The field of microbiology has developed considerably in the last 20 years, building exponentially on its own discoveries and growing to encompass many other disciplines. Unfortunately, the literature in the field tends to be either encyclopedic in scope or presented as a textbook and oriented for the student. Finding its niche between these two poles, the second edition of the bestselling Practical Handbook of Microbiology provides in-depth chapters on all aspects of the field, from classical microbiology to genomics, in an easily accessible volume.
Reflecting the sweeping changes in microbiology, yet retaining the popular format of the original, this second edition includes many chapter rewrites and more than 20 new or expanded chapters.

New in the second edition:

· Five new chapters in Part I: Identification of Gram-Positive Bacteria, Identification of Gram-Negative Bacteria, Plaque Assays, Phage Display, and Epidemiological Methods

· 15 new chapters in Part II, including Mycobacteria, Legionella, Hemophillus, Listeria, Campylobacter, Helicobacter, Yersinia, Bordetella, Other Zoonotic Bacteria, Other Anaerobic Bacteria, Archae, Biofilms, Bacteriophage, Parasites, and more

· An entirely new survey table of selected eubacteria

· Introduction to Yeasts and Introduction to Animal Virology, two topics covered only briefly in the first edition, are now full length chapters

· Various brief taxonomy chapters are now complete chapters with descriptions of genus and species

An in depth explanation of all of the currently available diagnostic procedures used in the microbiology laboratory
Providing basic knowledge and practical information on working with microorganisms, Practical Handbook of Microbiology, Second Edition is designed to facilitate highly specialized working microbiologists, as well as those who simply use microbiology as an adjunct to their own discipline, in finding relevant information easily, in a clear and concise single volume.