Bacterial Spore Formers or Qigong

Bacterial Spore Formers: Probiotics and Emerging Applications

Author: E Ricca

Horizon Scientific Press titles focus on high-level microbiology and molecular biology topics. Written by internationally renowned and highly respected leaders in the field, they comprise of review manuals, practical manuals, and reference texts for research scientists, bioscience professionals and graduate students.

Bacterial spore farmers have been the focus of intense study over the last forty years centered primarily on Bacillus subtilis. This organism has served as an excellent model for differentiation in a single cell and has provided unique insights into the mechanisms that control cellular differentiation. Spore-farming bacteria are becoming increasingly important in the areas of probiotics, vaccine technology and biotechnology.

This comprehensive book describes in detail the most topical emerging areas of scientific importance involving the use of spores and covers their use as probiotics in humans and animals and with plants. In addition, authors present the emerging use of the sporeas a tool for nanobiotechnology where the spore can be used for the efficient display of heterologous proteins on the spore surface. The use of this technology in vaccine design is discussed. Also covered are the ecological roles of spores, the taxonomy and systematics of spore forming bacteria, and the architecture and assembly of spores.

The innovative topics covered in this volume will be of particular interest to scientists working in all areas of probiotic research and vaccine technology. The book is recommended reading for microbiologists involved with Bacillus spp. and other spore forming bacteria.

Table of Contents:

Ch. 1	Ubiquity, longevity, and ecological roles of Bacillus spores	1
Ch. 2	Taxonomy and systematics of aerobic endospore-forming bacteria : Bacillus and realted genera	17
Ch. 3	Ecology of Bacillus species in soil	35
Ch. 4	Pathogenic bacilli : Bacillus anthracis and close relatives	45
Ch. 5	Sporulation in Bacillus subtilis and other bacteria	53
Ch. 6	The functional architecture and assembly of the spore coat	65
Ch. 7	The spore surface	87
Ch. 8	Safety of aerobic endospore-forming bacteria	93
Ch. 9	The fate of ingested spores	107
Ch. 10	Mechanisms of gene transfer and the spread of antibiotic resistance in spore-forming organisms in the GI tract	113
Ch. 11	Bacillus spores as probiotic products for human use	131
Ch. 12	Production and probiotic effects of natto	143
Ch. 13	Spore probiotics as animal feed supplements	155
Ch. 14	The potential for use of Bacillus spp. in sports turf management	163
Ch. 15	Antimicrobial activity of Bacillus probiotics	171
Ch. 16	Gut sporeformers	183
Ch. 17	Display of molecules on the spore surface	193
Ch. 18	Spores as oral vaccines	201
Ch. 19	Recombinant clostridial spores in tumour therapy	207
App. I	Commercial probiotic products containing Bacillus spores	217
App. II	EU regulations on Bacillary probiotics for animal feeds	221
App. III	The fungicidal acitivity of spore-forming bacteria	229

Interesting textbook: Deliciosas Frutas Tropicales or Ice Crop

Qigong: Chinese Medicine or Pseudoscience?

Author: Lin Zixin

Qigong is a 2,500-year-old form of traditional Chinese medicine based on the concept that an energy known as Qi flows through meridians of the body and from the fingertips of "masters", who allegedly heal various maladies of the human body, including hypertension and cancer. This book separates fact from folklore.