This book is a unique synthesis of the major concepts and methods in bacterial population genetics in infectious disease, a field that is now about 35 yrs old. Emphasis is given to explaining population-level processes that shape genetic variation in bacterial populations and statistical methods of analysis of bacterial genetic data. A "how to" of bacterial population genetics, which covers an extremely large range of organisms Expanding area of science due to high-throughput genome sequencing of bacterial pathogens Covers both fundamental approaches to analyzing bacterial population structures with conceptual background in bacterial population biology Detailed treatment of statistical methods

While other texts in this area deal almost solely with the "workhorse strain" Escherischia coli, Genetics of Bacterial Diversity is the first to deal with genetics and molecular biology of the wide range of other bacteria, which carry out a whole spectrum of important scientific, medical, agricultural, and biotechnological activities. Taking genetic diversity as its theme it illustrates a range of interesting phenomena such as genetic systems controlling pathogenicity, symbiosis, chemotaxis, metabolic characteristics, and differentiation. With each chapter written by acknowledged experts, this definitive book contains up-to-the-minute information on this rapidly developing field.Written by leading experts, this text--aimed at graduate-level students and above--describes the genetics and molecular biology of a wide range of bacteria.

This open access book offers the first comprehensive account of the pan-genome concept and its manifold implications. The realization that the genetic repertoire of a biological species always encompasses more than the genome of each individual is one of the earliest examples of big data in biology that opened biology to the unbounded. The study of genetic variation observed within a species challenges existing views and has profound consequences for our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underpinning bacterial biology and evolution. The underlying rationale extends well beyond the initial prokaryotic focus to all kingdoms of life and evolves into similar concepts for metagenomes, phenomes and epigenomes. The book’s respective chapters address a range of topics, from the serendipitous emergence of the pan-genome concept and its impacts on the fields of microbiology, vaccinology and antimicrobial resistance, to the study of microbial communities, bioinformatic applications and mathematical models that tie in with complex systems and economic theory. Given its scope, the book will appeal to a broad readership interested in population dynamics, evolutionary biology and genomics.

A authoritative summary of the current knowledge of the genetic organisation of bacterial populations.

Bacteria have been the dominant forms of life on Earth for the past 3.5 billion years. They rapidly evolve, constantly changing their genetic architecture through horizontal DNA transfer and other mechanisms. Consequently, it can be difficult to define individual species and determine how they are related. Written and edited by experts in the field, this collection from Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology examines how bacteria and other microbes evolve, focusing on insights from genomics-based studies. Contributors discuss the origins of new microbial populations, the evolutionary and ecological mechanisms that keep species separate once they have diverged, and the challenges of constructing phylogenetic trees that accurately reflect their relationships. They describe the organization of microbial genomes, the various mutations that occur, including the birth of new genes de novo and by duplication, and how natural selection acts on those changes. The role of horizontal gene transfer as a strong driver of microbial evolution is emphasized throughout. The authors also explore the geologic evidence for early microbial evolution and describe the use of microbial evolution experiments to examine phenomena like natural selection. This volume will thus be essential reading for all microbial ecologists, population geneticists, and evolutionary biologists.

Selective Sweep deals with the theory and practice of detection of recent adaptive evolution at the genomic level from the patterns of DNA polymorphism. Recent advances in genomic sequencing provide the background for analysis of polymorphic sites in large chromosomal regions or even in whole genome, thus providing the tool for effective identification of loci that are under strong pressure of positive selection. For this reason, the studies of selective sweep, which formerly were of interest mostly to evolutionists, have become widely recognized and appreciated by the large biological community involved in identification of the targets of selection during speciation, host/pathogen interactions, and resistance to chemical agents.

A timely update of a highly popular handbook on statistical genomics This new, two-volume edition of a classic text provides a thorough introduction to statistical genomics, a vital resource for advanced graduate students, early-career researchers and new entrants to the field. It introduces new and updated information on developments that have occurred since the 3rd edition. Widely regarded as the reference work in the field, it features new chapters focusing on statistical aspects of data generated by new sequencing technologies, including sequence-based functional assays. It expands on previous coverage of the many processes between genotype and phenotype, including gene expression and epigenetics, as well as metabolomics. It also examines population genetics and evolutionary models and inference, with new chapters on the multi-species coalescent, admixture and ancient DNA, as well as genetic association studies including causal analyses and variant interpretation. The Handbook of Statistical Genomics focuses on explaining the main ideas, analysis methods and algorithms, citing key recent and historic literature for further details and references. It also includes a glossary of terms, acronyms and abbreviations, and features extensive cross-referencing between chapters, tying the different areas together. With heavy use of up-to-date examples and references to web-based resources, this continues to be a must-have reference in a vital area of research. Provides much-needed, timely coverage of new developments in this expanding area of study Numerous, brand new chapters, for example covering bacterial genomics, microbiome and metagenomics Detailed coverage of application areas, with chapters on plant breeding, conservation and forensic genetics Extensive coverage of human genetic epidemiology, including ethical aspects Edited by one of the leading experts in the field along with rising stars as his co-editors Chapter authors are world-renowned experts in the field, and newly emerging leaders. The Handbook of Statistical Genomics is an excellent introductory text for advanced graduate students and early-career researchers involved in statistical genetics.