Books by Ranjan Singh

Aureobasidium pullulans, popularly known as black yeast, is one of the most widespread saprophyte fungus associated with wide a range of terrestrial and aquatic habitats, in temperate and tropical environment. It is a polymorphic fungus able to grow in single yeast-like cells or as septate, polykaryotic hyphae showing synchronous conditions, with budding cells. This fungus has been exploited potentially for commercial production of various enzymes (amylase, xylanase, and pectinase etc.), single cell protein, alkaloids and a polysaccharide namely pullulan. In the light of the above facts, this review article has emphasized on the orientation, morphology, biochemical characteristics, habitats and its economic potentials with special reference to pullulan.

Toxins can be defined by many ways on basis of origin, chemical nature and site of actions. Any microbial product, when present at low concentration in cells or tissues of a higher organism, can cause injury by interfering with the structural and functional integrity of those cells or tissues. Toxins are produced by bacteria, fungi, algae and various other micro-organisms. This review will put some light on various types of microbial toxins their structure and function and how they affect the human body. The book is of benefit to all the students of microbiology, biochemistry medical science, biotechnology and to all individuals interested in the subject.

In recent years, a wide range of microbial metabolites have been used for industrial production world wide for human welfare. Pullulan is one of the important microbial metabolite produced by Aureobasidium pullulans , a polymorphic fungus, all over the world. Pullulan is a linear homopolymer composed of maltotriose subunits interconnected with glycosidic linkages. This polymer is being exploited in food, cosmetic, medical and pharmaceutical industries including manufacture of biodegradable plastics. This work aims at improvement of Aureobasidium pullulans strain through mutation as well as immobilization for increased production of pullulan in fermentation system. The book will shed some light on current industrial aspects of microbiology especially fermentation technology and will be of great use to students as well as all those interested in the subject.

Multidimensional world-wide developments in most areas have resulted into pollution of the environment. Municipal wastes, industrial effluents and heavy metal discharge have contaminated our aquatic ecosystem, as well as, the fish population and associated bacterial species in such environment. In the present study a fresh water fish, Channa punctatus, was exposed to Lead and further an opportunistic bacteria namely Aeromonas was isolated from various fish organs. This bacterium was further studied at various biochemical parameters to understand its characteristic features. This study will help shed some light on our environment and the pollution affecting it and will be of great help to all individuals interested in knowing our environment and especially to all the students of microbiology.