Additional information
by Brooke a. Jude (Author)
World populations are increasing, as are pathogens capable of causing human disease. These infectious diseases contribute to global "wicked problems." As infection numbers rise, and dangerous pathogens evolve, the complexity of these problems increase. Current biotechnological advances can be used to design more effective methods of combatting infectious diseases. This text, Biotechnology and Infectious Disease, will document a core set of infectious agents, as a method of describing ways to update diagnostic and therapeutic tools. The book begins with an introduction to the pathogenic mechanisms displayed by various diseases. Pathogen descriptions of are followed up by such topics as use assays for low-level detection, application of nanosized agents for drug delivery, and design of vaccines for emerging infections, including Ebola and Zika. New technologies are being developed as fast as infectious evolve. The key to taming these wicked pathogens will be in finding commonalities between organisms and applying biotechnological advances.
Author Biography
Brooke A. Jude is an assistant professor and program director of biology at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY. She received her AB from Colby College, in Waterville, ME and her PhD in microbiology and immunology from Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. At Bard, she teaches courses on microbiology, genetics, and infectious disease. Research in the Jude Lab is primarily focused aquatic, violacein producing microbes of the Hudson Valley, and beyond. In the lab, experiments answer phenotypic, genetic, and genomic-focused questions. Research projects involve participation of local middle and high school students, as well as authentic integration of classroom laboratory experiences. Work in the lab also focuses on Vibrio cholerae, the topic of Jude's PhD studies. Her work has been published in journals including Nature, Journal of Virology, and Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education. Other scholarly work includes the development of pedagogical and assessment tools focused on science literacy in science and non-science majors.
