Main description:

The Anaerobe Discussion Group (ADG) organised has four I-ntern-ational College, Symposia, all at Churchill Cambridge. The first was held in July 1979, the second in July 1981, the third in July 1983, and this, the fourth, on July 26-28th, 1985. The proceedings of each of these meetings have been published (see below). As on previous occasions, the scientific programme was designed appeal to the wide range to of interests represented by ADG members. The meeting was attended by delegates from allover the world,including medical mic- biologists, veterinarians, dentists, biochemists, gene- cists and scientists from several other disciplines, all of whom share a common interest in anaerobic mic- organisms. The interchange of scientific information and ideas between the delegates in such pleasant surroundings was, as always, a valuable and rewarding experience. Unlike previous Biennial Symposia in the series, this meeting was sponsored by a number of companies rather than by a single sponsor. Despite some intitial concern by the organising committee, this arrangement worked well and we are extremely grateful to all the companies who supported the meeting so generously. The names of the sponsors are listed individually in the acknowledgements section. We were also very pleased to welcome those companies who took part in the Trade Show during the meeting. This book contains the papers given by invited contributors, followed by abstracts poster of the demonstration presented at the meeting.

Contents:

Section 1. Dealing with Anaerobes.- Coping with anaerobes in a routine laboratory.- Enzyme profiles as an aid to the identification of anaerobes.- Sensitivity testing and MIC determination of obligate anaerobes.- Section 2. Anaerobes and Gastrointestinal Disease.- Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin-associated diarrhoea.- Gastrointestinal Campylobacter-like organisms.- Intestinal spirochetosis in man and other animals.- Anaerobes and inflammatory bowel disease.- Section 3. Antibiotics and Anaerobes.- Newer antibiotics active againsts Bacteriodes fragilis: comparison with older agents.- Interaction of antibiotics, anaerobic bacteria and host defences.- Antibiotics, anaerobes and colonization resistance.- Antibiotic manipulation of the rumen microflora. The effects of avoparcin and monensin on the relase of tritium from labelled cellulose by Bacteroides succinogenes and the rumen fungus Neocallimastic frontalis.- Section 4. Advances in Genetic Manipulation and the Commercial Exploitation of Anaerobes.- Genetic approaches with methanogens important in mesophilic anaerobic digestion.- Genetic analysis of toxin determinants of Clostridium perfringens.- Sulphate reducing bacteria and the offshore oil industry.- Prospects for the genetic manipulation of rumen microorganisms.- Commercial exploitation of cellulolytic anaerobes.- Section 5. Anaerobes and Genital Tract Infections.- The anaerobic bacterial flora of the vagina in health and disease.- Mobiluncus and bacterial vaginosis.- Differentiation of Mobiluncus species by pyrolysis gas-liquid chromatography.- Anaerobes in non-gonococcal urethritis, balanoposthitis and genital ulcers.- Section 6. Taxonomy of Anaerobes.- Anaerobic Archaebacteria.- Recent advances in the taxonomy of the genus Bacteroides.- The taxonomy of the asaccharolytic anaerobic Gram-positive cocci.- Taxonomy of spiral and curved Clostridia.- Abstracts of posters presented at the Fourth Anaerobe Discussion Group Biennial Symposium, 1985.