This book discusses recent advances in our understanding of the role of oxidants in microbial pathophysiology, providing valuable insights into the complex role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in host-microbial interactions. The various chapters take readers through the function of ROS in infections ranging from viral to bacterial, and describe how microorganisms have developed complex strategies to not only avoid contact with phagocyte-derived oxidants, but also protect themselves from injury when oxidants are encountered. Featuring the latest research in the field of microbial diseases, this timely book is a ready reference for scientists looking to develop new anti-microbial drugs.

Fungal growths affect both human and animal well-being. Many natural pathogens of laboratory animals alter host physiology, rendering the host unsuitable for experimental uses. While the number and prevalence of few pathogens have declined considerably, many still turn up in laboratory animals and represent unwanted variables in research. Investigators using laboratory animals in biomedical experimentation should be aware of the profound effects that many of these agents can have on research. What does the future hold regarding the natural pathogens of laboratory animals? The selection of an animal model must carefully address issues of the type of human disease to mimic, the parameters to follow, and the collection of the appropriate data to answer those questions being asked. Overall, animal models of fungal infection will continue to deepen our understanding of how these infections occur. This book provides a valuable source of information to biological and biomedical scientists and to clinical and doctoral researchers working in the area of fungal infections and diseases of laboratory animal species.

This book provides an essential update on the startling array of novel insecticidal toxins and drugs produced by the fascinating bacterium Photorhabdus. The respective chapters describe everything from the detailed molecular biology of the 'Toxin complexes' or Tc's to the complexity of insect immune response in relation to both the bacterium and its nematode vector. The volume covers both primary (toxin production and regulation) and secondary (natural product synthesis and regulation) metabolism and emphasises the potential use of toxins and drugs in both agriculture and medicine. It also discusses in detail two totally novel quorum sensing mechanisms and the likely role of LuxR solos in sensing the presence of different bacterial hosts. Lastly, the book explores the unique case of P. asymbiotica, which seems to have evolved the ability to infect both insects and humans. This synthesis proves that Photorhabdus truly does offer a 'gold mine' for the discovery of novel insecticidal proteins and novel natural products with potential uses in agriculture and medicine alike.

This volume presents a series of coordinated chapters examining the surface properties and interactions of planktonic and biofilm microbial cells. The cell envelope determines the interactions between cells and their environment and is vitally important for survival. Phenomena related to it play a crucial role in the impact of microbes on a variety of disciplines including medicine, immunology, biotechnology, materials technology and process engineering

This detailed volume serves clinicians and basic science researchers studying the increasingly antibiotic resistant Gram-negative bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii. Chapters detail microbiological techniques, biochemical techniques, clinical samples, and next generation omics techniques to characterize the organism at the molecular level. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Acinetobacter baumannii: Methods and Protocols aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this high priority area of antibiotic study.

Pseudomonas aeruginosais characterized by its metabolic versatility and found ubiquitously in soil and aquatic habitats and persists survival on various surfaces of plants, animals and humans. Diversity in Pseudomonas characteristics have led to recent technological advances and lay out important avenues of research focused on the role of Pseudomonas and the molecular mechanisms of their beneficial actions. This book brings together respectedP. aeruginosaexperts from around the world to provide a timely, extensive and updated review of Pseudomonas research. It covers various aspects in applications of Pseudomonas in molecular engineering of genetic tools for Pseudomonas protein expression, medical and environmental fields including biofilm development, quorum sensing, heavy metal bioremediation and photodynamic therapy as well as the industrially-important lipoxygenase biocatalysis properties. This book is essential reading for scientists working with Pseudomonas and serves as a ready reference and text book for graduate students, young field microbiologists and research scientists in academia, research institutes and industry.

Spirochetes comprise a fascinating group of bacteria. Although diverse in terms of their habitat, ecology and infectivity for vertebrate and non-vertebrate hosts, they are often considered together because of their similar cellular morphologies. This volume brings together an international group of experts to provide essential insights into spirochete biology, with an emphasis on recent advances made possible by the availability of genome sequences. As such, it offers a valuable resource for microbiologists and other scientists with an interest in spirochete biology.

This book delves into the biotechnological applications of Quorum sensing (QS)- a peculiar gene-regulatory process of some microorganisms. Quorum Sensing allows a large bacterial population to work together in a coordinated manner to carry out metabolic activities, which individual bacterium cannot. The different chapters describe how, associating bioremediation process with energy generation is an economical proposal, for reducing pollution and managing biowastes. The book discusses how QS can be exploited for biotechnological applications in generating bioproducts, bioenergy, bioremediation, biosensors, health and agricultural activities. It further highlights how QS is becoming an integral part of synthetic biology for genetic circuits for producing: (i) novel products, (ii) biosensors, (iii) bioactive molecules, etc. The book is divided into different sections for a clear understanding of the applicability of QS in, the Environment, Energy, Agriculture and Health sectors.

This book provides a selection of recently developed methods and protocols in bacterial glycomics to aid in bettering our understanding of the structures and functions of bacterial polysaccharides, their attachments to proteins and lipids, their role in biofilm formation, as well as their biosynthesis. With the emerging bacterial resistance to commonly used antibiotics world-wide, these techniques to study the outer polysaccharides of bacteria, with their functions in bacterial adhesion, colonization, growth, establishment of biofilms, and control virulence and pathogenicity, are increasingly important. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Bacterial Polysaccharides: Methods and Protocols aims to support researchers contributing to future approaches that will fill our knowledge gaps and define anti-bacterial targets.

This book provides an up-to-date overview of the architecture and biosynthesis of bacterial and archaeal cell walls, highlighting the evolution-based similarities in, but also the intriguing differences between the cell walls of Gram-negative bacteria, the Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, and the Archaea. The recent major advances in this field, which have brought to light many new structural and functional details, are presented and discussed. Over the past five years, a number of novel systems, e.g. for lipid, porin and lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis have been described. In addition, new structural achievements with periplasmic chaperones have been made, all of which have revealed amazing details on how bacterial cell walls are synthesized. These findings provide an essential basis for future research, e.g. the development of new antibiotics. The book's content is the logical continuation of Volume 84 of SCBI (on Prokaryotic Cytoskeletons), and sets the stage for upcoming volumes on Protein Complexes.

Escherichia coli is a facultative anaerobic Gamma-proteobacterium, which belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae. While being an important constituent of the normal gut microbiota, specialized E. coli clones have acquired genetic elements that allow them to compete with the endogenous commensals, colonise normally sterile niches and cause disease. E. coli pathotypes can cause intestinal and extra intestinal infections (e.g. UTI, sepsis) and associate with mammalian cells while being extra- or intra-cellular. In recent years, E. coli infections have become a serious clinical problem, due to the rapid spread of antibiotic resistance. Thus, infections with intestinal E. coli (e.g. E. coli O104) or extraintestinal pathogenic strains (e.g. E. coli ST131) are becoming difficult to treat and are often lethal. Consequently, there is a pressing need to develop alternative control measures, including the identification of new drug targets and development of vaccines that offer lasting protection. This volume focuses on several types of E. coli infections (intestinal and extraintestinal), virulence factors, and E. coli pandemics. It addresses the problem of antibiotic resistance, and a dedicated chapter discusses the need to develop alternative control measures. Given its depth and breadth of coverage, the book will benefit all those interested in the biology, genetics, physiology and pathogenesis of E. coli, and in related vaccine development.

Spirochetes comprise a fascinating group of bacteria. Although diverse in terms of their habitat, ecology and infectivity for vertebrate and non-vertebrate hosts, they are often considered together because of their similar cellular morphologies. This volume brings together an international group of experts to provide essential insights into spirochete biology, with an emphasis on recent advances made possible by the availability of genome sequences. As such, it offers a valuable resource for microbiologists and other scientists with an interest in spirochete biology.

This book delves into the biotechnological applications of Quorum sensing (QS)- a peculiar gene-regulatory process of some microorganisms. Quorum Sensing allows a large bacterial population to work together in a coordinated manner to carry out metabolic activities, which individual bacterium cannot. The different chapters describe how, associating bioremediation process with energy generation is an economical proposal, for reducing pollution and managing biowastes. The book discusses how QS can be exploited for biotechnological applications in generating bioproducts, bioenergy, bioremediation, biosensors, health and agricultural activities. It further highlights how QS is becoming an integral part of synthetic biology for genetic circuits for producing: (i) novel products, (ii) biosensors, (iii) bioactive molecules, etc. The book is divided into different sections for a clear understanding of the applicability of QS in, the Environment, Energy, Agriculture and Health sectors.

Host-Bacteria Interactions: Methods and Protocols details cutting edge protocols that cover aspects of the investigation of host bacteria interactions using mammalian and novel non mammalian infection models, cell biology, OMICS and bacterial genetics. Chapters focus on techniques that can be used to investigate different aspects of the physiopathology of bacterial infections, from the whole animal to tissue, cellular and molecular level. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Host-Bacteria Interactions: Methods and Protocols provide researchers with a comprehensive account of the practical steps necessary for carrying out each protocol successfully.

This book discusses Prosthetic Joint Infection (PJI), which remains one of the most common problems necessitating revision arthroplasty. It pursues a multidisciplinary approach, bringing together opinions from the leading experts in the field. The book identifies the potential causes of these infections, provides sound diagnostic criteria guidelines, and explains how these prosthetic infections are managed from orthopedic surgery, clinical and diagnostic perspectives. PJI can lead to multiple revision surgeries and significant patient morbidity. Periprosthetic infection rates remain around 1-2% after primary total hip and knee arthroplasty and account for approximately 7-12% of all revision cases. Orthopedic hardware infections are much-feared and costly complications that can occur when these devices are implemented both in traumatic cases as well as in joint replacement surgery. Because these infections can lead to higher morbidity, it is important to understand their pathophysiology and the principles behind their diagnosis and initial treatment. The pathogenesis of these kinds of infections is intimately connected to the biofilm-producing trait characteristic of many microorganisms, which can have a critical effect on the likely success of treatments. The book offers a unique guide for all scientists working in arthroplasty who are seeking an update on the field, and for newcomers alike.

This book is a compilation of past and recent knowledge in the field of emerging drug resistance. The book covers major aspects of drug resistance in bacteria, fungi, malaria, and cancer.Human survival on earth is constantly threatened by disease and syndrome. From the early days, the aim of research in medicine was to find therapeutic agents that can improve the quality of human life. Although humans are dependent on natural compounds from early days their dependence of drugs increased excessively in last century. The advances in chemistry and biology have helped researchers to identify the drugs that have improved treatment of many diseases. The primary factor for treatment of these diseases is dependent on the efficacy of drugs available. The development of resistance to these drugs is one of the major hindrances. Although there are number of books available on this topic, "drug resistance" biology across kingdoms has never been discussed in a coherent way.

Insect-transmitted rickettsiales diseases are significant sources of morbidity and mortality all over the world. Their incidence has been increasing in recent years in large part due to climate change and the movement of animals carrying the insect vectors. Currently there are no effective vaccines against diseases caused by members of the order Rickettsiales. Rickettsiales diseases are often misdiagnosed; this book is intended to serve as a tool for their understanding and diagnosis. Rickettsiales covers the seven main genera: Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Midichloria, Neorickettsia, Orientia, Rickettsia and Wolbachia. Discussion of each genus includes immunology and molecular biology of host-pathogen interactions, epidemiology and diagnosis, and vaccination strategies and therapies.

This volume focuses on antibiotics research, a field of topical significance for human health due to the worrying increase of nosocomial infections caused by multi-resistant bacteria. It covers several basic aspects, such as the evolution of antibiotic resistance and the influence of antibiotics on the gut microbiota, and addresses the search for novel pathogenicity blockers as well as historical aspects of antibiotics. Further topics include applied aspects, such as drug discovery based on biodiversity and genome mining, optimization of lead structures by medicinal chemistry, total synthesis and drug delivery technologies. Moreover, the development of vaccines as a valid alternative therapeutic approach is outlined, while the importance of epidemiological studies on important bacterial pathogens, the problems arising from the excessive use of antibiotics in animal breeding, and the development of innovative technologies for diagnosing the "bad bugs" are discussed in detail. Accordingly, the book will appeal to researchers and clinicians alike.