In response to the field's need for an introductory text, the authors have distilled the vast and scattered literature relating to the biotechnology of microbial secondary metabolites. General biology, biosynthesis, the search for novel metabolites, and techniques for strain improvement are all discussed to provide undergraduate and graduate students with a concise, readable overview of the field.

Antibiotics and Bioactive Microbial Metabolites. Biology of Antibiotic Producing Microorganisms. The Search for New Bioactive Microbial Metabolites. Biosynthesis of Secondary Metabolites. Regulation of Antibiotic Biosynthesis. Genetics of Antibiotic Production. Strain Improvement and Process Development. Biological Transformations. Production of Secondary Metabolites. Index.