Microbial Evolution and Co-Adaptation

Dr. Joshua Lederberg - scientist, Nobel laureate, visionary thinker, and friend of the Forum on Microbial Threats - died on February 2, 2008. It was in his honor that the Institute of Medicine's Forum on Microbial Threats convened a public workshop on May 20-21, 2008, to examine Dr. Lederberg's scientific and policy contributions to the marketplace of ideas in the life sciences, medicine, and public policy. The resulting workshop summary, Microbial Evolution and Co-Adaptation, demonstrates the extent to which conceptual and technological developments have, within a few short years, advanced our collective understanding of the microbiome, microbial genetics, microbial communities, and microbe-host-environment interactions.

Table of Contents

• Front Matter
• Workshop Overview
• 1 The Life and Legacies of Joshua Lederberg
• 2 Microbial Ecology and Ecosystems
• 3 Pathogen Evolution
• 4 Antibiotic Resistance: Origins and Countermeasures
• 5 Infectious Disease Emergence: Past, Present, and Future
• Appendix A: Agenda
• Appendix B: Acronyms
• Appendix C: Glossary
• Appendix D: Forum Member Biographies
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