This fully updated new edition offers an authoritative and comprehensive exploration of microbial communities in environments that are rich in hydrocarbons, crude oil or lipids. It encompasses natural sources, such as tar sands, oil seeps and reservoirs, and habitats where methane is produced, as well as synthetic hydrocarbon-based materials like refined fuels and plastics. The impact of human activity in contaminated soils, aquifers, shorelines, and marine ecosystems is comprehensively analysed. The book opens with a series of chapters considering contemporary approaches used to investigate microbial communities, including advanced metagenomic and metatranscriptomic techniques, single-cell analyses, and stable isotope probing methods. Subsequent sections delve into specific habitats and microbial groups, examining the structure and function of microbial communities within these contexts, pursuing in some cases novel biotechnological applications.

Provides a comprehensive overview of hydrocarbon and lipid degrading microbial communities Highlights natural and man-made habitats of such microbial communities Reviews potential applications for bioremediation of oil/plastic contaminated environments

Autorentext

Francesc X. Prenafeta-Boldú holds a PhD in Environmental Biotechnology from Wageningen University, the Netherlands (2002). He is also a microbial ecologist and mycologist trained at the Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, as recipient of a postdoctoral fellowship from the Netherlands Real Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). In 2005, he was granted by the Spanish National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA) and became a permanent researcher at the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA). There he stablished a new Environmental Microbiology Laboratory to support process and chemical engineers in unraveling biotechnology beyond the traditional black box approach. Between 2012 and 2020, Francesc led the Program of Integral Management of Organic Waste, with a research focus on valorizing agrifood and urban organic waste through biotechnology, while minimizing environmental impacts. His leadership also introduced advanced topics, including the application of digital technologies and circular economy principles to enhance the sustainability of food production systems.

Currently, his main research focuses on the characterization of extremophilic fungi and on the development of novel fungal-based technologies.

Inhalt

Mechanisms and Monitoring of Oil Reservoir Souring Control by Nitrate or Perchlorate Injection.- Microbial Communities in Hydrocarbon-Polluted Harbors and Marinas.- Bacterial metabolites of PAHs biodegradation.- Biodegradation in the mycosphere.- Biodegradation of plastics.- Biodeterioration of fuels/biofuels.- Hydrocarbon-Degrading Microbial Communities in Natural Oil Seeps.- Microbial Communities in Oil Shales, Biodegraded and Heavy Oil Reservoirs, and Bitumen Deposits.- Microbial Ecology of Naphthenic Acid (NA) Degradation.