An essential introduction to microbiome science, a new cutting-edge discipline that is transforming the life sciencesThis book provides an accessible and authoritative guide to the fundamental principles of microbiome science, an exciting and fast-emerging new discipline that is reshaping many aspects of the life sciences. Resident microbes in healthy animals--including humans—can dictate many traits of the animal host. This animal microbiome is a second immune syst...

Nature on the Doorstep reveals the simple pleasures of paying attention to the natural world in one’s own backyard over the course of a year.Angela Douglas shares the joys and curiosities of a decidedly ordinary patch of green in upstate New York cultivated through the art of “strategic neglect"―sometimes taking a hand to manage wildlife, more often letting nature go its own way.From the first flowers of spring and the fireflies of high summer to a...

Near the Forest, By the Lake is a personal exploration of the wonders of the natural world close to home. In this collection of essays, Angela E. Douglas reflects on the lives and habits of the plants, birds, insects, and other creatures inhabiting the landscapes that neighbor her in upstate New York.Some essays focus on individual species, from the salamanders migrating in early spring and the butterflies of summer, to the yellow goldenro...

Throughout the natural world, organisms have responded to predators, inadequate resources, or inclement conditions by forming ongoing mutually beneficial partnerships--or symbioses--with different species. Symbiosis is the foundation for major evolutionary events, such as the emergence of eukaryotes and plant eating among vertebrates, and is also a crucial factor in shaping many ecological communities. The Symbiotic Habit provides an accessible and authoritative introduction to sy...

A comprehensive overview of symbiotic relationships between insects and microbesInsects and Their Beneficial Microbes is an authoritative and accessible synthesis of insect associations with beneficial microorganisms. Angela Douglas distills the vast literature in entomology and microbiology, as well as the burgeoning microbiome literature, to explore the full scope of insect-microbial interactions and their applications to real-world problems in agricultu...

Nature on the Doorstep reveals the simple pleasures of paying attention to the natural world in one's own backyard over the course of a year. In weekly letters, Angela Douglas shares the joys and curiosities of a decidedly ordinary patch of green in upstate New York cultivated through the art of "strategic neglect"—sometimes taking a hand to manage wildlife, more often letting nature go its own way.From the first flowers of spring to cardi...

Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring The term 'microbiomes' encapsulates an important scientific breakthrough of recent years. This is the realization that humans, other animals, and plants harbour communities of microorganisms which are mostly beneficial but can occasionally cause or exacerbate disease. Our quickly developing understanding of microbiomes is being translated into novel microbial therapies for human disease and is contributing to sustainable practi...

Aphids are among the major global pest groups, causing serious economic damage to many food and commodity crops in most parts of the world. This revision and update of the well-received first edition published ten years ago reflects the expansion of research in genomics, endosymbionts and semiochemicals, as well as the shift from control of aphids with insecticides to a more integrated approach imposed by increasing resistance in the aphids and government restrictions on pesticides. The bo...

He's a hot fireman. She's a cool scientist. The wildfire between them is nothing short of magic. Zoe Wilding is a genetic researcher with a secret she'd rather not have. She's a white wolf. But with Agent Smith's immorally acquired experimental data on shifters, that may change. If she can just isolate the gene that expresses her dangerous white wolf, she'll finally have a normal life. One that might include a man, if not a mate. Then her lab blows up. Troy Hartman is a firefighter and EMT...

The book was fiction. The pain was real. The consequences are deadly.Professor Karla Dobbs has everything: literary acclaim, a bestselling novel, and a film adaptation on the horizon. Until a former student accuses her of plagiarism.Natalie Silva claims that the novel in question is based on a real tragedy and insists that the film be stopped, or there will be consequences. Certain that she has done nothing wrong, Karla dismisses her. At first.But a...

Denim, Diamonds and Death offers a fine collection from authors supporting the 50th Anniversary of the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention in Dallas, Texas.Here are fifteen stories that run the gamut from heists to revenge, intricate plots to secrets uncovered, and more than a few tales that defy easy classification.Proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the 2019 Bouchercon’s official charity, Literary Instruction for Texas (LIFT).Edited by Rick Ollerman with...

T'ai Chi-a martial art used for health, meditation, and self-defense-and QiGong-a large variety of physical and mental training methods based on Chinese philosophy-are widely recognized to heal physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. T'ai Chi has demonstrated its health benefits by being linked with everything from slowing the aging process and increasing balance and flexibility to lowering stress levels and enhancing the body's natural healing powers. In this fourth edition of...