Microbiology and Nanobiology: Advancing Frontiers

by Har Darshan Kumar

ISBN: 9789383048335
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Imprint : Daya Publishing House
Year : 2021
Price : Rs. 12995.00
Biblio : xiv+381p., col. plts., figs., tabls., ind., 25 cm

Author Profile

Dr. H.D. Kumar formerly Professor Emeritus, Indo-Soviet Friendship College of Pharmacy, Moga Punjab.

About The Book

The real masters of life on Earth are not humans but nano-organisms and microbes. Microbiology represents the bedrock from which many newer developments in biotechnology have emanated. We humans have many microbial friends such as the bacteria that live within our body and protect us from disease, promote food digestion, produce vitamins and shape the immune system. On the other hand, some of the deadliest diseases are caused by certain viruses which are best considered as nano-organisms. The book aims to briefly describe some of the exciting new discoveries and researches in bacteria, viruses, microalgae, yeasts and other microbes. Some specific topics in the forefront and expanding frontiers of microbiology and nanobiology discussed in this monograph are the human microbiota, horizontal (lateral) gene transfers, infectious diseases, and the organisms concerned with the environmental, energy, pharmaceutical and healthcare dimensions. The monograph is intended to meet the needs of microbiology students, researchers and teachers in colleges, universities, agricultural and medical institutions. It would also be of use to those who already have some elementary knowledge of microbiology but wish to combine this knowledge in a purposeful analysis and appreciation of the newer microbial discoveries and processes in relation to biotechnology, plant molecular biology, and pharmacognosy.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS Chapter 1: General Microbiology Understanding Microbes, The Three Phases of Microbiology, Microbial Tree of Life, Tree of Life or Network (Web) of Life?, Microbial Phylogeny and Evolution, Self-organization Processes in Biology, The Eukaryotic Cell, Cellular Microbiology, The Complexity Pyramid, The Irreducible Nature of Eukaryotic Cells, Eukaryote Evolution, Microbial Diversity, Biodiversity of Bacteria-Taxa-area Relationship, Novel Marine Microbes, Mammalian Microbiota, Gut (Intestinal) Bacteria, The Human Microbiome, Human Microbiome Project (HMP), The Creativity of Symbiosis, Minimal Genome Needed for Symbiosis, The Species Concept for Prokaryotes, Microbial Forensics, Green Fluorescent Protein as a Molecular Lantern; Chapter 2: Gene Transfer and Gene Swapping in Bacteria Introduction, Gene Swapping, Gene Transfer Among Bacteria in Natural Environments, Transformation, Plasmid Transformation, Conjugation, Mechanisms of Conjugation, Transduction, Types of Transduction, Factors Influencing Transduction in the Environment, Far-Flung Gene Transfers in Nature, Recombination and Clonality, The Smart Bacteria: Cognition and Natural Genetic Engineering, Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT) and Microbial Relationships, Horizontal Gene Transfer-Direct Visualization, Lateral Gene Transfer and Microbial Systematics, Agrobacterium tumefaciens-The Crown Gall Bacterium; Chapter 3: Nanobiology: Viruses as Nano-organisms Introduction, Structure and Organization, Viral Quasispecies, Redefining Virology, Bacteriophages, Genomic Diversity in Bacteriophages, Viruses as Vectors for Gene Transfer, RNA Virus Vectors, Nuclear Import and Export in Influenza Virus Infection, DNA Shuffling by Viral Vectors, Infectious Viral RNAs (Reverse Genetics), Large RNA Virus Genome as Artificial Bacterial Chromosome, Antiviral Therapy-Bacteriophages as Antibiotics?, Viruses and the Cellular DNA Damage Response, Giant Viruses, Aggresomes and Virioplasm, Genetic Exchange Among Terrestrial Bacteriophages, Tethering HIV-1 Virus, HIV-AIDS Drugs, Epistasis in RNA Viruses, Interferon, Viral Vectors for Protein Production in Insects; Chapter 4: The Archaea and Extremophilic Microorganisms Hyperthermophilic Archaea, Thermoacidophilic Methanotrophy, Cell Division, DNA Replication, Replication Origins, Archaeal Metabolism in Deep Ocean, Archaea in the Marine Nitrogen Cycle, Thermoacidophilic Archaeon from Deep-sea Hydrothermal Vents, Acidophilic Microorganisms, Upper Temperature Limit for Life, Life in Hydrothermal Vents, Plant/Fungal Symbiosis and Thermotolerance; Chapter 5: Microbial Morphology and Physiology Bacterial Cell Walls and Surface Structures, Visualizing Bacterial Cell Walls and Biofilms, DNA Versus Membrane in Bacillus, Use of Light by Bacterial Protein to Power Flagella, Magnetotactic Bacteria (MTB) and Magnetosomes, Bacterial Communication and Nanovesicles, Bacterial Caveolae, Bacterial Chemotaxis, Compensatory Adaptation in Escherichia coli, Bacterial Suicide Through Stre