Book excerpt: The First Edition of the Encyclopedia of Microbiology was hailed by leading scientists and researchers around the world as "excellent," "outstanding," and "impressive." This Second Edition will serve as an up-to-date version of this reference which has been useful to academic, industrial, and personal libraries for years. The Encyclopedia of Microbiology, Second Edition both challenges and stimulates the reader, and illustrates the importance of microbiology, a field that cannot be over emphasized in this booming biotechnology age. Key Features * Completely redesigned and revised approach with 65% new material * Contains approximately 300 articles, 1000 illustrations, and 400 tables * New design includes thematic table of contents, combined glossary of terms, and appendix * Provides color plate sections in each volume * 17 subject areas, including exciting coverage of microbes in extreme environments and microbes in emerging infections