Antibiotics: Actions, Origins, Resistance 1st Edition

Walsh's `Antibiotics' is a great introduction to the major classes of antibiotics and how each works, or doesn't, against cells, including not only bacteria but fungi and cancer cells. Each class of antibiotic is described, with step-by-step explanations of the chemical mechanics of the antibiotic on its target. The author discusses the growing problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics and what steps are being taken, in terms of new drug development and new schemes for existing drug use, to overcome this problem.This was a very satisfying read. The information is dense but the author's style is reader-friendly and concise. The text is supported by many illustrations of the mechanics being described and these illustrations are detailed and explicit. I wanted an up-to-date, fairly technical book about antibiotic function and this book fit the bill better than I could have hoped. I look forward to going back to Walsh's book again for an even better understanding.

Legendary among natural product chemists, Christopher Walsh takes us through the detailed mechanisms of the biosynthetic pathways which common classes of antibiotics target. This is a valuable reference book because it allows us to see why antibiotics work on an atom-by-atom basis--something which most microbiology texts are incapable of doing. A strong background in organic chemistry is required to really understand the mechanisms outlined in the text, but coupled with an undergraduate organic textbook, this book is superior introduction to the overlapping worlds of medicinal, organic, and biosynthetic chemistry.

Christopher Walsh is a great chemist and a great writer alike; Dr. Timothy Wencewicz was also my favorite professor, and he collaborated on it. Really made me appreciate antibiotic chemistry.