Fifty Years of Antimicrobials: Past Perspectives and Future Trends

by P. A. Hunter (Editor), G. K. Darby (Editor), N. J. Russell (Editor)

Overview

In the fifty years since the inception of the Society for General Microbiology, the study of pathogenic microbes and the development of methods for their control has been a focus of attention for many microbiologists. This volume reviews the immense progress that has been made during the past half-century. It opens with the text of Sir Alexander Fleming's 1946 Linacre Lecture Chemotherapy: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, and then considers the development of key antimicrobial compounds, both naturally occurring and synthetic, active against bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa. Contributors also treat broader issues of antimicrobial production, screening, improvements and resistance. Topics such as why epidemics still occur and the need for new antibiotics highlight the fact that, despite the advances, the fight against infection continues unabated.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521481083
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	05/04/1995
Series:	Society for General Microbiology Symposia , #53
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	388
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.02(d)

Table of Contents

Preface P. Hunter; 1. Chemotherapy: yesterday, today and tomorrow A. Fleming; 2. New developments in non-azole fungicides for humans P. Hunter; 3. Discovery and development of beta lactam antimicrobials G. Rolinson; 4. The need for new antibiotics; possible ways forward H. Zähner and H.-P. Fielder; 5. Control of fungi pathogenic to plants P. Russell, R. Milling and K. Wright; 6. Quinolines: synthetic antibacterial agents D. Chu and L. Shen; 7. Molecular genetics of antimicrobials: a case study of beta-lactam antibiotics G. Cohen and Y. Aharonowitz; 8. Who needs new antimicrobials? J. Ryley; 9. Why do we still get epidemics? K. Kerr and R. Lacey; 10. Why do microorganisms produce antimicrobials? A. Demain; 11. Antimalarials: from quinine to atovaquone M. Pudney; 12. Genetic engineering of microbes: virus insecticides - a case study D. Bishop, M. Hirst, R. Possee and J. Cory; 13. Only 35 years of antiviral nucleoside analogues! G. Darby; 14. Antiprotozoal drugs: some echoes, some shadows S. Croft; 15. Biocides: activity, action and resistance A. Russell and N. Russell; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"Overall the book contains an impressive array of topics all related to the subject of antimicrobials....give[s] a good overview of antimicrobial history and would prove useful as a specific reference text. It may also have some use as a teaching text at more advanced levels." M.C. McQuarrie-Murray, CSM Newsletter

"Overall, the material covered in this book is clearly presented, fairly lucidly written, well referenced and indexed....This book should prove a worthwhile addition to a scientist's literary collection but perhaps more so for those individuals involved in antimicrobial research." L.G. Whyte, CSM Newsletter

"This volume substantially exceeded my expectations. Biochemical details are, in general, woven into cohenernt accounts of general research problems and historical progressions. In a number of places the lessons of the past offer potentially useful insights for future work." Marc Lipsitch, New Biological Books

"This volume substantially exceeded my expectations. Biochemical details are, in general, woven into coherent accounts of general research problems and historical progressions. In a number of places the lessons of the past offer potentially useful insights for future work." Marc Lipsitch, The Quarterly Review of Biology

From the Publisher

This book contains the presentations from a symposium on antimicrobials organized in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Society for General Microbiology. A range of topics is covered, including historical perspectives on the development, mechanism of action, and future prospects of antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, and antiviral agents for medical applications. In addition, there are chapters on agents that inhibit plant pathogens and the development of viruses as insecticides. An interesting feature is the reprint of an address given in 1946 by Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin, in which he describes the historical circumstances that led to the development of that drug as well as his insights on the future of antibiotics. The purpose is to give historical perspective on the development of antimicrobial agents, a review of the current status of the use and misuse of these agents, and a view of the future of antibiotics by current experts in this field. The target audience as described by the editor is researchers in academia, industry, and medicine, who are involved directly or indirectly in the battle against infections. This definition of the audience should be taken in the broadest sense. Although some contributions about the mechanism of action or development of agents are technical and of interest primarily to the active researcher, others contain much broader perspectives on the future of antimicrobial therapy and the problems of emerging diseases and drug resistance that will have broad impact on healthcare worldwide. Limited numbers of illustrations are presented, consisting mostly of chemical structures of antimicrobial agents, a fewdiagrams, and tabulated data. References are current, but the extent of citations varies considerably from one contribution to another. The reports are well written. This book represents an interesting overview of the current status of antimicrobial agents, how they have come to be developed, how those that are currently in use work, what the future directions of research must be, and the problems facing those in the field.

Jerry Lynn Taylor

A review of the progress that has been made over the past 50 years in the study of pathogenic microbes and the development of methods for their control. The volume opens with the text of Alexander Fleming's 1946 Linacre Lecture, "Chemotherapy: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow," followed by contributions which consider the development of key antimicrobial compounds--both natural and synthetic-- active against bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. The broader issues of antimicrobial production, screening, improvement, and resistance are also considered. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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