Description
Springer Biosurfactants 2010 Edition by Ramkrishna Sen
The microbial world has given us many surprises including microbes that grow under extremely harsh conditions (122C at 40 MPa) novel metabolisms such as the uranium and perchlorate reduction and novel chemicals that can be used to control diseases. We continually face new and difficult problems such as the need to transition to more carbon-neutral energy sources and to find eco-friendly chemicals and to find new drugs to treat disease. Will it be possible to tap into the seemingly limitless potential of microbial activity to solve our current and future problems?The answer to this question is probably yes. We are already looking to the microbial world to provide new energy sources green chemicals to replace those made from petroleum and new drugs to fight disease. To help us along these paths we are deciphering how microorganisms interact with each other. We know that microbial populations interact and communicate with each other. The language that microbes use is chemical where small molecules are exchanged among different microbial cells. Sometimes these chemicals suppress activities of competitors and could be used as antibiotics or may have other therapeutic uses. Other times the chemicals stimulate complex responses in microbial populations such as fruiting body or biofilm formation. By understanding the conversation that microbes are having among themselves e. g. Table of contents : Section I. Screening Genetics and BiophysicsScreening Concepts for the Isolation of Biosurfactant Producing Microorganisms.- Molecular Genetics of Biosurfactant Synthesis in Microorganisms.- Interaction of Dirhamnolipid Biosurfactants with Phospholipid Membranes: A Molecular Level Study Section II. Properties and Potential ApplicationsMicrobial Surfactants and Their Potential Applications: An Overview.- Microbial Biosurfactants and Biodegradation.- Biomedical and therapeutic applications of biosurfactants.- Microbial Surfactants of Marine Origin: Potentials and Prospects.- Biomimetic Amphiphiles: Properties and Potential Uses.- Applications of Biological Surface Active Compounds in Remediation Technologies.- Possibilities and Challenges for Biosurfactants Uses in Petroleum Industry.- Bacterial Biosurfactants and Their Role in Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR) Section III. Biosurfactant ProductionMolecular Engineering Aspects for the Production of New and Modified Biosurfactants.- Rhamnolipid Surfactants: Alternative Substrates New Strategies.- Selected Microbial Glycolipids: Production Modification and Characterization.- Production of Microbial Biosurfactants by Solid-State Cultivation.- Rhamnolipid Biosurfactants: Production and their Potential in Environmental Biotechnology.- Biosurfactant's Role in Bioremediation of NAPL and Fermentative Production.- Biosurfactants from Yeasts: Characteristics Production and Application.- Environmentally Friendly Biosurfactants Produced by Yeasts.- Synthesis of Biosurfactants and Their Advantages to Microorganisms and Mankind.- Enrichment and Purification of Lipopeptide Biosurfactants.- Production of Surface Active Compounds by Biocatalyst Technology Section IV. The Most Studied Biosurfactants Structural and Molecular Characteristics of Lichenysin and Its Relationship with Surface Activity.- Surfactin:Biosynthesis Genetics and Potential Applications