Molecular Marine Microbiology Book Reviews
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Review by
This book provides a glimpse into many of the developments taking place in the field
of molecular marine microbiology. The issues covered include quorum and anti-quorum
sensing, selected symbioses, DNA shuffling in the environment, the evolution and development of novel motility mechanisms, hydrocarbon degradation, the interactions of microbes with metals and adaptations to extremes of pressure and temperature.
Review by Current Microbiology 41: 223. September 2000 Originally published as a written symposium in the very first issue of Journal of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology (Vol. 1, No. 1) in August 1999, the twelve reviews are presented here in a hardback collection. Beginning with an excellent chapter on quorum regulation of luminescence in Vibrio fischeri, the presentations continue with a report on the study of bacterial colonization in animal tissue. The presentations following discuss bacterial signals and antagonists, microbial symbionts of marine invertebrates, microbial gene transfer, surface-induced gene expression, petroleum degradation in marine environments, oxidative precipitation and sorption of metals by marine Bacillus spores, magnetotactic bacteria, deep-sea piezophilic bacteria and their adaptation and the adaptation of proteins from hyperthermophiles. It is indeed fortunate that these reviews have been published in hardback form providing greater opportunity for in-depth study and use. As the boundaries of biotechnology continue to
expand, the relationships of marine microbiota and animals of the sea will come under continued exploration and scrutiny and, in the end, will greatly benefit mankind in the discovery of new
knowledge and new materials. This small publication will provide useful directions to new discoveries.
Microbiology Today 28: 156. August 2001 This little book is an eclectic collection of short reviews relating to marine bacteriology with a molecular theme. They were first published in J. Mol. Microbiol. Biotechnol. vol. 1 in August 1999. This journal is accessible on the web (http:// jmmb.net/tocs/vlnltoc.html) with all the articles included in the book available for download either as PDF or as HTML. The only change seems to have been the pagination and the insertion of a few headings. The objective of re-publishing this on paper was to reach a non-internet audience for the investment of £59.99. Scientifically, the reviews are well worth the read, but if you're in the field I expect you'll have done so already. As an introduction to modern marine microbiology they're excellent. I agree with Doug Bartlett (the book's Editor) that they deserve to be widely read.
CAB Abstracts June 2000
W J. Hausler, Jr., Ph. D. Director and Professor Emeritus, University of Iowa
Review by
Dave Roberts The Natural History Museum, London