Biogenesis of Antibiotic Substances covers the proceedings of a panel discussion on ""Basic Research and Practical Aspects of Antibiotic Production"" held during the Antibiotic Congress in Prague. This book is organized into 25 chapters that cover the regulating mechanisms of primary antibiotic metabolite biosynthesis. This text describes the relationship between secondary metabolite production and synthesis of cell matter or cell wall. The opening chapters describe the parasexual cycle and some of the ways in which the cycle may be used for strain improvement, as well as the applications of refined techniques of genetic recombination and the principles of biochemical genetics to the field of antibiotics. The next chapter deals with cultural and fermentative characteristics of A-type isolates obtained from progenitor and representative member strains of the Wisconsin Family of Strains of Penicillium chrysogenum. Considerable chapters are devoted to the metabolite biosynthesis, such as geodoxin and related compounds; secondary metabolism of penicillins, gibberellins, and griseofulvin in fungi; and tetracycline metabolites. The book goes on examining the stereochemical aspects of macrolide antibiotics. It also describes the biosynthetic pathways involving ring cleavage of carbocyclic compounds, as well as the biosynthesis of different peptide antibiotics and of actinomycins and its relationship to protein synthesis. The production of phenazines is also explained. Other chapters consider other metabolites, such as those that decarboxylate, the malonate, and the 3-nitropropionic acid. A discussion on the role of carbohydrates and phosphate in the biosynthesis of different types of antibiotics is included. Lastly, microbiological assay procedures for antibiotic research and influencing factors are presented.

Most of the antibiotics now in use have been discovered more or less by chance, and their mechanisms of action have only been elucidated after their discovery. To meet the medical need for next-generation antibiotics, a more rational approach to antibiotic development is clearly needed. Opening with a general introduction about antimicrobial drugs, their targets and the problem of antibiotic resistance, this reference systematically covers currently known antibiotic classes, their molecular mechanisms and the targets on which they act. Novel targets such as cell signaling networks, riboswitches and bacterial chaperones are covered here, alongside the latest information on the molecular mechanisms of current blockbuster antibiotics. With its broad overview of current and future antibacterial drug development, this unique reference is essential reading for anyone involved in the development and therapeutic application of novel antibiotics.

Antibiotics represent one of the most successful forms of therapy in medicine. But the efficiency of antibiotics is compromised by the growing number of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Antibiotic resistance, which is implicated in elevated morbidity and mortality rates as well as in the increased treatment costs, is considered to be one of the major global public health threats (www.who.int/drugresistance/en/) and the magnitude of the problem recently prompted a number of international and national bodies to take actions to protect the public (http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_consumer/docs/road-map-amr_en.pdf: http://www.who.int/drugresistance/amr_global_action_plan/en/; http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/carb_national_strategy.pdf). Understanding the mechanisms by which bacteria successfully defend themselves against the antibiotic assault represent the main theme of this eBook published as a Research Topic in Frontiers in Microbiology, section of Antimicrobials, Resistance, and Chemotherapy. The articles in the eBook update the reader on various aspects and mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. A better understanding of these mechanisms should facilitate the development of means to potentiate the efficacy and increase the lifespan of antibiotics while minimizing the emergence of antibiotic resistance among pathogens.

Humans coexist with millions of harmless microorganisms, but emerging diseases, resistance to antibiotics, and the threat of bioterrorism are forcing scientists to look for new ways to confront the microbes that do pose a danger. This report identifies innovative approaches to the development of antimicrobial drugs and vaccines based on a greater understanding of how the human immune system interacts with both good and bad microbes. The report concludes that the development of a single superdrug to fight all infectious agents is unrealistic.

This volume covers all aspects of the antibiotic discovery and development process through Phase II/III. The contributors, a group of highly experienced individuals in both academics and industry, include chapters on the need for new antibiotic compounds, strategies for screening for new antibiotics, sources of novel synthetic and natural antibiotics, discovery phases of lead development and optimization, and candidate compound nominations into development. Beyond discovery , the handbook will cover all of the studies to prepare for IND submission: Phase I (safety and dose ranging), progression to Phase II (efficacy), and Phase III (capturing desired initial indications). This book walks the reader through all aspects of the process, which has never been done before in a single reference. With the rise of antibiotic resistance and the increasing view that a crisis may be looming in infectious diseases, there are strong signs of renewed emphasis in antibiotic research. The purpose of the handbook is to offer a detailed overview of all aspects of the problem posed by antibiotic discovery and development.

This book is based on Hans Zahner's Biologie der Antibiotica, published in 1965. There is a vast literature on antibiotics, covering chemical, phar macological, and clinical aspects. We have made no attempt to cover this literature comprehensively. Our effort is directed toward discuss ing antibiotics as biological agents. They are substances produced by living cells, yet they are able to inhibit the growth of living cells - in many cases even the cells that produce them. We have taken this apparent biological paradox as our point of departure and have tried to look in this light at the production of antibiotics and at their mode of action. In a sense antibiotics are comparable to mutations. They are useful as tools in the study of metabolism by blocking specific reactions. At the same time their mode of origin and their effects on the organisms that produce them are interesting problems in their own right. We have tried to incorporate both aspects into our consider ations. This little book, designed for biology students and medical stu dents, provides them with a framework into which to fit more specialized and detailed information on antibiotics.

The clinical microbiology laboratory is often a sentinel for the detection of drug resistant strains of microorganisms. Standardized protocols require continual scrutiny to detect emerging phenotypic resistance patterns. The timely notification of clinicians with susceptibility results can initiate the alteration of antimicrobial chemotherapy and