~~ Acta Biotechnol. 14 (1994) 1, 52 Akademie Verlag Book Review LLOYD, D. (Ed.) Flow Cytometry in Microbiology London, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, Pans, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Barcelona, Budapest: Springer-Verlag, 1993 188 pages, 14 figures; $ 120.-, DM 158,- ISBN 3-540- 19796-6 Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York ISBN 0-387-1 9196-6 Springer-Verlag. New York, Berlin, Heidelberg This long-awaited book is excellent for microbiologists who study the characterization of transitions in the states of a cell. This interesting volume presents contributions from research microbiologists who use flow cytometry to study a diverse set of problems. Most of the results were presented at the Symposium in Cardiff on 23 October 1991, organized for the Royal Microscopical Society by Dr. Richard ALLMANN. Traditional methods in cell differentiation and biochemical specification of microbial cultures are intricate and often unacceptable in wasting time to fulfil the demands, which are directed to the scientists by medical microbiology and microbiology for environmental protection. The flow cytometric experiences gathered by experiments with human and animal cell systems in the last two decades are particularly necessary for the study of bacterial populations. However, measurements of microbiological systems provide completely different qualifications of the cytometric equipment regarding the optical assembly, the sensitivity of the detector systems of the cytometer, and the use of specific markers for the intracellular substances chosen. The latter is found (in an amount) often in the range of a thousandth part of that in an animal cell. Nevertheless, there have been. efforts to describe microbial systems with flow cytometry for the last 10 years. For a long time Escherichiu coli were the test objects mostly used in the bacterial flow cytometry until the point where a lot of scientists have recognized their broader application apart from their contestable importance for basic research. To show this, examples are found in the case of on-line-controlling of industrial cultures, the demonstration of sewage water organisms, which are able to convert harmful substances, furthermore in detecting pathogenic microbes in blood or salivary secretions and the describing of population dynamics of bacteria plankton or the quality control in food industry. The contributions are written on a high level of transparency, so that it is possible for beginners, too, to understand the principles and the methods. Also for scientists who study the flow cytometric characterization ofmicrobial populations over a long period of time there are a lot of interesting ideas. In this respect the following articles should be mentioned: I : The Physical and Biological Basis for Flow Cytometry for Escherichiu coli by E. BOYE and H. B. SEEN 2: Use of Membrane Potentially Sensitive Dyes with Bacteria by D. MASON et ul. 3: Characterization of Bacterial Cell Size and Ploidy Using Flow Cytometry and Image Analysis by J. DURODIE et ul. Taking into account the extremely quick augmentation of knowledge just in that area (e.g. the use of the fluorescent oligodeoxynucleotide probes for the specific detection of different, often non-cultivable species of bacteria is not described), the publication of such volumes is desirable in shorter intervals. S. MULLER

Flow cytometry in microbiology. London, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Barcelona, Budapest: Springer-Verlag, 1993. 188 pages, 74 figures; $ 120.–, DM 158,–

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Page 1: Flow cytometry in microbiology. London, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Barcelona, Budapest: Springer-Verlag, 1993. 188 pages, 74 figures; $ 120.–, DM 158,–

Acta Biotechnol. 14 (1994) 1, 52 Akademie Verlag

Book Review

LLOYD, D. (Ed.)

Flow Cytometry in Microbiology

London, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, Pans, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Barcelona, Budapest: Springer-Verlag, 1993 188 pages, 14 figures; $ 120.-, DM 158,- ISBN 3-540- 19796-6 Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York ISBN 0-387-1 9196-6 Springer-Verlag. New York, Berlin, Heidelberg

This long-awaited book is excellent for microbiologists who study the characterization of transitions in the states of a cell. This interesting volume presents contributions from research microbiologists who use flow cytometry to study a diverse set of problems. Most of the results were presented at the Symposium in Cardiff on 23 October 1991, organized for the Royal Microscopical Society by Dr. Richard ALLMANN. Traditional methods in cell differentiation and biochemical specification of microbial cultures are intricate and often unacceptable in wasting time to fulfil the demands, which are directed to the scientists by medical microbiology and microbiology for environmental protection. The flow cytometric experiences gathered by experiments with human and animal cell systems in the last two decades are particularly necessary for the study of bacterial populations. However, measurements of microbiological systems provide completely different qualifications of the cytometric equipment regarding the optical assembly, the sensitivity of the detector systems of the cytometer, and the use of specific markers for the intracellular substances chosen. The latter is found (in an amount) often in the range of a thousandth part of that in an animal cell. Nevertheless, there have been. efforts to describe microbial systems with flow cytometry for the last 10 years. For a long time Escherichiu coli were the test objects mostly used in the bacterial flow cytometry until the point where a lot of scientists have recognized their broader application apart from their contestable importance for basic research. To show this, examples are found in the case of on-line-controlling of industrial cultures, the demonstration of sewage water organisms, which are able to convert harmful substances, furthermore in detecting pathogenic microbes in blood or salivary secretions and the describing of population dynamics of bacteria plankton or the quality control in food industry. The contributions are written on a high level of transparency, so that it is possible for beginners, too, to understand the principles and the methods. Also for scientists who study the flow cytometric characterization ofmicrobial populations over a long period of time there are a lot of interesting ideas. In this respect the following articles should be mentioned: I : The Physical and Biological Basis for Flow Cytometry for Escherichiu coli by E. BOYE and H. B. SEEN 2: Use of Membrane Potentially Sensitive Dyes with Bacteria by D. MASON et ul. 3: Characterization of Bacterial Cell Size and Ploidy Using Flow Cytometry and Image Analysis by J. DURODIE et ul. Taking into account the extremely quick augmentation of knowledge just in that area (e.g. the use of the fluorescent oligodeoxynucleotide probes for the specific detection of different, often non-cultivable species of bacteria is not described), the publication of such volumes is desirable in shorter intervals.

S . MULLER