Pseudomonas Infection And Alginates

The concept of this book arose out of an international workshop, which we organized and held at the University of Wales Conference Centre at Gregynog. The workshop was the first occasion on which researchers from all the different disciplines concerned with the extracellular virulence factors of mucoid strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in relation to cystic fibrosis (CF) had met to discuss this multifaceted problem. It was deemed a particularly timely moment to gather together experts for the exchange of facts, ideas and hypotheses. No formal abstracts were presented and no proceedings were published. But during the succeed ing months the organizers were persuaded by a number of participants that a wider audience should benefit from what had proved to be such a fruitful cross-fertilization of expertise. Thus we moved from being workshop organizers to book editors, sure in the knowledge that at least we had a willing and enthusiastic set of contributors! It should be stressed, however, that this book is not a transcript of that workshop. Not all those participants are authors, and some new names have been added. Instead we have focused on alginate as an extracellular virulence factor of P. aeruginosa in CF pulmonary infections. Recent advances in the biochemistry and molecular genetics of alginate bio synthesis, as well as in our understanding of the basic defect in CF and isolation of the gene, mean that the book is even more timely than when first planned.

"Alginates: Biology and Applications" provides an overview of the state of art of alginate material properties, genetics and the molecular mechanisms underlying alginate biosynthesis as well as applications of tailor-made alginates in medicine, food and biotechnology. Topics treated are: material properties of alginates, alginate production: precursor biosynthesis, polymerization and secretion, bacterial system for alginate uptake and degradation, enzymatic alginate modification, alginate gene regulation, role of alginate in bacterial biofilms, microbial production of alginates: physiology and process aspects, alginate-based blends and nano/microbeads, applications of alginates in food, alginate and its comonomer mannuronic acid: medical relevance as drugs.

This book presents a comprehensive review of the latest advances in developing alginate-based biomaterials and derivatives as well as their biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. It covers the physiochemical properties of alginates, production and formulation methods, derivatizations and characterization methods, the fundamental work on optimizing alginate polymers for defined biomedical purposes as well as the scope and effectiveness of their applications in medicine and therapeutic approaches. The book brings together new concepts and advances in harnessing alginate-based biomaterials in combination with applied technological advances to tailor their applications to medical needs. The contributions by leading academics, clinicians and researchers not only cover the fundamentals, but also open new avenues for meeting future challenges in research and clinical applications.

Revised edition of: Oxford specialist handbook of paediatric respiratory medicine. 2008.

Pseudomonas comprises three volumes covering the biology of pseudomonads in a wide context, including the niches they inhabit, the taxonomic relations among members of this group, the molecular biology of gene expression in different niches and under different environmental conditions, the analysis of virulence traits in plants, animals and human pathogens as well as the determinants that make some strains useful for biotechnological applications and promotion of plant growth. There has been growing interest in pseudomonads and a particular urge to understand the biology underlying the complex metabolism of these ubiquitous microbes. These bacteria are capable of colonizing a wide range of niches, including the soil, the plant rhizosphere and phylosphere, and animal tissues; more recently they have attracted attention because of their capacity to form biofilms, a characteristic with potentially important medical and environmental implications. The three volumes cover the following topics: - Taxonomy, - Genomics, - Life styles, - Cell Architecture, - Virulence, - Regulation, - Macromolecules, - Alternative Respiratory Substrates, - Catabolism and Biotransformations. Pseudomonas will be of use to all researchers working on these bacteria, particularly those studying microbiology, plant crops, pathogenesis, and chemical engineering. Advanced students in biology, medicine and agronomy will also find these three volumes a valuable reference during their studies.