About this ebook
Ecological biochemistry refers to the interaction of organisms with their abiotic environment and other organisms by chemical means. Biotic and abiotic factors determine the biochemical flexibility of organisms, which otherwise easily adapt to environmental changes by altering their metabolism. Sessile plants, in particular, have evolved intricate biochemical response mechanisms to fit into a changing environment. This book covers the chemistry behind these interactions, bottom up from the atomic to the system's level.
An introductory part explains the physico-chemical basis and biochemical roots of living cells, leading to secondary metabolites as crucial bridges between organisms and the respective ecosystem. The focus then shifts to the biochemical interactions of plants, fungi and bacteria within terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems with the aim of linking biochemical insights to ecological research, also in human-influenced habitats.
A section is devoted to methodology, which allows network-based analyses of molecular processes underlying systems phenomena.
A companion website offering an extended version of the introductory chapter on Basic Biochemical Roots is available at
http://www.wiley.com/go/Krauss/Nies/EcologicalBiochemistry
About the author
Gerd-Joachim Krauss is full Professor Emeritus for Ecological and Plant Biochemistry at the Martin-Luther-University of Halle, Germany, where he gained his PhD in plant biochemistry. He was responsible for research projects at the University of Sackville, Canada, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, and Université de Pau/CNRS, Pau, France. His research interests are focused on metal stress response in plants and fungi, and the development of HPLC and coupling techniques.
Dietrich H. Nies is full Professor for Molecular Microbiology at the Martin-Luther-University of Halle, Germany. He began his academic career in Göttingen, carrying out his postdoc in Berlin and at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Professor Nies`s research centers on the interaction of bacteria with transition metals.
