Microbiomes written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2017-07-19 with total page 133 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 21st century has witnessed a complete revolution in the understanding and description of bacteria in eco- systems and microbial assemblages, and how they are regulated by complex interactions among microbes, hosts, and environments. The human organism is no longer considered a monolithic assembly of tissues, but is instead a true ecosystem composed of human cells, bacteria, fungi, algae, and viruses. As such, humans are not unlike other complex ecosystems containing microbial assemblages observed in the marine and earth environments. They all share a basic functional principle: Chemical communication is the universal language that allows such groups to properly function together. These chemical networks regulate interactions like metabolic exchange, antibiosis and symbiosis, and communication. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Chemical Sciences Roundtable organized a series of four seminars in the autumn of 2016 to explore the current advances, opportunities, and challenges toward unveiling this "chemical dark matter" and its role in the regulation and function of different ecosystems. The first three focused on specific ecosystemsâ€"earth, marine, and humanâ€"and the last on all microbiome systems. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the seminars.

Microbiomes of Soils, Plants and Animals

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Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1108573223
Total Pages : 251 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (85 download)

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Book Synopsis Microbiomes of Soils, Plants and Animals by : Rachael E. Antwis

Download or read book Microbiomes of Soils, Plants and Animals written by Rachael E. Antwis and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2020-03-12 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Through a long history of co-evolution, multicellular organisms form a complex of host cells plus many associated microorganism species. Consisting of algae, bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists and viruses, and collectively referred to as the microbiome, these microorganisms contribute to a range of important functions in their hosts, from nutrition, to behaviour and disease susceptibility. In this book, a diverse and international group of active researchers outline how multicellular organisms have become reliant on their microbiomes to function, and explore this vital interdependence across the breadth of soil, plant, animal and human hosts. They draw parallels and contrasts across hosts in different environments, and discuss how this invisible microbial ecosystem influences everything from the food we eat, to our health, to the correct functioning of ecosystems we depend on. This insightful read also pertinently encourages students and researchers in microbial ecology, ecology, and microbiology to consider how this interdependence may be key to mitigating environmental changes and developing microbial biotechnology to improve life on Earth.

Microbiome and Metabolome in Diagnosis, Therapy, and other Strategic Applications

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Publisher : Academic Press
ISBN 13 : 0128152508
Total Pages : 506 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (281 download)

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Book Synopsis Microbiome and Metabolome in Diagnosis, Therapy, and other Strategic Applications by : Joel Faintuch

Download or read book Microbiome and Metabolome in Diagnosis, Therapy, and other Strategic Applications written by Joel Faintuch and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2019-01-03 with total page 506 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Microbiome and Metabolome in Diagnosis, Therapy, and Other Strategic Applications is the first book to simultaneously cover the microbiome and the metabolome in relevant clinical conditions. In a pioneering fashion, it addresses not only the classic intestinal environment, but also the oral, gastric, lung, skin and vaginal microbiome that is in line with the latest investigations. Nonbacterial microbiomes, such as fungi and viruses are not overlooked, and the plasma microbiome is also discussed. As plasma, brain, placenta, tumor cells, and other sterile fluids and tissues, are increasingly recognized to potentially host a microbiome, albeit a limited one, this is a timely resource. The book's editors were fortunate to have the input of renowned collaborators from nearly all continents. This is truly an international effort that brings the latest in the field to students and professionals alike. Provides comprehensive coverage on diagnosis, therapy, pharmacotherapy and disease prevention in context of the microbiome and metabolome Focuses on the proposed physiological or pathological conditions Presents an up-to-date, useful reference

Damp Indoor Spaces and Health

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Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309133394
Total Pages : 368 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Damp Indoor Spaces and Health by : Committee on Damp Indoor Spaces and Health

Download or read book Damp Indoor Spaces and Health written by Committee on Damp Indoor Spaces and Health and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2004-08-31 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Almost all homes, apartments, and commercial buildings will experience leaks, flooding, or other forms of excessive indoor dampness at some point. Not only is excessive dampness a health problem by itself, it also contributes to several other potentially problematic types of situations. Molds and other microbial agents favor damp indoor environments, and excess moisture may initiate the release of chemical emissions from damaged building materials and furnishings. This new book from the Institute of Medicine examines the health impact of exposures resulting from damp indoor environments and offers recommendations for public health interventions. Damp Indoor Spaces and Health covers a broad range of topics. The book not only examines the relationship between damp or moldy indoor environments and adverse health outcomes but also discusses how and where buildings get wet, how dampness influences microbial growth and chemical emissions, ways to prevent and remediate dampness, and elements of a public health response to the issues. A comprehensive literature review finds sufficient evidence of an association between damp indoor environments and some upper respiratory tract symptoms, coughing, wheezing, and asthma symptoms in sensitized persons. This important book will be of interest to a wide-ranging audience of science, health, engineering, and building professionals, government officials, and members of the public.

The Human Microbiome, Diet, and Health

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Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 030926586X
Total Pages : 161 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (92 download)

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Book Synopsis The Human Microbiome, Diet, and Health by : Food Forum

Download or read book The Human Microbiome, Diet, and Health written by Food Forum and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2013-02-27 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Food Forum convened a public workshop on February 22-23, 2012, to explore current and emerging knowledge of the human microbiome, its role in human health, its interaction with the diet, and the translation of new research findings into tools and products that improve the nutritional quality of the food supply. The Human Microbiome, Diet, and Health: Workshop Summary summarizes the presentations and discussions that took place during the workshop. Over the two day workshop, several themes covered included: The microbiome is integral to human physiology, health, and disease. The microbiome is arguably the most intimate connection that humans have with their external environment, mostly through diet. Given the emerging nature of research on the microbiome, some important methodology issues might still have to be resolved with respect to undersampling and a lack of causal and mechanistic studies. Dietary interventions intended to have an impact on host biology via their impact on the microbiome are being developed, and the market for these products is seeing tremendous success. However, the current regulatory framework poses challenges to industry interest and investment.

The Routledge Companion to Biology in Art and Architecture

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Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317419502
Total Pages : 761 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (174 download)

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Book Synopsis The Routledge Companion to Biology in Art and Architecture by : Charissa Terranova

Download or read book The Routledge Companion to Biology in Art and Architecture written by Charissa Terranova and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-08-12 with total page 761 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Routledge Companion to Biology in Art and Architecture collects thirty essays from a transdisciplinary array of experts on biology in art and architecture. The book presents a diversity of hybrid art-and-science thinking, revealing how science and culture are interwoven. The book situates bioart and bioarchitecture within an expanded field of biology in art, architecture, and design. It proposes an emergent field of biocreativity and outlines its historical and theoretical foundations from the perspective of artists, architects, designers, scientists, historians, and theoreticians. Includes over 150 black and white images.

Gut Microbiome and Behavior

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Publisher : Academic Press
ISBN 13 : 0128039760
Total Pages : 432 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (28 download)

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Book Synopsis Gut Microbiome and Behavior by :

Download or read book Gut Microbiome and Behavior written by and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2016-10-25 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gut Microbiome and Behavior, the latest volume in the International Review of Neurobiology series, provides a comprehensive overview of the gut microbiome on the brain and behavior, fully encapsulating the latest research in the field and defining the scope of this influence to outline potential mechanisms and possible implications. Contains the expertise of contributors in the field who discuss the gut microbiome and its effect on the brain and behavior Defines the scope of the influence of the gut microbiome and the potential mechanisms and implications Charts the way forward in this frontier area of research

Microbial Diversity and Ecology in Hotspots

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Publisher : Academic Press
ISBN 13 : 0323901492
Total Pages : 394 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (239 download)

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Book Synopsis Microbial Diversity and Ecology in Hotspots by : Aparna Gunjal

Download or read book Microbial Diversity and Ecology in Hotspots written by Aparna Gunjal and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2021-11-26 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Microbial Diversity in Hotspots provides an introduction to microbial diversity and microbes in different hotspots and threatened areas. The book gives insights on extremophiles, phyllosphere and rhizosphere, covers fungal diversity, conservation and microbial association, focuses on biodiversity acts and policies, and includes cases studies. Microbes explored are from the coldest to the hottest areas of the world. Although hotspots are zones with extremely high microbiology activities, the knowledge of microbial diversity from these areas is very limited, hence this is a welcome addition to existing resources. Provides an introduction to microbial biotechnology Addresses novel approaches to the study of microbial diversity in hotspots Provides the basics, along with advanced information on microbial diversity Discusses the techniques used to examine microbial diversity with their applications and respective pros and cons for sustainability Explores the importance of microbial genomes studies in commercial applications

The Perfect Predator

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Publisher : Hachette Books
ISBN 13 : 0316418072
Total Pages : 346 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (164 download)

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Book Synopsis The Perfect Predator by : Steffanie Strathdee

Download or read book The Perfect Predator written by Steffanie Strathdee and published by Hachette Books. This book was released on 2019-02-26 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An electrifying memoir of one woman's extraordinary effort to save her husband's life-and the discovery of a forgotten cure that has the potential to save millions more. "A memoir that reads like a thriller." -New York Times Book Review "A fascinating and terrifying peek into the devastating outcomes of antibiotic misuse-and what happens when standard health care falls short." -Scientific American Epidemiologist Steffanie Strathdee and her husband, psychologist Tom Patterson, were vacationing in Egypt when Tom came down with a stomach bug. What at first seemed like a case of food poisoning quickly turned critical, and by the time Tom had been transferred via emergency medevac to the world-class medical center at UC San Diego, where both he and Steffanie worked, blood work revealed why modern medicine was failing: Tom was fighting one of the most dangerous, antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the world. Frantic, Steffanie combed through research old and new and came across phage therapy: the idea that the right virus, aka "the perfect predator," can kill even the most lethal bacteria. Phage treatment had fallen out of favor almost 100 years ago, after antibiotic use went mainstream. Now, with time running out, Steffanie appealed to phage researchers all over the world for help. She found allies at the FDA, researchers from Texas A&M, and a clandestine Navy biomedical center -- and together they resurrected a forgotten cure. A nail-biting medical mystery, The Perfect Predator is a story of love and survival against all odds, and the (re)discovery of a powerful new weapon in the global superbug crisis.

Superbug

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Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 9781439171837
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (718 download)

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Book Synopsis Superbug by : Maryn McKenna

Download or read book Superbug written by Maryn McKenna and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-03-23 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: LURKING in our homes, hospitals, schools, and farms is a terrifying pathogen that is evolving faster than the medical community can track it or drug developers can create antibiotics to quell it. That pathogen is MRSA—methicillin-resistant Staphyloccocus aureus—and Superbug is the first book to tell the story of its shocking spread and the alarming danger it poses to us all. Doctors long thought that MRSA was confined to hospitals and clinics, infecting almost exclusively those who were either already ill or old. But through remarkable reporting, including hundreds of interviews with the leading researchers and doctors tracking the deadly bacterium, acclaimed science journalist Maryn McKenna reveals the hidden history of MRSA’s relentless advance—how it has overwhelmed hospitals, assaulted families, and infiltrated agriculture and livestock, moving inexorably into the food chain. Taking readers into the medical centers where frustrated physicians must discard drug after drug as they struggle to keep patients alive, she discloses an explosion of cases that demonstrate how MRSA is growing more virulent, while evolving resistance to antibiotics with astonishing speed. It may infect us at any time, no matter how healthy we are; it is carried by a stunning number of our household pets; and it has been detected in food animals from cows to chickens to pigs. With the sensitivity of a novelist, McKenna portrays the emotional and financial devastation endured by MRSA’s victims, vividly describing the many stealthy ways in which the pathogen overtakes the body and the shock and grief of parents whose healthy children were felled by infection in just hours. Through dogged detective work, she discloses the unheard warnings that predicted the current crisis and lays bare the flaws that have allowed MRSA to rage out of control: misplaced government spending, inadequate public health surveillance, misguided agricultural practices, and vast overuse of the few precious drugs we have left. Empowering readers with the knowledge they need for self-defense, Superbug sounds an alarm: MRSA has evolved into a global emergency that touches almost every aspect of modern life. It is, as one deeply concerned researcher tells McKenna, "the biggest thing since AIDS."

Living Construction

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Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 0429777078
Total Pages : 130 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (297 download)

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Book Synopsis Living Construction by : Martyn Dade-Robertson

Download or read book Living Construction written by Martyn Dade-Robertson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-10-28 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Modern biotechnologies give us unprecedented control of the fundamental building blocks of life. For designers, across a range of disciplines, emerging fields such as synthetic biology offer the promise of new sustainable materials and structures which may be grown, are self-assembling, self-healing and adaptable to change. While there is a thriving speculative discourse on the future of design in the age of biotechnology, there are few realized design applications. This book, the first in the Bio Design series, acts as a bridge between design speculation and scientific reality and between contemporary design thinking, in areas such as architecture, product design and fashion design, and the traditional engineering approaches which currently dominate biotechnologies. Filled with real examples, Living Construction reveals how living cells construct and transform materials through methods of fabrication and assembly at multiple scales and how designers can utilize these processes.

Management of Legionella in Water Systems

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Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309493854
Total Pages : 291 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (94 download)

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Book Synopsis Management of Legionella in Water Systems by : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Download or read book Management of Legionella in Water Systems written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2020-02-20 with total page 291 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Legionnaires' disease, a pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacterium, is the leading cause of reported waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States. Legionella occur naturally in water from many different environmental sources, but grow rapidly in the warm, stagnant conditions that can be found in engineered water systems such as cooling towers, building plumbing, and hot tubs. Humans are primarily exposed to Legionella through inhalation of contaminated aerosols into the respiratory system. Legionnaires' disease can be fatal, with between 3 and 33 percent of Legionella infections leading to death, and studies show the incidence of Legionnaires' disease in the United States increased five-fold from 2000 to 2017. Management of Legionella in Water Systems reviews the state of science on Legionella contamination of water systems, specifically the ecology and diagnosis. This report explores the process of transmission via water systems, quantification, prevention and control, and policy and training issues that affect the incidence of Legionnaires' disease. It also analyzes existing knowledge gaps and recommends research priorities moving forward.

Microbial Endocrinology

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Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 1441955763
Total Pages : 325 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (419 download)

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Book Synopsis Microbial Endocrinology by : Mark Lyte

Download or read book Microbial Endocrinology written by Mark Lyte and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2010-04-06 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Microbial endocrinology represents a newly emerging interdisciplinary field that is formed by the intersection of the fields of neurobiology and microbiology. This book will introduce a new perspective to the current understanding not only of the factors that mediate the ability of microbes to cause disease, but also to the mechanisms that maintain normal homeostasis. The discovery that microbes can directly respond to neuroendocrine hormones, as evidenced by increased growth and production of virulence-associated factors, provides for a new framework with which to investigate how microorganisms interface not only with vertebrates, but also with invertebrates and even plants. The reader will learn that the neuroendocrine hormones that one most commonly associates with mammals are actually found throughout the plant, insect and microbial communities to an extent that will undoubtedly surprise many, and most importantly, how interactions between microbes and neuroendocrine hormones can influence the pathophysiology of infectious disease.

Microorganisms in Environmental Management

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Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 940072229X
Total Pages : 827 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (7 download)

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Book Synopsis Microorganisms in Environmental Management by : T. Satyanarayana

Download or read book Microorganisms in Environmental Management written by T. Satyanarayana and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-01-02 with total page 827 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Microbes and their biosynthetic capabilities have been invaluable in finding solutions for several intractable problems mankind has encountered in maintaining the quality of the environment. They have, for example, been used to positive effect in human and animal health, genetic engineering, environmental protection, and municipal and industrial waste treatment. Microorganisms have enabled feasible and cost-effective responses which would have been impossible via straightforward chemical or physical engineering methods. Microbial technologies have of late been applied to a range of environmental problems, with considerable success. This survey of recent scientific progress in usefully applying microbes to both environmental management and biotechnology is informed by acknowledgement of the polluting effects on the world around us of soil erosion, the unwanted migration of sediments, chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and the improper treatment of human and animal wastes. These harmful phenomena have resulted in serious environmental and social problems around the world, problems which require us to look for solutions elsewhere than in established physical and chemical technologies. Often the answer lies in hybrid applications in which microbial methods are combined with physical and chemical ones. When we remember that these highly effective microorganisms, cultured for a variety of applications, are but a tiny fraction of those to be found in the world around us, we realize the vastness of the untapped and beneficial potential of microorganisms. At present, comprehending the diversity of hitherto uncultured microbes involves the application of metagenomics, with several novel microbial species having been discovered using culture-independent approaches. Edited by recognized leaders in the field, this penetrating assessment of our progress to date in deploying microorganisms to the advantage of environmental management and biotechnology will be widely welcomed.