Download or read book The Perfect Predator written by Steffanie Strathdee and published by Hachette Books. This book was released on 2019-02-26 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An electrifying memoir of one woman's extraordinary effort to save her husband's life-and the discovery of a forgotten cure that has the potential to save millions more. "A memoir that reads like a thriller." -New York Times Book Review "A fascinating and terrifying peek into the devastating outcomes of antibiotic misuse-and what happens when standard health care falls short." -Scientific American Epidemiologist Steffanie Strathdee and her husband, psychologist Tom Patterson, were vacationing in Egypt when Tom came down with a stomach bug. What at first seemed like a case of food poisoning quickly turned critical, and by the time Tom had been transferred via emergency medevac to the world-class medical center at UC San Diego, where both he and Steffanie worked, blood work revealed why modern medicine was failing: Tom was fighting one of the most dangerous, antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the world. Frantic, Steffanie combed through research old and new and came across phage therapy: the idea that the right virus, aka "the perfect predator," can kill even the most lethal bacteria. Phage treatment had fallen out of favor almost 100 years ago, after antibiotic use went mainstream. Now, with time running out, Steffanie appealed to phage researchers all over the world for help. She found allies at the FDA, researchers from Texas A&M, and a clandestine Navy biomedical center -- and together they resurrected a forgotten cure. A nail-biting medical mystery, The Perfect Predator is a story of love and survival against all odds, and the (re)discovery of a powerful new weapon in the global superbug crisis.

Download or read book Until Proven Safe written by Nicola Twilley and published by MCD. This book was released on 2021-07-20 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Geoff Manaugh and Nicola Twilley have been researching quarantine since long before the COVID-19 pandemic. With Until Proven Safe, they bring us a book as compelling as it is definitive, not only urgent reading for social-distanced times but also an up-to-the-minute investigation of the interplay of forces–––biological, political, technological––that shape our modern world. Quarantine is our most powerful response to uncertainty: it means waiting to see if something hidden inside us will be revealed. It is also one of our most dangerous, operating through an assumption of guilt. In quarantine, we are considered infectious until proven safe. Until Proven Safe tracks the history and future of quarantine around the globe, chasing the story of emergency isolation through time and space—from the crumbling lazarettos of the Mediterranean, built to contain the Black Death, to an experimental Ebola unit in London, and from the hallways of the CDC to closed-door simulations where pharmaceutical execs and epidemiologists prepare for the outbreak of a novel coronavirus. But the story of quarantine ranges far beyond the history of medical isolation. In Until Proven Safe, the authors tour a nuclear-waste isolation facility beneath the New Mexican desert, see plants stricken with a disease that threatens the world’s wheat supply, and meet NASA’s Planetary Protection Officer, tasked with saving Earth from extraterrestrial infections. They also introduce us to the corporate tech giants hoping to revolutionize quarantine through surveillance and algorithmic prediction. We live in a disorienting historical moment that can feel both unprecedented and inevitable; Until Proven Safe helps us make sense of our new reality through a thrillingly reported, thought-provoking exploration of the meaning of freedom, governance, and mutual responsibility.

Download or read book Buruli Ulcer written by Gerd Pluschke and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-04-29 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A major objective of this open access book is to summarize the current status of Buruli Ulcer (BU) research for the first time. It will identify gaps in our knowledge, stimulate research and support control of the disease by providing insight into approaches for surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment of Buruli Ulcer. Book chapters will cover the history, epidemiology diagnosis, treatment and disease burden of BU and provide insight into the microbiology, genomics, transmission and virulence of Mycobacterium ulcerans.

Download or read book Bacteriophages and Biofilms written by Stephen T. Abedon and published by Nova Biomedical Books. This book was released on 2011 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bacteriophages (phages) are the viruses of bacteria and biofilms that represent a frequent niche for bacteria, where they are embedded in extensive extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and can be structured into complex microcolonies. As a consequence of the resulting spatial structure and heterogeneity, phage-bacterial interactions within biofilms can be more complicated than those between phages and planktonic bacteria. This book presents and discusses research which provides a better understanding of the biology of phages interacting with biofilms.

Download or read book Medical Biosensors for Point of Care POC Applications written by Roger Narayan and published by Woodhead Publishing. This book was released on 2016-08-21 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Medical Biosensors for Point of Care (POC) Applications discusses advances in this important and emerging field which has the potential to transform patient diagnosis and care. Part 1 covers the fundamentals of medical biosensors for point-of-care applications. Chapters in part 2 go on to look at materials and fabrication of medical biosensors while the next part looks at different technologies and operational techniques. The final set of chapters provide an overview of the current applications of this technology. Traditionally medical diagnostics have been dependent on sophisticated technologies which only trained professionals were able to operate. Recent research has focused on creating point-of-care diagnostic tools. These biosensors are miniaturised, portable, and are designed to be used at the point-of-care by untrained individuals, providing real-time and remote health monitoring. - Provides essential knowledge for designers and manufacturers of biosensors for point-of-care applications - Provides comprehensive coverage of the fundamentals, materials, technologies, and applications of medical biosensors for point-of-care applications - Includes contributions from leading international researchers with extensive experience in developing medical biosensors - Discusses advances in this important and emerging field which has the potential to transform patient diagnosis and care

Download or read book Phage Therapy Past Present and Future written by Stephen T. Abedon and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2017-09-05 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Historically, the first observation of a transmissible lytic agent that is specifically active against a bacterium (Bacillus anthracis) was by a Russian microbiologist Nikolay Gamaleya in 1898. At that time, however, it was too early to make a connection to another discovery made by Dmitri Ivanovsky in 1892 and Martinus Beijerinck in 1898 on a non-bacterial pathogen infecting tobacco plants. Thus the viral world was discovered in two of the three domains of life, and our current understanding is that viruses represent the most abundant biological entities on the planet. The potential of bacteriophages for infection treatment have been recognized after the discoveries by Frederick Twort and Felix d’Hérelle in 1915 and 1917. Subsequent phage therapy developments, however, have been overshadowed by the remarkable success of antibiotics in infection control and treatment, and phage therapy research and development persisted mostly in the former Soviet Union countries, Russia and Georgia, as well as in France and Poland. The dramatic rise of antibiotic resistance and especially of multi-drug resistance among human and animal bacterial pathogens, however, challenged the position of antibiotics as a single most important pillar for infection control and treatment. Thus there is a renewed interest in phage therapy as a possible additive/alternative therapy, especially for the infections that resist routine antibiotic treatment. The basis for the revival of phage therapy is affected by a number of issues that need to be resolved before it can enter the arena, which is traditionally reserved for antibiotics. Probably the most important is the regulatory issue: How should phage therapy be regulated? Similarly to drugs? Then the co-evolving nature of phage-bacterial host relationship will be a major hurdle for the production of consistent phage formulae. Or should we resort to the phage products such as lysins and the corresponding engineered versions in order to have accurate and consistent delivery doses? We still have very limited knowledge about the pharmacodynamics of phage therapy. More data, obtained in animal models, are necessary to evaluate the phage therapy efficiency compared, for example, to antibiotics. Another aspect is the safety of phage therapy. How do phages interact with the immune system and to what costs, or benefits? What are the risks, in the course of phage therapy, of transduction of undesirable properties such as virulence or antibiotic resistance genes? How frequent is the development of bacterial host resistance during phage therapy? Understanding these and many other aspects of phage therapy, basic and applied, is the main subject of this Topic.

Download or read book Oral Microbiology in Periodontitis written by Sonia Bhonchal Bhardwaj and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2018-08-01 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book will serve as a brief yet exhaustive guide to the role of oral microbes in health and disease. It will be useful to dental and medical students and to microbiologists.

Download or read book Nanotechnology in Diagnosis Treatment and Prophylaxis of Infectious Diseases written by Mahendra Rai and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2015-05-23 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nanotechnology in Diagnosis, Treatment and Prophylaxis of Infectious Diseases delivers comprehensive coverage of the application of nanotechnology to pressing problems in infectious disease. This text equips readers with cutting-edge knowledge of promising developments and future prospects in nanotechnology, paying special attention to microbes that are now resistant to conventional antibiotics, a concerning problem in modern medicine. Readers will find a thorough discussion of this new approach to infectious disease treatment, including the reasons nanotechnology presents a promising avenue for the diagnosis, treatment, and prophylaxis of infectious diseases. - Provides a comprehensive overview of the use of nanotechnology in the treatment and diagnosis of infectious diseases - Covers all common types of infective agents, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa, along with their vectors, ticks, mosquitoes, flies, etc. - Delivers commentary from an international researcher base, providing insights across differing economic statuses - Includes a foundation of basic nanotechnological concepts to aid in designing new strategies to combat several pathogenic diseases and cancer - Illustrates the high antimicrobial potential of nanoparticles, ultimately demonstrating how they are a promising alternative class that can be successfully used in fighting a myriad of infections

Download or read book Phage Therapy A Practical Approach written by Andrzej Górski and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2019-10-25 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book gives a detailed yet clear insight into the current state of the art of the therapeutic application of bacteriophages in different conditions. The authors bring in their practical expertise within their respective fields of expertise and provide an excellent overview of the potential and actual use of phage therapy. Topics like economic feasibility compared to traditional antibiotics and also regulatory issues are discussed in far detail. This new volume is therefore a valuable resource for individuals engaged in the medical application of novel phage therapies.

Download or read book Frontiers in Staphylococcus aureus written by Shymaa Enany and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2017-03-08 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Staphylococcus was first recognized as a human pathogen in 1880 and was named for its grape cluster-like appearance. In 1884, Staphylococcus aureus was identified and named for its vibrant golden color, which was later found to be the result of golden toxin production. Here, experts examine in-depth patterns of S. aureus colonization and exposures in humans, mammals, and birds that have led to the development of various clinical diseases. The mode of transmission of S. aureus and different methods for its detection in different samples are defined. Conventional antibiotic options to treat this aggressive, multifaceted, and readily adaptable pathogen are becoming limited. Alternative, novel chemotherapeutics to target S. aureus are discussed in the pages within, including herbal medicines, bee products, and modes of delivery.

Download or read book Bacteriophages written by Renos Savva and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2020-02-19 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bacteriophages are viruses that utilise bacterial cells as factories for their own propagation and as safe havens for their genomic material. They are capable of equipping bacteria with properties that bestow environmental advantages. They are also capable of specifically and efficiently killing bacteria.Bacteriophages are resilient in a wide diversity of environments, presumed to be as ancient as life itself, and are estimated to be the most numerous biological entities on the planet. Their overarching capacity to survive via molecular adaptation is supported by an arsenal of encoded enzymatic tools, which also enabled biotechnology. This volume includes contributions that describe bacteriophages as nanomachines, genetic engineers, and also as medicines and technologies of the future, including relevant production and process issues.

Download or read book Mechanisms of antibiotic resistance written by Jun Lin and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2015-06-01 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Antibiotics represent one of the most successful forms of therapy in medicine. But the efficiency of antibiotics is compromised by the growing number of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Antibiotic resistance, which is implicated in elevated morbidity and mortality rates as well as in the increased treatment costs, is considered to be one of the major global public health threats (www.who.int/drugresistance/en/) and the magnitude of the problem recently prompted a number of international and national bodies to take actions to protect the public (http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_consumer/docs/road-map-amr_en.pdf: http://www.who.int/drugresistance/amr_global_action_plan/en/; http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/carb_national_strategy.pdf). Understanding the mechanisms by which bacteria successfully defend themselves against the antibiotic assault represent the main theme of this eBook published as a Research Topic in Frontiers in Microbiology, section of Antimicrobials, Resistance, and Chemotherapy. The articles in the eBook update the reader on various aspects and mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. A better understanding of these mechanisms should facilitate the development of means to potentiate the efficacy and increase the lifespan of antibiotics while minimizing the emergence of antibiotic resistance among pathogens.

Download or read book Viruses and Viral Infections in Developing Countries written by Snežana Jovanović-Ćupić and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2020-06-17 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book contains information on various virus families, with the focus on viruses causing prevalent infections in parts of developing countries in Africa and Asia. Viral proteins play an important role in their replication and infection potential, and are the main candidates for antiviral therapy and vaccines. While some antiviral vaccines are available for quite some time (e.g. MMR), there are regions in the world still struggling with some infections. This is especially the problem in regions where the morbidity rate from viral infections among young children is high. This situation requires urgent measures to put infections under control.

Download or read book Advances in Understanding the Biology of Halophilic Microorganisms written by Russell H. Vreeland and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-14 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is designed to be a long term career reference. The chapters present modern procedures. This is a how-to-book with a difference. These chapters: - reveal the background information about working with salt loving organisms, - are loaded with information about how experiments are conducted under high salt, - provide information about analyses that work under these conditions and those that may not, - present a wide range of details from laboratory designs to equipment used and even to simple anecdotal hints that can only come from experience. Microbiological training focuses largely on the growth, the handling and the study of the microbes associated with humans and animals. Yet the largest proportion of the Earth’s microbiota lives in saline environments such as the Oceans, saline deserts and terminal hypersaline environments. This need for salt can be intimidating for those interested in entering the field or for those interested in understanding how such research is accomplished.

Download or read book Biofilm Infections written by Thomas Bjarnsholt and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-10-11 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book will cover both the evidence for biofilms in many chronic bacterial infections as well as the problems facing these infections such as diagnostics and treatment regimes. A still increasing interest and emphasis on the sessile bacterial lifestyle biofilms has been seen since it was realized that that less than 0.1% of the total microbial biomass lives in the planktonic mode of growth. The term was coined in 1978 by Costerton et al. who defined the term biofilm for the first time.In 1993 the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) recognised that the biofilmmode of growth was relevant to microbiology. Lately many articles have been published on the clinical implications of bacterial biofilms. Both original articles and reviews concerning the biofilm problem are available.

Download or read book Viruses Vs Superbugs written by T. Häusler and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-05-24 with total page 307 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Each year thousands of people die from bacteria resistant to antibiotics. Alternative drugs are urgently needed. A surprising ray of hope from the past are viruses that kill bacteria, but not us. Award-winning science journalist Thomas Häusler investigates how these long-forgotten cures may help sick people today.

Download or read book VIRUSES OF PROKARYOTES written by Hans-Wolfgang Ackermann and published by Springer. This book was released on 1987-10-31 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: