In Environmental Monitoring of Bacteria, Clive Edwards and his distinguished panel of researchers bring together a collection of detailed molecular methods for the environmental monitoring of bacterial populations. These state-of-the-art methods include techniques for the recovery of cells, for the analysis of whole cells, and for the molecular study of target species and heterogeneous populations. Many of the methods enable bacteria to be monitored in their natural environments without culturing, and specifically address the difficult problem that only a small proportion of bacteria in any ecosystem can be cultured by traditional methods. In addition to providing many eminently reproducible methods, the distinguished contributors review the problems of monitoring bacteria in natural environments and discuss the principles by which the methods work.
Taking full advantage of the exciting research in recent years that has challenged some long-held principles of traditional microbiology, Environmental Monitoring of Bacteria gives timely and practical access to powerfultechniques that allow the study of bacterial ecology as communities, as single cells, or at the molecular level.
Charles E. Edmiston
This text is a discussion of the various techniques that are currently available for the identification and characterization of microbial populations in terrestrial and aquatic environments. The purpose is to provide scientists and students with a concise, state-of-the-art resource describing the strategies for the collection, identification, and characterization of microbial populations in natural environments. This book is directed to the environmental microbiologist, soil scientist, and graduate student engaged in studying natural terrestrial or aquatic microbial populations. This text covers several important areas including collection strategies for terrestrial and aquatic environments, magnetic particle separation techniques, molecular techniques such as DNA extraction and sequencing, fluorescent PCR/RFLP, recovery of ribosomal RNA, and analysis and confocal laser scanning microscopy of environmental samples. All of the techniques are well described with appropriate and numerous references for additional reading. This is a timely and well conceived reference text for both scientists and students who are interested in the analysis of natural (environmental) microbial populations on either the community or molecular level. The editor has assembled an exceptional group of contributors whose combined efforts have made this text a truly outstanding contribution to the field of environmental microbial monitoring.