Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health threat that needs immediate attention and action from the scientific community. This book compiles and presents the latest and most important aspects of AMR, including the biology involved, its persistence and spread, and novel approaches to tackle this threat. The book first describes the mechanisms and spread of AMR, and then discusses the various approaches and strategies for combating it. 

Important topics include, microbial pathogenesis, AMR traits and major mechanisms underlying drug-resistance and the emerging strategies and technologies for combating AMR. Emphasis has been given on current developments about natural products including potent phyto-molecules, antimicrobial peptides and endophytes effective against the drug-resistant microbes and target the main drug-resistance determinants (efflux pumps, biofilms, quorum sensing, plasmids, etc.) in these bacterial pathogens. Other exciting topics include applications of nanomaterials in tackling AMR and CRISPR-Cas based precise sequence-specific antimicrobials. 

This informative book is meant for students and researchers in basic and medical microbiology and biotechnology. It is also useful to public health professionals and industry experts involved in AMR research and related drug-designing.

Dr. Vinay Kumar is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biotechnology, Modern College, Savitribai Phule Pune University, India and a visiting faculty at the Department of Environmental Sciences, S. P. Pune University, India. He obtained his Ph.D. in Biotechnology from S.P. Pune University in 2009. He has published more than 50 peer reviewed research/ review articles, 20 book chapters and has edited 6 books for Springer, Elsevier and Wiley. He has 2500 citations. He is a recipient of the Young Scientist Award of Science and Engineering Board, Government of India. His research interests include antimicrobial resistance in nosocomial and community microbes, elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying antimicrobial resistance and combating it with natural products and biofunctionalized nanomaterials.   

Dr. Atish Paul is an Associate Professor and former head at the Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (Rajasthan). He completed his Bachelors in Pharmacy from University of Pune (Maharashtra). He pursued M.S. (Pharmaceutical Sciences) and Ph.D. in Natural Products from National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER S.A.S Nagar). After completion of his doctorate he joined the research group of Prof. Ikhlas Khan as postdoctoral Research Associate at the National Center for Natural Product Research (University of Mississippi, USA). His area of expertise is Natural Product Chemistry. He has research grants from agencies such as DST-SERB, DST (SEED), DBT etc. He has published several research articles in reputed international journals such as Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic Medicinal Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry Research, Journal of Chromatography A, and has also contributed 24 Monographs. He is a reviewer for various journals of reputed publishers such as Bentham, Elsevier, etc. and also for funding agencies such as DST SERB, South African Medical Research Council etc.  

Dr. Varsha Shriram has completed her Ph.D. in natural products chemistry and biotechnology from CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India and S.P. Pune University, Pune, India. She is currently working as an Associate Professor for Plant Sciences at Prof. Ramkrishna More College, Akurdi (S.P. Pune University), Pune, India. She has published more than 30 peer-reviewed research/review articles and is on reviewer board for reputed journals and funding agencies like Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Government of India. Her areas of interest include medicinal plants, isolation and identification of phytochemicals, and their activity studies including anticancer and antimicrobial, the antimicrobial resistance in nosocomial and community microbes and combating it with phytochemicals and nanomaterials. She has completed extramural research projects in these and alliedareas.  

Dr. Mansee Thakur is a Gold Medalist during her MSc at Pt. R. S. S. University, Raipur and obtained her PhD in Biotechnology from University of Raipur, India in 2007. She is currently working as a Professor and Director, Mahatma Gandhi Missions Institute of Health Sciences, MGM School of Biomedical Sciences, Navi Mumbai. She has published more than 30 peer-reviewed research articles and has filed 4 patents. She is a recipient of the Young Scientist Award of the Chhattisgarh State. Her areas of research include natural products and their antimicrobial potencies, molecular biology and toxicity studies. She has completed many extra-mural research projects and guided students for their Masters and Doctoral studies. She is an active reviewer/editor for books and journals.