WASHINGTON, DC – December 13, 2011 – A new edition of the definitive practical resource for laboratory identification of fungal infections is now available.  The fully revised Medically Important Fungi: A Guide to Identification, 5^th Edition, published by ASM Press, offers step-by-step guidance and textual descriptions that allow both novice and experienced lab technologists to accurately distinguish between fungi that display similar characteristics.

Dr. Davise Larone clearly details the microscopic morphology of fungi in tissue as well as on culture, fungal colony morphology on routine media, and the possible pathogenicity of more than 150 fungi that may be encountered in the clinical laboratory. 

Readers will find side-by-side comparisons of similar organisms using photomicrographs, the author’s own exquisite line drawings, and comparative tables to illustrate critical characteristics and distinctions. Included are an illustrated glossary of mycologic terms, plus over 150 color photos illustrating tissue reactions to fungal infection and characteristic colony morphology when grown on agar plates.

The book also provides instructions on essential laboratory procedures, staining methods, and formulas and applications of useful media. Further, Medically Important Fungi covers the basics of the molecular approach to fungal identification, including definitions of molecular terminology, amplification and sequencing- and non-sequencing-based methods, applications of DNA sequencing, and commercial platforms and recently developed techniques.

“I wrote the initial manuscript as a notebook to teach myself mycology by organizing the necessary information in the logical order in which it is actually used, and by drawing precise illustrations of the microscopic forms that contribute so greatly to identification.  The first book and the subsequent editions were written to enable microbiology/mycology laboratory personnel to identify the fungi they encounter with confidence and accuracy and to find the task a rewarding and enjoyable undertaking,” says Dr. Larone.

“Given the practical, yet comprehensive, presentation of clinical laboratory mycology in this book, no laboratory interested in the identification and the medical significance of the many weird and wonderful fungi that cause disease should be without it,” says Kevin C. Hazen, PhD, Director of Clinical Microbiology at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.

“This fully revised edition is the definitive practical resource for clinical laboratory mycological identification,” says Thomas Walsh, MD, Director of the Transplantation-Oncology Infectious Diseases Program at Weill Cornell University Medical Center.

Davise Larone, PhD, is a Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Clinical Microbiology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, with more than 25 years of experience in directing clinical microbiology laboratories. Dr. Larone has developed and published improved methods for the isolation, examination, and identification of fungi, and has lectured widely in the United States and abroad, earning numerous awards and honors for her contributions to the field. Dr. Larone is the author of all previous editions of this book and has been perfecting its content since its inception in 1976.

Medically Important Fungi, 5^th edition, has a list price of $109.95 and can be purchased through ASM Press online at http://estore.asm.org/press or through other online retailers.

# # #

ASM Press is the book publishing arm of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), the oldest and largest single life science membership organization in the world. The ASM's mission is to promote research in the microbiological sciences and to assist communication between scientists, policy makers, and the public to improve health and foster economic well-being.