This volume reviews basic research into the biochemistry and genetics of lignocellulose biodegradation; the breakdown of cellulose containing products utilizing microorganisms. This topic has received much attention of late because of possibilities for the biotechnology industry and because it is hoped that advances in the field will make a contribution to the energy crisis by utilizing biomass. However, there remains a good deal of basic research still to be done before full exploitation can be achieved.

Interest in solid waste disposal has been growing since the early 1960s, when researchers emphasized the potential for solid waste to harbor pathogenic microorganisms. Since then, society has become more interested in the environmental impacts of solid waste treatment and disposal, and how biological processes are used to minimize these impacts. This new text provides a basic understanding of the unique microbial ecosystems associated with the decomposition of municipal solid waste (MSW). It addresses the challenges of sampling and assaying microbial activities in MSW and describes preferred methods. The decomposition of MSW under anaerobic conditions in landfills and digestors is described, as well as under aerobioconditions during composting. The Microbiology of Solid Wastes discusses the need to consider MSW as an integrated system of collection, recycling, treatment, and disposal. A better understanding of solid waste microbiology will contribute to safe and economical solid waste management. Microbiologists, environmental engineers, and solid waste managers will all find this a useful reference.

Lignocellulose Biodegradation will be useful for chemists, biochemists, microbiologists, molecular biologists, and biochemical engineers. This book describes advances in lignocellulose biodegradation and application in biotechnology. It contains a combination of original research and review chapters. An overview chapter on lignocellulose biodegradation and applications in biotechnology focuses on recent research progress in the field. Lignocellulose Biodegradation includes sections on pretreatment, biodegradation, enzyme characterization and application.

Extracellular Glycolipids of Yeasts: Biodiversity, Biochemistry, and Prospects provides a comprehensive view of the biochemistry, biological activity, and practical application of extracellular glycolipids of yeast. This book brings much-needed clarity to the complex topic of glycolipids and streamlines the rather confusing terminology used for glycolipids. It also provides a wealth of modern data on their composition, structure and properties, biosynthetic pathways, methods of isolation and identification, antifungal activity, and mechanisms of action. Studies of extracellular glycolipids of yeast now draw the attention of researchers in life science and biotechnology due to numerous recently revealed biological properties of these compounds. These compounds are scientifically and practically promising in medicine and agriculture due to their biosurfactant and fungicidal properties, as well as a number of other biological activities. Extracellular Glycolipids of Yeasts gives researchers studying biochemistry of microorganisms and related biologically active compounds a much-needed guide to the basic data that will aid in these increasingly generative pursuits. - Provides a clear overview of the basic data on yeast biosurfactants using a simple survey-style approach - Delivers comprehensive view of biochemistry, biological activity, and practical application of yeasts to aid in their scientific and practical use - Clarifies and simplifies the complex topic of glycolipids, and its often-confusing terminology

This book provides important aspects of sustainable degradation of lignocellulosic biomass which has a pivotal role for the economic production of several value-added products and biofuels with safe environment. Different pretreatment techniques and enzymatic hydrolysis process along with the characterization of cell wall components have been discussed broadly. The following features of this book attribute its distinctiveness: This book comprehensively covers the improvement in methodologies for the biomass pretreatment, hemicellulose and cellulose breakdown into fermentable sugars, the analytical methods for biomass characterization, and bioconversion of cellulosics into biofuels. In addition, mechanistic analysis of biomass pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis have been discussed in details, highlighting key factors influencing these processes at industrial scale.

Biotechnology is now one of the major growth areas in science and engineering and within this broad discipline enzyme technology is one of the areas earmarked for special and significant developments. This publication is the second edition of Microbial Enzymes and Biotechnol ogy which was originally published in 1983. In this edition the editors have attempted to bring together accounts (by the relevant experts) of the current status of the major areas of enzyme technology and specifically those areas of actual and/or potential commercial importance. Although the use of microbial enzymes may not have expanded at quite the rate expected a decade ago, there is nevertheless intense activity and considerable interest in the whole area of enzyme technology. Microbial enzymes have been used in industry for many centuries although it is only comparatively recently that detailed knowledge relating to their nature, properties and function has become more evident. Developments in the 1960s gave a major thrust to the use of microbial enzymes in industry. The commercial success of alkaline proteases and amyloglucosidases formed a bed-rock for subsequent research and development in the area.