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The book represents a critical update on interactions between the host and its gut microbiome that conditions the socio-biology of the mind and behaviour. Evidence has been scientifically approached and reveals that our conscious behaviour involves a complex interplay of multiple non-conscious domains, including complex host-gut microbiome relationships.The book describes trends and issues on which there is increasing evidence of the impact of host-gut microbiome interactions on behaviour and cultural construction of self-perception. This suggests the need to re-evaluate traditional, basic concepts of human development. Additionally, it calls attention to open issues involving conceptual themes on neurobiological integration and its impact on early developmental and social domains on the typical extended period of human postnatal helplessness during which the basic scaffolding of mental development is completed. It also deals with the impact of poverty and inadequate early feeding habits on individual cognitive development, performance, and social construction. It discusses the need to reformulate views and policies on social marginalisation, child poverty, and malnutrition involving host-gut microbiome imbalances.The spectrum of possible behaviours in all species and its plasticity depends on an integrated vector of basic components involving the genetic code, social and physical environmental, developmental conditions, the relative condition of dominance or submission in social settings –or prey/predator in the Natural Kingdom– and on its physiological and anatomical construction profiles.Graduate, postgraduate and teachers interested in areas connected with anthropology, social medicine, early education, and health policymakers will benefit greatly from this book.

This book presents the latest findings in medical entomology in Japan and neighboring Asian countries. It provides an overview of the current issues of medically important arthropods in this region and also refers to the issues that are likely to become more serious in the near future. It helps us understand that addressing the arthropod issues is not enough in limited regions, but requires a coordinated response throughout these regions. Global warming and globalization are affecting both vector and vector-borne diseases, causing rapid changes in their distribution and ecology. From the perspective of global pest control, the book focuses not only on domestic pests in Japan but also on pests in neighboring Asian countries including the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, etc., which are geographically and economically close to Japan. Japan has experience of eradicating malaria and lymphatic filariasis, drastically reducing the number of cases of Japanese encephalitis patients, and succeeded in controlling flies in the metropolis of Tokyo. The know-how learned and created from these past successes should provide valuable information for other parts of Asia that are still struggling with pest infestation today. With the growing interest in these issues worldwide, this book provides essential information in medical entomology for researchers, including students and early career researchers. By integrating the latest findings in medical entomology with past successes and experiences in the field, the book is also a valuable reference for many professionals planning sustainable pest control.

This contributed volume focuses on the latest innovations in the field of marine microbiology. Marine ecosystems are dynamic natural resources and home to very primitive life forms. They include open sea, deep sea, coastal marine ecosystem mudflats, seagrass meadows, mangroves, and rocky intertidal systems. This book deals with the various aspects of marine microbiology including diverse habitats, associated microorganisms, their adaptations, ecological interactions, biogeochemical cycling, and industrial applications. It also discusses the issue of pollution in oceans and put forward available strategies for its eco-friendly solution. In recent years, extensive research, advanced methodologies, and high-throughput instrumentation have resulted in voluminous data and information that require proper compilation and worldwide sharing. From this perspective, the book is a perfect documentation of primary and secondary data-based information on the latest research findings, case studies, experiences, and innovations in the field of marine microbiology. The book is of great use to students, researchers and professionals studying marine sciences.

The book provides an overview relevant to various biological mechanisms that regulate carbon exchanges between the major components and their response to climate change. Climate change has a significant impact on people's lives, energy demand, food security, etc. The soil microbial ecology is vital for assessing terrestrial and aquatic carbon cycles and climate feedback. However, the primary concern is the complexity of the soil microbial community and its severely affected functions due to the climate and other global changes. Global warming comprises an assessment of the dynamic interactions and feedback between microbes, plants, and their physical environment due to climate change. The book will address the need to use a multifactor experimental approach to understand how soil microorganisms and their activities adapt to climate change and the implications of carbon cycle feedback. The most pressing concern is a clearer understanding of the biological factors that regulate carbon exchanges between land, oceans, and the atmosphere and how these exchanges will respond to climate change via climate–ecosystem feedbacks, which could augment or quell regional and global climate change. Terrestrial ecosystems play an important role in climate feedback as they produce and absorb greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides. They also strongly contribute to storing enormous amounts of carbon in living vegetation and soils, rendering them a significant global carbon sink. If climate change projections are realistic, such a rapid increase in carbon loss from soil could exacerbate the soil carbon cycle feedback. The book will determine the role of microbial feedback in regulating soil-land-atmosphere carbon exchange under changing climatic conditions at the regional and global levels. The current book will also focus on recent research designed to use beneficial microbes such as plant growth-promoting microorganisms, fungi, endophytic microbes, and others to improve understanding of the interaction and their potential role in promoting advanced management for sustainable agricultural solutions. Understanding the influence on the native microbiome, such as the distribution of methanogens and methanotrophs, nutritional content, microbial biomass, and other factors, is becoming increasingly crucial to establishing climate-resilient agriculture.

Microbial Symbionts: Functions and Molecular Interactions on Host focuses on microbial symbionts of plants, animals, insects and molecular methods in the identification of microbial symbionts. The book describes the molecular mechanism and interactions of symbiosis of microbiome in plants, animals and humans. It brings the latest techniques for identification, localization and functional characterization of host-associated microbes and explains the role/importance of microbial symbionts. This comprehensive reference covers a wide range of symbiotic microorganisms used for basic and advanced techniques associated with the isolation, characterization and identification of microbial symbiotic microorganisms and their functions and molecular interactions on the host. The book will also helps users plan and execute experiments with appropriate knowledge rather than experimental trial and error in a wide range of disciplines, including Microbiology, Biotechnology, Botany and Zoology. - Provides basic knowledge and working protocols for a wide range of disciplines like Microbiology, Biotechnology, Botany and Zoology - Presents the most current information in symbiotic microbiome and holobiome - Includes color photos pertaining to techniques

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

This updated and expanded second edition reviews numerous aspects of the marine microbiome and its possible industrial applications. The marine microbiome is the total of microorganisms and viruses in the ocean and seas and in any connected environment, including the seafloor and marine animals and plants. In the first part of the book, diversity, origin and evolution of the marine microorganisms and viruses are discussed. The microbes presented originate from all three domains of life: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya. The second part sheds some light on the different communities: it describes marine habitats and how their inhabitants control biogeochemical cycles. The third part finally examines the microbial ocean as a global system and evaluates methods of utilizing marine microbial resources. Adopting a translational approach, the book connects academic research with industrial applications, making it a fascinating read and valuable resource for microbiologists from both domains.

This book provides a fundamental understanding of the importance of the microbiome in the life of virtually all multicellular organisms. It explains why microbes are an integral part of living organisms and describes the diverse roles they perform for their hosts. Although the significance of modified bacteria such as the mitochondrion and chloroplast is deeply rooted in the evolution of all complex organisms, it is only recently that the contribution of microbial partners within and on their hosts is becoming fully evident. These communities of microbes are as essential to organisms as are the visible organs. Microbiomes are indeed “invisible organs.” They participate in the digestive process, assist in communication networks, supply essential nutrients, guard against foreign intrusion, promote development and contribute to well-being. This unique approach, where the dependence of the hosts on their microbiomes is explained, will be a must-read for undergraduate and graduate students. Researchers and professionals probing microbial interactions with living organisms will find this book interesting and enriching.Key Features Emphasizes the roles microbiomes play within their hosts Includes many captivating illustrations enabling easy comprehension Explains microbiome functions from algae to vertebrates Reveals how microbiomes contribute to the health of the hosts and the ecosystems Describes the impact of dysbiosis on diseases, food security and climate change Boxed sections provide a detailed analysis of concepts and are accompanied by vivid illustrations

A comprehensive overview of symbiotic relationships between insects and microbesInsects and Their Beneficial Microbes is an authoritative and accessible synthesis of insect associations with beneficial microorganisms. Angela Douglas distills the vast literature in entomology and microbiology, as well as the burgeoning microbiome literature, to explore the full scope of insect-microbial interactions and their applications to real-world problems in agriculture and medicine.Douglas investigates how insects acquire and support their microbial partners, and examines how microorganisms contribute to insect nutrition, the defense against natural enemies, and the detoxification of natural allelochemicals and chemical insecticides. She analyzes how beneficial microbes can be harnessed to solve real-world problems in insect pest management, including strategies to suppress the transmission of viruses and microbial disease agents by mosquitoes and other insects. She also addresses the use of insects as biomedical models for effective microbial therapies treating a range of chronic human diseases, and considers how knowledge of insect-microbial interactions can promote the health of beneficial insects, especially in the context of environmental pollutants and climate change.Insects and Their Beneficial Microbes provides a much-needed conceptual framework for the growing discipline of insect-microbial interactions, and offers a wealth of insights into insect symbioses from molecular, physiological, ecological, and evolutionary perspectives.

Practical Handbook of Microbiology, 4th edition provides basic, clear and concise knowledge and practical information about working with microorganisms. Useful to anyone interested in microbes, the book is intended to especially benefit four groups: trained microbiologists working within one specific area of microbiology; people with training in other disciplines, and use microorganisms as a tool or'chemical reagent'; business people evaluating investments in microbiology focused companies; and an emerging group, people in occupations and trades that might have limited training in microbiology, but who require specific practical information.Key Features Provides a comprehensive compendium of basic information on microorganisms—from classical microbiology to genomics. Includes coverage of disease-causing bacteria, bacterial viruses (phage), and the use of phage for treating diseases, and added coverage of extremophiles. Features comprehensive coverage of antimicrobial agents, including chapters on anti-fungals and anti-virals. Covers the Microbiome, gene editing with CRISPR, Parasites, Fungi, and Animal Viruses. Adds numerous chapters especially intended for professionals such as healthcare and industrial professionals, environmental scientists and ecologists, teachers, and businesspeople. Includes comprehensive survey table of Clinical, Commercial, and Research-Model bacteria. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.Chapter 21,'Archaea,'of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license available at http://www.taylorfrancis.comSee Emanuel Goldman's Open Access article:'Lamarck redux and other false arguments against SARS-CoV-2 vaccination,'https://www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.15252/embr.202254675

This book examines an important paradigm shift in biology: Plants and animals, traditionally viewed as individuals, are now considered to be complex systems and host to a plethora of microorganisms. After first presenting historical aspects of microbiota research, bacterial compositions of individual microbiomes and the critical analysis of current methods, the book discusses how microbial communities inside the human body are profoundly affected by numerous factors, such as macro- and micro-nutrients, physical exercise, antibiotics, gender and age. As described by current research, the author highlights how microbiomes contribute to the fitness of the host by providing nutrients, inhibiting pathogens, aiding in the storage of fat during pregnancy, and contributing to development and behavior. The author not only focusses on prokaryotic components in microbiomes, but also addresses single-cell eukaryotes and viruses. This follow-up to the successful book The Hologenome Concept: Human, Animal and Plant Microbiota, published in 2013, provides a contemporary overview of microbiomes. It appeals to anyone working in the life sciences and biomedicine.

This volume presents a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in symbiosis research. It covers molecular, organellar, cellular, immunologic, genetic and evolutionary aspects of symbiotic interactions in humans and other model systems. The book also highlights new approaches to interdisciplinary research and therapeutic applications. Symbiosis refers to any mutually beneficial interaction between different organisms. The symbiotic origin of cellular organelles and the exchange of genetic material between hosts and their bacterial and viral symbionts have helped shaped the current diversity of life. Recently, symbiosis has gained a new level of recognition, due to the realization that all organisms function as a holobiome and that any kind of interference with the hosts influences their symbionts and vice versa, and can have profound consequences for the survival of both. For example, in humans, the microbiome, i.e., the entirety of all the microorganisms living in association with the intestines, oral cavity, urogenital system and skin, is partially inherited during pregnancy and influences the maturation and functioning of the human immune system, protects against pathogens and regulates metabolism. Symbionts also regulate cancer development, wound healing, tissue regeneration and stem cell function. The medical applications of this new realization are vast and largely uncharted. The composition and robustness of human symbionts could make them a valuable diagnostic tool for predicting impending diseases, and the manipulation of symbionts could yield new strategies for the treatment of incurable diseases.

The third edition of this bestselling text has been rigorously updated to reflect major new discoveries and concepts since 2011, especially progress due to extensive application of high-throughput sequencing, single cell genomics and analysis of large datasets. Significant advances in understanding the diversity and evolution of bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists, and viruses are discussed and their importance in marine processes is explored in detail. Now in full colour throughout, all chapters have been significantly expanded, with many new diagrams, illustrations and boxes to aid students'interest and understanding. Novel pedagogy is designed to encourage students to explore current high-profile research topics. Examples include the impacts of rising CO2 levels on microbial community structure and ocean processes, interactions of microbes with plastic pollution, symbiotic interactions, and emerging diseases of marine life. This is the only textbook addressing such a broad range of topics in the specific area of marine microbiology, now a core topic within broader Marine Science degrees. A Companion Website provides additional online resources for instructors and students, including a summary of key concepts and terminology for each chapter, links to further resources, and flashcards to aid self-assessment.

Named a Best Book of 2020 by NPR and Vanity FairOne of Smithsonian's Ten Best Science Books of 2020“A searching and vital explication of germ theory, social norms, and what the modern era is really doing to our bodies and our psyches.” —Vanity FairA preventative medicine physician and staff writer for The Atlantic explains the surprising and unintended effects of our hygiene practices in this informative and entertaining introduction to the new science of skin microbes and probiotics. Keeping skin healthy is a booming industry, and yet it seems like almost no one agrees on what actually works. Confusing messages from health authorities and ineffective treatments have left many people desperate for reliable solutions. An enormous alternative industry is filling the void, selling products that are often of questionable safety and totally unknown effectiveness. In Clean, doctor and journalist James Hamblin explores how we got here, examining the science and culture of how we care for our skin today. He talks to dermatologists, microbiologists, allergists, immunologists, aestheticians, bar-soap enthusiasts, venture capitalists, Amish people, theologians, and straight-up scam artists, trying to figure out what it really means to be clean. He even experiments with giving up showers entirely, and discovers that he is not alone. Along the way, he realizes that most of our standards of cleanliness are less related to health than most people think. A major part of the picture has been missing: a little-known ecosystem known as the skin microbiome—the trillions of microbes that live on our skin and in our pores. These microbes are not dangerous; they're more like an outer layer of skin that no one knew we had, and they influence everything from acne, eczema, and dry skin, to how we smell. The new goal of skin care will be to cultivate a healthy biome—and to embrace the meaning of “clean” in the natural sense. This can mean doing much less, saving time, money, energy, water, and plastic bottles in the process.Lucid, accessible, and deeply researched, Clean explores the ongoing, radical change in the way we think about our skin, introducing readers to the emerging science that will be at the forefront of health and wellness conversations in coming years.

The book provides an overview on how the gut microbiome contributes to human health. The readers will get profound knowledge on the connection between intestinal microbiota and immune defense systems. The tools of choice to study the ecology of these highly-specialized microorganism communities such as high-throughput sequencing and metagenomic mining will be presented. In addition the most common diseases associated to the composition of the gut flora are discussed in detail. The book will address researchers, clinicians and advanced students working in biomedicine, microbiology and immunology.

Endophytes are commonly known as microorganisms, mainly bacteria and fungi, which live inside plant tissues without inducing symptoms. Considering the long-lived trees, endophytes have a fundamental role in preparing their hosts to face extreme weather conditions, drought, heat, cold, and pathogen and herbivore attacks. The current knowledge clearly demonstrates the importance of endophytes in shaping the plant diversity in a forest. Endophytes have an important capacity for biocontrol of forest diseases. Considering endophyte diversity and the range of various compounds and enzymes they can produce, endophytes can be used for various biotechnological applications.