Revolutionary research is revealing how the trillions of microbes living on and in our bodies can keep us healthy . . . or make us sick   Suddenly, research findings require a paradigm shift in our view of the microbial world. The Human Microbiome Project at the National Institutes of Health is well under way, and unprecedented scientific technology now allows the censusing of trillions of microbes inside and on our bodies as well as in the places where we live, work, and play. This intriguing, up-to-the-minute book for scientists and nonscientists alike explains what researchers are discovering about the microbe world and what the implications are for modern science and medicine.     Rob DeSalle and Susan Perkins illuminate the long, intertwined evolution of humans and microbes. They discuss how novel DNA sequencing has shed entirely new light on the complexity of microbe-human interactions, and they examine the potential benefits to human health: amazing possibilities for pinpoint treatment of infections and other illnesses without upsetting the vital balance of an individual microbiome.   This book has been inspired by an exhibition, The Secret World Inside You: The Microbiome, at the American Museum of Natural History, which will open in New York in early November 2015 and run until August 2016. It will then travel to other museums in the United States and abroad.  

Practical Handbook of Microbiology, 4th edition provides basic, clear and concise knowledge and practical information about working with microorganisms. Useful to anyone interested in microbes, the book is intended to especially benefit four groups: trained microbiologists working within one specific area of microbiology; people with training in other disciplines, and use microorganisms as a tool or "chemical reagent"; business people evaluating investments in microbiology focused companies; and an emerging group, people in occupations and trades that might have limited training in microbiology, but who require specific practical information. Key Features Provides a comprehensive compendium of basic information on microorganisms--from classical microbiology to genomics. Includes coverage of disease-causing bacteria, bacterial viruses (phage), and the use of phage for treating diseases, and added coverage of extremophiles. Features comprehensive coverage of antimicrobial agents, including chapters on anti-fungals and anti-virals. Covers the Microbiome, gene editing with CRISPR, Parasites, Fungi, and Animal Viruses. Adds numerous chapters especially intended for professionals such as healthcare and industrial professionals, environmental scientists and ecologists, teachers, and businesspeople. Includes comprehensive survey table of Clinical, Commercial, and Research-Model bacteria.   The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license. Chapter 21, "Archaea," of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com See Emanuel Goldman's Open Access article: "Lamarck redux and other false arguments against SARS-CoV-2 vaccination," https://www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.15252/embr.202254675

A quick, concise reference to pathogenic microorganisms and the diseases they cause, this book is divided into specific groups of pathogenic microorganisms including bacteria, protozoa, fungi, viruses, and prions. It lists important pathogenic taxa in each group, covering their natural habitats, the diseases they cause, microbiological highlights, laboratory diagnosis, and measures of prevention and control, including availability of vaccines and effective therapeutic agents. All healthcare professionals and public health workers will benefit from having this reliable source of information at their fingertips.

An essential introduction to microbiome science, a new cutting-edge discipline that is transforming the life sciences This book provides an accessible and authoritative guide to the fundamental principles of microbiome science, an exciting and fast-emerging new discipline that is reshaping many aspects of the life sciences. Resident microbes in healthy animals--including humans--can dictate many traits of the animal host. This animal microbiome is a second immune system conferring protection against pathogens; it can structure host metabolism in animals as diverse as reef corals and hibernating mammals; and it may influence animal behavior, from social recognition to emotional states. These microbial partners can also drive ecologically important traits, from thermal tolerance to diet, and have contributed to animal diversification over long evolutionary timescales. Drawing on concepts and data across a broad range of disciplines and systems, Angela Douglas provides a conceptual framework for understanding these animal-microbe interactions while shedding critical light on the scientific challenges that lie ahead. Douglas explains why microbiome science demands creative and interdisciplinary thinking--the capacity to combine microbiology with animal physiology, ecological theory with immunology, and evolutionary perspectives with metabolic science. An essential introduction to a cutting-edge field that is revolutionizing the life sciences, this book explains why microbiome science presents a more complete picture of the biology of humans and other animals, and how it can deliver novel therapies for many medical conditions and new strategies for pest control.

Microbial infections still represent one of the major causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Irrational usage of antimicrobials has lead to increased resistance, causing clinical, social and economical disabilities. Therefore, one of the major challenges of scientists is to develop novel alternative methods to handle infections and reduce resistance and other side effects produced by the actual therapies. The aim of this book is to offer a perspective on novel approaches to handle infections by using naturally-derived products in order to modulate the virulence of pathogens, without the risk of developing resistance. We intend to highlight the utility of microbial, vegetal and animal-derived compounds with potential antimicrobial activity by exploiting their effect on microbial virulence. Furthermore, this book aims to reveal the potential to assimilate recent bio-technological findings, like the usage of nanotechnology as efficient shuttles for stabilizing, improved targeting and the controlled release of natural products in order to efficiently fight infections.

The most authoritative, comprehensive reference in the field. Sets the standard for state-of-the-science laboratory practice. A collaborative effort of 22 editors and more than 260 authors from around the world, all experienced researchers and practitioners in medical and diagnostic microbiology. Includes 149 chapters of the latest research findings, infectious agents, methods, practices, and safety guidelines. Indispensable to clinical microbiologists, laboratory technologists, and infectious disease specialists in hospitals, clinics, reference laboratories, and more.

Lammert's approach is visual and incorporates "voice balloons" that keep the student focused on the process described. The techniques are those that will be used frequently for studying microbes in the laboratory, and include those identified by the American Society for Microbiology in its recommendations for the Microbiology Laboratory Core Curriculum (recommendations in which the author participated).

While viruses--the world's most abundant biological entities--are not technically alive, they invade, replicate, and evolve within living cells. Michael Cordingley goes beyond our familiarity with infections to show how viruses spur evolutionary change in their hosts and shape global ecosystems, from ocean photosynthesis to drug-resistant bacteria.