In the past decade, global climate change has come to the forefront of the political and social agenda owing to the growing realization that the Earth's resources are being used in an unsustainable fashion. To highlight the central role of microbial processes in sustainable development, Nature Reviews Microbiology and The ISME Journal present a specially commissioned set of articles that highlight the importance of microorganisms in climatic processes and research the generation of new energy sources.
The topics covered in this Focus include energy conservation by methanogenic archaea, the contributions of soil microorganisms to carbon cycling and global warming and systems biology of the shewanellae. These reviews and perspectives will highlight how microorganisms could contribute to sustainable energy development in the future. The accompanying library collates the most relevant recent publications from across the Nature Publishing Group.
Commentary
Microbes orchestrate life on Earth
George A. Kowalchuk et al.
doi:10.1038/ismej.2008.61
ISME Journal, 2, 795-796 (2008)
Reviews
Towards environmental systems biology of Shewanella
James K. Fredrickson et al.
doi:10.1038/nrmicro1947
Nature Reviews Microbiology, 6, 592-603 (2008)
Methanogenic archaea: ecologically relevant differences in energy conservation
Rudolf K. Thauer et al.
doi:10.1038/nrmicro1931
Nature Reviews Microbiology, 6, 579-591 (2008)
Mini-Review
Microbial contributions to climate change through carbon cycle feedbacks
Richard D Bardgett
doi:10.1038/ismej.2008.58
ISME Journal, 2, 805-814 (2008)
Perspective
Pre-genomic, genomic and post-genomic study of microbial communities involved in bioenergy
Bruce E. Rittmann et al.
doi:10.1038/nrmicro1939
Nature Reviews Microbiology, 6, 604-612 (2008)
