"Fossil and Recent Biofilms provides a smorgasbord of data on microbial communities. Students of microbial ecology, evolution, biogeochemistry, and sedimentary geology will all find this volume valuable. Those who would integrate these disciplines will find it indispensable." (Andrew H. Knoll, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA) "Virtually all the world's experts in the area of ancient and fossil biofilms contributed to a 33 chapter compendium that offers something for everyone. The subjects range from definitions of terms, to the history and philosophy of biofilms, to the implications of biofilms for the evolution of microbes, the evolution of the Earth, and even the search for extraterrestrial life. The preface by Costerton and Stoodley is quite valuable in contrasting the "old" of this compendium with some of the "new" developments that are happening now, and even on the horizon. In the preface, biofilms are viewed as dynamic, evolving communities - sites for horizontal gene transfer and community adaptation and gene-swapping." (Ken Nealson, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA) "Overall diversified and high quality pictures illustrate an update synthesis of the modern concept of microbial biofilms in geomicrobiology which target both researchers, lecturers and students." (F. Garabetian, Universite Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France. Int. Journal of Limnology, 2004, 40 (2).)

• Biodata of the Editors. Acknowledgements. Preface. Microbial biofilms: protective niches in ancient and modern geomicrobiology; J.W. Costerton, P. Stoodley. 1: Biofilm, Biodictyon Biomat - Microbialites, Oolites, Stromatolites - Geophysiology, Global Mechanism, Parahistology; W.E. Krumbein, U. Brehm, A.A. Gorbushina, G. Levit, K.A. Palinska. 2: Development and architecture of complex environmental biofilms - lotic biofilm systems; T.R. Neu, A. Eitner, M. Luz Paj. 3: Ecosystem function, cell micro-cycling and the structure of transient biofilms; D.M. Paterson, R. Perkins, M. Consalvey, G.J.C. Underwood. 4: Structure of marine biofilms - Flat Laminated Mats and Modern Marine Stromatolites; J.F. Stolz. 5: Growth, structure and calcification potential of an artificial cyanobacterial mat; M. Kühl, T. Fenchel, J. Kazmierczak. 6: Microbial processes forming marine stromatolites - Microbe-Mineral Interactions with a Three-Billion-Year Rock Record; P. Reid, C.D. Dupraz, P.T. Visscher, D.Y. Sumner. 7: Nitrogen cycling in marine cyanobacterial mats; L.J. Stal. 8: Diversity of Cyano-Bacterial Mats; G.A. Zavarzin. 9: Microbial spheres from microbial mats; U. Brehm, W.E. Krumbein, K.A. Palinska. 10: Protozoans and biofilms; H. Arndt, K. Schmidt-Denter, B. Auer, M. Weiterer. 11: Bryozoan morphoprocesses; J. Scholz, G. Levit. 12: Biofilms and macroorganisms; G. Gerdes. 13: 'Farming' of microbial mats in the hindgut of echinoids; C. DeRidder, R.L. Brigmon. 14: Extracellular polymers (EPS) and calcification within modern marine stromatolites; A.W.Decho, T. Kawaguchi. 15: The Study of a recent Iron-encrusted biofilm in the marine environment; D.C. Gillan. 16: Microbial endoliths as internal biofilms; S. Golubic, J. Schneider. 17: Epibenthic cyanobacterial communities interacting withsedimentary processes in siliciclastic depositional systems (present and past); N. Noffke. 18: The role of biofilms in the fossilization of non-biomineralized tissues; D.E.G. Briggs. 19: Fossil and subrecent fungal communities in three calcrete series from the devonian of the Canadian rocky mountains, Carboniferous of northern France and Cretaceous of central Italy; A. Preat, K. Kolo, B. Mamet, A.A. Gorbushina, D.C. Gillan. 20: Archean biofilms preserved in the Swaziland supergroup, South Africa; M. M. Walsh, F. Westall. 21: Is the feedback between genetic structure and community structure the computational mechanism of biofilm evolution? D.E. Caldwell. 22: Is there an adequate terminology of biofilms and microbial mats? G. Levit, W.E. Krumbein. 23: Hidden in plain sight - A macroscopic approach to biofilms and other visible manifestations of bacteria in the teaching of field microbiology; B.D. Dyer. 24: Is it possible to quantitatively assess the role of algobacterial films in a water body? N.V. Shadrin. 25: The role of fungal biofilm and networks in the terrestrial calcium carbonate cycle; E.P. Verrecchia, C. Loisy, O. Braissant, A.A. Gorbushina. 26: Past and present biofilm formation in deep fennoscandian shield groundwater; K. Pedersen. 27: Melanin and chromatic changes in black crusts of sandstone monuments; J.M. Valero, J.I. AlavaAlava.