Vast numbers of different prokaryotic microorganisms shape the biosphere, with diverse metabolic capabilities. Determination of genome sequences for a wide range of bacteria and archaea now requires an in-depth knowledge of prokaryotic metabolic function to give biochemical, physiological and ecological meaning to the genomic information. This new edition describes up-to-date knowledge of the key metabolic processes that occur under different conditions, and the cellular processes that determine prokaryotic roles in the environment, biotechnology and human health. Essential for students of microbiology, applied microbiology, biotechnology, genomics and systems biology, this advanced textbook covers prokaryotic structure, composition, nutrient transport, biosynthesis and growth. Newly characterised metabolic pathways are included, as well as the latest understanding of metabolic regulation and stress responses. Additionally, the link between energetics, growth and survival is discussed as well as the maintenance of genetic integrity by the bacterial immune system.

This book offers a much-needed discussion on the targeting of biofilm-related infections. Chapters include discussions on the impact of biofilm on medical implants, industrial applications, as well as wound and tissue infections. It also offers discussions on regulatory management for industrial sectors and medical environments. Given that there continues to be a paucity of effective antimicrobial products, devices, and coatings in clinical and industrial use that effectively reduce rates of infection or biofilm-related problems, Targeting Biofilms in Translational Research, Device Development, and Industrial Sectors, offers a fresh and much-needed perspective aimed at helping create healthier controlled environments and safer devices. This comprehensive book is indispensable for industrial and academic translational researchers, device developers, and regulatory experts looking to create more effective antimicrobial products.

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.

This book discusses the decoding of the lytic mechanism of an -helical pore-forming toxin, YaxAB, composed of two different subunits. Pore-forming toxins (PFTs) are among the most common bacterial toxins. They are produced by a variety of pathogens, which infect a wide range of organisms including plants, insects and humans. Yet the maturation of these particles and the structural changes required for pore formation are still poorly understood for many PFT families. Using a diverse panel of biochemical and structural techniques, including X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy, Dr. Brauning and colleagues have succeeded in identifying the mechanistic contributions of the two toxin components and elucidating the lytic state of the pore complex. The results of this thesis on the YaxAB system are applicable to orthologues from agriculturally relevant insect pathogens, and offer valuable structural and mechanistic insights to inform future bioengineering efforts.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of pertussis - also known as whooping cough. The first part discusses the evolution the genus Bordetellae and the molecular epidemiology of B. pertussis, while the following chapters focus on the role of B. pertussis virulence factors in infection and disease and on the mechanisms of the immune response to infection and vaccination. The book also explores the prevention and control of the disease as well as its clinical management, with the finally section addressing vaccination, from improved immunization strategies to novel vaccines. Pertussis remains one of the most poorly controlled vaccine-preventable diseases around the globe. Universal vaccination has dramatically reduced its incidence but has failed to bring it completely under control. In recent decades, changes in pertussis epidemiology have been noted, likely related to the use of acellular pertussis vaccines, which in many countries have replaced older-generation, whole-cell pertussis vaccines. Several years after their introduction, it is becoming apparent that immunity conferred by acellular vaccines wanes more rapidly than expected. Unlike whole-cell vaccines, acellular vaccines, while protecting against the disease, do not seem to prevent colonization and transmission. Increasing incidence among adolescents and adults makes them a reservoir for transmission to unimmunized infants, who in turn are at risk of severe disease and death. This book is a valuable resource for researchers and clinicians in the field of medical microbiology, vaccine research and infectious diseases.

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.

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.

Handbook of Algal Science, Microbiology, Technology and Medicine provides a concise introduction to the science, biology, technology and medical use of algae that is structured on the major research fronts of the last four decades, such as algal structures and properties, algal biomedicine, algal genomics, algal toxicology, and algal bioremediation, algal photosystems, algal ecology, algal bioenergy and biofuels. It also covers algal production for biomedicine, algal biomaterials, and algal medicinal foods within these primary sections. All chapters are authored by the leading researchers in their respective research fields. Our society currently faces insurmountable challenges in the areas of biomedicine and energy in the face of increasing global population and diminishing natural resources as well as the growing environmental and economic concerns, such as global warming, greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Algae offer a way to deal with these challenges and concerns for both sustainable and environment friendly bioenergy production and in biomedicine through the development of crucial biotechnology.

Neisseria meningitidis is a major causative agent, worldwide, of potentially life-threatening meningitis and septicaemia, which carry with them a high mortality rate and permanent physical and neurological issues for survivors. Neisseria meningitidis: Advanced Methods and Protocols offers a collection of methods and protocols that reflect the development and refinement of several new technologies applied to the meningococcus as presented by expert researchers. Several of the chapters in this book describe methods that rely on the collection of complete sets of biological data, for example, using the genome to generate transcriptomes, proteomes, and metabolomes. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) 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, Neisseria meningitidis: Advanced Methods and Protocols can be readily used to study other pathogens and diseases and should have broad appeal to clinical and non-clinical scientists alike; however, there is still much to learn about the meningococcus and its complex nature, which in turn continues to reveal crucial details about human biology as well.

The future of agriculture greatly depends on our ability to enhance productivity without sacrificing long-term production potential. The application of microorganisms, such as the diverse bacterial species of plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB), represents an ecologically and economically sustainable strategy. The use of these bio-resources for the enhancement of crop productivity is gaining importance worldwide. "Bacteria in Agrobiology: Disease Management" discusses various aspects of biological control and disease suppression using bacteria. Topics covered include: fluorescent pseudomonads; siderophore-producing PGPR; pseudomonas inoculants; bacillus-based biocontrol agents; bacterial control of root and tuber crop diseases; fungal pathogens of cereals; soil-borne fungal pathogens; peronosporomycete phytopathogens; and plant parasitic nematodes.

Bacterial spores are the most resistant and dormant forms of life on earth. Therefore, they are of great fundamental interest. They are the targets for inactivation in some of the largest food and pharmaceutical industries on earth, and are of great practical importance. Many research groups around the world have attempted to unravel the spore's mechanisms of resistance, dormancy and germination. Although complete understanding has not yet been achieved, substantial advances have been made in recent years. The most important of these advances are summarized here by scientists in the forefront of their particular areas of expertise. This volume will be of value to research microbiologists, geneticists, biochemists and physicists who are interested in the fundamentals of the biochemical and physical basis of resistance and dormancy, and in spore science more generally. It will also be of value to those scientists who are concerned with the thoroughly practical problems of spore destruction and control in the food and pharmaceutical industries and in public health.

In the past two decades, great progress has been made in the understanding of copper as a bioelement. The book summarizes the current knowledge of copper toxicity, homeostasis and resistance in bacteria, in which proteins like copper ATPases, copper chaperones and copper-responsive regulators of gene expression play major roles. The author also discusses the metallation of cuproenzymes. The evolution of the use of copper by cells and of copper-homeostatic proteins are is also considered in this Brief.

Fire Blight is a bacterial disease that is particularly destructive to apple and pear trees, but which also attacks other plants, including woody ornamentals such as pyracantha or cotoneaster It is a significant disease in all temperate regions of the world and is of major quarantine significance. Historically, it has also played a major role in the development of the subject of bacterial plant pathology, as the pathogen, erwinia amylovora, has been used as a model organism for studies on plant pathogenic bacteria This work is divided into three parts. The first addresses the disease, including its epidemiology, distribution, host range, detection and infection The second considers the pathogen, including its biochemistry, genetics and pathogenicity. The final part reviews control, including chemical and biological methods, breeding for resistance, the use of transgenic plants and prediction modelling Written by leading research workers from the USA, Europe and New Zealand, it is a reference aimed at students, research workers and advisors in bacteriology, plant pathology and horticulture.

As doctors and biologists have learned, to their dismay, infectious disease is a moving target: new diseases emerge every year, old diseases evolve into new forms, and ecological and socioeconomic upheavals change the transmission pathways by which disease spread. By taking an approach focused on the general evolutionary and ecological dynamics of disease, this Very Short Introduction provides a general conceptual framework for thinking about disease. Ecology and evolution provide the keys to answering the 'where', 'why', 'how', and 'what' questions about any particular infectious disease: where did it come from? How is it transmitted from one person to another, and why are some individuals more susceptible than others? What biochemical, ecological, and evolutionary strategies can be used to combat the disease? Is it more effective to block transmission at the population level, or to block infection at the individual level? Through a series of case studies, Benjamin Bolker and Marta L. Wayne introduce the major ideas of infectious disease in a clear and thoughtful way, emphasising the general principles of infection, the management of outbreaks, and the evolutionary and ecological approaches that are now central to much research about infectious disease. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

This Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series book presents methods specifically adapted and developed for the study of distinct features of L. pneumophila. Includes materials lists, reproducible protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and pitfalls.

Recent outbreaks of fatal food-borne illness associated with Vero cytotoxin-producing E.Coli (VTEC) have highlighted the need for thorough and coherent information to be provided to the food industry.

The book details the causes of selected incidents and assesses the lessons that can be learnt from them. It examines the characteristics of E.Coli and VTEC and identifies factors which make foods susceptible to contamination by these pathogens. Specific product sectors are used to indicate practical measures that can be applied to control VTEC in foods and minimise its potential to cause harm to the consumer. It also provides guidance in selecting effective sampling plans and test methods to monitor and detect the organism and offers pragmatic advice on action taken when the organism is detected during monitoring programmes.

This information is designed for use by the food industry, particularly personnel working in manufacturing, safety and quality control. It will also be useful for Environmental Health Officers and food research institutions.

Recent evidence suggests an increasing rate of antimicrobial resistant pathogens throughout the world. Pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus are showing substantial prevalence of resistance to antibiotics.

Thus, we think that given these developments, clinicians would welcome an updated version of this book. A resource indicating appropriate, evidence-based antimicrobial treatment of infectious diseases encountered in both the hospital and outpatient settings would be of significant value to practicing clinicians. The book would focus on the clinical importance of appropriate diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases particularly in terms of antibiotic-resistance. The resource would be valuable to countless numbers of junior-level practitioners (residents, nurse practitioners, physician-assistants). Moreover, the book could be a resource for generalists as well as infectious disease specialists.

This handbook gives a comprehensive and copious illustrated description, with original art work, of the most common diseases in laboratory reared insect colonies, comprising Viruses (Baculoviridae, Reoviridae, Poxviridae, Iridoviridae); Bacteria (Bacillaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Enterobacteriaceae); Rickettsia; Fungi and Microsporidia and Protozoa. Gregarine and Coccidian parasitoids are also depicted. Manuals for the diagnostic of insect diseases have been published in the 90 s, however, these were intended for professional insect pathologists or for proficient training in invertebrate pathology, hence requiring some scientific background in insect pathology. Currently, most guides are web based, not comprehensive and solely addressing the most common diseases in a particular insect, or group of insects, reared in laboratory facilities. A comprehensive and proficient practical handbook for students and technicians working with insect reared colonies is lacking in the current literature.

Infectious diseases caused by bacterial pathogens are a leading cause of human illness and death worldwide. The study of bacterial pathogenesis has changed dramatically over the last decade, as a result of revolutionary changes in biotechnology and our understanding of molecular and cellular biological systems. This volume is structured to emphasize paradigms of infectious disease that have emerged over the last 10 years and provides a fundamental understanding of the complex cellular and molecular processes that are important for bacterial virulence and the infectious disease process. The book highlights key techniques and methodologies that have driven recent discoveries in bacterial pathogenesis, major structures and mechanisms in bacteria that are important for their pathogenesis, the regulation of these virulence determinants by global regulators, and bacterial biowarfare agents.

This collection of diverse articles by the pioneers of modern genomics takes stock of the current state of the field and elucidates the contribution that sequencing genomes has made to our understanding of microbial metabolism and evolution. Through twenty-eight thought-provoking chapters, the authors describe some of the most common computational methods and their applications to studying pathogenic microorganisms, show how genomics can be used to reconstruct the history and dynamism of the microbial world, and discuss issues as diverse as reconstruction of metabolic pathways, cell cycle processes, microbial evolution, metagenomics, and vaccine development. Additional chapters deal with microarrays and expression analysis and the role of genomic in drug discovery.

Molecular Genetics of Mycobacteria is a comprehensive collection of perspectives written by leading experts in the field. Molecular Genetics of Mycobacteria covers the key areas of current research in mycobacterial genetics, including genomics and genetic exchange, gene expression and regulation, proteomics, metabolism, biosynthesis, and drug sensitivities of M. tuberculosis, and presents genetic approaches for manipulating M. tuberculosis. This book is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the molecular genetics and biology of mycobacteria. This title is published by the American Society of Microbiology Press and distributed by Taylor and Francis in rest of world territories.

Inspired by the pace of change in the taxonomy of the aerobic endospore-forming bacteria, the "Bacillus 2000" symposium on which this book is based was held in Bruges, Belgium, in August 2000, and was supported by the Federation of European Microbiological Societies, the Belgian Society for Microbiology, and several commercial sponsors. Bringing taxonomists interested in Bacillus and its relatives together with people who work with these organisms in medicine, agriculture, and industry, allowed those attending to appreciate the overlaps and interactions of their areas of expertise, in the absence of any comprehensive treatment of the current systematics of the group.

The meeting was a great success, and has resulted in the production of these proceedings, Applications and Systematics of Bacillus and Relatives, providing an up-to-date and comprehensive treatise on the classification, identification and applications of the aerobic endospore-forming bacteria; it is an essential reference for all microbiologists interested in these organisms.
Valuable reference work for all those interested in the systematics of Bacillus and its relatives.
Produced in response to the successful Bacillus 2000 meeting in Bruges and was supported by the Federation of European Microbiological Societies, the Belgian Society for Microbiology, and several commercial sponsors.
Of use to those working in fields as diverse as medicine, agriculture, food and industry.
Comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of the systematics of these organisms.
Includes the application of sophisticated chemotaxonomic and genetic characterization methods.

This is the first book on bacterial systematics at the undergraduate level. The first part explains why bacteria are classified and how they are named. It also covers the practice of classification, including evolutionary studies and identification. The applications of these methods are illustrated in the second part of the book, which describes progress in the classification and identification of the spirochaetes, helical and curved bacteria, Gram-negative aerobic, facultative and strictly anaerobic bacteria, Gram-positive cocci, rods and endospore formers, mycoplasmas, and actinomycetes, and outlines the importance of these organisms.The first book on this topic at undergraduate levelIncludes evolutionary studies and the ArchaeaCovers theory and practice of bacterial classification and identificationUser-friendly style and profuse illustrations

Viral, Parasitic, Bacterial, and Fungal Infections: Antimicrobial, Host Defense, and Therapeutic Strategies highlight diverse types of infections, including viral, bacterial, parasitic, fungal, and the therapeutic efficacy of antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and other medications, nutraceuticals, and phytotherapeutics. This book addresses the molecular, pathophysiological, and cellular pathways involved in the process of infection. It also examines the host defense mechanisms modulated by innate and adaptive immunity. The book starts off with an introduction, which includes etiology, pathophysiology, and diagnosis of infections. It then goes on to cover a wide spectrum of salient features involved in viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal infections and effective therapeutic strategies. In addition, there is a complete section of eight chapters elaborating the detailed aspects of COVID-19 infections, Mucormycosis, Omicron, and strategic vaccines and therapeutics. The book further goes on to discuss novel antibiotics, vaccines, bromhexine, boron compounds, phytotherapeutics, and aspects on boosting immune competence. Contributed by experts in the fields of viral, parasitic, bacterial, and fungal infections, the book comprehensively details the various types of infections such as herpes and COVID-19, their molecular mechanisms, and treatment strategies for those engaged in the research of infectious diseases.

This practical book provides an updated resource for the identification of bacteria found in animals inhabiting the aquatic environment, illustrated with colour photos. It contains expanded biochemical identification tables to include newly identified pathogenic and saprophytic bacteria, molecular identification tests now available for a greater number of aquatic bacterial pathogens, more information on the pathogenesis and virulence of each organism and new coverage of traditional and molecular identification of fungal pathogens and quality assurance standards for laboratories.