Phagocytosis is the engulfment of particulate matter by cells. It is a fundamental (and probably "primitive") cell biological process which is important in single celled organisms such as amoeba; multicellular animals including coelenterates; and in higher animals. In humans and other mammals, specialised immune cells (phagocytes) utilise phagocytosis in their crucial role of engulfing and destroying infecting microbes. Yet, surprisingly, the biophysics and biochemistry underlying the process has only become clear recently with the advent of genetic manipulation and advances in single cell imaging. In this volume, the aim is to bring together recent fundamental advances that give a clear picture of the underlying mechanism involved in phagocytosis. Not only is this an important topic in its own right, but a full understanding of the process will have a potential impact on human medicine, since as antibiotics become less effective in fight infection, researchers are looking at alternative approaches, including enhancing the "natural" immunity brought about by immune phagocytes. The aim is to provide a comprehensive volume on the topic, with separate chapters on identified recent advances, each written by the major contributors in each area. In addition, the volume will attempt to give a wider overview than is often the case in single author reviews, with an emphasis here on the cell biological understanding of phagocytosis using biophysical approaches alongside the biochemical and imaging approaches.

A versatile collection of readily reproducible cell-cell interaction assays for uncovering cellular interactions at the molecular level, both in vitro and in vivo. The protocols cover a diverse set of cell-cell interaction models in both normal and pathological states, are readily adaptable to nearly any cell type and organ system, and include primary data and outcome analysis. In addition, the protocols follow the successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, each offering step-by-step laboratory instructions, an introduction outlining the principles behind the technique, lists of the necessary equipment and reagents, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Medical Microbiology and Infection Lecture Notes is ideal for medical students, junior doctors, pharmacy students, junior pharmacists, nurses, and those training in the allied health professions. It presents a thorough introduction and overview of this core subject area, and has been fully revised and updated to include: * Chapters written by leading experts reflecting current research and teaching practice * New chapters covering Diagnosis of Infections and Epidemiology and Prevention & Management of Infections * Integrated full-colour illustrations and clinical images * A self-assessment section to test understanding Whether you need to develop your knowledge for clinical practice, or refresh that knowledge in the run up to examinations, Medical Microbiology and Infection Lecture Notes will help foster a systematic approach to the clinical situation for all medical students and hospital doctors.

This volume is a collection of chapters from the leading experts in the relatively new and burgeoning field of persister cell studies. Persisters play a leading role in the recalcitrance of chronic infections, and enable the development of classical antibiotic resistance. The focus of the book is on studies that provide an understanding of the mechanisms of persister formation, antibiotic tolerance and role in disease, at the molecular level.

Did You Just Eat That? provides the answers to perennial questions about food and germs, such as whether electric hand dryers spread fewer germs than paper towels or about picking a crisp off the ground within five seconds of dropping it. The authors show how they have determined everything from how much bacteria gets transferred from sharing utensils to how many microbes live on restaurant menus. They list their materials and methods, guide the reader through their results and offer explanations of food safety and microbiology. Written with humour, this fascinating book reveals surprising answers to the weirdest and most commonly debated questions about food and germs.

Several large dsDNA-containing viruses such as poxviruses (smallpox) and herpes viruses are well known among the scientific community, as well as the general populace, because they cause human diseases. The large dsDNA insect-infecting baculoviruses are also well known in the scientific community because they are used both as biological control agents and as protein expression systems. However, there are other large dsDNA-containing viruses, including the giant 1.2 Mb mimivirus, which are less well known despite the fact that all of them play important roles in every day life. Seven of these virus families are reviewed in this book.

This stunningly illustrated book provides a rare window into the amazing, varied, and often beautiful world of viruses. Contrary to popular belief, not all viruses are bad for you. In fact, several are beneficial to their hosts, and many are crucial to the health of our planet. Virus offers an unprecedented look at 101 incredible microbes that infect all branches of life on Earth--from humans and other animals to insects, plants, fungi, and bacteria. Featuring hundreds of breathtaking color images throughout, this guide begins with a lively and informative introduction to virology. Here readers can learn about the history of this unique science, how viruses are named, how their genes work, how they copy and package themselves, how they interact with their hosts, how immune systems counteract viruses, and how viruses travel from host to host. The concise entries that follow highlight important or interesting facts about each virus. Learn about the geographic origins of dengue and why old tires and unused pots help the virus to spread. Read about Ebola, Zika, West Nile, Frog virus 3, the Tulip breaking virus, and many others--how they were discovered, what their hosts are, how they are transmitted, whether or not there is a vaccine, and much more. Each entry is easy to read and includes a graphic of the virus, and nearly every entry features a colorized image of the virus as seen through the microscope. Written by a leading authority, this handsomely illustrated guide reveals the unseen wonders of the microbial world. It will give you an entirely new appreciation for viruses.

Bacterial pili play important roles as environmental sensors, in host colonization and in biofilm formation, enabling bacteria to interact with the environment, with surfaces and with other bacteria and host cells. Most bacteria, both Gram positive and Gram negative, and almost all bacterial pathogens, are piliated. This book discusses the synthesis, structure, evolution, function and role in pathogenesis of these complex structures, and their basis for vaccine development and therapeutics for Streptococcus pathogens. It is an invaluable resource for researchers and students of medical microbiology.

This book covers both the molecular basics of fungal stress response strategies as well as biotechnological applications thereof. The complex regulatory mechanisms of stress response pathways are presented in a concise and well-readable manner. Also, light will be shed on the interconnection of pathways responding to different types of stress. Profound knowledge of stress responses in yeast and filamentous fungi is crucial for further optimization of industrial processes. Applications are manifold, for example in fungicide development, for improving the resistance of crop plants to fungal pathogens, but also in medicine to help curing fungal infections. The book targets researchers from academia and industry, as well as graduate students interested in microbiology, mycology and biomedicine.

This volume summarizes recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of HIV-1 latency, in characterizing residual viral reservoirs, and in developing targeted interventions to reduce HIV-1 persistence during antiretroviral therapy. Specific chapters address the molecular mechanisms that govern and regulate HIV-1 transcription and latency; assays and technical approaches to quantify viral reservoirs in humans and animal models; the complex interchange between viral reservoirs and the host immune system; computational strategies to model viral reservoir dynamics; and the development of therapeutic approaches that target viral reservoir cells. With contributions from an interdisciplinary group of investigators that cover a broad spectrum of subjects, from molecular virology to proof-of-principle clinical trials, this book is a valuable resource for basic scientists, translational investigators, infectious-disease physicians, individuals living with HIV/AIDS and the general public.

This book offers practical tips and essential guidance for trainees and specialists in clinical microbiology and infectious diseases and healthcare professionals interested in infection management to put theoretical knowledge into daily practice. Using common clinical situations and problems as a guide, the handbook is intended to support the healthcare professional from interpretation of laboratory results to consultation and infection control. Key Features Concisely covers the critical clinical microbiology and infectious disease topics, with an emphasis on translating theoretical knowledge into clinical practice Provides practical guidance and solutions to commonly encountered issues and scenarios Presented in an accessible format to rapidly aid the clinician in day-to-day practice

Encephalitis lethargica ('sleeping sickness') was a mysterious disorder that swept the world in the decade following the First World War, before disappearing without its cause having been identified. Around 85% of its victims, predominantly children, adolescents and younger adults, survived the acute disorder, but most developed severe neurological syndromes, particularly severe post-encephalitic parkinsonism and other severe motor abnormalities, that incapacitated them for the remainder of their lives. Despite its brief history, encephalitis lethargica played a major role in a variety medical discussions between the two World Wars, as this epitome of neuropsychiatric disease - attacking both motor and mental functions - appeared just as the separation of neurology and psychiatry had reached a critical point. Encephalitis lethargica sufferers presented an unprecedented combination of neurologic and psychiatric symptoms - including previously puzzling phenomena primarily associated with schizophrenia and hysteria, as well as behavioral changes and attention deficit disorders in children - that not only underscored the unity of mind and movement in the CNS, but also illuminated the critical role played by subcortical structures in consciousness and other higher mental functions that had formerly been associated with the soul and more recently presumed to be localized to the human cerebral cortex. Encephalitis lethargica exerted a greater influence on clinical and theoretic neuroscientific thought between the two World Wars than any other single disorder and had an enduring impact upon neurology and psychiatry. This book will be of interest to an educated audience active or interested in clinical (neurology, psychiatry, psychology) or laboratory neuroscience, particularly those interested in neuropsychiatry, as well as to those interested in the history of the biomedical sciences.

This Microbiology Monographs volume covers the current and most recent advances in genomics and genetics, biochemistry, physiology, and molecular biology of C. reinhardtii. Expert international scientists contribute with reviews on the genome, post-genomic techniques, the genetic toolbox development as well as new insights in regulation of photosynthesis and acclimation strategies towards environmental stresses and other structural and genetic aspects, including applicable aspects in biotechnology and biomedicine. Powerful new strategies in functional genomic and genetics combined with biochemical and physiological analyses revealed new insights into Chlamydomonas biology.

The genus Chlamydia encompasses a number of species of obligate intracellular bacteria, including important human pathogens like the most common bacterial agent of sexually transmitted disease. This volume reviews current knowledge of chlamydial biology, covering the unusual structure of the bacteria - which alternate between metabolically almost inactive and fast-dividing forms. It also discusses the ways in which Chlamydia manipulates the host cytoskeleton and subverts the host cell's defence, and illustrates how genomics have begun to uncover the diversity and complexity of chlamydial strains that look very similar but may cause distinct forms of disease. Further, it describes how techniques are now finally being established that can genetically modify Chlamydia, and discusses why such modification is still very difficult and what progress we can expect. Lastly, it presents our current understanding of chlamydial disease: what do we know about chronic infections, what are the mechanisms of inflammatory damage, and what are the prospects of a vaccine? Written be specialists in these various areas, the book is a valuable work of reference for students and scientists with an interest in the molecular, cellular and immunobiology of these fascinating bacteria.

This book series focuses on current progress in the broad field of medical microbiology, and covers both basic and applied topics related to the study of microbes, their interactions with human and animals, and emerging issues relevant for public health. Original research and review articles present and discuss multidisciplinary findings and developments on various aspects of microbiology, infectious diseases, and their diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Advances in Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Public Health is a subseries of Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, which has been publishing significant contributions in the field for over 30 years and is indexed in Medline, Scopus, EMBASE, BIOSIS, Biological Abstracts, CSA, Biological Sciences and Living Resources (ASFA-1), and Biological Sciences. 2016 Impact Factor: 1.881.

Immunologists, perhaps understandably, most often concentrate on the human immune system, an anthropocentric focus that has resulted in a dearth of information about the immune function of all other species within the animal kingdom. However, knowledge of animal immune function could help not only to better understand human immunology, but perhaps more importantly, it could help to treat and avoid the blights that affect animals, which consequently affect humans. Take for example the mass death of honeybees in recent years - their demise, resulting in much less pollination, poses a serious threat to numerous crops, and thus the food supply. There is a similar disappearance of frogs internationally, signaling ecological problems, among them fungal infections. This book aims to fill this void by describing and discussing what is known about non-human immunology. It covers various major animal phyla, its chapters organized in a progression from the simplest unicellular organisms to the most complex vertebrates, mammals. Chapters are written by experts, covering the latest findings and new research being conducted about each phylum. Edwin L. Cooper is a Distinguished Professor in the Laboratory of Comparative Immunology, Department of Neurobiology at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine.

Epigenetic modification of cellular genomes is a fascinating means of regulating tissue- and cell type-specific gene expression in all developmental stages of the life of an organism. Carefully orchestrated processes, such as DNA methylation and a plenitude of specific histone modifications secure the faithful transmission of gene expression patterns to progeny cells. Upon chronic infection, the epigenetic cellular balance can become disrupted and, in the long run, through the epigenetic reprogramming of host cell genomes, contribute to the malignant conversion of formerly healthy cells, in many cases preceded by the establishment of an epigenetic field of cancerization. The present volume undertakes to highlight the interactions of infectious pathogens and their effector molecules with the epigenetic regulatory machinery of the cell. Clearly, the recent take-off of epigenetics research did not leave Research on Infectious Diseases and Infection-Associated Cancer untouched. This resulted in a great many of clinically relevant data on understanding the molecular mechanisms of chronic infectious disease. Infectious pathogen- and disease-specific epigenetic alterations are already being used for the early detection of malignant disease and for the prediction of chemotherapy resistance or response to treatment.

This volume is devoted to the application of microorganisms in medical treatment and health protection. Topics discussed include the role of probiotics in immune modulation, in prevention of influenza, and in atopic dermatitis. Further chapters cover aspects such as the relation of the gut microbiome and stress, the immune system, the regulation of inflammation, the benefits of Bifidobacterium for infants, and bacteriocin in medical applications, as well as the use of in vitro models of the gastrointestinal tract, omics approaches for targeting microbial health potential and the production of hepatitis B vaccines. This volume will be of particular interest to scientists working in the fields of clinical medicine, applied microbiology, pharmacy and public health.

Gazing into crystal balls is beyond the expertise of most scientists. Yet, as we look further into the 21st century, one does not have to be Nostradamus to predict that the current genomics and proteomics "revolution" will have an immense impact on medical bacteriology. This impact is already being re- ized in many academic departments, and although encroachment on routine diagnostic bacteriology, particularly in the hospital setting, is likely to occur at a slower pace, it remains nonetheless inevitable. Therefore, it is important that no one working in bacteriology should find themselves distanced from these fundamental developments. The involvement of all clinical bacteriologists is essential if the significant achievements of genome sequencing and analysis are to be turned into tangible advances, with resulting benefits for patient care and m- agement. It is our hope that Genomics, Proteomics, and Clinical Bacteriology: Methods and Reviews will play a part in bringing such a development to fruition. The advances in genomics and proteomics have already given us frequent opportunities to reassess our knowledge and understanding of established b- terial adversaries, and have provided us with the means to identify new foes. The new knowledge gained is enabling us to reconsider, for example, our c- cepts of bacterial pathogenicity, phylogeny and novel targets for antibacterial chemotherapy. These topics, and others, are considered in Genomics, Proteomics, and Clinical Bacteriology: Methods and Reviews.

This is the first comprehensive review of the world literature on filovirus research and provides the most extensive bibliography of the subject yet published. There is special emphasis on foreign literature that has never been summarized. Every aspect of filovirus research, including their history, epidemiology, clinical picture, pathology, molecular biology, and political aspects are reviewed in detail.

A zoonosis disease can be transmitted to humans from animals. The ecological relationships found to exist between tick vectors and pathogens in their zootic cycle can profoundly influence these patterns of transmission and disease. This book examines the ecological parameters affecting the conservation and regulation of tick-borne zoonoses as well as the geographic and seasonal distributions of those infections. Topics covered include population ecology of tick vectors, vector-host pathogen relationships, geographic dissemination and dynamics and management of tick-borne zoonoses, together with the dynamic associations which affect domestic and animal health.

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.

Various antiseptic agents, such as chlorhexidine, are used for different applications, e.g. in healthcare, veterinary medicine, animal production and household products, including cosmetics. However, not all antiseptic agents provide significant health benefits, especially in some products used in human medicine (alcohol-based hand rubs, antimicrobial soaps). While some products (antimicrobial soaps, surface disinfectants, instrument disinfectants, wound antiseptics) may contain one or more biocidal agents with a comparable antimicrobial efficacy but large differences in their potential for microbial adaptation and tolerance. An increased bacterial resistance has been described for various antimicrobial agents, sometimes including a cross-resistance to antibiotics. The book is the first comprehensive reference resource on antiseptic agents, including their efficacy, natural and acquired resistance, adaptation, and cross-resistance. It also discusses their and appropriate use in terms of a balance between their efficacy and the risk of acquired bacterial resistance / tolerance. Focusing on human and veterinary medicine and household products, it helps readers make informed decisions concerning against antiseptic products based on their composition. The book contributes to reduce any unnecessary selection pressure towards emerging pathogens and to keep the powerful antiseptic agents for all those applications that have a clear benefit (e.g. reduction of healthcare-associated infection).

This book offers a unique perspective on the invisible organ, a body part that has been visualized only recently. It guides the readers into the world of the microbial constituents that make humans the way they are. The vitamins they produce, the smell they generate, the signals they create, and the molecular guards they elaborate are some of the benefits they bestow on humans. After introducing the notion as to why microbes are an integral component in the development of humans, the book examines the genesis of the microbiome and describes how the resident bacteria work in partnership with the skin, digestive tract, sexual organs, mouth and lungs to execute vital physiological functions. It then discusses the diseases that are triggered by the disruption of the harmonious relationships amongst these diverse systems and provides microbial cures to ailments such as obesity and digestive complications. Finally, the book focuses on the future when the workings of the human microbes will be fully unravelled. Societal changes in health education, the establishment of the microbiome bank, the fight against hunger, space travel, designer traits and enhanced security are explained. Each chapter is accompanied by captivating illustrations and ends with a visual summary. Dr. Appanna has been researching for over 30 years on various aspects of microbial and human cellular systems. He is a professor of biochemistry and has also served as Department Chair and Dean of the Faculty at Laurentian University, Sudbury, Canada. The book is aimed at readers enrolled in medical, chiropractic, nursing, pharmacy, and health science programs. Practicing health-care professionals and continuing education learners will also find the content beneficial.

This Volume presents a comprehensive series of generic protocols for the genetic and genomic analysis of prokaryotic isolates. Genetic methods for functional analyses employ the latest cloning vectors, gene fusion methods and transposon mutagenesis systems, as well as systems for introducing protease-cleavage sequences into permissive sites in proteins under investigation. Genomic methods described include protocols for transcriptomics, shotgun proteomics, interactomics, metabolic profiling, and lipidomics. Bioinformatic tools for genome annotation, transcriptome display and the integration of transcriptomic data into genome-scale metabolic reconstructions are described. Protocols for 13C-based metabolic flux determinations and analysis of the hierarchical and metabolic regulation of fluxes through pathways are included. The Volume thus enables investigators to functionally analyse an isolate over the entire cellular range spanning the gene, the genome, the transcript repertoire, the proteome, the interactome, the metabolic network with its nodes and their regulatory hierarchies, and the metabolic fluxes and their physiological controls. Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology Protocols There are tens of thousands of structurally different hydrocarbons, hydrocarbon derivatives and lipids, and a wide array of these molecules are required for cells to function. The global hydrocarbon cycle, which is largely driven by microorganisms, has a major impact on our environment and climate. Microbes are responsible for cleaning up the environmental pollution caused by the exploitation of hydrocarbon reservoirs and will also be pivotal in reducing our reliance on fossil fuels by providing biofuels, plastics and industrial chemicals. Gaining an understanding of the relevant functions of the wide range of microbes that produce, consume and modify hydrocarbons and related compounds will be key to responding to these challenges. This comprehensive collection of current and emerging protocols will facilitate acquisition of this understanding and exploitation of useful activities of such microbes.