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Salmonella enterica encompasses a diverse range of bacteria that cause a spectrum of diseases in many hosts. Advancements in prevention and treatment of S. enterica infections have at times been hampered by compartmentalization of research efforts and lack of multidisciplinary approaches. This book attempts to cover a diverse range of topics related to the biology of S. enterica infections, including epidemiological and clinical aspects, molecular pathogenesis, immunity to disease and vaccines. S. enterica infections are important zoonoses and therefore material on infections of animals and public health issues have also been considered. Each chapter can be read independently, but the full contents of the book will provide the reader with up-to-date knowledge on all the key aspects of salmonellosis in humans and animals. It will therefore be of interest to graduate students and researchers, as well as to clinicians, whose research focuses on this important pathogen.
This study looks at the way the products of arachidonic acid metabolism are active both in normal and abnormal immune responses. While some of the fundamental issues such as whether lymphocytes are capable of producing prostaglandins and leukotrienes are still hotly debated, the evidence is overwhelming that many specific immunological problems and disease states are associated with alterations in the normal balance of arachidonic acid metabolism. This book provides a review of the history and chemistry of the arachidonic acid cascade as well as an exhaustive survey of the literature concerning the interaction of arachidonic acid metabolites with cells of the immune system. The author also presents and discusses the evidence demonstrating prostaglandin and leukotriene participation in response to injury and in malignancy, tissue and organ rejection, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmunity and allergy.
The formation of microcolonies on surfaces is an important bacterial survival strategy. These biofilms occur on both inert and living systems, making them important to a wide range of scientific disciplines. This book first provides an analysis of the chemical, ecological and physical processes involved with the development of biofilms and their interactions with surfaces. The next section deals with biofilms on non-living surfaces. Biofilms have important engineering implications, such as in mining industries, the corrosion of pipelines and pure and waste water industries. Biofilms have medical significance when associated with the mouth, urinary tract and urinogenital tract. In addition, they form in plant root systems and in animals, such as the ruminant digestive tract, and so are agriculturally important. The final section examines these interactions with living surfaces.
This series of entertaining essays provides a unique insight into some of the key discoveries that have shaped the field of parasitology. Based on interviews with 18 of the world's leading parasitologists and epidemiologists, the stories of their contributions to discovery in contemporary parasitology and infectious disease biology are told. Taken together, the essays provide a historical account of the development of the field, serving as a bridge between these discoveries and current research. The book provides a real insight into the thought processes and approaches taken in generating break through scientific discoveries, ranging from immunology to ecology and from malaria and trypanosomiasis to schistosomiasis and Lyme disease. This engaging and lively introduction to discovery in parasitology will be of interest to all those currently working in the field and will also serve to set the scene for future generations of parasitologists.
Human tissues often support large, complex microbial communities growing as biofilms that can cause a variety of infections. As a result of an increased use of implanted medical devices, the incidence of these biofilm-associated diseases is increasing: the non-shedding surfaces of these devices provide ideal substrata for colonisation by biofilm-forming microbes. The consequences of this mode of growth are far-reaching. As microbes in biofilms exhibit increased tolerance towards antimicrobial agents and decreased susceptibility to host defence systems, biofilm-associated diseases are becoming increasingly difficult to treat. Not surprisingly, therefore, interest in biofilms has increased dramatically. The application of microscopic and molecular techniques has revolutionised our understanding of biofilm structure, composition, organisation, and activities, resulting in important advances in the prevention and treatment of biofilm-related diseases. The purpose of this book, which was first published in 2003, is to bring these advances to the attention of clinicians and medical researchers.
Monoclonal antibodies are one of the most exciting developments in biotechnology in recent years; this book provides a comprehensive description of principles, methodologies and applications of this powerful technology to modern science and industry. The immune system of the body, in particular the role of antibodies, is described; and details provided on the isolation of antibody-producing cells, how hybridomas are formed and maintained in culture such that the required antibody can be produced to a very high degree of purity. The material is presented in such a way that students, researchers and managers in research and development will be able to make choices as to which are the most suitable techniques for their particular requirements. The text is comprehensively referenced and, in short, the book is a necessary resource for all those who have the need to be involved in the production of monoclonal antibodies from hybridoma cells in culture.
The aim of the Handbooks in Practical Animal Cell Biology is to provide practical workbooks for those involved in primary cell culture. Each volume addresses a different cell lineage, and contains an introductory section followed by individual chapters on the culture of specific differentiated cell types. The authors of each chapter are leading researchers in their fields and use their first-hand experience to present reliable techniques in a clear and thorough manner. Endothelial Cell Culture contains chapters on endothelial cells derived from 1) lung, 2) bone marrow, 3) brain, 4) mammary glands, 5) skin, 6) adipose tissue, 7) female reproductive system, and 8) synovium.
Scientists in the laboratory often fail to take advantage of the commercial exploitation of their research. This is frequently because they simply do not know what to do. Technology Transfer is a careful account of how to start the process of commercialisation of technology, and describes in detail the difficulties, and amount of time needed, to carry the process through to a successful conclusion. This book provides a much needed step by step guide to the commercialisation of research. It addresses three major themes: how to protect your intellectual property, how to develop it commercially via licensing and business 'start up', and how to finance and manage your new company. This book is essential reading for any research scientist whose work has commercial applications.
ART treatment is vulnerable to the hazard of potential infection from many different sources: patients, samples, staff and the environment. Culture of gametes and embryos in vitro provides multiple targets for transmission of potential infection, including the developing embryo, neighbouring gametes and embryos, the couple undergoing treatment and other couples being treated during the same period. This unique situation, with multifaceted opportunities for microbial growth and transmission, makes infection and contamination control absolutely crucial in the practice of assisted reproduction, and in the laboratory in particular. Originally published in 2004, this practical book provides a basic overview of microbiology in the context of ART, providing a guide to infections in reproductive medicine. The relevant facets of the complex and vast field of microbiology are condensed and focused, highlighting information that is crucial for safe practice in both clinical and laboratory aspects of ART.
Increased industrial and agricultural activity this century has led to vast quantities of the earth's soil and groundwater resources becoming contaminated with hazardous chemicals. Bioremediation provides a technology based on the use of living organisms, usually bacteria and fungi, to remove pollutants from soil and water, preferably in situ. This approach, which is potentially more cost-effective than traditional techniques such as incineration of soils and carbon filtration of water, requires an understanding of how organisms transform chemicals, how they survive in polluted environments and how they should be employed in the field. This book examines these issues for many of the most serious and common environmental contaminants, resulting in a volume which presents the most recent position on the application of bioremediation to the cleanup of polluted soil and water.
Because of their complexity, the new generation of genetically engineered protein drugs can only be made by biotechnological methods, using cultures of animal cells. This book covers all aspects of the technologies needed to turn animal cells into an acceptable and cost-effective tool for drug production. This includes modifying them genetically so that they produce the right product in high yield, getting them to grow reproducibly on an industrial scale, and extracting the required product from them. It also covers biological safety issues, and the verification of the chemical and biological nature of the protein drug produced. The work covers developments in all of these areas and how they all need to be integrated for the design of an effective biotechnological production process. It therefore provides a comprehensive guide to this area of biotechnology.
This book is about the adhesion of bacteria to their human hosts. Although adhesion is essential for maintaining members of the normal microflora in/on their host, it is also the crucial first stage in any infectious disease. It is important, therefore, to fully understand the mechanisms underlying bacterial adhesion so that we may be able to develop methods of maintaining our normal (protective) microflora, and of preventing pathogenic bacteria from initiating an infectious process. These topics are increasingly important because of the growing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and, consequently, the need to develop alternative approaches for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. This book describes the bacterial structures responsible for adhesion and the molecular mechanisms underlying the adhesion process. It also deals with the consequences of adhesion for both the adherent bacterium and the host cell/tissue to which it has adhered.
Bringing together bacterial structure and function, taxonomy, environmental microbiology, induction and development of plant disease, molecular genetics and disease control, Dr Sigee unifies the field, at the same time as emphasising exciting developments in cell and molecular biology. The book is written in a clear and concise manner, illustrated with numerous tables, diagrams and photographs.
How do our bodies fight disease? Written in clear accessible style this book gives an account of the inner workings of our immune systems. Aimed at the general reader it looks at fascinating areas of science including fever, AIDS and cancer. Central to the book, from which the title derives, is the idea that in the war against disease our bodies sacrifice millions of cells - antibodies and other specialized elements of the immune system. Only by pitting all manner of complex immune cells against such infectious agents can we continue to survive in the world. Of interest to anyone who has wondered what is really happening when we get ill and recover.
Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect bacteria and are believed to be the most abundant and genetically diverse organisms on Earth. As such, their ecology is vast both in quantitative and qualitative terms. Their abundance makes an understanding of phage ecology increasingly relevant to bacterial ecosystem ecology, bacterial genomics and bacterial pathology. Abedon provides the first text on phage ecology for almost 20 years. Written by leading experts, synthesizing the three key approaches to studying phage ecology, namely studying them in natural environments (in situ), experimentally in the lab, or theoretically using mathematical or computer models. With strong emphasis on microbial population biology and distilling cutting-edge research into basic principles, this book will complement other currently available volumes. It will therefore serve as an essential resource for graduate students and researchers, particularly those with an interest in phage ecology and evolutionary biology.
Horizontal gene transfer is a major driving force in the evolution of many bacterial pathogens. The development of high-throughput sequencing tools and more sophisticated genomic and proteomic techniques in recent years has resulted in a better understanding of this phenomenon. Written by leading experts in the field, this edited volume is aimed at graduate students and researchers and provides an overview of current knowledge relating to the evolution of microbial pathogenicity. This volume provides an overview of the mechanisms and biological consequences of the genome rearrangements resulting from horizontal gene transfer, in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, as well as overviews of the key mobile genetic elements involved. Subsequent chapters focus on paradigms for the evolution of important bacterial pathogens, including Salmonella enterica, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus. The influence of socioeconomic parameters in the dissemination of transferable elements, such as antibiotic resistant genes in bacteria, is also discussed.
Bacterial toxins that act inside cells interact very specifically with key components of the cell and some even manipulate the cell in subtle ways for their own purposes. These potent toxins, described in this 2005 book, will be of interest to both microbiologists and cell biologists. Some of these toxins are conventional multidomain toxins that are self-programmed to enter cells. Others are delivered by type III mechanisms, often as a package of potent molecules. The molecular targets for all these toxins mediate signal transduction and the cell cycle to regulate the crucial processes of cell growth, cell division and differentiation. Thus these potent toxins are not only responsible for disease, but also provide a powerful set of tools with which to interrogate the biology of the cell. In addition such toxins may act directly to promote carcinogenesis and hence their study is also of interest in a wider context.
The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes are involved in the immune system's response to tumour and infected cells and in generating an immune response. This book brings together basic aspects of the regulation of MHC antigens with important clinical applications (in viral infection, viral oncology, cancer biology and autoimmunity). There is a strong emphasis on situations where MHC expression is modulated (either stimulated or repressed). The book's major themes are: the mechanisms of MHC expression explored at several levels including the transcription and translation of MHC genes and the insertion of MHC protein molecules into plasma membranes; the effect of cytokines on MHC expression both in the aetiology of certain diseases and in possible immunotherapeutic approaches to disease; and the use of gene therapy to modify MHC expression in cancer cells, and thereby cause tumour rejection.
This volume provides a thorough account of the structure and synthesis of microbial exopolysaccharides and of their widespread application across a broad range of industries, including food, oil and medicine. The successful exploitation of these polysaccharides requires a sound scientific understanding of their chemical and physical properties and also their biochemistry and biosynthesis; this volume covers all these aspects in a concise and coherent way. Interest in these polysaccharides has been fuelled by their increasing use in food, in the oil industry and in medicine. The author provides an account of all these areas as well as looking further ahead to speculate how their unique properties might be harnessed for future products and processes.
Hepatitis C infects 170 million people worldwide, and has been labelled the 'silent epidemic' as a result of its concealed attack on the liver. This multidisciplinary overview covers basic concepts related to the discovery of the virus, development of serological and nucleic acid tests to detect infection, the structure of the virus genome, generation of virus gene products, and proposed replication scheme. It then goes on to introduce the epidemiology, transmission, pathogenesis of infection, the development of hepatocellular carcinoma associated with chronic virus infection, and current strategies for treatment. The book then discusses advances in cell culture systems, animal models of infection, and emerging treatments and vaccine development. Through its coverage of basic science, clinical consequences, and methods of research, this integrated and accessible account will be of immense value to biomedical scientists and clinicians alike, and a useful introduction for all those studying the virus and its effects.