Biology and Biotechnology of Patagonian Microorganisms

The Argentinean Patagonia offers a great diversity of scarcely explored environments suitable for the bioprospection of biotechnological relevant microorganisms. This book provides readers with a concise and clearly illustrated treatment of outstanding topics of Patagonian microbiology and biotechnology. It covers a wide range of areas interesting to several audiences such as researchers, graduate students and professionals working on the industry food. Among the main topics we will discuss examples of environmental applications, such as heavy metal and hydrocarbon bioremediation, bioprospection of valuable molecules from extremophilic bacteria and yeasts, the use of Patagonian yeasts and lactic acid bacteria in fermented foods and beverages, aquaculture probiotics and yeasts for food biopreservation.

Nelda Olivera is a researcher from the CONICET of Argentina. She achieved both MSc and PhD degrees in Biology from Universidad Nacional del Sur, Argentina. For the last 20 years, she has been focusing her research on the biotechnological potential of microorganisms from the Argentine Patagonian region. Her research topics included microbiological soil quality indicators, hydrocarbon pollution bioremediation, enzyme and biosurfactant production and aquaculture probiotics.

Diego Libkind is a researcher from the CONICET since 2007. He achieved Licenciate degree in Biology in Universidad Nacional del Comahue and PhD degree in Biochemistry from Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. For the last 15 years, he has been focusing his research in the biodiversity and biotechnological potential of yeasts from natural environments of the Andean Argentine Patagonian. In the recent years he has focused mainly in extreme environments such as mountain lakes, high altitude phyllosphere, glaciers and volc10 already described), bioprospection of industrially relevant secondary metabolites (ex. UV protectants, antioxidants, etc) and assessment of biotechnologically interesting applications of native yeasts (brewing, probiotics, bioremediation).

Edgardo Donati is a full professor at National University of La Plata, principal researcher from CONICET, and the head of CINDEFI. He has a PhD in Chemistry from National University of La Plata. Areas of expertise are biomining, bioremediation, prokaryotic extremophiles in geothermal and mining zones. He has published more than 90 papers in biotechnology, 40 papers in science education, 6 books, and more than 25 chapters in different books. He has been supervisor of several PhD, master, and degree thesis.