Books

This important and timely volume is the first complete review of chlamydial research in ten years. In that time there have been substantial research advances, and the entry of many researchers into the field heralds a new era. The expansion of the field, fueled by the identification of a new emerging chlamydial pathogen, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and the completion of genome sequences for C. trachomatis and C. pneumoniae, provides the impetus for a complete review of chlamydial research.

This new volume identifies the major issues and questions that will lead to future chlamydial research. It illustrates how genomics is changing the chlamydial research agenda and explores the role of cell biology and the immune response in pathogenesis and immunity.

Designed as a synthetic, comparative volume, this book comprehensively compares, contrasts, and integrates issues across all chlamydial species. The contributors provide a thorough review of previous research and indicate the top research needs in each area.

Electronic Only, 346 pages, illustrations, index.

This beautifully illustrated book introduces readers to the basic science of medical microbiology and relates it to clinical practice. Integrating concise text, over 270 full-color diagrams, and selected photomicrographs, the authors provide an understanding of bacterial infection and give the reader the necessary grounding to select the right antibiotics and follow logical diagnostic and management strategies.

Following introductory chapters on the nature, structure, and function of bacteria, the principles are then applied to each body system in turn, dealing with organisms, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and public health. There are also chapters on infection in modern society for immuno-suppressed patients, and on infection control emphasizing the importance of good hygiene in preventing hospital-acquired infection.

The book is valuable for medical students, trainee physicians and microbiologists, laboratory biomedical scientists, and nurses working in infection control.

Key Features

• Provides basic understanding of antibiotics and bacterial infection
• Integrated concise text and over 270 full-color diagrams and photomicrographs to relate science to clinical practice

Paperback, 192 pages, 4-color throughout, index.

Volume Editor: Lynne Shore Garcia, LSG & Associates

This totally revised second edition is a comprehensive volume presenting authoritative information on the management challenges facing today’s clinical laboratories.

• Provides thorough coverage of management topics such as managerial leadership, personnel, business planning, information management, regulatory management, reimbursement, generation of revenue, and more.
• Includes valuable administrative resources, including checklists, worksheets, forms, and online resources.
• Serves as an essential resource for all clinical laboratories, from the physician’s office to hospital clinical labs to the largest commercial reference laboratories, providing practical information in the fields of medicine and healthcare, clinical pathology, and clinical laboratory management, for practitioners, managers, and individuals training to enter these fields.

"Virtually all details of management and management skills are discussed and, while many management books lack a compelling reason for reading, this one should be a standard in every laboratory manager’s office library. ... Get it for yourself, give it as a gift—but make it a staple for the manager. "

— J. Michael Miller, Ph.D., D(ABMM), F(AAM); Director, Microbiology Technical Services, LLC

Hardcover, 1096 pages, illustrations, index.

In response to the ever-changing needs and responsibilities of the clinical microbiology field, Clinical Microbiology Procedures Handbook, Fourth Edition has been extensively reviewed and updated to present the most prominent procedures in use today.

The Clinical Microbiology Procedures Handbook provides step-by-step protocols and descriptions that allow clinical microbiologists and laboratory staff personnel to confidently and accurately perform all analyses, including appropriate quality control recommendations, from the receipt of the specimen through processing, testing, interpretation, presentation of the final report, and subsequent consultation.

Do you need access for multiple users? To purchase a site license contact Rachel Peckover .

Note, for bundle purchases VAT will be assessed at 50% of the total bundle price ($210 for non-members and $168 for members).

Three-Volume Set, 2,954 pages, full-color illustrations, index.

A comprehensive and updated volume for the clinical virologist. For over 20 years this manual has remained the definitive source of the latest information and procedures for the physician and the clinical laboratory virologist. This fourth edition includes 34 chapters and two appendices, each thoroughly revised and updated by noted experts. These updates address the modernization of clinical virology and new developments in the field, with a strong emphasis on molecular diagnostics. Importantly, this new edition includes material on several recently described viruses including human metapneumovirus, West Nile virus, bocaviruses, and newer influenza viruses and adenoviruses, plus a broadened focus on papillomaviruses and polyomaviruses.

Divided into two sections, this volume presents essential information for clinicians and laboratory virologists alike. Section I details laboratory procedures for detecting and handling viruses, from specimen requirements and quality assurance to virus detection and identification, from the fundamentals through the latest molecular methods. Section II presents the most current knowledge on the wide range of specific viral pathogens. Finally, two appendices provide valuable and up-to-date information on services provided by federal and state public health virology laboratories.

Hardcover, 623 pages, illustrations, index.

Virology is currently one of the most dynamic and rapidly changing fields of clinical medicine. The new third edition of this essential reference has been extensively revised and updated to incorporate the latest developments and relevant research. Covering novel viruses, pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, Clinical Virology informs scientists and health care professionals about all the medically relevant aspects of this rapidly evolving field.

This landmark volume is organized into two major sections. The first addresses infections and syndromes related to particular organ systems, as well as the fundamentals of modern medical virology. This section includes crucial information on immune responses and vaccinology, diagnostics, antivirals, and the nascent field of gene therapy. The second section provides agent-specific chapters that detail the virology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and prevention and treatment of important viral pathogens. All of the chapters are written by internationally recognized experts.

Hardcover, 725 pages, illustrations, index.

Colonization of Mucosal Surfaces is a state-of-the-art presentation of the opposing evolutionary forces that ultimately determine the health of host organisms and survival of pathogenic microorganisms. As mammalian defenses evolve to protect against infection, pathogens are simultaneously evolving to circumvent new barriers and gain access to valuable host nutrients and energy. Written by experts in the field, this new volume is an in-depth examination of the complex ecosystems of the mammalian mucosa and the successful adaptations of microorganisms that enable them to effectively colonize these surfaces.

First addressing general consideration, Colonization of Mucosal Surfaces then comprehensively covers colonization of the respiratory tract, the gastrointestinal tract, and the genitourinary tract and considers the various organisms present at these surfaces. Aspects of bacterial colonization revealed by the most recent research are also contemplated, including penetration of the mucous layer, innate immune effectors and their subversion, signaling of the host cells by adherence factors, modulation of adherence, phase variation of colonization factors, and regulation of colonization effectors.

Electronic Only, 456 pages, full-color insert, illustrations, index.

An introduction to the world of bioinformatics

Massive increases in computing power and the ability to routinely sequence whole genomes of living organisms have begun to fundamentally alter our understanding of biology, medicine, and agriculture. At the intersection of the growing information and genomics revolutions sits bioinformatics, which uses modern computational power to reveal patterns in biological data sets, especially DNA, RNA, and protein sequences.

Computational Biology: A Hypertextbook, by Scott Kelley and Dennis Didulo, provides a wonderful introduction for anyone who wants to learn the basics of bioinformatics. This book is more than a textbook because of the wealth of online ancillary materials and how the print and electronic components are integrated to form a complete educational resource. Aspects that make Computational Biology: A Hypertextbook a unique and valuable tool for teaching and learning bioinformatics include

• Clear explanations of the basic biology of DNA, RNA, and proteins and how the related bioinformatics algorithms work
• Extensive exercises that enable students to practice with the same bioinformatics applications that are used by scientists worldwide
• Tutorials, sample data sets, and interactive learning tools developed with teachers in mind and field-tested by hundreds of students
• Online tutorials and curated web links that are accurate (instead of frustrating!) and won’t lead to dead ends
• Online resources that work on multiple platforms and electronic devices

Computational Biology: A Hypertextbook is written in an accessible voice, punctuated with humor, and designed to significantly increase computational competencies. Biology and computer science undergraduate and graduate students will thoroughly enjoy learning from this unique hypertextbook, as will anyone with an interest in exploring this burgeoning topic.

Paperback, 210 pages, full-color illustrations, index.

Interested in purchasing the digital version of this title? Click here to buy the book via RedShelf! Click here to buy the book via VitalSource!

The dramatic increase in the incidence of Cryptococcus neoformans infections calls for an up-to-date look at its biology and pathogenesis. This volume provides a comprehensive review of the ecology, epidemiology, pathogenic mechanisms, host immunity, clinical features and diagnostic conditions, and principles of treatment and prevention of this important fungal pathogen.

The only recent monograph on the subject, Cryptococcus neoformans goes beyond textbook chapters and journal articles to provide the most comprehensive, current information on basic science and clinical information relating to this fungus. The authors, investigators who have direct experience with the subject matter, provide objective data as well as interpretations and opinions.

Cryptococcus neoformans, a model organism for the understanding of disseminated mycoses, has become a major concern facing infectious disease physicians and immunocompromised patients. Now this valuable resource provides both experienced investigators and those new to the field of medical mycology an opportunity to review the vast database of knowledge on this major worldwide pathogen.

Electronic only, 541 pages, illustrations, index.

Understanding the diagnostic methods necessary to identify bloodstream infections

In the clinical microbiology laboratory, blood is a critical diagnostic sample that, in the majority of cases is sterile (or is it?). However, when microbes gain access to and multiply in the bloodstream, it can result in life-threatening illness including sepsis. Mortality rates from bloodstream infection and sepsis range from 25% to 80%, killing millions of people annually. Blood cultures are a vital technology used in the microbiology laboratory to isolate and identify microbes and predict their response to antimicrobial therapy.

The Dark Art of Blood Cultures, edited by Wm. Michael Dunne, Jr., and Carey-Ann D. Burnham, surveys the entire field of blood culture technology, providing valuable information about every phase of the process, from drawing samples to culture methods to processing positive cultures. The Dark Art of Blood Cultures is organized around several major topics.

• History of blood culture methods. Details the timeline of blood culture methods from manual through automated and describes the technological development of the leading automated blood culture systems (Bactec, BacT/Alert, and VersaTREK).
• Manual and automated blood culture methods. Critiques manual and automated methods for setting up blood cultures for adult and pediatric patients.
• Detection of pathogens directly from blood specimens. Describes currently available CE marked and FDA-cleared commercial tests using both phenotypic and genotypic markers, including their strengths and limitations.
• The workflow of culturing blood. Includes best practices from specimen collection to culture system verification, processing positive cultures for microbe identification and antibiotic susceptibility determination, along with the epidemiology of positive blood cultures and the value of postmortem blood cultures.
• Microorganisms in the blood. Examines the concept of a blood microbiome in healthy and diseased individuals.

The Dark Art of Blood Cultures is a resource that clinicians, laboratorians, lab directors, and hospital administrators will find engaging and extremely useful.

Paperback, 320 pages, full-color illustrations, index.

The essential reference for selecting, using, and interpreting methods and results related to human parasitic infections

This major work by Lynne Garcia, a recognized authority on diagnostic parasitology, has been completely updated to include the dramatic changes that have occurred in the field of diagnostic medical parasitology over the past decade. Diagnostic Medical Parasitology, Sixth Edition, features newly recognized human parasites, improved diagnostic techniques defined by new regulatory requirements, implementation of testing based on molecular techniques, expanded tables and color photographs, and the latest information on parasitic infections.

Diagnostic Medical Parasitology contains two sections within this single volume. The first provides clear, concise diagnostic procedures for clinical laboratory use, including ordering and collection recommendations, techniques for parasite recovery and identification that are relevant throughout the world. This section also thoroughly examines the pros and cons of various diagnostic options, including extensive report comments for result clarification and enhancement.

The second section presents comprehensive discussions of common and uncommon individual human parasites. It provides information related to life cycle, morphology, and clinical disease in both the immunocompetent and immunocompromised patient including diagnosis, treatment, epidemiology, and prevention. There are also expanded sections on artifacts, case histories, and histologic findings that provide discussion and tips related to potential diagnostic problems. Both book sections feature extensive color illustrations related to each technique and parasite presented, as well as expanded color plates of human parasites.

Diagnostic Medical Parasitology is a unique and valuable resource for microbiologists and clinical laboratory scientists/bench technologists in diagnostic laboratories and academic settings, infectious disease physicians, pathologists, health care specialists, and public health professionals.

"Diagnostic Medical Parasitology is a critical reference for every microbiology laboratory. It covers all aspects of human medical parasitology and provides detailed, comprehensive, relevant diagnostic methods in one volume. The color images are fantastic for use in assisting you in the identification of parasites. To ensure that your microbiology personnel are employing practical quality procedures in the area of parasitology, you need this book!"

Susan E. Sharp, Ph.D., ABMM, FAAM, Director, Regional Microbiology and Molecular Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Kaiser Permanente, Department of Pathology

Hardcover, 1388 pages, full-color illustrations, index.

Strategies for providing optimal care to this high-risk patient group

The immunocompromised patient population is increasing throughout the world. Major advances in transplantation techniques have expanded access to lifesaving therapies and improved outcomes in these high-risk populations. An understanding of the biology of these infections, host conditions, and the limitations of technologies used to detect and quantify such pathogens is critical to optimal care.

This new edition of Diagnostic Microbiology of the Immunocompromised Host covers all aspects of state-of-the-art diagnostics for infectious complications in the immunocompromised patient. Editors Randall Hayden, Karen Carroll, Yi-Wei Tang, and Donna Wolk assembled the contributions of a team of preeminent authors to discuss a broad range of topics, including

• relevant aspects of host biology, antineoplastic, and transplantation techniques and the basis of immunosuppressive conditions ranging from diabetes to age-related immunosuppression
• approaches, interpretations, and limitations of laboratory diagnosis of infections by a wide range of specific etiologic agents
• laboratory diagnosis of infections of specific organ systems, such as respiratory tract infections, gastrointestinal tract infections, and central nervous system infections
• special topics such as prosthetic devices and catheters, healthcare acquired infections, and morphologic considerations (anatomic pathology)
• future diagnostic technologies and their potential impact on the field

Diagnostic Microbiology of the Immunocompromised Host is a resource for laboratory medicine specialists, pathologists, technologists, students, and clinical care professionals who are involved or interested in the care of the immunocompromised host.

Hardcover, 794 pages, full-color illustrations, index.

Featuring more than 10,000 references and a text lavishly complemented by over 700 illustrations, DNA Repair and Mutagenesis, 2nd Edition, is a timely update to the original edition published in 1995. The addition of three new authors, including an expert in the field of structural biology, ensures a comprehensive review of the most current research in diverse subject areas. An ideal textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, the book is also an essential resource for all scientists researching cellular responses to DNA damage.

Completely reorganized, the new edition presents a significant overhaul of the existing chapters and introduces important new material, reflective of the major changes and developments that have occurred in the field over the last decade. As with the first edition, this new volume presents the field within a strong historical framework and all aspects of biological responses to DNA damage are detailed.

The book consists of 30 chapters divided into five main parts, covering: sources and consequences of DNA damage; correcting altered bases in DNA: DNA repair; DNA damage tolerance and mutagenesis; regulatory responses to DNA damage in eukaryotes; and disease states associated with defective biological responses to DNA damage. Basic principles are appropriately stressed; however, the book focuses on the significant progress to date and future research directions.

Hardcover, 1,118 pages, two-color throughout with full-color insert, illustrations, index.

While it is widely recognized that diseases in humans are emerging at an unprecedented rate, an often overlooked phenomenon is that the same issue is present in animal populations, where new diseases are occurring at an even faster rate than in humans.

This important new volume provides an in-depth review of various emerging diseases in animals and highlights the importance of veterinary medicine in the control of emerging diseases. It discusses the need for an awareness of emerging diseases in animals in preparation for emerging diseases in humans and offers an understanding of the serious negative consequences of animal diseases on human populations, including zoonotic potential, ecological impact, and compromising of the food chain.

Electronic only, 310 pages, illustrations, index.

Essential resource for the fight against emerging infectious diseases

Incidences such as the 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa and the 2015 appearance of Zika in Brazil provide dramatic evidence of the continued ability of microbes to emerge, spread, adapt, and threaten global health. The challenge facing infectious disease specialists and public health professionals is to improve and find new diagnostic, therapeutic, and prevention strategies.

The editors of the 10th installment of the Emerging Infections series have compiled the perspectives of leading infectious disease experts into 22 chapters that provide important updates on a broad range of emerging and reemerging bacterial, viral, parasitic, and fungal infectious diseases in the United States and globally. In addition to focusing on MERS, Ebola virus disease, chikungunya, and Zika virus disease, Emerging Infections 10 explores the global threat of antimicrobial resistance in reviews on carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, multiply-resistant gonococcal infections, non-typhoidal Salmonella infections, and artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Topics include both recently- and long-recognized diseases that pose challenges for the clinical, laboratory, research, public health, and animal health communities.

Emerging Infections 10 presents new and emerging strategies to prevent, control, and eradicate infectious diseases and guides readers to the primary literature where they can explore individual topics in greater depth. This book is a valuable reference for professionals in microbiology, epidemiology, public health, and clinical and veterinary medicine.

“The renowned editors and the authors they enlisted teach us about microbial threats in our rapidly changing world. From frogs to people, from viruses to fungi, they detail compelling stories about urgent problems and suggest solutions. Emerging Infections 10 is an education at the front-lines of a perennial struggle.”

—Martin J. Blaser, M.D., Director, Human Microbiome Program, New York Universitym, Author of Missing Microbes

“In keeping with the longstanding tradition of this series, the 10th edition of Emerging Infections continues with timely updates of the newest information on the ever changing landscape of new infections of public health importance.”

—David C. Hooper, MD, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Chief, Infection Control Unit and Associate Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital

Hardcover, 462 pages, full-color illustrations, index.

Emerging Infections 3 is the third of an annual series of books based on ICAAC Symposia on Emerging Infections. It provides a complete and updated discussion of new and emerging infectious diseases, covering both basic science and clinical topics. The editors are in the forefront of the scientific and clinical communities dealing with emerging pathogens. This book and the series will be valuable to a wide range of people working in microbiology, infectious diseases, epidemiology, public health, and clinical medicine.

This book is no longer available in print.

Electronic book, 260 pages, illustrations, index.

Emerging Infections 5 is the fifth of an annual series of books based on ICAAC Symposia on Emerging Infections. It provides a complete and updated discussion of new and emerging infectious diseases, covering both basic science and clinical topics. The editors are in the forefront of the scientific and clinical communities dealing with emerging pathogens. This book and the series will be valuable to a wide range of people working in microbiology, infectious diseases, epidemiology, public health, and clinical medicine.

Electronic Only, 264 pages, illustrations, index.

This new volume is the seventh in a series of books based on ICAAC Symposia on Emerging Infections. It offers an updated review of new and emerging infectious diseases, including Avian Influenza (H5N1), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), West Nile fever, and many others. The editors are experts in their respective fields of research and are active in the scientific and clinical communities that deal with emerging pathogens. The Emerging Infections series is a valuable resource for a wide range of people working in microbiology, Infectious diseases, epidemiology, public health, and clinical medicine.

Electronic Only, 381 pages, illustrations, index.

Since 1995, the program committees of the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy and the Infectious Diseases Society of America have organized sessions on current and emerging infectious disease threats during their annual meetings. These sessions explore strategies for the prevention and control of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites that can harm public health. Chapters in Emerging Infections 9 are based on recent sessions, focusing on a broad range of infectious agents that pose challenges for the clinical, laboratory, research, public health, and animal health communities.

Emerging Infections 9 reflects the diversity of infectious agent threats in the 21st century. Some of these agents have been only recently discovered, such as the Acanthamoebapolyphagamimivirus. Others are known pathogens presenting new challenges, such as human adenovirus 14. Some infectious agents discussed in the book are currently regional threats, whereas others affect populations around the world. However, every regional threat is potentially a global threat, an issue explored in detail in this edition. Moreover, the book�s discussion of the One World�One Health Initiative underscores the need for a global, multidisciplinary approach in investigating, developing, and implementing solutions.

Each chapter has been contributed by one or more leading experts in infectious diseases, offering perspectives from basic and clinical research, epidemiology, and public health. Despite progress in the prevention and control of infectious diseases during the past several decades, many challenges remain at the same time as new challenges emerge. Emerging Infection 9�s coverage of current and emerging threats is therefore essential for anyone involved in the fight against infectious diseases, including professionals in microbiology, epidemiology, public health, and clinical and veterinary medicine.

Hardcover, 379 pages, full-color insert, illustrations, index.

The Enterobacteria, 2nd Edition provides a comprehensive examination of current research on every genus in the family Enterobacteriaceae. A host of diagnostic tables, reference charts, color plates, and various other laboratory resources, this revised reference is an important source of information from microbiologists, lab directors, pathologists, and infectious disease specialists.

The Enterobacteria, 2nd Edition presents complete medical information on each genus, including taxonomy, epidemiology, infectious disease spectrum, identification, pathogenicity, and antimicrobial susceptibility. Additionally, this new volume presents unique information on procedures and protocols for identification of atypical or unusual variants of each species. Select new features of the second edition are use of the genome sequence as a means of identification and classification, coverage of the reclassified genus Plesiomonas, and a brand-new appendix containing differential biochemical tables.

Electronic only, 411 pages, full-color insert, illustrations, index.

Whether contracted through contaminated food or a trip to the petting zoo, disease-causing E. coli is a major human health threat

Most Escherichia coli strains live harmlessly in the intestines of healthy humans and animals, but virulent strains—the enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) and certain Shiga toxin–producing E. coli (STEC)—cause life-threatening infections, with young children and the elderly most at risk. EHEC and STEC are easily transmitted through contaminated water or food and, more rarely, through contact between animals and people. Thus, controlling outbreaks of these pathogens is a concern for the infectious disease community and the food industry.

Covering a diverse array of topics, including microbial pathogenesis, disease pathophysiology, food safety, genetic analysis, veterinary microbiology, epidemiology, and environmental microbiology, Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli and Other Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli presents the most current, relevant research overview from a multidisciplinary, international group of expert authors concerned with tracking, deciphering, and dealing with the diseases caused by EHEC and STEC.

Editors Vanessa Sperandio and Carolyn J. Hovde have updated and expanded the scope of the previous edition, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Other Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli Strains. Useful as a textbook for advanced courses in microbiology, food safety, infectious disease, or microbial pathogenesis, this new volume is also a valuable reference for research scientists, clinicians, health professionals, policy makers, and food safety professionals.

"This volume, edited by two experts in the field, Vanessa Sperandio and Carolyn Hovde, encompasses the current state of knowledge of the epidemiology and pathogenesis of EHEC and defines the challenges to improved disease control. Comprehensive and timely, this is a must read for those engaged in E. coli research."

—Guy H. Palmer, Regents Professor and Director of the Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Pullman

Vanessa Sperandio is a Professor in the Departments of Microbiology and Biochemistry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Her research investigates chemical, stress, and nutritional signaling at the interface among the mammalian host, beneficial microbiota, and invading pathogens. A fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and the 2015 recipient of the ASM Eli Lilly and Company-Elanco Research Award, Dr. Sperandio serves on the editorial boards of mBio, Infection and Immunity, Journal of Bacteriology, and Gut Pathogens.

Carolyn J. Hovde is a University Distinguished Professor who has served as the Idaho NIH INBRE Director since 2006. Dr. Hovde’s laboratory studies E. coli O157:H7 with a primary focus on understanding the relationship between this human pathogen and its silent reservoir, healthy cattle. A Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and winner of the ASM Carski Foundation Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award, she is President of the National Association of IDeA Principal Investigators (NAIPI).

Hardcover, 570 pages, full-color illustrations, index.

Microbiology in the service of law and public safety.

Forensic scientists use tools from the natural sciences and engineering to analyze physical evidence. Such evidence might be at a crime scene, a bioterrorism event, at the site of an oil spill or chemical discharge, or when in pursuit of a foodborne infectious disease. Increasingly, microbes are serving as some of that physical evidence. The DNA of isolated microorganisms is being subjected to whole-genome sequencing, while the metagenomes of microbiomes found in the environment are now routinely sequenced and analyzed. Databases of microbial genomes are growing rapidly, and probing those databases with powerful bioinformatics tools and other analytical techniques enables comparative microbial genomics to be applied to forensic analysis.

The powerful genomics tools available today are being applied to forensic analysis of microorganisms in a diverse array of situations. Many of these methods and applications are presented in Environmental Microbial Forensics, edited by Gary Toranzos and Raúl Cano. This fascinating book includes detailed discussions on

• Solving crimes using environmental microbial forensics. Soil microbiomes are being analyzed to evaluate cadaver decomposition, identify clandestine graves, and serve as trace evidence. Plant pathogens are monitored as potential agroterrorism agents, have been used as herbicides sprayed on drug crops, and been sequenced and identified when determining liability for the unintentional spread of phytopathogens. Bioterrorism attacks are often solved by using genomics analysis of the pathogen to trace it to its source, as was done in solving the Bacillus anthracis United States mail attacks in 2001.
• Examining human history by studying ancient microbial DNA. Paleomicrobiology, or the study of ancient microbes (and especially of their DNA), is revealing the epidemiology of ancient infectious diseases, tracing ancient disease migration patterns, and using coprolites (petrified feces) as a window into the gut microbiomes—and by extension, the dietary habits—of our human ancestors. Victims of epidemics, such as the major plague outbreaks in Europe and Asia, who were buried in “catastrophe cemeteries,” are telling tales about the strains of Yersinia pestis responsible for their demise.
• Tracking the culprits of public health crimes to their sources. Source tracking outbreaks of foodborne diseases, monitoring water quality, and expanding our knowledge of host-pathogen interactions are all benefiting from molecular forensic analyses. Molecular microbial forensics provides insights into the evolutionary changes of host-pathogen interactions. To maintain water quality and minimize the impacts of foodborne diseases, methods like qPCR, microarray analysis, and high-throughput sequencing allow scientists to subtype microbial culprits and track them to their source.
• Handling microbial samples, choosing molecular methods, and running statistical analyses. Microbial forensic methods require stringent quality control procedures from sample collection through data collection. The Microbiome Quality Control project, for example, is a recent effort to evaluate methods for probing microbiomes. Bioinformatics programs are now available that accept multiple microbial genome datasets as input and assist in reconstructing transmission pathways of an outbreak. In microbial forensic situations, likelihood and Bayesian approaches are perhaps the better statistical methods to choose when it comes time to analyze the data.

Electronic only, 285 pages, full-color illustrations.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, or “superbugs,” present an increasingly deadly threat to human health. The World Health Organization estimates that resistant bacteria now account for about 60% of nosocomial infections; the CDC estimates that of the ca. 60,000 deaths each year due to nosocomial infection, some 14,000 are the result of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. With chapters from the world’s leading researchers and scholars in this field, Enzyme-Mediated Resistance to Antibiotics is a vital and timely overview of this critical subject.

Bacteria have evolved a wealth of different ways to resist the action of antibiotics, as well as to transfer these resistance traits once acquired. An important number of these mechanisms are mediated by enzymatic processes. Beta-Lactamases aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes are thoroughly discussed in this volume, as well as other enzymatic mechanisms that result in resistance. The different ways bacteria share resistance determinants, both vertically and horizontally, are also discussed. Finally, chapters offer strategies to control the dissemination of resistance genes and to combat these highly versatile inactivating enzymes.

This comprehensive volume will find a wide audience in researchers working in bacterial pathogenesis, enzymology, molecular microbiology, and antibiotic development. It will be indispensable for clinical research laboratories, hospitals, medical schools, and applied and pharmaceutical research laboratories.

Hardcover, 357 pages, four-color insert, illustrations, index.

This innovative volume introduces clinical microbiologists, infectious disease specialists, epidemiologists, medical professionals, and public health researchers to the importance and influence of evolutionary outcomes. Humans experience countless interactions with the microbial world; our biology is intertwined with the biology of microbes; we co-evolve with them. Understanding this evolutionary reality provides a powerful tool to integrate and synthesize a huge amount of heterogeneous information from a variety of fields studying human biology.

Written by an international team of distinguished researchers and practitioners, the volume’s 49 chapters cover the relationship between microbial evolution and human biology from many perspectives. The first section illustrates the evolutionary biology of microbial-human interactions, considering the effect of human-driven changes. The second section analyzes evolutionary genetics involved in microbial variation and adaptation, from microbial genome to mobile elements as plasmids or integrons. The third section deals with evolutionary microbial responses to antibiotics, the major anthropogenic factor altering our interactions with microbes. Finally, the last three sections systematically analyze the evolution of pathogenesis in gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, and fungi. These chapters convey the impact of evolution on microbe-human interactions, and how that influences infectious diseases. This information will stimulate an evolutionary orientation in the daily interpretation of facts that are observed in the laboratory and the hospital.

Hardcover, 622 pages, full-color insert, illustrations, index.

The Fecal Bacteria offers a balanced, integrated discussion of fecal bacteria and their presence and ecology in the intestinal tract of mammals, in the environment, and in the food supply. This new volume covers their use in examining and assessing water quality in order to offer protection from illnesses related to swimming in or ingesting contaminated water, in addition to discussing their use in engineering considerations of water quality, modeling, monitoring, and regulations. Fecal bacteria are additionally used as indicators of contamination of ready-to-eat foods and fresh produce. The intestinal environment, the microbial community structure of the gut microbiota, and the physiology and genomics of this broad group of microorganisms are explored in the book.

With contributions from an internationally recognized group of experts, the book integrates medicine, public health, environmental, and microbiological topics in order to provide a unique, holistic understanding of fecal bacteria. Moreover, it shows how the latest basic science and applied research findings are helping to solve problems and develop effective management strategies. For example, readers will discover how the latest tools and molecular approaches have led to our current understanding of fecal bacteria and enabled us to improve human health and water quality.

The Fecal Bacteria is recommended for microbiologists, clinicians, animal scientists, engineers, environmental scientists, food safety experts, water quality managers, and students. It will help them better understand fecal bacteria and use their knowledge to protect human and environmental health. They can also apply many of the techniques and molecular tools discussed in this book to the study of a broad range of microorganisms in a variety of habitats.

Hardcover, 315 pages, four-color insert, illustrations, index.