This book provides in-depth insights into the biology, taxonomy, genetics, physiology and biotechnological applications of Actinobacteria. It especially focuses on the latter, reviewing the wide variety of actinobacterial bioactive molecules and their benefits for diverse industrial applications such as agriculture, aquaculture, biofuel production and food technology. Actinobacteria are one of the most promising sources of small bioactive molecules and it is estimated that only a small percentage of actinobacterial bioactive chemicals have been discovered to date. Identifying new diverse gene clusters of biotechnological relevance in the genome of Actinobacteria will be crucial to developing advanced applications for pharmaceutical, industrial and agricultural purposes. The book offers a unique resource for all graduate students, researchers and practitioners in the fields of microbiology, microbial biotechnology, and the genetic engineering of Actinobacteria.

Global yields of legumes have been relatively stagnant for the last five decades, despite the adoption of conventional and molecular breeding approaches. The use of plant growth-promoting (PGP) bacteria for improving agricultural production, soil and plant health has become one of the most attractive strategies for developing sustainable agriculture. Actinomycetes are bacteria that play an important role in PGP and plant protection, produce secondary metabolites of commercial interest, and their use is well documented in wheat, rice, beans, chickpeas and peas. In order to promote legumes, the general assembly of the UN recently declared 2016 the “International Year of Pulses.” In view of this development, this book illustrates how PGP actinomycetes can improve grain yield and soil fertility, improve control of insect pests and phytopathogens, and enhance host-plant resistance. It also addresses special topics of current interest, e.g. the role of PGP actinomycetes in the biofortification of legume seeds and bioremediation of heavy metals.

This book presents an introductory overview of Actinobacteria with three main divisions: taxonomic principles, bioprospecting, and agriculture and industrial utility, which covers isolation, cultivation methods, and identification of Actinobacteria and production and biotechnological potential of antibacterial compounds and enzymes from Actinobacteria. Moreover, this book also provides a comprehensive account on plant growth-promoting (PGP) and pollutant degrading ability of Actinobacteria and the exploitation of Actinobacteria as ecofriendly nanofactories for biosynthesis of nanoparticles, such as gold and silver. This book will be beneficial for the graduate students, teachers, researchers, biotechnologists, and other professionals, who are interested to fortify and expand their knowledge about Actinobacteria in the field of Microbiology, Biotechnology, Biomedical Science, Plant Science, Agriculture, Plant pathology, Environmental Science, etc.

This book describes isolated actinobacteria from different environments, and how these can be used to bioremediate heavy metals and pesticides in contaminated sites. It also describes how free-living actinobacteria acquire the capability to produce nodules in plants and how this factor could be important for accelerating the degradation of pesticides in soils or slurries. Some chapters show how actinobacteria can be used to produce industrial enzymes and metabolites under different physicochemical conditions for use in the food industry. This book will interest professionals involved with waste management, environmental protection, and pollution abatement.

This book presents a detailed discussion on the direct interactions of plants and microorganisms in the rhizosphere environment. It includes fifteen chapters, each focusing on a specific component of plant-microbe interactions, such as the influence of plants on the root microbiome, and the downstream effects of rhizosphere microbial dynamics on carbon and nutrient fluxes in the surroundings. As such, the book helps readers gain a better understanding of diversity above the ground, and its effect on the microbiome and its functionality.

Includes a revised taxonomic outline for the Actinobacteria or the high G+C Gram positives is based upon the SILVA project as well as a description of greater than 200 genera in 49 families. Includes many medically and industrially important taxa.

This volume details techniques on the study of Isolation, characterization, and exploration of actinobacteria in industrial, food, agricultural, and environmental microbiology. Chapters cover a wide range of basic and advanced techniques associated with research on isolation, characterization and identification of actinobacteria in soil, sediment, estuarine, water, Saltpan, Mangroves, plants, lichens, sea weeds, sea grass, animals-crab, snail, shrimp. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Methods in Actinobacteriology aims to be a useful practical guide to researches to help further their study in this field.