Web Microbiology at ACM

Chapter 13, Episode 56Finish the infection cycle by learning how pathogens exit the body and spread to new hosts. This episode covers direct and indirect transmission, reservoirs, carriers, and vectors, as well as the stages of infection from incubation to recovery. It also introduces Koch’s postulates and how scientists determine the cause of disease.

Chapter 13, Episode 55Once inside the body, pathogens must attach, survive, and cause damage. This episode examines the tools microbes use to establish infection, including virulence factors like adhesins, enzymes, and toxins, and explains how infections can remain localized or spread systemically. It also introduces how symptoms develop and the role of the immune response in disease.

Chapter 13, Episode 54Explore how pathogens gain access to the body and what determines whether exposure leads to infection. This episode breaks down portals of entry, infectious dose, and the protective role of the microbiome, while also introducing key concepts like opportunistic, endogenous, and exogenous infections.

Chapter 12, Episode 18This episode concludes antimicrobial therapy by exploring antibiotic resistance and treatments for non-bacterial pathogens. It explains how bacteria develop resistance through mutation and gene transfer, and why this is a growing public health concern highlighted in the CDC Threat Report. The episode then reviews key drug classes used to treat fungal, protozoan, helminthic, and viral infections, emphasizing their mechanisms of action, clinical uses, and limitations. The overall focus is on understanding how antimicrobial effectiveness depends on targeting the organism while minimizing harm to the host.

Chapter 12, Episode 17This episode continues the overview of antibacterial drug classes. It covers drugs that target the cell membrane, then moves into drugs that target DNA and RNA, including, highlighting their bactericidal action and important side effects. The episode also introduces sulfonamides, which inhibit folic acid synthesis and are often used in combination therapies like Bactrim. Finally, it discusses biofilms and how they significantly increase resistance, reinforcing that successful treatment depends on understanding drug targets, bacterial structure, and limitations.