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Microbiology, 2021

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CHAPTER 14<br />

Antimicrobial Drugs<br />

Figure 14.1 First mass produced in the 1940s, penicillin was instrumental in saving millions of lives during World<br />

War II and was considered a wonder drug. 1 Today, overprescription of antibiotics (especially for childhood illnesses)<br />

has contributed to the evolution of drug-resistant pathogens. (credit left: modification of work by Chemical Heritage<br />

Foundation; Credit right: DFID / Flickr; CC-BY)<br />

Chapter Outline<br />

14.1 History of Chemotherapy and Antimicrobial Discovery<br />

14.2 Fundamentals of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy<br />

14.3 Mechanisms of Antibacterial Drugs<br />

14.4 Mechanisms of Other Antimicrobial Drugs<br />

14.5 Drug Resistance<br />

14.6 Testing the Effectiveness of Antimicrobials<br />

14.7 Current Strategies for Antimicrobial Discovery<br />

INTRODUCTION In nature, some microbes produce substances that inhibit or kill other microbes that might<br />

otherwise compete for the same resources. Humans have successfully exploited these abilities, using microbes<br />

to mass-produce substances that can be used as antimicrobial drugs. Since their discovery, antimicrobial<br />

drugs have saved countless lives, and they remain an essential tool for treating and controlling infectious<br />

1 “Treatment of War Wounds: A Historical Review.” Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research 467 no. 8 (2009):2168–2191.

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