Molecular genetics of mycobacteria

A comprehensive collection of perspectives by experts in mycobacterial molecular biology

Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes one in four avoidable deaths in the developing world and kills more adults than malaria, AIDS, and all tropical diseases combined. Tuberculosis was named a global health emergency by the World Health Organization, a distinction no other disease has received. Although the study of mycobacterial genetics has expanded dramatically, with new investigations into mycobacterial growth, replication, metabolism, physiology, drug susceptibility, and virulence, most of the problems in tuberculosis control that existed in 2000 remain today.

Advances in our understanding of mycobacterial genetics have been reflected in exciting recent developments. New diagnostic approaches can identify drug resistance within a few hours, promising new drugs are progressing through the pipeline and into the clinic, and a range of newly developed vaccines are being evaluated. It is an exciting time as the fruits of 30 years of intensive genetic investigation are finally beginning to emerge.

Written by leading experts in the field, Molecular Genetics of Mycobacteria, Second Edition,

• Discusses key areas of current research in mycobacterial genetics
• Explains the genetics of the physiology, metabolism, and drug sensitivities of M. tuberculosis
• Presents genetic approaches for manipulating M. tuberculosis

This book is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the molecular genetics and molecular biology of mycobacteria.