Microbes are also essential tools in biotechnology, biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology. The elimination of a wide range of pollutants and wastes from the environment is an absolute requirement to promote a sustainable development of our society with low environmental impact. Biological processes play a major role in the removal of contaminants and biotechnology is taking advantage of the astonishing catabolic versatility of microorganisms to degrade/convert such compounds. New methodological breakthroughs in sequencing, genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics and imaging are producing vast amounts of information. With practical applications ranging from soil to environment, industry, wastewater treatment to food storage issues, clinical diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of medical conditions to decontamination of heavy metal exposures BACTERIAL BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY will prove indispensable to researchers and students alike