Over the last twenty years, research has revealed the enormous complexity underlying the phenomenon of bacterial adhesion. The initial research goal was to understand the mechanism of attachment and its effects on the bacteria as well as the host. As research progressed, however, it became evident that many different attachment mechanisms exist. These diverse forms of adhesion are the results of numerous evolutionary pressures, and each may be part of a larger behavioral strategy.

This comprehensive overview details how diversity in habitat and ecological requirements has led to enormous variety in adhesive cell components, underlying genetic determinants, and behavioral strategies. It presents the latest research on adhesion mechanisms and strategies found in diverse environments and microorganisms, including the new environment of biomaterials.

Bacterial Adhesion: Molecular and Ecological Diversity examines adhesion as a strategy for nutrient access and as a phase in the complex behavior of life cycle processes. It covers the latest research and innovative approaches in the field, including:

• Conceptual advances in research on the adhesion of bacteria to oral surfaces
• Enhancing colonization in a fluctuating environment
• The cellulosome: a cell-surface organelle for the adhesion to and degradation of cellulose
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa—versatile attachment mechanisms
• Sensing, response, and adaptation to surfaces
• Myxococcus coadhesion and role in the life cycle

Edited by a leading authority on bacterial adhesion and featuring contributions from the field's leading experts, this book speaks to researchers in all areas of microbiology, biotechnology, environmental technology, and environmental science, as well as urology, immunology, and infectious diseases.

Bacterial Adhesion: Molecular and Ecological Diversity is the latest addition to the Wiley Series in Ecological and Applied Microbiology. Recent books in the series include:

• Microbial Transformation and Degradation of Toxic Organic Chemicals edited by Lily Y. Young and Carl E. Cerniglia
• Wastewater Microbiology by Gabriel Bitton
• Environmental Microbiology edited by Ralph Mitchell
• Biotechnology in Plant Disease Control edited by Ilan Chet
• Antarctic Microbiology edited by E. Imre Friedmann
• Effects of Acid Rain on Forest Processes edited by Douglas L. Godbold and Aloys Hüttermann