Molecular Insights into Antimicrobial Resistance: Mechanisms, Evolution, and Environmental Surveillance

Molecular Insights into Antimicrobial Resistance: Mechanisms, Evolution, and Environmental Surveillance provides a comprehensive and multidisciplinary overview of the molecular and ecological dimensions of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), one of the most urgent public health challenges of our time. This book delves into the genetic and biochemical mechanisms that underlie resistance in microbes, explores the evolutionary pressures driving its rapid emergence, and highlights the critical importance of environmental reservoirs in sustaining and disseminating resistant traits. The chapters are authored by experts from diverse disciplines, offering insights into horizontal gene transfer, resistance gene mobilization, microbial biofilms, and adaptive mutations. The book further investigates the impact of anthropogenic activities, such as overuse of antibiotics in agriculture and healthcare, on the expansion of resistance genes in natural ecosystems, including soil, water, and marine habitats. Advanced molecular tools and next-generation sequencing techniques are discussed, with a focus on their role in resistance gene detection, surveillance strategies, and global monitoring frameworks. Through this integrated approach, the book equips readers with an in-depth understanding of AMR as a biological, environmental, and societal issue. Ideal for microbiologists, molecular biologists, public health professionals, environmental scientists, and graduate students, this volume serves as both a foundational text and a springboard for future research. It emphasizes the urgent need for collaborative, interdisciplinary solutions to mitigate the AMR crisis and safeguard the efficacy of antimicrobial therapies for generations to come.