Preface to the sixth edition x 1 THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 1 1. 1 The social and economic importance of antimicrobial agents 1 1. 2 All outhne of the historical development of antimicrobial agents 2 1. 3 Reasons for studying the biochemistry and molecular biology of antimicrobial compounds 9 1. 4 Uncovering the molecular basis of antimicrobial action iO 1. 5 Current trends in the discovery of antimicrobial drugs 14 1. 6 . Scope and layout of the book 15 2 VULNERABLE SHIELDS THE CELL WALLS OF BACTERIA AND FUNGI 17 2. 1 Functions of the ceU wall 17 2. 2 ....

The rapid advances made in the study of the synthesis, structure and function of biological macromolecules in the last fifteen years have enabled scientists concerned with antimicrobial agents to achieve a considerable measure of understanding of how these substances inhibit cell growth and division. The use of antimicrobial agents as highly specific inhibitors has in turn substantially assisted the investigation of complex biochemical processes. The literature in this field is so extensive however, that we considered an attempt should be made to draw together in an introductory book the more...