This new work offers a clear and thorough account of the threats posed by bioterrorism from the perspective of biologists. The authors examine thirteen disease-causing agents, including those responsible for anthrax, the plague, smallpox, influenza, and SARS. Each chapter considers a particular pathogen from the standpoint of its history, molecular biology, pathology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, weaponization, and defenses. The book also examines strategies for making vaccines and protecting the population in a bioterror attack.

Of late, bioterrorism has been a subject of great concern and some misunderstanding. With these fears and uncertainties in mind, the authors in Agents of Bioterrorism offer a clear and thorough account of the threats posed by bioterrorism and how to prepare for and respond to an attack. The contributors consider thirteen disease-causing agents, including those responsible for anthrax, encephalitis, botulism, ebola, tularemia, salmonella, the plague, smallpox, influenza, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Each chapter considers a particular pathogen from the standpoint of its history, molecular biology, pathology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, weaponization, and defenses. Four appendices cover rapid drug discovery, strategies for making vaccines, protection of the population in a bioterror attack, and sources of information on bioterrorism.

Scientific advances have resulted in a greater understanding of how pathogens produce their toxins and how they can be used to produce a wide range of bioweapons. These advances have also led to new defenses against disease-causing agents. The contributors demonstrate that by understanding the pathogens used in bioterrorism, scientists can help minimize fear and encourage constructive responses to this threat.

Origins of Life on the Earth and in the Cosmos, Second Edition, suggests answers to the age-old questions of how life arose in the universe and how it might arise elsewhere. This thorough revision of a very successful text describes key events in the evolution of living systems, starting with the creation of an environment suitable for the origins of life. Whereas one may never be able to reconstruct the precise pathway that led to the origin of life on earth, one can certainly make some plausible reconstructions of it. Such discussions have greatly expanded our understanding of the principles of chemical evolution and how they compare and contrast with the principles of biological evolution. The text is strong on biochemistry and its recent applications to origins' research.
* Provides an excellent review of basic biochemistry an evolution
* Written in a clear, concise style for scientists, students, and readers interested in a scientific inquiry into the origins of life
* Written by an authority in the field, and brought fully up-to-date in light of new research
* Pulls together valuable information not found in a single source
* Organized and presented in a manner conductive for use in a college course
* Heavily illustrated to make difficult concepts concrete