The Prokaryotes
Vol.4 Bacteria: Firmicutes, Cyanobacteria

- Firmicutes (Gram-positive Bacteria)

- Firmicutes with Low GC Content of DNA

- Firmicutes with Atypical Cell Walls

- Cyanobacteria

Martin Dworkin: Emeritus Professor of Microbiology, University of Minnesota, USAMajor research area: Developmental Biology and Social Behavior of Myxococcus xanthusSelected awards and honors: John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship; Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology; Sackler Scholar, Tel Aviv University; Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; Roger Porter Award for Microbial Diversity- American Society for MicrobiologyStanley Falkow: Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford University School of Medicine, USA; Former Assistant Chief of the Department of Bacterial Immunology at the Walter Reed Army Institute of ResearchSelected awards and honors: Member of the National Academy of Sciences; President of the American Society for Microbiology from July 1997 through June 1998; Robert Koch Award from German Government; Abbott Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Microbiology; Several honorary doctorates in Europe and the USEugene Rosenberg: Professor of Microbiology at Tel Aviv University, Israel; Associate Professor at the Department of Bacteriology & Institute of Molecular Biology, University of California at Los Angeles (1967-1970); Member of the Israel Committee for Emerging DiseasesSelected awards and honors: Guggenheim Fellow and Visiting Professor MIT Cambridge, Massachusetts; Pan Lab Award, Society of Industrial Microbiology, San DiegoKarl-Heinz Schleifer: Professor and Head of the Department of Microbiology, Technical University of Munich, GermanyAwards and Honors: Full Member of Bergey¿s Manual Trust; President of the International Union of Microbiological Societies; Körber Award for European Scientific Research; Award of the Society of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine; Ferdinand-Cohn-Medal Erko Stackebrandt: Professor of Microbiology at the Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany, and Director of the German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany; Professor of

From the reviews of the second edition:"The second, expanded edition of The Prokaryotes has been extensively rewritten and restructured to reflect the many advances that have occurred in bacteriology during the past decade. Well over 250 eminent, internationally recognized scientists have served as authors for its more than 220 chapters. ... The Prokaryotes, Second Edition, will undoubtedly become a prime reference source for all biologists interested in theoretical and applied microbiology, microbial ecology, and microbial genetics." (February, 1992)"The present edition of The Prokaryotes appeared some three years after the publication of the last volume of the most recent edition of Bergey's Manual. ... The many illustrations are well-chosen and uniformly excellent and the diagrams ... are crisp, clear and well laid out. The well-known house style of Springer-Verlag has been used to excellent effect ... . In the perspective of time the influence of the Prokaryotes will be seen as very substantial indeed. That is why its wide availability must be ensured." (M. Sussman, Letters in Applied Microbiology, October 1992)"This four-volume second edition, appearing 11 years after the first, with a somewhat altered subtitle, is a monumental and highly successful undertaking by 276 contributors covering logically, comprehensively, and authoritatively most aspects of prokaryotic biology in 237 separately authored articles. ... Most articles have photos and are richly referenced. Any microbiologist ... can browse through the book (even in areas he or she knows well), learn something, and enjoy it." (ASM News, Vol. 58, November, 1992)"The Prokaryotes, as its subtitle indicates, seeks to be a handbook on the biology of bacteria. ... The organism-oriented approach to the subject led to a major discovery that had a great impact on the entire biology community. ... All the chapters are written by leading experts in the field. The four volumes include a comprehensive index, which