Bacterial Resistance to Antimicrobials

This book focuses on combating bacterial pathogens by understanding their strategies of defense! Each chapter begins with a summary of concepts, so those not actively working in the field gain an overall picture of what follows! It highlights antibiotic resistance in pathogens that poses the greatest threat to human health! Containing nearly 2000 references for additional research, "Bacterial Resistance to Antimicrobials" discusses the ecology of drug resistance genes, acquired response, and selection in natural bacterial populations; describes global response systems that are a basis of resistance; details antibiotic modification, inactivation, and host target modification as means of resistance development; considers efflux mechanisms, one of the major causes of multidrug resistance; covers concepts for developing therapies against multidrug resistant organisms; emphasizes the structural basis of lactamases and other enzymes involved in inactivation of antibiotics; surveys the epidemiology of methicillin resistance among nosocomial isolates and community-acquired strains; outlines molecular detection methods for mainstream diagnostic tests; and; assesses the promise of modern genomics to identify novel targets for drug discovery screening. Presenting the molecular basis, methods of detection and identification, and concepts for reducing the development and spread of resistant bacterial strains, "Bacterial Resistance to Antimicrobials" is an excellent reference for microbiologists, pharmacists, public health officials, infectious disease specialists, organic and medicinal chemists, and upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in these disciplines.