The emergence and reemergence of infectious diseases, an increasing rate of antibiotic-resistant variants of pathogens, and the threat of bioterrorism underscore the importance of bacterial genomes and infectious diseases. Bacterial Genomes and Infectious Diseases presents major findings about bacterial genomes and their impact on strategy and approach for investigating mechanisms of pathogenesis of infectious diseases. This book imparts fundamental knowledge on the structure, organization, and evolution of bacterial genomes. The value and power of comparative genomics and proteomics, bioinformatics, microarrays, and knockout animal models in analyzing genomes, bacteria-host interactions and disease are demonstrated. Also discussed are the genomes of virulent and nonvirulent strains and species, origin and evolution of pathogens, different models of bacteria-host interactions, and diseases mechanisms.
On the forefront of critical research, Bacterial Genomes and Infectious Diseases provides valuable reading for infectious disease specialists, medical microbiologists, clinician scientists, and undergraduate and graduate students in microbiology, pathobiology, and genetics.
Doody Review Services
**Reviewer:**Richard Goering, PhD(Creighton University School of Medicine)
**Description:**This book summarizes the impact advances in bacterial genomics have had on the study and understanding of infectious diseases. The initial four foundation chapters consider approaches to microbial genomic analysis, the application of the resulting data to the study of infectious disease, and the origin and evolution of virulent isolates, as well as provide an overview of host (i.e., innate immune) response. Subsequent chapters focus on the role genomic analysis has played in understanding the ability of nine different pathogens to cause infectious disease.
**Purpose:**Contributors include a host of individuals well versed in the subject of microbial pathogenesis and infectious disease. Both by overview and specific example, the book aims to explore not only the contribution recent advances in bacterial genomics have made to our current understanding of infectious disease, but also the potential for further innovative advances in infectious disease research in the future.
**Audience:**It is intended as a review and resource for health professionals at a variety of levels including medical and graduate students, microbiologists, clinician scientists, and others interesting in broadening their understanding of the molecular basis of microbial pathogenesis and virulence.
**Features:**The book is nicely organized with early chapters providing a logical foundation for the subsequent consideration of individual pathogens. The text is well supported by appropriate tables and figures. One could question the choice of specific organisms examined. However, the group does contain a reasonably balanced variety of pathogens (e.g., Gram-positive, Gram-negative, acid-fast, etc.) which, in a book of this size, would be expected to be illustrative rather than comprehensive in scope.
**Assessment:**While not an in-depth analysis, this book should serve well those seeking a general introduction and overview of both the principles and application of microbial genomics to the study of infectious disease. Clear explanations of what can often be viewed as a complex and confusing subject should make this a valuable resource in this important and rapidly advancing area of research.