Preface

*Escherichia coli* also known as *E. coli* is a rod-shaped Gram-negative bacterium. It grows free‐ ly in the intestine of all humans and most animals. It is one of the most studied organisms and serves as the prokaryotic model of organisms. In spite of the fact that this organism is the most studied, it continues to generate many discussions in the academic and industrial sectors and is used for several purposes particularly in the study and application of microbi‐ ology and biotechnology. A simple search of the major databases like PubMed, Google scholar, and others will generate hundreds of publications every day. This therefore further emphasizes the importance of this organism.

*E. coli* is a versatile organism that plays a role in different sectors of human life. Though mostly a commensal organism living in the intestines of humans and animals, *E. coli* can be responsible for both intestinal and extraintestinal infections. *E. coli* for example is an impor‐ tant cause of urinary tract infections with severe consequences including male infertility, which is a topic not often discussed in many books debating the pathogenesis of this organ‐ ism. *E. coli* also plays an important role as a model organism due to its ability to grow easily in simple culture media, its short generation time, and the ease with which its genetic mate‐ rial can be manipulated just to cite but a few. Furthermore, many molecular processes have been discovered by studying *E. coli*, and many of these have been extended to other bacterial organisms. Such issues include, for example, the adaptation of cells in difficult environ‐ ments, genetic processes, and the production of specific enzymes through different bio‐ chemical pathways.

The present book is therefore a good mix of pathogenesis, cell biology, biotechnology, and molecular applications of *E. coli*. The book does not intend to give an exhaustive study of the organism but focuses on specific topics of interest such as pathogenesis and antibiotic resist‐ ance mechanisms, innovative methods in bacterial detection, environmental water disinfec‐ tions, and cell biology. A special attention was given to urinary tract infections that represent important diseases in both males and females, as well as its implication in male fertility/sterility and the mechanism thereof. This is especially important as many cases of infertility are often misdiagnosed and the index of suspicion might be actually very far away from *E. coli*. The development of antibiotic resistance is another important stumbling block to the control of infectious diseases with the recent emergence of multiple antibiotic resist‐ ance (MAR) among different bacterial organisms including *E. coli*.

As a contaminant and often used as an indicator of contamination of environmental waters, there is a need for the design of simple methods that are effective in the removal of microbial contaminants from water sources. In this book, a number of chapters have been dedicated to development of innovative methods for environmental water disinfection using substances such as pressurized carbon dioxide, the use of nanoparticles, and the use of essential oils for the control of this organism. Further topics discussed in the book include physiology, micronu‐ trient utilization in the form of phosphate homeostasis, and mechanisms of survival in stressful conditions such as in salty environment in the case of increased temperature with global warm‐ ing or just in nutrient-deprived conditions and provide a good start for further discussions for future research. The different chapters also raise several questions in terms of the identification of issues that need further attention for the development of knowledge.

The book therefore discusses recent advances in all the topics cited above and presents an interesting reading particularly sharpened toward application compared to just basic science. Here we present different aspects of this marvelous organism from its pathogenic capacity both at the intestinal and extraintestinal infections; its use as a model organism has been dis‐ cussed as well. For those working in the laboratory, methods for the detection, isolation, and characterization of *E*. *coli* have been discussed including innovative methods for the detection of lipopolysaccharides, which can be used as markers of infections or even contamination. The use of biosensor instruments for the detection of *E. coli* in different types of samples including humans, animals, and environmental samples has also been discussed. With the recent advan‐ ces in cell phone technology, it is appropriate to adapt such useful tool for application in the detection of water contamination, for example, as discussed in the book.

> **Professor Amidou Samie** Department of Microbiology, University of Venda, Limpopo Province, South Africa

**E. coli in Disease**

**Section 1**

**Section 1**
