from Takeshi Zendo and Kenji Sonomoto writing in Lactic Acid Bacteria and Bifidobacteria: Current Progress in Advanced Research : Many strains of lactic acid bacteria produce antimicrobial peptides, bacteriocins, which are expected to be used as safe antimicrobial agents as well as food preservatives. Since nisin A was recognized in 1928, diverse bacteriocins have been identified from various species of lactic acid bacteria. Based on their structures and characteristics, bacteriocins were classified mainly into two classes, class I read more ...

ChIP-Sequencing from Sebastian Lunke and Assam El-Osta writing in Epigenetics: A Reference Manual : With the advances in traditional genetics failing to provide causal genes for many complex diseases, the focus of research is shifting towards determining the importance of gene-environment interactions, more specifically epigenetic regulation. Paramount to answering this question is the knowledge of which transcription factors bind to what sequence, as well as a detailed understanding of how the transcriptional state of a genetic sequence is read more ...

Changing the Therapeutic Paradigm in Antibacterial Drug Therapy and Discovery from Arturo Casadevall writing in Emerging Trends in Antibacterial Discovery: Answering the Call to Arms : At the beginning of the 21 st century the therapeutic paradigm for the treatment of infectious diseases can be summarized by three words: kill the bug. In other words, the overwhelming majority of therapeutic interventions against microbial diseases are designed to help the host by damaging the microbe directly and/or interfering with its ability to replicate read more ...

Centromeres and Telomeres from Emma L. Northrop and Lee H. Wong writing in Epigenetics: A Reference Manual : In eukaryotes, each chromosome has one centromere and its ends are protected by telomeres. The centromere is a specialized chromosomal locus that directs kinetochore assembly and provides the site for microtubule attachment, allowing accurate chromosome segregation during cell division. Despite the critical role centromeres play, centromeric DNA sequences are highly variable and not conserved between species. Increasing evidence, read more ...

Cellular Invasion by Bacterial Pathogens from writing in Bacterial Pathogenesis: Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms : Further reading: Bacterial Pathogenesis: Molecular and Cellular read more ...

The new book on Nitrogen Cycling in Bacteria edited by James W. B. Moir will be available for dispatch within the next 2 or 3 read more ...

from Amalia S. Afendra, Maria Parapouli and Constantin Drainas writing in Microbial Bioremediation of Non-metals: Current Research : During the last century, xenobiotic pollutants harmful to environment and health were dramatically increased as a consequence of human activities, such as petroleum industries, agro-industries, household or commercial use. In the polluted areas a large diversity of bacteria with the ability to use these compounds as carbon and/or nitrogen source were developed and proved to be useful for bioremediation read more ...

Canine Distemper Virus from Bevan Sawatsky, Sébastien Delpeut and Veronika von Messling writing in The Biology of Paramyxoviruses : Canine distemper virus (CDV), a member of the genus Morbillivirus , causes one of the most devastating infectious diseases in carnivores. It is highly contagious and transmitted by aerosol or contact with body fluids from infected animals. Immune cells expressing the morbillivirus receptor signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM, CD150) are the initial CDV targets, and first infected peripheral read more ...

Excerpt from a book review of Essentials of Veterinary Parasitology : "an up-to-date resource for students and practicing veterinarians for recognizing, diagnosing and treating parasitic diseases in livestock and pet animals. Featuring full-colour illustrations and a user friendly layout ... This excellent volume will be of a great value to veterinary students, practicing veterinarians and all researchers in the field of parasitology, including practising parasitologists, immunologists, and physicians, and also for beginners in all of these read more ...

The new book on Emerging Trends in Antibacterial Discovery edited by Alita A. Miller and Paul F. Miller will be available for dispatch within the next 2 or 3 read more ...

Brucella: Relationship to Other Alphaproteobacteria Current Taxonomy and the Emergence of New Species from Holger C. Scholz, Peter Kämpfer and Axel Cloeckaert writing in Brucella : Molecular Microbiology and Genomics : The genus Brucella belongs to the class Alphaproteobacteria which is one of the largest and diverse groups within the phylum Proteobacteria. Comparative genome analysis revealed that Brucella is genetically related to plant-associated symbionts and pathogens. The genus Ochrobactrum , consisting of saprophytes that read more ...

The new book on Helicobacter pylori edited by Lyudmila Boyanova will be available for dispatch next read more ...

Bisulphite-enabled Technologies from Miina Ollikainen writing in Epigenetics: A Reference Manual : A large variety of methods to measure DNA methylation have been developed and used extensively over the last twenty years. These have been based on selective restriction digestion of methylated DNA, the capture of methylated DNA by methyl binding proteins or antibodies, or bisulphite conversion of DNA. However, all restriction enzyme based methods are dependent on available restriction sites for methylation-specific restriction enzymes and read more ...

Biosynthetic Engineering of Antibacterial Natural Products from Jay Fitzgerald, Younjoo Lee and Chaitan Khosla writing in Emerging Trends in Antibacterial Discovery: Answering the Call to Arms : Since the discovery of penicillin, the development of anti-infective drugs has been a central theme in the pharmaceutical industry through much of the 20 th century. However, the pace of developing new anti-infective agents has precipitously declined in the past two decades. The main reason for this change is an economic one - whereas the technical read more ...

from Maria Pouli and Spiros N. Agathos writing in Microbial Bioremediation of Non-metals: Current Research : Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread pollutants found in industrial sites linked with petroleum, gas production or other activities involving incomplete combustion of organic matter. These compounds constitute a priority for treatment of contaminated soils and sediments due to their toxicity and carcinogenicity. Microbial degradation represents an important mechanism of PAH removal and can be used for the treatment read more ...

The new book on Paramyxoviruses edited by Siba K. Samal will be available for dispatch very soon (before the end of June, read more ...

from Ray M. Kaplan writing in Essentials of Veterinary Parasitology : Anthelmintic resistance is defined as a heritable genetic change in a population of worms that produces an alteration in the chemical sensitivity of that population. This change enables some individual worms in that population to survive drug treatments that are generally effective against the same species and stage of infection at the same dose rate. In practical terms anthelmintic resistance is present in a population of parasites when the efficacy of the drug falls read more ...

Biology and Genetics of the Brucella Outer Membrane from Nieves Vizcaíno and Axel Cloeckaert writing in Brucella : Molecular Microbiology and Genomics : The particular characteristics of the Brucella outer membrane (OM) are considered to importantly contribute to the biological properties of these bacteria that are able to survive in the hostile environment of phagocytes and cause persistent infections in diverse mammals. This contrasts with the Brucella 's closest relatives in the genus Ochrobactrum which are only occasionally read more ...

Bioinformatics Analysis of Epigenomic Methylation Patterns in the Era of Massively Parallel Sequencing from Mark D. Robinson, Bryan Beresford-Smith, Anthony Kaspi and I. Haviv writing in Epigenetics: A Reference Manual : Since biological phenotype and differentiation is regulated partially through CpG DNA methylation, and this mark is relatively easy to measure, genome-wide profiling of methylation landscape is a popular tool in epigenetic research. The burden then falls on bioinformatics to provide normalization, quality control, and read more ...

Biofims: the Secret Story of Microbial Communities from Christophe S. Bernard, Caroline Giraud, Jennifer Spagnolo, and Sophie de Bentzmann writing in Bacterial Pathogenesis: Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms : This chapter is dedicated to a particular phase of the bacterial cell cycle known as the biofilm, in which single-celled individuals gather together to form a sedentary but dynamic community with a complex structure, displaying spatial and functional heterogeneity. In response to the perception of environmental signals by sensing read more ...

from Philippe Cuny, Cristiana Cravo-Laureau, Vincent Grossi, Franck Gilbert and Cécile Militon writing in Microbial Bioremediation of Non-metals: Current Research : Sediments can serve as sinks for hydrocarbon contaminants in marine ecosystems. Once settled, hydrocarbons fate will be dominated by several abiotic and biotic processes that will result in either their partial or total degradation or in a selective preservation when buried within the sediment. Biodegradation of hydrocarbons in marine sediments is mainly due to the read more ...

Roberto Paul Anitori (Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon, USA) presents a new book on Extremophiles: Microbiology and Biotechnology This book highlights the current and topical areas of research in this rapidly growing field. Expert authors from around the world provide the latest insights into the mechanisms these fascinating organisms use to survive. The topics covered include the ability of acidophiles to maintain a neutral intracellular pH, the way that psychrophiles "loosen up" their proteins at low temperatures, and read more ...

Biochemistry of Mo-Nitrogenase from John W. Peters, Eric S. Boyd, Trinity Hamilton and Luis M. Rubio writing in Nitrogen Cycling in Bacteria: Molecular Analysis : The large majority of biological nitrogen fixation occurs by the activity of Mo-nitrogenase. Mo-nitrogenase is found in a wide variety of bacteria and some Archaea and is a complex two component enzyme that contains multiple metal-containing prosthetic groups. The biochemistry of nitrogenase has a rich history and the enzyme is a model system for examining more general processes in read more ...

Aimed at journalists, professional writers, students and non-microbiologists. The correct way to write a species name and samples of incorrect ways The CORRECT way to write E. coli is: E. coli Note the following: The uppercase " E " and the lowercase " coli " in E. coli The dot (period, full stop) after the " E " in E. coli The single space after the dot in E. coli E. coli should be in italics INCORRECT ways to write E. coli are: E. coli (incorrect because it is not in italics) E.coli (incorrect because there is no space after the dot) E. read more ...

from Abelardo Margolles and Atsushi Yokota writing in Lactic Acid Bacteria and Bifidobacteria: Current Progress in Advanced Research : Bile is mainly composed of bile acids, detergent-like biological substances synthesized from cholesterol in the liver. They are involved in the generation of bile flow, and their major physiological function is to facilitate the absorption of lipophilic compounds from the diet, including vitamins and lipids. Furthermore, bile also plays a crucial role in the establishment of the intestinal microbiota in read more ...

The new book on Microbial Bioremediation of Non-metals: Current Research edited by Anna-Irini Koukkou will be available by the end of this month (June read more ...

Beyond Denitrification: Alternative Routes to Dinitrogen from Marc Strous writing in Nitrogen Cycling in Bacteria: Molecular Analysis : Although nitrate is a powerful electron acceptor, it was generally believed that it could not be used to activate recalcitrant substrates such as ammonium and methane. Only in the past decades, bacteria were identified that could activate these compounds. These bacteria have become known as anaerobic ammonium oxidizing ('anammox') bacteria and 'denitrifying methanotrophs'. Each makes use of a different and read more ...

Excerpt from a book review of Vaccine Design: Innovative Approaches and Novel Strategies : "recommended to microbiologists and vaccinologists, immunologists, infectious diseases and public health physicians, and to the many scientists working on vaccine development in industry" from Ulrich Desselberger (Cambridge, UK) writing in Microbiology read more ...

Excerpt from a book review of Streptomyces : Molecular Biology and Biotechnology : "many of the chapters have been authored by major names within the field ... a comprehensive, up-to-date snapshot of the current Streptomyces field" from Paul Hoskisson (University of Strathclyde, UK) writing in Microbiology read more ...

Excerpt from a book review of Environmental Microbiology: Current Technology and Water Applications : "Both the content and the quality of the writing exceeded my expectations ... carefully written and explained ... a valuable resource for many years to come ... an excellent resource for senior undergraduates, researchers and academics" from Linda Lawton (Robert Gordon University, UK) writing in Microbiology read more ...

Excerpt from a book review of Recent Advances in Plant Virology : "an extensive overview of recent developments in plant virus research ... chapters are well-written and on the cutting edge of research ... an excellent piece of work for a specialized audience such as graduate students, postdoctoral and senior researchers or lecturers ... each institutional library should stock a copy for reference" from Heiko Ziebell (Julius Kuhn Institut, Germany) writing in Microbiology read more ...

Excerpt from a book review of Sensory Mechanisms in Bacteria: Molecular Aspects of Signal Recognition : "an excellent volume, put together thoughtfully to give good coverage of a complex and fascinating subject, which should grace any microbiology library" from Paul Hoskisson (University of Strathclyde, UK) writing in Microbiology read more ...

Excerpt from a book review of Insect Virology : "excellently written chapters ... a publication of very high standard, useful to experts in the field, but easy enough to introduce the subject to other virologists and students with a basic understanding of virology" from Alain Kohl (University of Edinburgh, UK) writing in Microbiology read more ...

Excerpt from a book review of Hepatitis C: Antiviral Drug Discovery and Development : "This is a thorough review of current developments in vaccine and therapeutic drug development for the treatment and prevention of HCV. This is a valuable book for scientists and drug development companies searching for a permanent cure for HCV." from Rebecca T. Horvat (University of Kansas Medical Center, USA) writing in read more ...

from Yasushi Kawai and Tadao Saito writing in Lactic Acid Bacteria and Bifidobacteria: Current Progress in Advanced Research : Bacteriocins have been reported in a large number of bacteria and are used by these organisms in the struggle for survival and bacterial communication. The bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have potential applications to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria in humans. And the bacteriocin-producing LAB strains isolated from foods and human origins are expected to be effective probiotic candidates. read more ...

Bacterial Resistance to Antimicrobial Peptides from John D. F. Hale writing in Bacterial Pathogenesis: Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms : Host defence peptides (HDP) are small cationic, amphipathic molecules produced by all organisms as a first line of defence against microbial invasion and are commonly found at host-microbe interfaces, such as epithelial layers. Although initially identified to control microbial levels through direct antimicrobial activity, their role has been expanded to include the multitude of other functions including read more ...

Peter Graumann (University of Freiburg, Germany) presents a new book on Bacillus Extensively revised and updated, the new edition of this valuable reference work provides a comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of the current knowledge and new research in Bacillus molecular and cellular biology. Under the expert guidance of the editor Peter Graumann, renowned authors from around the world have contributed critical reviews on the most recent and topical research. Subjects covered include chromosome replication, DNA repair, chromosome read more ...

Bacterial Phenotypes Refractory to Antibiotic-Mediated Killing: Mechanisms and Mitigation from Alex J. O'Neill writing in Emerging Trends in Antibacterial Discovery: Answering the Call to Arms : Antibiotic resistance is conferred by heritable genetic determinants that enable a bacterium to grow and cause disease in the presence of therapeutically-achievable concentrations of the corresponding antibiotic. However, bacteria may also become refractory to the killing action of antibacterial agents in ways that do not fit this definition, and read more ...