Microbial Cell Surface Analysis

Bacterial Cell Surface Techniques is the first complete practical text on the chemistry and immunochemistry of bacterial cell walls. It provides details of methods available for the preparation of cell walls and their components. All the sections are written by researchers with first-hand practical experience of the techniques. The book concentrates on techniques that are available to most laboratories and provides complete information for workers new to the field, while at the same time serving as a valuable reference work for those already engaged in cell-surface research.

This book presents an accessible and comprehensive survey of recent advances in the understanding of the structure and properties of microbial cell surfaces. Gathering leading experts in the field, it is the first book to cover the fundamental knowledge of microbial cell surfaces at the nanometre-scale resolution that is now provided by various scanning probe microscopy techniques (SPM). The advent of SPM has recently opened up a wide range of novel and fascinating applications for biological research. The book presents the most recent advances in the application of SPM techniques to study cell surfaces. It is a useful guide for researchers that are seeking to tap the power and scope of this technology to further their own work on cell surface structure and properties. The book also provides the reader with a realistic appreciation of the advantages and limitations of the SPM techniques, as well as the potential of these techniques to advance our understanding of biological systems to a new level.

Over the last two decades, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) has undoubtedly had a considerable impact in unraveling the structures and dynamics of microbial surfaces with nanometer resolution, and under physiological conditions. Moreover, the continuous innovations in AFM-based modalities as well as the combination of AFM with modern optical techniques, such as confocal fluorescence microscopy or Raman spectroscopy, increased the diversity and volume of data that can be acquired in an experiment. It is evident that these combinations provide new ways to investigate a broad spectrum of microbiological processes at the level of single cells. In this book, I have endeavored to highlight the wealth of AFM-based modalities that have been implemented over the recent years leading to the multiparametric and multifunctional characterization of, specifically, bacterial surfaces. Examples include the real-time imaging of the nanoscale organization of cell walls, the quantification of subcellular chemical heterogeneities, the mapping and functional analysis of individual cell wall constituents, and the probing of the nanomechanical properties of living bacteria. It is expected that in the near future more AFM-based modalities and complementary techniques will be combined into single experiments to address pertinent problems and challenges in microbial research. Such improvements may make it possible to address the dynamic nature of many more microbial cell surfaces and their constituents, including the restructuring of cellular membranes, pores and transporters, signaling of cell membrane receptors, and formation of cell-adhesion complexes. Ultimately, manifold discoveries and engineering possibilities will materialize as multiparametric tools allow systems of increasing complexity to be probed and manipulated.

Crystalline Bacterial Cell Surface Proteins assembles information on the understanding of the occurrence, structure, chemistry, genetics, assembly, function, and application potential of S-layers. The chapters are designed to stand independent of each other and provide a complete survey of the different topics in S-layer research. This book is intended to stimulate further development in basic and applied S-layer research. Assembles present-day understanding of S-layers Provides a detailed survey of the entire field of basic and applied S-layer research Potential for broad application in biotechnology, vaccine development, diagnostics, molecular nanotechnology, and biomimetics

This Methods in Molecular Biology book gathers tools for studying protein structure and function and enzymatic activities, purifying and analyzing of macromolecules and their complexes and investigating regulatory mechanisms and cell biological processes."

... an important milestone in the field of microbial adhesion and should be indispensable to all workers in that discipline Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology.