Host Microbe Interactions

Host-Microbe Interactions, the latest volume in the Progress in Molecular Biology series, provides a forum for the discussion of new discoveries, approaches, and ideas in molecular biology. It contains contributions from leaders in their respective fields, along with abundant references. This volume is dedicated to the subject of host-microbe interactions.

In light of the rapidity increasing incidence rate of bacterial and fungal infections with multi-resistant pathogens, the metabolic changes associated with host-pathogen interactions offer one of the most promising starting points for developing novel antibiotics. . Part one of this comprehensive guide describes the metabolic adaptation of pathogenic microbes in humans, while part two points to routes for the development of novel antibiotics. This is volume six of the book series on drug discovery in infectious diseases by Paul Selzer.

Infectious diseases have existed longer than us, as long as us, or are relatively newer than us. It may be the case that a disease has existed for many, many years but has only recently begun affecting humans. At the turn of the century the number of deaths caused by infections in the United States had been falling steadily but since the '80s has seen an increase. In the past 30 years alone 37 new pathogens have been identified as human disease threats and 12% of known human pathogens have been classified as either emerging or remerging. Whatever the story, there is currently a "war" on infectious diseases. This war is simply the systematic search for the microbial "cause" of each disease, followed by the development of antimicrobial therapies. The "war" on infectious diseases, however, must be revisited in order to develop a more realistic and detailed picture of the dynamic interactions among and between host organisms and their diverse populations of microbes. Only a fraction of these microbes are pathogens. Thus, in order to explore the crafting of a new metaphor for host-microbe relationships, and to consider how such a new perspective might inform and prioritize biomedical research, the Forum on Microbial Threats of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) convened the workshop, Ending the War Metaphor: The Changing Agenda for Unraveling the Host-Microbe Relationship on March 16-17, 2005. Workshop participants examined knowledge and approaches to learning about the bacterial inhabitants of the human gut, the best known host-microbe system, as well as findings from studies of microbial communities associated with other mammals, fish, plants, soil, and insects. The perspective adopted by this workshop is one that recognizes the breadth and diversity of host-microbe relationships beyond those relative few that result in overt disease. Included in this summary are the reports and papers of individuals participating in the Forum as well as the views of the editors.

The use of microbial plant protection products is growing and their importance will strongly increase due to political and public pressure. World population is growing and the amount of food needed by 2050 will be double of what is produced now whereas the area of agricultural land is decreasing. We must increase crop yield in a sustainable way. Chemical plant growth promoters must be replaced by microbiological products. Also here, the use of microbial products is growing and their importance will strongly increase. A growing area of agricultural land is salinated. Global warming will increase this process. Plants growth is inhibited by salt or even made impossible and farmers tend to disuse the most salinated lands. Microbes have been very successfully used to alleviate salt stress of plants. Chemical pollution of land can make plant growth difficult and crops grown are often polluted and not suitable for consumption. Microbes have been used to degrade these chemical pollutants.

The molecular pathogenesis of microbial agents responsible for respiratory tract infections (RTIs) has been the focus of much research in recent years. The emphasis has been on developing new treatments such as novel antimicrobials and more effective vaccines. Significant attention has also been paid to improving molecular diagnostic methods to identify RTI-causing microbes, as well as understanding the host response to them. The Microbe-Host Interface in Respiratory Tract Infections presents an overview of the current knowledge in this area. It provides us with the first coherent picture of emerging strategies for controlling the microbes responsible for RTIs. This comprehensive volume is divided into three sections: the first reviews topics of general interest; the second focuses on bacterial and atypical RTIs; while the final section covers viral RTIs. Each of the chapters is the work of two or more of the top scientists in the field writing about their own pioneering research. Various chapters comment on vaccines, antibiotics, and molecular diagnostic methods. This cutting-edge work is essential reading for research microbiologists and other scientists involved in the investigation and treatment of RTIs.

Host-Microbe Interactions, the latest volume in the Progress in Molecular Biology series, provides a forum for the discussion of new discoveries, approaches, and ideas in molecular biology. It contains contributions from leaders in their respective fields, along with abundant references. This volume is dedicated to the subject of host-microbe interactions. Provides the latest research on host-microbe interactions, including new discoveries, approaches, and ideas Contains contributions from leading authorities on topics relating to molecular biology Informs and updates on all the latest developments in the field