Polyketides represent an array of often structurally complex natural products produced by diverse organisms, many of which are pharmacologically valuable. This book provides an excellent overview of the chemistry, genetics, physiology, and enzymology of these compounds. The biosynthesis of polyketides represents a fascinating and dynamic area of investigation, and many new paradigms have recently emerged. The complexity of many of these molecules often renders their production via synthetic chemistry impractical; therefore an understanding of the chemistry and biology of systems producing these compounds will directly impact efforts toward the large scale industrial production of polyketides and polyketide-derivatives. The topics covered in this book range from the cloning and characterization of novel poyketide syntheses, structural and functional analysis of enzyme catalysis, the genetic engineering of new polyketide syntheses enzymes by rational design, and large-scale polyketide production strategies using heterologous systems. Academic and industrial leaders from around the world working in the fields of medicine, microbiology, and plant biology have included some of their latest results for this volume.