This book offers up-to-date information on different microbiomes, their community composition and interactive functions with the host, bringing together information from diverse research reports to provide an overview of the rapid developments in meta-omics technologies. It is a valuable resource for scientists, researchers, postgraduate and graduate students interested in understanding the impact and importance of next generation sequencing technologies on different hosts and their microbiomes.

The Microbiota in Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology: Implications for Human Health, Prebiotics, Probiotics and Dysbiosis is a one-stop reference on the state-of-the-art research on gut microbial ecology in relation to human disease. This important resource starts with an overview of the normal microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract, including the esophagus, stomach, Ileum, and colon. The book then identifies what a healthy vs. unhealthy microbial community looks like, including methods of identification. Also included is insight into which features and contributions the microbiota make that are essential and useful to host physiology, as is information on how to promote appropriate mutualisms and prevent undesirable dysbioses. Through the power of synthesizing what is known by experienced researchers in the field, current gaps are closed, raising understanding of the role of the microbiome and allowing for further research. - Explains how to modify the gut microbiota and how the current strategies used to do this produce their effects - Explores the gut microbiota as a therapeutic target - Provides the synthesis of existing data from both mainstream and non-mainstream sources through experienced researchers in the field - Serves as a 'one-stop' shop for a topic that's currently spread across a number of various journals

Technologies collectively called omics enable simultaneous measurement of an enormous number of biomolecules; for example, genomics investigates thousands of DNA sequences, and proteomics examines large numbers of proteins. Scientists are using these technologies to develop innovative tests to detect disease and to predict a patient's likelihood of responding to specific drugs. Following a recent case involving premature use of omics-based tests in cancer clinical trials at Duke University, the NCI requested that the IOM establish a committee to recommend ways to strengthen omics-based test development and evaluation. This report identifies best practices to enhance development, evaluation, and translation of omics-based tests while simultaneously reinforcing steps to ensure that these tests are appropriately assessed for scientific validity before they are used to guide patient treatment in clinical trials.

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.

A keystone reference that presents both up-to-date research and the far-reaching applications of marine biotechnology Featuring contributions from 100 international experts in the field, this five-volume encyclopedia provides comprehensive coverage of topics in marine biotechnology. It starts with the history of the field and delivers a complete overview of marine biotechnology. It then offers information on marine organisms, bioprocess techniques, marine natural products, biomaterials, bioenergy, and algal biotechnology. The encyclopedia also covers marine food and biotechnology applications in areas such as pharmaceuticals, cosmeceuticals, and nutraceuticals. Each topic in Encyclopedia of Marine Biotechnology is followed by 10-30 subtopics. The reference looks at algae cosmetics, drugs, and fertilizers; biodiversity; chitins and chitosans; aeroplysinin-1, toluquinol, astaxanthin, and fucoxanthin; and algal and fish genomics. It examines neuro-protective compounds from marine microorganisms; potential uses and medical management of neurotoxic phycotoxins; and the role of metagenomics in exploring marine microbiomes. Other sections fully explore marine microbiology, pharmaceutical development, seafood science, and the new biotechnology tools that are being used in the field today. One of the first encyclopedic books to cater to experts in marine biotechnology Brings together a diverse range of research on marine biotechnology to bridge the gap between scientific research and the industrial arena Offers clear explanations accompanied by color illustrations of the techniques and applications discussed Contains studies of the applications of marine biotechnology in the field of biomedical sciences Edited by an experienced author with contributions from internationally recognized experts from around the globe Encyclopedia of Marine Biotechnology is a must-have resource for researchers, scientists, and marine biologists in the industry, as well as for students at the postgraduate and graduate level. It will also benefit companies focusing on marine biotechnology, pharmaceutical and biotechnology, and bioenergy.

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.

Trends of Applied Microbiology for a Sustainable Economy discusses the role of modern tools and next-generation technologies in applied microbial research, including recent trends and innovation in global biofertilizers. Agriculture has seen dramatic changes since the time of its inception. Starting with the domestication of wild plants to small-scale traditional farming and then large-scale, chemical-intensive agriculture. It is at a crossroads once again, putting a huge amount of pressure on available natural resources like soil, water and biodiversity which is bound to increase with the ever-growing human population. This book helps readers understand the challenges associated with these demographic changes. - Redefines the relationship between microorganisms and agricultural sustainability in view of the latest technologies and advancements - Documents recent microbiological advancements in agricultural research and discusses challenges and opportunities in the biofertilizers market - Identifies challenges and opportunities for scaling up biofertilizers technology - Discusses recent trends and innovations in the biotechnology market and economy

This book provides in-depth insights into the diversity of actinobacteria, their various medical aspects, and their biotechnological applications. It is aimed at graduate students and researchers working with actinobacteria who need to know about recent advances in their research fields. The book, which is divided into four sections, contains 13 chapters that review the most recent methods, discuss various applications of actinobacteria, introduce some interesting results, and explore future prospects for the topics covered.