The first edition of The Prokaryotes, published in 1981, took a bold step to become the most comprehensive and authoritative encyclopedic handbook on prokaryotes. Another important step was taken with the second edition in 1992, when the chapters were organized on the basis of the molecular phylogeny as a rational, evolutionary basis for the taxonomy of the prokaryotes. By then, the two volumes of the first edition had expanded to four. With the decision to publish the handbook electronically, the third edition was the boldest step of all. The advantages were obvious and persuasive: essentially unlimited space, no restrictions on the use of color, and the inclusion of film and animated illustrations. Nevertheless, the affection for a printed handbook was highly underestimated and during the first 5 years of the continuously evolving online version, a growing demand for a new print edition was voiced by the scientific and corporate community. Thus, Springer is now publishing a third edition in printed form. In total, 7 volumes will make up this new fully revised and updated version. contents, printed in color throughout. It will be ideally suited for research centers in academia and in the corporate world that need reliable and up-to-date information on the biology of the prokaryotic organisms.
Martin Dworkin:
Emeritus Professor of Microbiology, University of Minnesota, USA
Major research area: Developmental Biology and Social Behavior of Myxococcus xanthus
Selected awards and honors: John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship; Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology; Sackler Scholar, Tel Aviv University; Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; Roger Porter Award for Microbial Diversity- American Society for Microbiology
Stanley Falkow:
Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford University School of Medicine, USA; Former Assistant Chief of the Department of Bacterial Immunology at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Selected awards and honors: Member of the National Academy of Sciences; President of the American Society for Microbiology from July 1997 through June 1998; Robert Koch Award from German Government; Abbott Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Microbiology; Several honorary doctorates in Europe and the US
Eugene Rosenberg:
Professor of Microbiology at Tel Aviv University, Israel; Associate Professor at the Department of Bacteriology & Institute of Molecular Biology, University of California at Los Angeles (1967-1970); Member of the Israel Committee for Emerging Diseases
Selected awards and honors: Guggenheim Fellow and Visiting Professor MIT Cambridge, Massachusetts; Pan Lab Award, Society of Industrial Microbiology, San Diego
Karl-Heinz Schleifer:
Professor and Head of the Department of Microbiology, Technical University of Munich, Germany
Awards and Honors: Full Member of Bergeys Manual Trust; President of the International Union of Microbiological Societies; Korber Award for European Scientific Research; Award of the Society of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine; Ferdinand-Cohn-Medal
Erko Stackebrandt:
Professor of Microbiology at the Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany, and Director of the German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany; Professor of Microbiology Department, University of Kiel, Germany (1984-1990); Professor of Microbiology and Department Head at The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia (1990-1993)
Selected awards and honors: Associate Member of Bergeys Manual Trust (1990-1997); Bergey's Award"
