Microbial mat communities consist of dense populations of microorganisms embedded in exopolymers and/or biomineralized solid phases, and are often found in mm-cm thick assemblages, which can be stratified due to environmental gradients such as light, oxygen or sulfide. Microbial mat communities are commonly observed under extreme environmental conditions, deriving energy primarily from light and/or reduced chemicals to drive autotrophic fixation of carbon dioxide. Microbial mat ecosystems are regarded as living analogues of primordial systems on Earth, and they often form perennial structures with conspicuous stratifications of microbial populations that can be studied in situ under stable conditions for many years. Consequently, microbial mat communities are ideal natural laboratories and represent excellent model systems for studying microbial community structure and function, microbial dynamics and interactions, and discovery of new microorganisms with novel metabolic pathways potentially useful in future industrial and/or medical applications. Due to their relative simplicity and organization, microbial mat communities are often excellent testing grounds for new technologies in microbiology including micro-sensor analysis, stable isotope methodology and modern genomics. Integrative studies of microbial mat communities that combine modern biogeochemical and molecular biological methods with traditional microbiology, macro-ecological approaches, and community network modeling will provide new and detailed insights regarding the systems biology of microbial mats and the complex interplay among individual populations and their physicochemical environment. These processes ultimately control the biogeochemical cycling of energy and/or nutrients in microbial systems. Similarities in microbial community function across different types of communities from highly disparate environments may provide a deeper basis for understanding microbial community dynamics and the ecological role of specific microbial populations. Approaches and concepts developed in highly-constrained, relatively stable natural communities may also provide insights useful for studying and understanding more complex microbial communities.

This book provides information about microbial mats, from early fossils to modern mats located in marine and terrestrial environments. Microbial mats – layered biofilms containing different types of cells – are most complex systems in which representatives of various groups of organisms are found together. Among them are cyanobacteria and eukaryotic phototrophs, aerobic heterotrophic and chemoautotrophic bacteria, protozoa, anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria, and other types of microorganisms. These mats are perfect models for biogeochemical processes, such as the cycles of chemical elements, in which a variety of microorganisms cooperate and interact in complex ways. They are often found under extreme conditions and their study contributes to our understanding of extremophilic life. Moreover, microbial mats are models for Precambrian stromatolites; the study of modern microbial mats may provide information on the processes that may have occurred on Earth when prokaryotic life began to spread.

Systems-Level Modelling of Microbial Communities: Theory and Practice introduces various aspects of modelling microbial communities and presents a detailed overview of the computational methods which have been developed in this area. This book is aimed at researchers in the field of computational/systems biology as well as biologists/experimentalists studying microbial communities, who are keen on embracing the concepts of computational modelling. The primary focus of this book is on methods for modelling interactions between micro-organisms in a community, with special emphasis on constraint-based and network-based modelling techniques. A brief overview of population- and agent-based modelling is also presented. Lastly, it covers the experimental methods to understand microbial communities, and provides an outlook on how the field may evolve in the coming years.

Comprises the scientific presentation at Bat-Sheva de Rothschild seminar held at the H. Steinitz Marine Biology Lab in Eilat, Israel, Sept. 1987. Topics covered include: environments of depositions; structure and function of benthic microbial communities; regulation of adhesion and hydrophobicity of cell surfaces in the formation of microbial mats; physiology of major mat-building microorganisms. Forty contributions. Nicely produced on coated stock. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Beginning with the germ theory of disease in the 19th century and extending through most of the 20th century, microbes were believed to live their lives as solitary, unicellular, disease-causing organisms . This perception stemmed from the focus of most investigators on organisms that could be grown in the laboratory as cellular monocultures, often dispersed in liquid, and under ambient conditions of temperature, lighting, and humidity. Most such inquiries were designed to identify microbial pathogens by satisfying Koch's postulates.3 This pathogen-centric approach to the study of microorganisms produced a metaphorical "war" against these microbial invaders waged with antibiotic therapies, while simultaneously obscuring the dynamic relationships that exist among and between host organisms and their associated microorganisms-only a tiny fraction of which act as pathogens. Despite their obvious importance, very little is actually known about the processes and factors that influence the assembly, function, and stability of microbial communities. Gaining this knowledge will require a seismic shift away from the study of individual microbes in isolation to inquiries into the nature of diverse and often complex microbial communities, the forces that shape them, and their relationships with other communities and organisms, including their multicellular hosts. On March 6 and 7, 2012, the Institute of Medicine's (IOM's) Forum on Microbial Threats hosted a public workshop to explore the emerging science of the "social biology" of microbial communities. Workshop presentations and discussions embraced a wide spectrum of topics, experimental systems, and theoretical perspectives representative of the current, multifaceted exploration of the microbial frontier. Participants discussed ecological, evolutionary, and genetic factors contributing to the assembly, function, and stability of microbial communities; how microbial communities adapt and respond to environmental stimuli; theoretical and experimental approaches to advance this nascent field; and potential applications of knowledge gained from the study of microbial communities for the improvement of human, animal, plant, and ecosystem health and toward a deeper understanding of microbial diversity and evolution. The Social Biology of Microbial Communities: Workshop Summary further explains the happenings of the workshop.

By investigating a simple question, a philosopher of science and a molecular biologist offer an accessible understanding of microbial communities and a motivating theory for future research in community ecology. Microorganisms, such as bacteria, are important determinants of health at the individual, ecosystem, and global levels. And yet many aspects of modern life, from the overuse of antibiotics to chemical spills and climate change, can have devastating, lasting impacts on the communities formed by microorganisms. Drawing on the latest scientific research and real-life examples such as attempts to reengineer these communities through microbial transplantation, the construction of synthetic communities of microorganisms, and the use of probiotics, this book explores how and why communities of microorganisms respond to disturbance, and what might lead to failure. It also unpacks related and interwoven philosophical questions: What is an organism? Can a community evolve by natural selection? How can we make sense of function and purpose in the natural world? How should we think about regeneration as a phenomenon that occurs at multiple biological scales? Provocative and nuanced, this primer offers an accessible conceptual and theoretical understanding of regeneration and evolution at the community level that will be essential across disciplines including philosophy of biology, conservation biology, microbiomics, medicine, evolutionary biology, and ecology.

The International Committee on Microbial Ecology (ICOME) sponsors both the Interna tional Symposium on Microbial Ecology, held in various parts of the world at three-year intervals, and the publication of Advances in Microbial Ecology. Advances was estab lished to provide a vehicle for in-depth, critical, and even provocative reviews in microbial ecology and is now recognized as a major source of information for both practicing and prospective microbial ecologists. The Editorial Board of Advances nor mally solicits contributions from established workers in particular areas of microbial ecology, but individuals are encouraged to submit outlines of unsolicited contributions to any member of the Editorial Board for consideration for pUblication in Advances. Chapters in Volume 11 of Advances in Microbial Ecology include those on micro bial transformations of chitin by G. W. Gooday, organic sulfur compounds by D. P. Kelly and N. A. Smith, and phosphorus, including its removal in waste water treatment plants, by D. F. Toerien, A. Gerber, L. H. Lotter, and T. E. Cloete. The importance of diffusion processes in microbial ecology is discussed by A. L. Koch, and 1. I. Prosser reviews the application of mathematical modeling to nitrification processes. Considera tions of particular ecosystems include the Antarctic by D. D. Wynn-Williams and Australian coastal microbial mats by G. W. Skyring and 1. Bauld. Other chapters include the regulation of N2 fixation by H. W.

Microbial mats are benthic communities of a variety of microorganisms. Their investigation requires multidisciplinary studies and close cooperation between microbiologists, biogeochemists, and geologists. Reported here are recent advances in the study of structure, development and ecological relationships. The methodology described includes microsensors as well as new molecular techniques for the detection and identification of microorganisms. Increasing interest exists for applied aspects, e.g. the possibility to use natural or constructed microbial mats for the degradation of xenobiotics, for site remediation, etc.