Cold adaptation includes a complex range of structural and functional adaptations at the level of all cellular constituents, and these adaptations render cold-adapted organisms particularly useful for biotechnological applications. This book presents the most recent knowledge of (i) boundary conditions for microbial life in the cold, (ii) microbial diversity in various cold ecosystems, (iii) molecular cold adaptation mechanisms and (iv) the resulting biotechnological perspectives.

Boundary Conditions for Microbial Life at Low Temperatures

The Climate of Snow and Ice as Boundary Condition for Microbial Life
Limits for Microbial Life at Subzero Temperatures
Microbial Diversity in Cold Ecosystems
Bacteria in Snow and Glacier Ice
Bacteria in Subglacial Environments
Bacteria in the Deep Sea: Psychropiezophiles
Bacteria in Permafrost
Anaerobic Bacteria and Archaea in Cold Ecosystems
Cyanobacteria in Cold Ecosystems
Fungi in Cold Ecosystems
Cold-Active Viruses
Molecular Adaptations to Cold Habitats
Membrane Components and Cold Sensing
Cold-Shock Proteins
Fundamentals of Cold-Adapted Enzymes
Cryoprotectants and Ice-Binding Proteins
The Role of Exopolymers in Microbial Adaptation to Sea Ice
Genomic Analysis of Psychrophilic Prokaryotes
Microalgae in Polar Regions: Linking Functional Genomics and Physiology with Environmental Conditions
Metagenomics: Microbial Community Genomes Revealed
Proteomic Studies of Psychrophilic Microorganisms
Biotechnological Aspects
Biotechnological Aspects of Cold-Adapted Enzymes
Heterologous Protein Expression in Psychrophilic Hosts
Cold-Adapted Fungi as a Source for Valuable Metabolites
Natural and Stimulated Biodegradation of Petroleum in Cold Marine Environments
Microbial Adaptation to Boreal Saturated Subsurface: Implications in Bioremediation of Polychlorophenols
Biological Iron Oxidation and Sulfate Reduction in the Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage at Low Temperatures.