Microbial Diversity in Asia

Book excerpt: This work presents results from five years of research on microbial species in exotic and pristine locations in Asian countries, by contributors in food science, microbiology, and agricultural and environmental sciences in the UK, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Korea, and Philippines. Some microorganisms are described here for the first time. Specific topics include lactic acid bacteria in fermented foods in Southeast Asia, culture collection networks in Asia, high actinomycete diversity in the topical rainforests of Singapore, and engineering biphenyl dioxygenases to acquire wide degradation capabilities of polychlorinated biphenyls and aromatic hydrocarbons. The editor is affiliated with the Department of Microbiology at the National University of Singapore. c. Book News Inc.