Presents the research findings in new strains of antimicrobials with extraordinarily broad resistance. This book features a historical introduction and contains chapters on biofilms and the mechanism of multidrug tolerance as well as strategies for the development of new antibiotics.

Blending scientific and practical approaches, this second edition examines the social, economic, and medical issues related to the growing problem of bacterial resistance. It outlines the forces that contributed to the abuse of antibiotics and precipitated the current crisis. The core chapters describe the latest findings bacterial ecology, the biomechanics of resistance and susceptibility, and the latest avenues to develop new antibiotics that are themselves resistant to resistance mechanisms. Examining the success and limitations of complimentary approaches, such as combining a b-lactam antibiotic with a b-lactamase inhibitor, the book pulls together all of the information on resistance mechanisms in different groups of bacteria to help future efforts develop effective combinations.