Developmental Biology in Prokaryotes and Lower Eukaryotes

Professor Tomas G. Villa graduated in Salamanca University (Spain), where he also obtained his PhD in 1976. Subsequently, he moved to the University of California at Davis. After several years conducting research on Yeast Biochemistry and Taxonomy integrated in Professor Herman Jan Phaffs research group, Prof. T.G. Villa aquired an Assistant Professorship in Microbiology at the Faculty of Pharmacy-University of Salamanca in 1980. In January 1983, Dr. Villa obtained a Full Professorship in Microbiology in the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela. Since then, he has been conducting research and teaching in Microbiology and Biotechnology in this position. He has published many original papers on Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, as well as several books, and has supervised 25 PhD students. Professor Trinidad de Miguel Bouzas graduated as a Pharmacist at the University of Santiago de Compostela, where she also obtained her PhD degree in 2000 under the supervision of Prof. Tomas G. Villa. She has published many original papers, book chapters and teaching materials in the fields of Bacterial Taxonomy, Biochemistry and Biotechnology. After several years as postdoctoral fellow under the leadership of Prof. Wolfgang Wohlleben (University of Tubingen, Germany), she returned to her former group and obtained a position as Assistant Professor at the University of Santiago de Compostela, where she teaches General Microbiology, Food Microbiology and Biotechnology. Her current projects involve interdisciplinary research in the field of new antimicrobials of natural and synthetic origins and the design of new dosage forms of clinical use.

Introductory Chapter.- Part I: Aspects of Developmental Biology in Prokaryotes.- Linear chromosome in Borreliella: island of genetic stability.- Genetics and Biochemistry of Sporulation in Endospore-forming Bacteria (Bacillus): A Prime Example of Developmental Biology.- Parasporal crystals development in spore-forming bacteria: Cry and Cyt toxins.- Developmental Biology of Caulobacter crescentus: a model organism to study the regulation of shape morphology.- The incredible path of Myxobacteria towards an aggregative multicellularity.- The Genus Lactobacillus: unusual genome complexity with huge adaptability to the environment.- Associations between bark beetles and Pseudomonas.- Sterol biosynthetic pathways and their function in bacteria.- Understanding the Cell Organization in Planctomycetes.- Resistance to antimicrobial agents: from bacteria to yeast.- The taxonomy of bacteria in the genomic era.- Part II: Aspects of Developmental Biologyin Eukaryotes.- Prokaryotic bases of Eukaryotic eco-evo development.- Quorum sensing: a major regulator of fungal development.- Prokaryotic and eukaryotic porins: Comparison of structure and function.- Evolutionary mechanisms in the transition towards a parasitic lifestyle: the role of endosymbiotic organelles.- Effects of cyanobacterial metabolites on other bacterial phyla and in the morphogenesis, viability and biochemistry of Eukaryotes.- Understanding the morphogenesis of fungi Trichoderma.- Morphogenesis of filamentous fungi Role and their relevance to entomopathogenicity.- Effects of normal and cancer host tissues on microbiota development, persistence and dynamics.- Development of the nervous system with increasing complexity in lower eukaryotes.- The gut microbiome affects human mood and behavior.