In response to the field's need for an introductory text, the authors have distilled the vast and scattered literature relating to the biotechnology of microbial secondary metabolites. General biology, biosynthesis, the search for novel metabolites, and techniques for strain improvement are all discussed to provide undergraduate and graduate students with a concise, readable overview of the field.

In this translation of the Italian second edition, the authors provide a comprehensive account of the current knowledge on antibiotics. They concisely describe how various scientific disciplines are involved in antibiotics research, development, and use. Their work also discusses the industrial and clinical development of new antibiotics, as well as the questions and controversies related to the function of antibiotics in nature. Antibiotics is richly illustrated with clear chemical structures, drawings, diagrams, and synoptical tables.

Antibiotics are among the most widely prescribed drugs in both human and veterinary medicine. Furthermore, they are used to protect plants against bacterial and fungal diseases, to decontaminate the shells of eggs, and to improve weight gain and feed conversion in a variety of food animals. Many antibiotics, in addition, have been esseptial tools in the elucidation of specific cellular functions. Genetic engineering, for example, would not be what it is today without the use of antibiotics in the selection of easily determined genetic markers. Production of antibiotics involves a diverse...