Microbes are key drivers of the world's ecosystems. The vast majority of the world's diversity and metabolic potential lies within micro-organisms, yet with the advent of molecular-scale observation, we are still barely beginning to understand this microscopic resource. The expanded second edition provides a detailed description of the methods that have made microbial ecology possible.
Microbes are key drivers of the world's ecosystems. The vast majority of the world's diversity and metabolic potential lies within micro-organisms,...
Antoon D. L. Akkermans Jan Dirk Van Elsas Frans J. De Bruijn
For a long time microbial ecology has been developed as a distinct field within Ecology. In spite of the important role of microorganisms in the environment, this group of 'invisible' organisms remained unaccessable to other ecologists. Detection and identification of microorganisms remain largely dependent on isolation techniques and characterisation of pure cul- tures. We now realise that only a minor fraction of the microbial com- munity can be cultivated. As a result of the introduction of molecular methods, microbes can now be detected and identified at the DNA/RNA level in their natural...
For a long time microbial ecology has been developed as a distinct field within Ecology. In spite of the important role of microorganisms in the envir...
