Biotechnology and Infectious Diseases

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.