For decades retroviruses have been riding the crest of a wave of experimental research directed toward the identification of an infectious agent of human neoplastic diseases. In the early 1970s, several scientists successfully demonstrated the presence of retroviruses in numerous animal species and proved their etiological role in some related diseases. Corresponding findings in humans were somewhat discouraging. Although financial support for this line. of research declined, a few dedicated retrovirologists survived and continued to collect more biological information and technological expertise that opened a new approach to the search for a human retrovirus. The rewards came with the discovery that the genes responsible for neoplastic transformation (oncogenes) are of cellular origin and can be shuttled about by retroviruses, and with the identification of a new family of Human T-cell Lymphotrophic retroViruses (HTLV) from patients with diseases ranging from leukemia to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). An understanding of the role and significance of retroviruses in human pathology requires basic knowledge of the major animal systems studied. With this perspective in mind, we present here a survey that includes general overviews, minireviews on each animal system studied with selected experimental reports and, finally, a stimulating review of the field of human retrovirology by many of the pioneer scientists who created it. We are especially grateful to Profs. C. A. Romanzi and G. C. Schito for promoting the organization of the Symposium. On behalf of the Sym posium Committee, we thank E. Soeri, L. Casarino, G. P. Gesu, M."

Antimicrobial peptides have been the subject of intense research in the past decades, and are now considered as an essential part of the defense system in bacteria, plants, animals and humans. This book provides an update on these effector molecules of the innate immune system both for researchers who are already actively involved in the area, and for those with a general interest in the topic. The book starts with an overview of the evolution of cysteine- containing antimicrobial peptides (including defensins), and the role of these peptides in host defense in plants and micro- organisms. The realization that antimicrobial peptides also display functions distinct from their direct antimicrobial action is the focus of the next chapters, and puts these peptides center stage in immunity and wound repair. Further chapters discuss the role of antimicrobial peptides in disease, by providing an overview of mechanisms in bacterial resistance to antimicrobial peptides and a discussion of their role in inflammatory bowel disease, cystic fibrosis lung disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Finally, the book shows how knowledge of the function of antimicrobial peptides and their regulation can be used to design new therapies for inflammatory and infectious disorders. This is a very important area of research because of the increase in resistance of micro-organisms to conventional antibiotics. Therefore the use of synthetic or recombinant peptides, or agents that stimulate the endogenous production of antimicrobial peptides, provides an attractive alternative for conventional antibiotics.

Part I The Nano-Scale Biological Systems in Nature; Molecular bio-motors in living cells - by T. Nishizaka; The form designed by viral genome - by K. Onodera; Part II Detection and Characterization Technology; Atomic force microscopy applied to nano-mechanics of the cell - by A. Ikai; Design, synthesis and biological application of fluorescent sensor molecules for cellular imaging - by K. Kikuchi; Dynamic visualization of cellular signaling - by Q. Ni and J. Zhang; Part III Fabrication Technology; Surface acoustic wave atomizer and electrostatic deposition - by Y. Yamagata; Electrospray deposition of biomolecules by V.N. Morozov; Part IV Processing Technology; Droplet handling - by T.Torii; Integrated microfluidic systems - by S. Kaneda and T. Fujii; Part V Applications; A novel non-viral gene delivery system: Multifunctional envelope-type nano device - by H. Hatakeyama, H. Akita, K. Kogure, and H. Harashima; Biosensors - by M. Saito, H.M. Hiep, N. Nagatani, and E.Tamiya; Micro bioreactors - by Sato and T. Kitamori

Mammalian Toll-like receptors (TLRs) were first identified in 1997 based on their homology with Drosophila Toll, which mediates innate immunity in the fly. In recent years, the number of studies describing TLR expression and function in the nervous system has been increasing steadily and expanding beyond their traditional roles in infectious diseases to neurodegenerative disorders and injury. Interest in the field serves as the impetus for this volume in the Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology series entitled "Toll-like receptors: Roles in Infection and Neuropathology." The first five chapters highlight more traditional roles for TLRs in infectious diseases of the CNS. The second half of the volume discusses recently emerging roles for TLRs in non-infectious neurodegenerative diseases and the challenges faced in these models with identifying endogenous ligands. Several conceptual theories are introduced in various chapters that deal with the dual nature of TLR engagement and whether these signals favor neuroprotective versus neurodegenerative outcomes. This volume should be informative for both experts as well as newcomers to the field of TLRs in the nervous system based on its coverage of basic TLR biology as well as specialization to discuss specific diseases of the nervous system where TLR function has been implicated. A must read for researchers interested in the dual role of these receptors in neuroinfection and neurodegeneration.

In this comprehensive reference, leading researchers examine the biology, molecular biology, and diseases of the Bunyaviridae, and provide up-to-date information on the genetic characterization and variations of this virus group. The chapters deal with the molecular biology of five genera: Bunyavirus, Hantavirus, Nairovirus, Phlebovirus, and Tospovirus. The chapters examine Bunyaviridae assembly and intracelluar protein transport as well as Bunyaviridae genetics. The contributors discuss the Bunyaviridae diseases, including the hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

Streptococci are Gram-positive bacteria that cause a wide spectrum of diseases, such as pharyngitis, necrotizing fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, as well as rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease as sequelae. Antibiotics alone have not been able to control the disease and in spite of many efforts an effective vaccine is not yet available. A prerequisite for novel and successful strategies for combating these bacteria is a complete understanding of the highly complex pathogenic mechanisms involved, which are analyzed in this volume. In ten chapters, prominent authors cover various aspects including streptococcal diseases and global burden, epidemiology, adaptation and transmission, and molecular mechanisms of different diseases, as well as sequelae, vaccine development and clinical management. This book will serve as a valuable reference work for scientists, students, clinicians and public health workers and provide new approaches to meeting the challenge of streptococcal diseases.

Since the discovery of Australia antigen and its association with type B hepatitis, molecular characterization of the components making up hepatitis B virus (RBV) have been pursued with worldwide interest. Over the past two decades, such characterization has led to the development of sensitive assays to screen and exclude contaminated units from blood banks and has recently resulted in the licensing of several RBV vaccines. That more than 200 million people worldwide are chronically infected with RBV, and that they are at a high risk for the development of chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma, still represent formidable problems in our understanding of host-virus relationships on the molecular level. In the absence of a suitable tissue culture system, and with a very limited host range of infection, characterization of RBV on the molecular level has made remarkable progress recently with the advent of genome cloning, sequencing and expression of individual virus genes by recombinant DNA technology. The presence of hepatitis B-like viruses in an expanding number of animal hosts, and the possibility of virus replication in cells other than hepatocytes, provide great promise that future work will elucidate the molecular mechanisms operative in the various outcomes of RBV infection.

Our gut is colonized by numerous bacteria throughout our life, and the gut epithelium is constantly exposed to foreign microbes and dietary antigens. Thus, the gut epithelium acts as a barrier against microbial invaders and is equipped with various innate defense systems. Resident commensal and foreign invading bacteria interact intimately with the gut epithelium and can impact host cellular and innate immune responses. From the perspective of many pathogenic bacteria, the gut epithelium serves as an infectious foothold and port of entry for disseminate into deeper tissues. In some instances when the intestinal defense activity and host immune system become compromised, even commensal and opportunistic pathogenic bacteria can cross the barrier and initiate local and systematic infectious diseases. Conversely, some highly pathogenic bacteria, such as those highlighted in this book, are able to colonize or invade the intestinal epithelium despite the gut barrier function is intact. Therefore, the relationship between the defensive activity of the intestinal epithelium against microbes and the pathogenesis of infective microbes becomes the basis for maintaining a healthy life.

The authors offer an overview of the current topics related to major gastric and enteric pathogens, while highlighting their highly evolved host (human)-adapted infectious processes. Clearly, an in-depth study of bacterial infectious strategies, as well as the host cellular and immune responses, presented in each chapter of this book will provide further insight into the critical roles of the host innate and adaptive immune systems and their importance in determining the severity or completely preventing infectious diseases. Furthermore, under the continuous threat of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, the topic of gut-bacteria molecular interactions will provide various clues and ideas for the development of new therapeutic strategies.

The stages of Blastocystis have been known for 101 years. However, many facts are still disputed, e.g. even the question whether it is a true pathogen or a commensal present in sometimes life- threatening diarrheas. The present book evaluates in chapters contributed by renowned researchers the latest findings on: * Landmarks in the discovery of Blastocystis * Epidemiology, transmission and zoonotic potential * Morphology of human and animal Blastocystis isolates * Clinical aspects of Blastocystis infections * Behavioral decision analysis: what makes us sick? * Blastocystis-host interactions * Molecular approaches on the systematical position * Genetic polymorphism * Blastocystis from a statistical point of view * Diarrheas due to different agents of disease * Zoonotic diseases in comparison As such, this book provides a broad range of information for people working in this field, for physicians and veterinarians who are confronted with clinical cases, teachers, students and technical staff members in the fields of microbiology, parasitology and diagnostic methods.

Malaria remains an alarming emergency in developing countries. It is thus urgent to identify any parasite or host molecules that can serve as new affordable markers for early diagnosis of disease complications or as new targets for vector control. In this context, human and mosquito lysozymes are good candidate molecules, as their involvement in malaria has been recently reported by several independent groups. This book reviews the grounded knowledge on malaria etiology and physiopathology, as well as the current approaches for diagnosis, therapy, and vector control. In addition, the emerging evidence on the involvement of human and mosquito lysozymes in malaria from available experimental models and clinical studies is thoroughly discussed, as is the potential use of other antimicrobial peptides against malaria. Intriguingly, the contributors propose that old well-known molecules such as lysozymes might be used as new targets for cost-effective strategies to fight malaria.

This publication represents the result of the fruitful workshop organised with the aim to attract the attention on the possibility of bio terrorism attack, with the s- port of NATO funds. In the last years the attention was strongly concentrated on the terrorism view similar to "military type attacks: " bomb on the trains, kamikazes, airplanes etc. As consequence many devices studied are directed to prevent these attacks such as the control of the passengers before the flight. For the people terrorism is therefore equivalent to bomb or similar and nobody think that there is also other possible and sophisticated means that can be used by the terrorist. In 1995 Sarin gas in the Tokio subway killed 12 people and affected 5,000 persons. In the USA anthrax was sent by mail to many federal offices. These events and other cases attract the attention on these possible terrorist attacks and the first recommendations for preventing theses events were\elaborated in the United State and in Europe. The possible agents and the modality that can be used for the diffusion are analysed and food and water are considered the principal and more favourable way. The story and the principal decision about this were reported in the first article of this collection which introduces the concept of bio-terrorism.

Coronaviruses were recognized as a group of enveloped, RNA viruses in 1968 and accepted by the International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses as a separate family, the Coronaviridae, in 1975. By 1978, it had become evident that the coronavirus genomic RNA was infectious (i. e., positive strand), and by 1983, at least the framework of the coronavirus replication strategy had been per ceived. Subsequently, with the application of recombinant DNA techniques, there have been remarkable advances in our understanding of the molecular biology of coronaviruses, and a mass of structural data concerning coronavirus genomes, mRNAs, and pro teins now exists. More recently, attention has been focused on the role of essential and accessory gene products in the coronavirus replication cyde and a molecular analysis of the structure-function relation ships of coronavirus proteins. Nevertheless, there are still large gaps in our knowledge, for instance, in areas such as the genesis of coronavirus subgenomic mRNAs or the function of the coronavirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. The diseases caused by coronaviruses have been known for much longer than the agents themselves. Possibly the first coronavirus-related disease to be recorded was feline infectious peritonitis, as early as 1912. The diseases associ ated with infectious bronchitis virus, transmissible gastroenteritis virus, and murine hepatitis virus were all well known before 1950."

"HPV and Cancer" is a concise read that covers all aspects of the Human Papilloma Virus as it relates to human cancers. While written by professionals, it design to be understandable by those that are not in the field, yet it has the technical details that professionals want to stay abreast of this changing field. The book starts out the history of HPV and progresses into the molecular biology of the virus and our current understand of the structure and functions of the proteins and genes it encodes. We then look at the dynamic trends of this infectious agent in the human population, how it interacts with human cells, and the role it plays with other organisms to produce both benign and malignant tumors. Lastly, there is a discussion about a new vaccine for HPV and the hopes that are held by many to change the trends with this virus and the associated cancers it produces.

The last decade has seen an explosive increase in the volume of research on and knowledge of lactic acid bacteria, organisms of prime importance for the production of dairy products and the fermentation of various vegetables. This issue of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, written by international experts in the field, documents these recent exciting developments with respect to genetics, metabolism and application of lactic acid bacteria for industrial and potential medical applications. This book is essential for all researchers with an interest in the fundamental biology of Gram-positive bacteria, in particular in lactic acid bacteria and their applications, not only as a source of reference but also as an indispensable source of information for further development and exploration of this field.

This book provides a survey of recent advances in the development of antibiofilm agents for clinical and environmental applications. The fact that microbes exist in structured communities called biofilms has slowly become accepted within the medical community. We now know that over 80% of all infectious diseases are biofilm-related; however, significant challenges still lie in our ability to diagnose and treat these extremely recalcitrant infections.

Written by experts from around the globe, this book offers a valuable resource for medical professionals seeking to treat biofilm-related disease, academic and industry researchers interested in drug discovery and instructors who teach courses on microbial pathogenesis and medical microbiology.

Infectious diseases caused by bacteria remain a leading cause of death worldwide. Many of the antibiotics developed to combat bacterial infections have been rendered almost impotent due to the rapid evolution and spread of antibiotic resistance. A common and major resistance mechanism, the efflux system, enables bacteria to extrude structurally divers antimicrobials, facilitating survival in toxic environments. This book reviews the most important current research and summarizes the most spectacular discoveries in the field.

Adhesion plays a major role in the bacterial lifestyle. Bacteria can adhere to organic and inorganic surfaces, to each other, and of course to host cells during pathogenesis. The focus of this book is: how are such adhesion phenomena best studied? Microbial genetics experiments have greatly enhanced our knowledge of what bacterial factors are involved in adhesion. For numerous reasons, though, biochemical and structural biology knowledge of the molecular interactions involved in adhesion are limited. One major problem has been a lack of interdisciplinary research and understanding in the field. On the one hand, the microbiologists lack detailed knowledge of the biophysical possibilities and have limited access to the frequently expensive instrumentation involved while on the other hand, the experts in these methods frequently do not have access to the biological materials, nor do they necessarily understand the biological questions to be answered. The purpose of this book is thus to overcome this gap in communication between researchers in biology, chemistry and physics and to display the many ways and means to investigate bacterial adhesion. We hope to stimulate new and ground-breaking research.

Biosynthesis of cellular and viral DNA and RNA has been a major topic in molecular biology and biochemistry. The studies by Arthur Kornberg and his colleagues on the in-vitro synthesis of DNA have opened new avenues to understanding the processes controlling the duplication of the genetic information encoded in the DNA and RNA of bacterial and mammalian cells. Viral nucleic acids are replicated in infected cells (bacterial, plant, and animal) by virus coded enzymes with or without the involvement of proteins and enzymes coded by the host cells. The ability of the virus to replicate its genome within a relatively short period in the infected cell makes it an excellent biological tool for studying the molecular events in nucleic acid replication. Indeed, the identification of a number of virus-coded proteins that participate in the biosynthesis of X174 and SV40 DNA has led to the construction of in-vitro systems for the study of nucleic acid biosynthesis. Similarly, studies on the replication of other phage, animal and plant viruses have provided an insight into the nucleic acid sequences from which DNA synthesis is initiated, as well as the proteins and enzymes that regulate the catalyse biosynthetic processes. Investi gation of the molecular processes involved in the replication of cellular and mitochondrial genomes has gained momentum from the rapid developments in the analyses of viral nucleic acid biosynthesis."

#10 on Amazon Charts, USA Today Bestseller "This book is my best attempt to tell the truth about my research, the culture in science today which is hostile to new ideas, and what science can really do if allowed to pursue promising areas of inquiries."-Dr. Judy Mikovits, PhD This is a story for anybody interested in the peril and promise of science at the very highest levels in our country. On July 22, 2009, a special meeting was held with twenty-four leading scientists at the National Institutes of Health to discuss early findings that a newly discovered retrovirus was linked to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), prostate cancer, lymphoma, and eventually neurodevelopmental disorders in children. When Dr. Judy Mikovits finished her presentation, the room was silent for a moment, then one of the scientists said, "Oh my God!" The resulting investigation would be like no other in science. For Dr. Mikovits, a twenty-year veteran of the National Cancer Institute, this was the midpoint of a five-year journey that would start with the founding of the Whittemore-Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease at the University of Nevada, Reno, and end with her as a witness for the federal government against her former employer, Harvey Whittemore, for illegal campaign contributions to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. On this journey Dr. Mikovits would face the scientific prejudices against CFS, wander into the minefield that is autism, and through it all struggle to maintain her faith in God and the profession to which she had dedicated her life.

How does it feel to confront a pandemic from the inside, one patient at a time? To bridge the gulf between a perilously unwell patient in quarantine and their distraught family outside? To be uncertain whether the protective equipment you wear fits the science or the size of the government stockpile? To strive your utmost to maintain your humanity even while barricaded behind visors and masks? Rachel is a palliative care doctor who looked after the most gravely unwell patients on the Covid-19 wards of her hospital. Amid the tensions, fatigue and rising death toll, she witnessed the courage of patients and NHS staff alike in conditions of unprecedented adversity. For all the bleakness and fear, she found that moments that could stop you in your tracks abounded. People who rose to their best, upon facing the worst, as a microbe laid waste to the population. Her new book, Breathtaking, is an unflinching insider's account of medicine in the time of coronavirus. Drawing on testimony from nursing, acute and intensive care colleagues - as well as, crucially, her patients - Clarke argue that this age of contagion has inspired a profound attentiveness to - and gratitude for - what matters most in life.

"Nuclear envelope (NE) defects have been linked to cancer biology since the mid-1800s, but it was not until the last few years that we have begun to understand these historical links and to realize that there are myriad ways that the NE impacts on tumorigenesis. The NE is a complex double membrane system that encloses the genome while providing structural support through the intermediate filament lamin polymer and regulating protein/ mRNA trafficking and signaling between the nucleus and cytoplasm via the nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). These functions already provide some mechanisms for NE influences on cancer biology but work in the past few years has elucidated many others. Lamins and many recently identified NE transmembrane proteins (NETs) have been now shown to function in DNA repair, regulation of cell cycle and signaling, apoptosis, cell migration in metastasis and nuclear architecture and morphology. This volume presents a comprehensive overview of the wide range of functions recently identified for NE proteins and their relevance in cancer biology, providing molecular mechanisms and evidence of their value as prognostic and diagnostic markers and suggesting new avenues for the treatment of cancer. Indeed some of these recent links are already yielding promising therapies, such as the current clinical trial of selective inhibitors of the nuclear export factor exportin in certain types of leukemia, melanoma and kidney cancer."

This latest addition to the Methods in Molecular Medicine series, Anti- ral Methods and Protocols, is opportune because there is an increasing int- est in discovering compounds that are effective against both chronic and acute viral infections. A number of the methods described in the volume are unp- lished and their inclusion indicates the speed at which this field is moving. This volume is not a review but each chapter contains methods validated by the experts who have spent time in developing the protocols. The hallmark of this series is the comprehensive way in which the me- ods are described, which includes a list of all the reagents needed for each protocol. Of importance is the section on tips and pitfalls that the authors have discovered while developing their protocols. The manual itself is designed to be used by researchers in universities and industry who are familiar with a range of biological techniques but who want to set up quickly a novel assay system. We encourage a dialog between readers and authors, which may also result in useful collaborations.

This book gathers contributions by 16 international authors on the phenomenon "bats," shedding some light on their morphology, the feeding behaviors (insects, fruits, blood) of different groups, their potential and confirmed transmissions of agents of diseases, their endo- and ectoparasites, as well as countless myths surrounding their lifestyle (e.g. vampirism, chupacabras, batman etc.). Bats have been known in different cultures for several thousand centuries, however their nocturnal activities have made them mysterious and led to many legends and myths, while proven facts remained scarce. Even today, our knowledge of bats remains limited compared to other groups in the animal kingdom. Also, their famous ability to avoid collisions with obstacles during their nightly flights with the help of a sophisticated and unique system using ultrasound waves (which are transmitted and received) is as poorly studied as birds finding their way from continent to continent. In recent times, where globalization transports millions of people and goods from one end of the earth to the other, there are increased risks posed by agents of diseases, as a result of which bats have received increasing attention as potential vectors. These suppositions are based on their proven transmission of viruses such as rabies. In dedicated chapters, the book addresses the following topics: * The world of bats * The astonishing morphology of bats * Bats as potential reservoir hosts for vector-borne diseases * Bat endoparasites * Macroparasites - ectoparasites * Glimpses into how bats fly * Blood-licking bats * Vampirism in medicine and culture * Chupacabras and "goat milkers" * Myths on candiru As such, this book provides a broad range of information for all non-experts interested in biological topics, but also for people working in this field, as well as physicians and veterinarians who are confronted with clinical cases, and for teachers and students interested in expanding their knowledge of biology and of past and present cultures.

The development of recombinant DNA technology has made a marked impact on molecular virology. The cleavage of viral DNA genomes with restriction enzymes and the cloning of such DNA fragments in bacterial p1asmids has led to the amplification of selected viral DNA fragments for sequencing and gene expression. RNA virus genomes which can be transcribed to their cDNA form were also cloned in bacterial p1asmids, facilitating the study of RNA virus genes. With the elucidation in recent years of the promoter sequence of various viral genes and the expression of these genes in bacteria or yeast, the understanding of many viral gene functions has made great progress. Cloning and expression of viral genes in mammalian cells was made possible by the construction of shuttle plasmid vectors which carry the origins of DNA replication from bacteria and/or mammalian viruses. The expression of viral genes in bacteria, yeast and eukaryotic cells gives reason to hope that it will be possible to produce viral antigens in large quantities for use as human or animal vaccines. The present volume attempts to capture for the reader some of the high lights of recombinant DNA research in the field of animal and plant viruses."

Explains the new methodologies by which viral diseases can be definitively diagnosed in a few hours, especially molecular methods. The many new methods now being developed are based largely on the application of the polymerase chain reaction to the detection of viral genomic material. Accessible to