Autotrophic Bacteria (Brock/Springer series in contemporary bioscience)

Autotrophic bacteria, those prokaryotes that obtain all carbon required for biosynthesis from inorganic sources, are among the dominant organisms involved in the natural cycling of matter. The formation of iron, sulfur, and limestone deposits, and of oil, coal, and natural gas would not be possible without autotrophic bacteria. Ecosystems, as we know them, would not function without these prokaryotes. The uniqueness of the autotrophic bacteria was first recognized 100 years ago by the great Russian bacteriologist S.N. Winogradsky. Since that time, research on these bacteria has revolutionized our ideas of the evolution of bacteria and higher life forms, as well as contributed greatly to advances in our understanding of photosynthesis and other biochemical processes. In this volume, a group of distinguished scientists presents the latest research on the diversity, ecology, biochemistry, molecular biology, evolution, and genetics of autotrophic bacteria.