Monday, June 18, 2007

Microorganisms in Soils: Roles in Genesis and Functions

Microorganisms in Soils: Roles in Genesis and Functions (Soil Biology)
by Francois Buscot (Editor), Ajit Varma (Editor)

Product Details:
* Hardcover: 422 pages
* Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (June 8, 2005)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 3540222200

Book Description:
Soils would not exist without the complex and heterogeneous activities of microorganisms. For the third volume of Soil Biology, an international board of renowned scientists shed light on the significant role of these organisms. The following key topics are covered: Microorganisms in bioerosion, humification, mineralization and soil aggregation; Microbial energetics and microbes in biogeochemical processes such as carbon and nitrogen cycles and phosphorus bio-availability; Interactions in the mycorrhizosphere, e.g. between mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria; Impact of microbes on plant nutrient cycling and the possible effects of transgenic rhizospheres on soil fungi; Functions of microbes in specific soil compartments such as soil surface or toxic metal polluted soils; Regulation of microbial activities in functional domains that are influenced by biotic or abiotic factors; Use of marker genes and isotopes as examples for modern techniques in soil microbiology.

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Current Topics in Complement

Current Topics in Complement (Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology)
by John D. Lambris (Editor)

Product Details:
* Hardcover: 410 pages
* Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (July 5, 2006)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0387322310

Book Description
Complement has long been regarded as a pivotal effector arm of the innate im-mune response, eliciting important immunoregulatory functions in the context of inflammation and also serving as a vital link between the innate and adaptive immune response. In the post-genomic era, our knowledge of the innate immune system is enriched by findings that point to novel functions that do not strictly correlate with immunological defense and surveillance, immune modulation or inflammation. Several studies indicate that complement proteins exert functions that are either more complex than previously thought, or go well beyond the innate immune character of the system. The advent of high-throughput platforms for genome and proteome-wide profiling, together with the enormous amount of raw genetic information that has accumulated in the databases, have stirred new expectations in biomedical research. They have led complementologists to revisit established biological systems, such as the complement system, from a global and integrative perspec-tive. Complement research is now faced with the challenge of trying to integrate isolated biochemical pathways into complex gene and protein regulatory cir-cuits. In this respect, scientists from around the world convened at the Third Aegean Conferences Workshop on Complement Associated Diseases, Animal Models, and Therapeutics (June 5–10, 2005), to discuss recent advances in this fast evolving field. This volume represents a collection of topics on the "novel" functions of complement, pathophysiology, protein structures, design of complement inhibitors, and complement assays discussed during the conference.

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