Microbiology of Infectious Disease: Integrating Genomics with Natural History

With the advent of rapid DNA sequencing in the late 90s, the focus of research in microbiology has shifted towards analyzing nucleic acid sequences. This has led to a loss of understanding of the underlying biology of microorganisms. This novel text aims to reverse this trend by placing the new sequence-derived information in the context of the natural history of the organism. Each chapter focuses on one pathogen or group of closely related pathogens and highlights an interesting and/or unusual feature. The book is intended for undergraduates, graduates, and researchers in microbiology, microbial ecology, disease ecology, and related areas.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 24 March 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Prior to the late 1990s, students delved into extensive knowledge about the physiology and ecology of microorganisms. A comprehensive understanding of the biology of each organism and its interactions with its environment prevailed. Since then, research has shifted its focus toward analyzing nucleic acid sequences to unravel potential cellular biochemistry or phylogeny. The sequencing of a microbial genome has become remarkably swift, facilitated by a multitude of software programs that enable detailed exploration of the organism's inner workings. However, the abundance of intricate details often leads to a loss of perspective on the underlying biology of the study organism. Microbiology has gradually merged with molecular biology, overshadowing the biological aspects. This innovative text aims to reverse this trend by providing a clear and concise overview of the molecular information while contextualizing it within the organism's natural history. Each chapter in this text tells a captivating story, focusing on a single pathogen or a group of closely related pathogens, and highlighting a particularly intriguing or unusual feature. The primary objective is to abstract the relevant molecular and genomic information and demonstrate how it sheds light on the biology of the organism as a whole. Microbiology of Infectious Disease is designed for undergraduates, graduates, and researchers in microbiology, microbial ecology, disease ecology, and related fields. It serves as a valuable supplemental text for students, offering a comprehensive overview of the biology and natural history of the microorganisms they will encounter on a regular basis, as well as the factors that influence their pathogenesis.

Weight: 454g
Dimension: 233 x 156 x 12 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192863850