Brock Biology of Microorganisms 15th ed Global

Book Preface

Brock Biology of Microorganisms (BBOM). This Fifteenth Edition is the strongest yet and presents microbiology in the context of the excitement this science generates today. For three generations, students and instructors have relied on the accuracy, authority, consistency, and up-to-date presentation of BBOM to learn or teach the principles of modern microbiology. Both students and instructors will benefit from the Fifteenth Edition in at least four major ways: (1) from the use of cutting-edge research to illustrate basic concepts; (2) from the seamless integration of molecular and ecological microbiology with evolution, diversity, the immune system, and infectious diseases; (3) from the visually stunning art program and spectacular photos; and (4) from the wide assortment of teaching and learning tools that accompany the book itself.

Veteran authors Madigan, Bender, Buckley, and Stahl welcome new coauthor Matt Sattley to the Fifteenth Edition. Matt, a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University, teaches both general microbiology and health professions microbiology and did a great job of reorganizing and refreshing our coverage of immunology and related areas. With an extremely strong author team that employs experts in each of our major areas of emphasis, we sincerely feel that BBOM 15e is the best learning resource available in microbiology today.

What’s New in the 15th Edition?

The Fifteenth Edition guides students through the six major themes of microbiology as outlined by the American Society for Microbiology Conference on Undergraduate Education (ASMCUE): Evolution, Cell Structure and Function, Metabolic Pathways, Information Flow and Genetics, Microbial Systems, and the Impact of Microorganisms. With enhanced and revised artwork complemented with over 90 new color photos, BBOM 15e presents microbiology as the visual science it is. Thirty-three new MicrobiologyNow chapter-opening vignettes were composed for this edition, each designed to introduce a chapter’s theme through a recent discovery published in the microbiology literature. Several new Explore the Microbial World features were also developed for this edition, each designed to give students a feel for exciting special topics in microbiology and to fuel their scientific curiosity. Genomics, and all of the various “omics” it has spawned, support content in every chapter of BBOM 15e, reflecting how the omics revolution has transformed all of biology, especially microbiology. Mastering the principles of the dynamic field of microbiology today requires an understanding of the supportive molecular biology. Hence, we have constructed BBOM 15e in a way that provides both the foundation for the science and the science itself. The result is a robust and modern treatment of microbiology that now includes exciting new chapters devoted to microbial systems biology, synthetic biology, the human microbiome, and the molecular biology of microbial growth.

To strengthen the learning experience, each section summary in the chapter review is followed immediately by a review question to better link concept review with concept mastery. BBOM 15e is supported by MasteringMicrobiologyTM, Pearson’s online homework, tutorial, and assessment system that assists students in pacing their learning and keeps instructors current on class performance. MasteringMicrobiology includes chapter-specific reading quizzes, MicrobiologyNow, Clinical Case and MicroCareer coaching activities, animation quizzes, MCAT Prep questions, and many additional study and assessment tools, including tutorials and assessments for the microbiology lab. Collectively, the content and presentation of BBOM 15e, coupled with the powerful learning tools of MasteringMicrobiology, create an unparalleled educational experience in microbiology.