Helmut Konig – författare

Soil microorganisms play a major role in the degradation and recycling of organic material. Microbes are involved in the food web and strongly contribute to soil fertility. In the past, attention was mainly directed towards free-living or particle-bound microorganisms, while the role of intestinal microbes of soil animals has been neglected.

For the first time, "Intestinal Microorganisms of Termites and Other Invertebrates" focuses on the microbes in gut systems of soil animals. It starts with a profound overview of the biology of soil invertebrates. A major part deals with the gut microbiota of termites, the best investigated gut system of invertebrates. Termites are important soil processors in tropical and subtropical regions. Insight is given into the intestinal microbiota of further relevant primary litter decomposers, such as earthworms, springtails, millipeds, and woodlice. Novel techniques for studying intestinal microbes complete the volume.

Microbial cell wall structures play a significant role in maintaining cells’ shape, as protecting layers against harmful agents, in cell adhesion and in positive and negative biological activities with host cells. All prokaryotes, whether they are bacteria or archaea, rely on their surface polymers for these multiple functions. Their surfaces serve as the indispensable primary interfaces between the cell and its surroundings, often mediating or catalyzing important interactions.

Prokaryotic Cell Wall Compounds summarizes the current state of knowledge on the prokaryotic cell wall. Topics concerning bacterial and archaeal polymeric cell wall structures, biological activities, growth and inhibition, cell wall interactions and the applications of cell wall components, especially in the field of nanobiotechnology, are presented.

Welches Bild hat Europa von sich? Wie wird Europa von anderen gesehen? Dieser Band thematisiert Prozesse der kulturellen Selbst- und Fremddeutung ebenso wie konkrete Visualisierungen Europas im Medium des Bildes.Analysen zur Selbstdeutung Europas von der Antike bis ins 20. Jahrhundert werden von Beiträgen zu den Wahrnehmungen Europas in anderen Kulturen sowie von bildwissenschaftlichen Studien zur Ikonografie ergänzt. Es entsteht eine material- und perspektivenreiche Sicht auf die historische, politische und ikonografische Dimension der Bilder Europas.