CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

In the series of articles presented in this book, the authors provide an overview of the different fields involved in microbial EPS production, characterization, and applications. Particular emphasis is directed toward the molecular mechanisms of EPS biosynthesis and modification as well as their regulation. Additionally, the production of fungal EPSs is also explored to show the potential use of the securrently less understood microbial biopolymers. Furthermore, the problems and future perspectives related to polysaccharide characterization are summarized and described. Finally, the various aspects of microbial polysaccharide application covering a wide range of uses are also discussed. In summary this research topic deals with the following aspects. Effective microbial EPS production is based on the identification of novel and efficient production strains. Therefore, Rühmann et al. describe and compare the different available methods to identify EPS producers, including the characterization of monomer composition of these polysaccharides. They finally disclose the most promising and currently available novel techniques, as the main input for boosting the exploration and discovery of new EPS-producers in the short term.