Microbiomes of Soils, Plants and Animals

Rachael E. Antwis is a microbial ecologist at the University of Salford. Her research encompasses a range of host systems, including soil, plants, invertebrates and vertebrates. She is the founder and co-secretary of the British Ecological Society's Microbial Ecology Special Interest Group, together with Dr Xavier Harrison. Xavier A. Harrison is a molecular ecologist at the University of Exeter. He is fascinated by the potential of host-associated microbes to drive variation among individuals in life history trajectory. He is co-founder of the British Ecological Society's Microbial Ecology Special Interest Group, alongside Rachael Antwis. Michael J. Cox is a microbial ecologist at the University of Birmingham. His expertise is in applying microbial ecology techniques to understand the respiratory microbiome in chronic and acute respiratory diseases. He is an editor at FEMS Microbiology Letters and author of The Lung Microbiome (2019), a monograph for the European Respiratory Society.

• Preface; 1. Microbiomes of soils, plants and animals: an introduction Rachael E. Antwis, Xavier A. Harrison, Michael J. Cox, Sophia Carryl, Meagan Dewar, James Doonan, Ellen L. Fry, Jack Gilbert, Bethan Greenwood, Reid N. Harris, Zenobia Lewis, Anne Lizé, James McDonald, Valerie McKenzie, Marc Sze and Feng Zhu; 2. Analytical approaches for microbiome research Xavier A. Harrison and Simon J. S. Cameron; 3. Microbiomes of soils Reuben Margerison, Océane Nicolitch and Yaqian Zhang; 4. Factors that shape the host microbiome Marc Sze, James Doonan, James E. McDonald, Reid Harris and Meagan Dewar; 5. Microbial symbioses and host nutrition Philip Donkersley, Sam Robinson, Ella K. Deutsch and Alastair T. Gibbons; 6. The microbiome and host behaviour Anne Lizé and Zenobia Lewis; 7. Host microbiomes and disease James E. McDonald, Reid N. Harris, James Doonan, Sophia Carryl, Marc Sze, Valerie McKenzie and Jack A. Gilbert; 8. Adapting to environmental change Ellen L. Fry, Feng Zhu and Bethan Greenwood; 9. Microbial biotechnology Rachael E. Antwis, Ellen Fry, Chloë E. James and Natalie Ferry; 10. Synthesis and future directions Rachael E. Antwis, Xavier A. Harrison and Michael J. Cox; Index.

'This book focuses on current research investigations of the microbiomes found in animals, plants, and soils. The authors propose an emerging theoretical framework for investigating the complex interactions between microbiomes and their habitats. They promote advancements for studying microbiomes and microorganisms in situ, or in the natural environment, rather than focusing on classical methods using in vitro studies as conducted in labs. Each chapter reveals the significant roles that microbiomes play in biogeochemical cycling and in homeostatic mechanisms of host organisms and natural environments. Also discussed are the impacts of anthropogenic changes on microbiome interactions. Topics in the book include background information on microbiomes, analytical methods for studying them, a review of microbiome research investigations, and biotechnology applications of microbiome research. Each chapter provides a wealth of primary references. As an added plus, the readability level is appropriate for those lacking an extensive background in science.' B. R. Shmaefsky, Choice