Antimicrobial resistance in bacteria is increasing at an alarming rate and presents an enormous global health challenge. Multi-drug resistance in particular is a major problem and severely compromises our ability to deal with infectious disease. The cost of the problem in terms of money, mortality and disability is also rising. This book presents nine comprehensive and cutting-edge reviews on the current state of antimicrobial resistance. Special emphasis is placed on state-of-the-art research and the authors focus on novel approaches and new perspectives. Topics covered include new antibiotics, biofilm resistance, drug efflux, plasmid-mediated resistance, extended-spectrum beta-lactamases, monitoring of resistance, predicting the evolution of new resistance, antibiotic cycling, and a review of the system for the discovery and development of novel antibiotics. The chapters are unified in theme, however each stands alone in conveying the author's individual perspectives on the issue of antimicrobial resistance. Written by experts in the field of antimicrobial resistance this book is a major new resource for microbiologists, molecular biologists, researchers, epidemiologists, infectious disease specialists, medical practitioners, public health experts, and anyone interested in a review of the current research on antimicrobial resistance.

This book concerns the intimate association between bacteria and host cells. Many bacterial pathogens are able to invade and survive within cells at mucosal membranes. Remarkably, the bacteria themselves orchestrate this process through the exploitation of host cellular signal transduction pathways. Intracellular invasion can lead to disruption of host tissue integrity and perturbation of the immune system. An understanding of the molecular basis of bacterial invasion and of host cell adaptation to intracellular bacteria will provide fundamental insights into the pathophysiology of bacteria and the cell biology of the host. The book details specific examples of bacteria that are masters of manipulation of eukaryotic cell signaling and relates these events to the broader context of host-pathogen interaction. Written by experts in the field, this book will be of interest to researchers and graduate students in microbiology, immunology, biochemistry, as well as molecular medicine and dentistry.

The increasing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics, and pests to pesticides, threatens to undo some of the most remarkable advances made in public health and agriculture during the past century. Though the potential consequences of increased antibiotic and pesticide resistance are far reaching, regulatory efforts to address the problem are at a very early stage. Battling Resistance to Antibiotics and Pesticides moves such discussions forward by presenting cutting edge research and the first comprehensive application of economic tools to analyze how antibiotics and pesticides should be used to maximize their value to society. Laxminarayan and his contributors explore lessons from past experiences with resistance, especially in agriculture. They consider what incentives would be ideal for the individuals who prescribe or apply antibiotics and pesticides, and what would be ideal for the firms engaged in developing and producing these products. The chapters in this groundbreaking book reflect the fact that efforts to combat resistance will require contributions from a broad range of scholars and professionals, representing a broad range of expertise. The analysis demonstrates that, for all these participants, an understanding of economic issues is an essential complement to knowledge of medical or biological factors. The book provides economists with an overview of relevant scientific issues, as well as a variety of analytical approaches to studying the economics of resistance. It offers policymakers detailed analyses of the multiple dimensions of resistance and discusses the future strategies to combat and manage resistance. For professionals in medicine, public health, and agriculture, the book translates the economic approaches into usable guidance for daily practice and decisionmaking.

The Prokaryotes is a comprehensive, multi-authored, peer reviewed reference work on Bacteria and Achaea. This fourth edition of The Prokaryotes is organized to cover all taxonomic diversity, using the family level to delineate chapters.

Different from other resources, this new Springer product includes not only taxonomy, but also prokaryotic biology and technology of taxa in a broad context. Technological aspects highlight the usefulness of prokaryotes in processes and products, including biocontrol agents and as genetics tools.

The content of the expanded fourth edition is divided into two parts: Part 1 contains review chapters dealing with the most important general concepts in molecular, applied and general prokaryote biology; Part 2 describes the known properties of specific taxonomic groups.

Two completely new sections have been added to Part 1: bacterial communities and human bacteriology. The bacterial communities section reflects the growing realization that studies on pure cultures of bacteria have led to an incomplete picture of the microbial world for two fundamental reasons: the vast majority of bacteria in soil, water and associated with biological tissues are currently not culturable, and that an understanding of microbial ecology requires knowledge on how different bacterial species interact with each other in their natural environment. The new section on human microbiology deals with bacteria associated with healthy humans and bacterial pathogenesis. Each of the major human diseases caused by bacteria is reviewed, from identifying the pathogens by classical clinical and non-culturing techniques to the biochemical mechanisms of the disease process.

The 4th edition of The Prokaryotes is the most complete resource on the biology of prokaryotes.

The following volumes are published consecutively within the 4th Edition:

Prokaryotic Biology and Symbiotic Associations

Prokaryotic Communities and Ecophysiology

Prokaryotic Physiology and Biochemistry

Applied Bacteriology and Biotechnology

Human Microbiology

Actinobacteria

Firmicutes

Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria

Gammaproteobacteria

Deltaproteobacteria and Epsilonproteobacteria

Other Major Lineages of Bacteria and the Archaea"

Proceedings of a NATO Advanced Research Workshop held at Portorosa, Italy in May 1992. This volume presents the invited lectures and extended summaries of the contributed papers. Reports from the epidemiologists emphasize the continuing extent of salmonellosis worldwide, the increasing problem of dr

This volume presents a comprehensive collection of methods that have been instrumental to the current understanding of bacterial persisters. Chapters in the book cover topics ranging from general methods for measuring persister levels in Escherichia coli cultures, protocols for the determination of the persister subpopulation in Candida albicans, quantitative measurements of Type I and Type II persisters using ScanLag, to in vitro and in vivo models for the study of the intracellular activity of antibiotics. 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, Bacterial Persistence: Methods and Protocols brings together the most respected researchers in bacterial persistence whose studies will remain vital to understanding this field for many years to come.

This is the first volume to bring together the studies on the differences and profound similarities in the molecular mechanism of virulence between bacteria pathogenic for humans, animals and plants. The volume contains the following sections: 1. Host cell recognition and binding; 2. Pathogen ingression and invasive mechanism; 3. Enzymes, toxins and other pathogenic factors; 4. Regulation of virulence genes and signal transduction; 5. Pathogen of host-defense mechanisms.

This volume is designed to be a resource of proven techniques and approaches for probing the activities of bacterial, eukaryotic, and archaeal RNA polymerases. This book features a collection of in vitro and in vivo technologies that will permit researchers to purify and probe the position and stability of RNA polymerase complexes at different points of the transcription cycle, analyze the various translocations and intermolecular movements associated with catalysis, define recruitment strategies, probe the roles of transcription factors in each stage of the cycle, highlight conserved and disparate fidelity mechanisms, analyze the resultant transcripts, and study coordination of the nascent mRNA synthesis by the RNA polymerase and mRNA translation by the ribosome. Written in the highly successful Methods of 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 key tips on troubles troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Practical and timely, Bacterial Transcriptional Controls: Methods and Protocols highlights the breadth and depth of techniques that are likely to continue shaping the transcription community in the future.

This book contains the Proceedings of the Ninth International Symposium on Pho- totrophic Prokaryotes (IXth ISPP) which was held in Vienna, Austria, from September 6-12,1997. In 1973, the far-sighted efforts of Gerhart Drews, Roger Y. Stanier, and Nor- bert Pfennig launched the first ISPP as a joint forum for scientific discussion of all aspects of research on phototrophic prokaryotes, both anoxygenic and oxygenic (cyanobacteria or blue-green algae). The ISPP International Scientific Committee, a rather loose community of scientists (see page vii for a list of current members), has since been responsible for the organization of the ISPPs on a triennial basis, without any dedicated financial support from a society, membership fees, or similar. The success of the ISPPs is therefore due to the continued enthusiasm of the scientific community for such a forum, as exemplified by the rise in attendance from 79 (1 st ISPP) to more than 400 active scientists (plus depen- dants) from all five continents in Vienna. Comparing the Book of Abstracts of 1973 with that of 1997 reflects the tremendous change that has occurred in the last 25 years in scien- tific research on phototrophic prokaryotes. Two noteworthy examples of such change are the significant shift in emphasis from anoxyphototrophs to cyanobacteria and the advent of molecular genetics, culminating at the 9th ISPP in the first complete genomic DNA se- quence of a phototrophic prokaryote, viz. the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803.

This first major reference work dedicated to the mannifold industrial and medical applications of bacteriophages provides both theoretical and practical insights into the emerging field of bacteriophage biotechnology. The book introduces to bacteriophage biology, ecology and history and reviews the latest technologies and tools in bacteriophage detection, strain optimization and nanotechnology. Usage of bacteriophages in food safety, agriculture, and different therapeutic areas is discussed in detail. This book serves as essential guide for researchers in applied microbiology, biotechnology and medicine coming from both academia and industry.

"The Prokaryotes" is a comprehensive, multi-authored, peer reviewed reference work on Bacteria and Archaea. This fourth edition of "The Prokaryotes" is organized to cover all taxonomic diversity, using the family level to delineate chapters. Different from other resources, this new Springer product includes not only taxonomy, but also prokaryotic biology and technology of taxa in a broad context. Technological aspects highlight the usefulness of prokaryotes in processes and products, including biocontrol agents and as genetics tools. The content of the expanded fourth edition is divided into two parts: Part 1 contains review chapters dealing with the most important general concepts in molecular, applied and general prokaryote biology; Part 2 describes the known properties of specific taxonomic groups. Two completely new sections have been added to Part 1: bacterial communities and human bacteriology. The bacterial communities section reflects the growing realization that studies on pure cultures of bacteria have led to an incomplete picture of the microbial world for two fundamental reasons: the vast majority of bacteria in soil, water and associated with biological tissues are currently not culturable, and that an understanding of microbial ecology requires knowledge on how different bacterial species interact with each other in their natural environment. The new section on human microbiology deals with bacteria associated with healthy humans and bacterial pathogenesis. Each of the major human diseases caused by bacteria is reviewed, from identifying the pathogens by classical clinical and non-culturing techniques to the biochemical mechanisms of the disease process. The 4th edition of "The Prokaryotes" is the most complete resource on the biology of prokaryotes.