Bacteriophages

This first major reference work dedicated to the mannifold industrial and medical applications of bacteriophages provides both theoretical and practical insights into the emerging field of bacteriophage biotechnology. The book introduces to bacteriophage biology, ecology and history and reviews the latest technologies and tools in bacteriophage detection, strain optimization and nanotechnology. Usage of bacteriophages in food safety, agriculture, and different therapeutic areas is discussed in detail. This book serves as essential guide for researchers in applied microbiology, biotechnology and medicine coming from both academia and industry.

In response to the emergence of pathogenic bacteria that cannot be treated with current antibiotics, many researchers are revisiting the use of bacteriophages, or phages, to fight multidrug-resistant bacteria. Bacteriophages: Biology and Applications provides unparalleled, comprehensive information on bacteriophages and their applications, such as

It has been 10 years since Plenum included a series of reviews on bacte riophages, in Comprehensive Virology. Chapters in that series contained physical-genetic maps but very little DNA sequence information. Now the complete DNA sequence is known for some phages, and the se quences for others will soon follow. During the past 10 years two phages have come into common use as reagents: A phage for cloning single copies of genes, and Ml3 for cloning and DNA sequencing by the dideoxy termi nation method. Also during that period the use of alternative sigma fac tors by RNA polymerase has become established for SPOl and T4. This seems to be a widely used mechanism in bacteria, since it has been implicated in sporulation, heat shock response, and regulation of nitro gen metabolism. The control of transcription by the binding of A phage CII protein to the -35 region of the promoter is a recent finding, and it is not known how widespread this mechanism may be. This rapid progress made me eager to solicit a new series of reviews. These contributions are of two types. Each of the first type deals with an issue that is exemplified by many kinds of phages; chapters of this type should be useful in teaching advanced courses. Chapters of the second type provide comprehensive pictures of individual phage families and should provide valuable information for use in planning experiments.

Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria; as such, they have many potential uses for promoting health and combating disease. This book covers the many facets of phage-bacterial-human interaction in three sections: the role and impact of phages on natural bacterial communities, the potential to develop phage-based therapeutics and other aspects in which phages can be used to combat disease, including bacterial detection, bacterial epidemiology, the tracing of fecal contamination of water and decontamination of foods.

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.

Bacteriophages have received attention as biological control agents since their discovery and recently their value as tools has been further emphasized in many different fields of microbiology. Particularly, in drug design and development programs, phage and prophage genomics provide the field with new insights. Bacteriophages reveals information on the organisms ranging from their biology to their applications in agriculture and medicine. Contributors address a variety of topics capturing information on advancing technologies in the field. The book starts with the biology and classification of bacteriophages with subsequent chapters addressing phage infections in industrial processes and their use as therapeutic or biocontrol agents. Microbiologists, biotechnologists, agricultural, biomedical and sanitary engineers will find Bacteriophages invaluable as a solid resource and reference book.

This book expands on the previous volumes with new chapters exploring emerging themes and methodologies in bacterial virus research. The chapters in this book are divided into 4 parts and cover topics such as: iron chloride flocculation of bacteriophages from seawater; encapsulation of Listeria phage A511 by alginate; examining genome termini of bacteriophage through high-throughput sequencing; genome sequencing of dsDNA-containing bacteriophages directly from a single plaque; characterizing bacteriophages by biology, taxonomy, and genome analysis; phage genome annotation using the RAST pipeline; and the use of RP4::mini-Mu for gene transfer. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Cutting edge and authoritative, Bacteriophages: Methods and Protocols, Volume III is a valuable resource for both established and novice phage scientists.

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.