Biotechnology is the science of using technology to improve or modify organisms for the benefit of humans.  Humans have been attempting to change nature since ancient times. The science started when humans took plants and animals from their natural habitats and domesticated them to bring them closer to their abodes.  Ever observant and curious, humans proceeded to breed the male and female parents of plants or animals to come up with offspring with even better traits than the parents.  Early humans also discovered and developed the process of fermentation that gave us a wide array of food products such as wine, bread, cheese, and many others.  Today’s modern biotechnology enables the combination of genetic materials from unrelated organisms to generate novel products used in agriculture, medicine, and other industries.  This book delves into the fundamentals and applications of microbial biotechnology from ancient times to the present.