Description: Lanthanides in Enzymology and Microbiology, a new volume in the Foundations and Frontiers in Enzymology Series, offers a detailed discussion of lanthanides and lanthanide-dependent enzyme biology. In this book, more than a dozen global experts consider lanthanide enzymology fundamentals, organismal utilization of lanthanides, distribution and diversity of lanthanide-dependent enzymes, regulation of intracellular levels of lanthanides, gene expression regulation via lanthanides, as well as likely applications of lanthanide binding proteins. Lanthanide-dependent methanol and alcohol dehydrogenase metabolism are considered in both methylotrophs and non-methylotrophs, alongside various application areas, from recovery of rare earth elements to developing lanthanide ion binding peptides and biosynthesis of terpolymers through reverse-oxidation pathways. In providing this deep context and pathways for future research, this book acts as an invaluable resource in this emerging field for researchers and students of biochemistry, biotechnology, and environmental microbiology alike.
Brief description: Dr. Akio Tani is an Associate Professor (2014 - current) at the Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan. Dr. Tani was educated at Kyoto University (Ph.D 2001), and from there became an Assistant Professor at IPSR Okayama University (2001-2013). He was a Visiting Researcher at ETH Zurich (2012-2013). Dr. Tani's research focuses on lanthanide-dependent switching of methanol metabolism and taxonomy of Methylobacterium species, and the structure and function of the microbiome in barley-rice cropping.