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Vaccinology and Methods in Vaccine Research is a combination of cutting-edge methodologies, experimental approaches and literature reviews. The book covers all aspects of vaccine development, including basic immunology (focusing on the stimulation of adaptive immunity, which is required for vaccine efficacy), approaches to vaccine design and target validation, vaccine biomanufacturer and clinical development. Existing vaccinology resources are theoretical reference books, whereas this book provides a practical handbook for use in the research lab and classroom by those working in vaccinology and training others in the field. It is authored and edited by scientists actively engaged in vaccine research and development for day-to-day teaching/methodological advice. - Addresses how to design a vaccine for an emerging disease, from a practical point-of -view, with chapters written by scientists who are grappling with these questions - Provides new approaches to vaccine development. including vaccine targeting and virus-like-particle vaccines - Gives up-to-date information and methodologies in use for vaccine adjuvants

This book reviews recent advances in the molecular and infection biology, pathology, and molecular epidemiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as well as the identification and validation of novel molecular drug targets for the treatment of this mycobacterial disease.Despite being completely curable, tuberculosis is still one of the leading global causes of death. M. tuberculosis, the causative organism – one of the smartest pathogens known – adopts highly intelligent strategies for survival and pathogenesis. Presenting a wealth of information on the molecular infection biology of M. tuberculosis, as well as nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), the book provides an overview of the functional role of the PE/PPE group of proteins, which is exclusive to the genus Mycobacteria, of host-pathogen interactions, and virulence. It also explores the pathogenesis of the infection, pathology, epidemiology, and diagnosis of NTM. Finally it discusses current and novel approaches in vaccine development against tuberculosis, including the role of nanotechnology. With state-of-the-art contributions from experts in the respective domains, this book is an informative resource for practitioners as well as medical postgraduate students and researchers.

This volume is a collection of chapters from the leading experts in the relatively new and burgeoning field of persister cell studies. Persisters play a leading role in the recalcitrance of chronic infections, and enable the development of classical antibiotic resistance. The focus of the book is on studies that provide an understanding of the mechanisms of persister formation, antibiotic tolerance and role in disease, at the molecular level.

It has been said that'never in the history of human progress has a better and cheaper method of preventing illness been developed than immunization'. This is well illustrated by the WHO Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) which in developing countries is now preventing nearly a million deaths annually from measles, pertussis and neonatal tetanus, and for which there is a commitment by the WHO and UNICEF to protect all children by immunization by the end of the decade. This enormous undertaking will be facilitated by the rapid advances in molecular biology and recombinant DNA technology, in the understanding of immunological mechanisms and by the production and application of monoclonal antibodies so that the structure and location of important antigenic determinants or epitopes can be determined. Chemical synthesis of oligopeptides has been simplified, and computer programmes and X-ray crystallography provide the tools for the determination of three-dimensional structure of proteins, so that the structure and location of important antigenic determinants or epitopes can be predicted. These techniques have opened the way to the improvement of existing vaccines and to the development and production of new vaccines against infections for which vaccines are not available. New vaccines under development include vaccines against hepatitis B, hepatitis A, malaria, vaccines for typhoid, cholera, rota virus infection and other diarrhoeal diseases, leprosy, rabies, the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), rubella, EB virus, schistosomiasis and other infections. These recent developments are discussed in the volume by internationally recognized experts assembled from several countries.

At a time of rising concern about drug resistance and falling output of new antibacterial compounds, antibiotic research has once again returned to the forefront of medical science. In Antibiotic Resistance: Methods and Protocols, Stephen Gillespie and a panel of leading clinical and diagnostic microbiologists describe a series of detailed molecular and physical methods designed to study the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, as well as facilitate new antibiotic research programs for its effective redress. The techniques range widely from those that provide rapid diagnosis via DNA amplification and phage display, to those for plotting the transmission of resistant organisms and investigating their epidemiology. The methods are readily adaptable to a wide range of resistant bacterial organisms. In order to ensure successful results, each method is described in minute detail and includes tips on avoiding pitfalls. Practical and wide-ranging, Antibiotic Resistance: Methods and Protocols provides a collection of indispensable techniques not only for illuminating the basic biology of antimicrobial resistance, but also for developing and implementing new diagnostic and epidemiological tools.

Microbes as Tools for Cell Biology bridges the gap between cell biology and microbiology. This laboratory guide provides a microbial tool kit for biologists who wish to use microbes as probes for basic cellular functions. The volume is organized into three sections, covering essential information on culture and genetic manipulation of microbes, assays for pathogen-host recognition, and analysis of intracellular parasitism. Each chapter outlines practical procedures and describes the rationale behind their development. This volume should prove useful to anyone interested in the biology of infectious agents, or their exploitation as a new generation of cell biological reagents.Key Features• Introduction by renowned microbiologist Dr. Stanley Falkow• Covers manipulation of pathogens, especially generation and selection of non-virulent phenotypes• Guides researchers in the study of intracellular pathogenesis• Describes microbial adherence and phagocytosis assays• Focuses on protein trafficking in infected cells• Well-illustrated with color plates, halftones, and diagrams

Established almost 30 years ago, Methods in Microbiology is the most prestigious series devoted to techniques and methodology in the field. Now totally revamped, revitalized, with a new format and expanded scope, Methods in Microbiology will continue to provide you with tried and tested, cutting-edge protocols to directly benefit your research. - Focuses on the methods most useful for the microbiologist interested in the way in which bacteria cause disease - Includes section devoted to'Approaches to characterising pathogenic mechanisms'by Stanley Falkow - Covers safety aspects, detection, identification and speciation - Includes techniques for the study of host interactions and reactions in animals and plants - Describes biochemical and molecular genetic approaches - Essential methods for gene expression and analysis - Covers strategies and problems for disease control