This groundbreaking book is the first comparative analysis of the relative strengths of global bioregions. Growth Cultures investigates the rapidly growing phenomena of biotechnology and sets this study within a knowledge economy context. Philip Cooke proposes a new knowledge-focused theoretical framework, 'the New Global Bioeconomy', against which to test empirical characteristics of biotechnology. In this timely volume, Cooke unifies concepts from the sociology of science, economic sociology and evolutionary economic geography to focus on the problems and prospects for policy agencies worldwide trying to build 'biotechnology clusters'. He develops a superior policy approach of thinking in terms of platforms that integrate proximities and pipelines, which will be of significant interest for the scientific and technological communities as well as economic development policy communities. Growth Cultures will make fascinating reading for students, policy makers and researchers across management and business studies, innovation and knowledge studies, sociology, science and technology policy, applied economics, development studies and regional science.

The objective of the Springer Handbook of Enzymes is to provide in concise form data on enzymes sufficiently well characterized. Data sheets are arranged in their EC-Number sequence. Each volume comprises one enzyme class, sometimes the enzyme classes have to be divided into several volumes. Considerable progress has been made in enzymology since the publication of the first edition (published as "Enzyme Handbook"): many enzymes are newly classified or reclassified. In the 2nd edition each entry is correlated with references and one or more source organisms. New datafields are created: "application" and "engineering" (for the properties of enzymes where the sequence has been changed). Altogether the amount of data has doubled so that the 2nd edition will consist of 39 volumes plus synonym index. This collection is an indispensable source of information for researchers in biochemistry, biotechnology, organic and analytical chemistry, and food sciences.

The idea of editing a book on modern software architectures and tools for CAPE (Computer Aided Process Engineering) came about when the editors of this volume realized that existing titles relating to CAPE did not include references to the design and development of CAPE software.
Scientific software is needed to solve CAPE related problems by industry/academia for research and development, for education and training and much more. There are increasing demands for CAPE software to be versatile, flexible, efficient, and reliable. This means that the role of software architecture is also gaining increasing importance. Software architecture needs to reconcile the objectives of the software; the framework defined by the CAPE methods; the computational algorithms; and the user needs and tools (other software) that help to develop the CAPE software. The object of this book is to bring to the reader, the software side of the story with respect to computer aided process engineering.

These Proceedings evolved from the OECD Co-operative Research Programme workshop on "Potential ecological impact of transgenic plants expressing viral sequencies," held at the Agricultural Biotechnology Center in Godollo, Hungary on 24-26 April 1997. The OECD Co-operative Research Programme At the Directorate for Agrieulture of the Organisation for Economie Co-operation and Development (OECD) a co-operative research programme for "Biological Resource Management" has existed since 1990. It foeuses on work in four specific topie areas, one of whieh is "Ecology and utilisation of new organisms" (Theme 3). The activities promoted by this programme are post-doctoral fellowships (announced annually), and the organisation of expert workshops (1-2 workshops per Theme per year). The 26 OECD member countries participating in this programme are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, ltaly, Korea, Japan, the NetherIands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, SwitzerIand, Turkey, the UK, and the USA."

This volume presents 12 comprehensive and timely review articles on some of the new tools and applications of biochemical engineering and biotechnology. The tools range from screening methods for novel biocatalysts and products, fluorescence spectroscopy and mass spectrometry for monitoring and analysis of cellular processes via mathematical models and protein expression systems for metabolic engineering to new bioreaction and separation devices. The applications cover the uses of animal and tissue cultures, insect cells, recombinant and marine microorganisms for the production of a variety of important bioproducts.

ss-barrel outer membrane channel proteins (OMP) are useful as robust and flexible models or components in nanotechnology. Over the last decade biotechnological techniques allowed to expand the natural characteristics of OMPs by modifying their geometry and properties. The present book is oriented towards a broad group of readers including graduate students and advanced researchers. It gives a general introduction to the field of OMP based nano-component development as well as the state of the art of the involved research. On the example of the E. coli FhuA the transformation of an OMP into a tailored nano-channel will be outlined. An exhaustive description of the scientific strategy, including protein selection, analytical methods and "in-silico" tools to support the planning of protein modifications for a targeted application, consideration on the production of a custom made OMP, and an overview on technological applications including membrane/polymersome technology, will be provided.

Biomass pyrolysis has been practised for centuries in the manufacture of charcoal for industry and leisure. Only in the last two decades, however, has attention focussed on a better understanding of the science and technology, with the resultant benefits of better designed and controlled processes that give high yields of liquid products. These liquids, or 'bio-oil' as it is referred to, can be used in a variety of ways: -combustion to replace conventional fuel oil in boilers, process equipment such as kilns and in gas turbines for power generation; -upgrading by hydrotreating or with zeolites to gasoline, diesel and other hydrocarbon fuels, of chemicals; --extraction and upgrading to fuel additives and chemical specialities. Any charcoal produced can also be utilised to form char- water slurries, analogous to coal-water slurries, or bioi-oil slurries which may be used as liquid fuels in many combustion applications. A group of experts was set up in the EC Energy from Biomass programme to evaluate the status and opportunities for deriving useful liquid products from biomass pyrolysis. This book is a report of their findings and conclusions. It forms an authoritative guide to the wide range of technologies employed in biomass pyrolysis, and product upgrading, utilisation and characterisation. Recommendations and conclusions are included to identify promising areas of research and development that will be of value to researchers, planners and companies throughout the world.

This book offers effective, low-cost and user-friendly protocols for the pre-field selection of salt-tolerant mutants in cereal crops. It presents simple methods for measuring soil salinity, including soil sampling and the analysis of water-soluble salts, and describes a detailed, but simple, screening test for salt tolerance in rice, wheat and barley seedlings, which uses hydroponics. The protocols are devised for use by plant breeders and can be easily accommodated into breeding practice.

CONTENTS - INTRODUCTION - CHAPTER I: HYDROCARBONS - Benzene; Toluene; Xylene; Ethylbenzene; Cumene; Tetrahydronaphthalene; Decahydronaphthalene; Methylated naphthalenes; Coal tar solvent naphtha; Petroleum spirit; Benzine; White spirit; cycloHexane; Methylcyclohexane; Turpentine; Dipentene; cycloPentadiene; Dicyclopentadiene - CHAPTER II: CHLORINATED HYDROCARBONS - Methylene dichloride; Chloroform; Carbon tetrachloride; sym.-Dichloroethane; Tetrachloroethane; Pentachloroethane; Dichloroethylene; Trichloroethylene; Perchloroethylene; Propylene dichloride; Amyl chloride; Amylene dichloride; Monochlorobenzene; o-Dichlorobenzene - CHAPTER III: ALCOHOLS - Methyl alcohol; Wood spirit; Ethyl alcohol; n-Propyl alcohol; isoPropyl alcohol; n-Butyl alcohol; sec.-Butyl alcohol; isoButyl alcohol; tert.- Butyl alcohol; Amyl alcohol; Methylisobutylcarbinol; cycloHexanol; Methylcyclohexallo; Allyl alcohol; Benzyl alcohol; Diacetone alcohol; Ethylene chlorohydrin; Monochlorohydrin; Dichlorohydrin - CHAPTER IV: ETHERS - Ethyl ether; betabeta' -Dichloroethyl ether; isoPropyl ether; Propylene oxide; Dioxan; Methylal; Acetal; Paraldehyde - CHAPTER V: ESTERS - Methyl formate; Ethyl formate; n-Butyl formate; Amyl formate; Benzyl formate; Methyl acetate; Ethyl acetate; n-Propyl acetate; isoPropyl acetate; n-Butyl acetate; sec.-Butyl acetate; isoButyl acetate; Amyl acetate; sec.- Hexyl acetate; cycloHexyl acetate; Methylcyclohexyl acetate; Butoxyl; Benzyl acetate; n-Butyl propionate; Amyl propionate; n-Butyl butyrate; Methyl benzoate; Ethyl benzoate; Ethyl lactate; Butyl lactate; Amyl lactate; Ethyl hydroxyisobutyrate; Diethyl carbonate; Dialkyl carbonates; Diethyl oxalate - CHAPTER VI: KETONES - Acetone; Methyl acetone; Acetone oils; Methyl ethyl ketone; Methyl isobutyl ketone; Mesityl oxide; cycloHexanone; Methylcyclohexanone; Isophorone - CHAPTER VII: GLYCOLS AND THEIR DERIVATIVES - Ethylene glycol; Ethylene glycol mono-methyl ether; Ethylene glycol monoethyl ether; Ethylene glycol monoethylether monoacetate; Ethylene glycol diethyl ether; Ethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether; Ethylene glycol monoacetate; Ethylene glycol diacetate; Diethylene glycol mono ethyl ether; Diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether; Diethylene glycol monoacetate; Dipropylene glycol - CHAPTER VIII: AMINES AND COAL TAR BASES - cycloHexylamine; Dicyclohexylamine; Ethanolamines; Pyridine; Picoline - CHAPTER IX: NITRO-COMPOUNDS - Nitromethane; Nitropropanes; Nitrobutanes; Nitrobenzene - CHAPTER X: MISCELLANEOUS COMPOUNDS - Carbon disulphide; Acetic acid; Acetic anhydride; Cresols; Dimethyl sulphate; Silicones and silane intermediates -

This book brings together and updates the latest information on the diversity of yeasts, their molecular features and their applications in the welfare of mankind. Yeasts are eukaryotic microfungi widely found in natural environments, including those with extreme conditions such as low temperatures, low oxygen levels and low water availability. To date, approximately 2,000 of the estimated 30,000 to 45,000 species of yeast on Earth, belonging to around 200 genera have been described. Although there are a few that are opportunistic human and animal pathogens, the vast majority of yeasts are beneficial, playing an important role in the food chain and in the carbon, nitrogen and sulphur cycles. In addition, yeasts such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Hansenula polymorpha and Pichia pastoris are used in expressing foreign genes to produce proteins of pharmaceutical interest. A landmark in biotechnology was reached in 1996 with the completion of sequencing of the entire S. cerevisiae genome, and it has now become a central player in the development of an entirely new approach to biological research and synthetic biology. The sequencing of genomes of several yeasts including Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neofromans has also recently been completed.

Genome Mapping and Molecular Breeding in Plants presents the current status of the elucidation and improvement of plant genomes of economic interest. The focus is on genetic and physical mapping, positioning, cloning, monitoring of desirable genes by molecular breeding and the most recent advances in genomics. The series comprises seven volumes: Cereals and Millets; Oilseeds; Pulses, Sugar and Tuber Crops; Fruits and Nuts; Vegetables; Technical Crops; and Forest Trees.

Forest trees cover one third of the global land surface, constitute many ecosystems and play a pivotal role in the world economy. Despite their importance in the economy, ecology and environment, genetic analysis and breeding efforts have lagged behind. Presented here are chapters on Populus trees, pines, Fagaceae trees, eucalypts, spruces, Douglas fir and black walnut, and a first-ever detailed review of Cryptomeria japonica. Innovative strategies to address the inherent problems of genome analysis of tree species are thoroughly discussed.

This special volume on "bioanalysis and biosensors for bioprocess monitoring" has a twofold target. Firstly, it is dedicated to the 75th birthday ofArmin Fiechter, who was a major driving force among the pioneers to the progress of biochemical engineering. Not only the aseptic connection technique with septa and needles still used until today was established by him, but also the development of the first sterilizable pH electrodes with W Ingold is also credited to him. He made in vivo bio analysis a topic of general interest, for instance by setting up the first chemostat in Switzerland. It was again Armin Fiechter who pushed the use of non invasive exhaust gas analysis in the late 1960s and promoted development and exploita tion of in situ sensors and on line analytical instruments in bioprocessing, among other means, by founding a spin off company. In his laudatio, Karl Schtigerl extends the list of his merits and achievements.

This book is a teaching aid as well as a practical guide for soil analysts. It is the result of twenty years of experience and study and analysis of soils. It is equally useful to the undergraduate, post-graduate student of soil sciences as well as for the research professional in the soil laboratory.

Over the last thirty years, China has developed one of the worlda (TM)s largest public research programs in agricultural biotechnology. Building on a long tradition of agricultural advances, Chinese scientists have applied biotechnology techniques to develop hundreds of novel crop varieties suited to local farming conditions and challenges.

Agricultural Biotechnology in China: Origins and Prospects is a comprehensive examination of how the origins of biotechnology research agendas, along with the effectiveness of the seed delivery system and biosafety oversight, help to explain current patterns of crop development and adoption in China. Based on firsthand insights from Chinaa (TM)s laboratories and farms, Valerie Karplus and Dr. Xing Wang Deng explore the implications of Chinaa (TM)s investment for the nationa (TM)s rural development, environmental footprint, as well as its global scientific and economic competitiveness.

This book presents, in 26 chapters, the status quo in epigenomic profiling. It discusses how functional information can be indirectly inferred and describes the new approaches that promise functional answers, collectively referred to as epigenome editing. It highlights the latest important advances in our understanding of the functions of plant epigenomics and new technologies for the study of epigenomic marks and mechanisms in plants. Topics include the deposition or removal of chromatin modifications and histone variants, the role of epigenetics in development and response to environmental signals, natural variation and ecology, as well as applications for epigenetics in crop improvement. Discussing areas ranging from the complex regulation of stress and heterosis to the precise mechanisms of DNA and histone modifications, it presents breakthroughs in our understanding of complex phenotypic phenomena.

In continuation from the previous three volumes 17, 18, and 19 on High-Tech and Micropropagation this volume presents 29 chapters on the propagation of ornamental plants through modern biotechnological methods. The species covered include "Alstromeria," "Antirrhinum," "Begonia," "Chrysanthemum," "Cornus," "Euphorbia," "Gardenia," "Gladiolus," "Hyacinthus," "Impatiens," "Iris," "Lycoris," "Nematanthus," "Paeonia," "Pelargonium," "Phalaenopsis," "Rhododendron," "Ruscus," "Saintpaulia," "Senecio," "Syringa," orchids, cacti, roses, and Boston ferns. In addition, one chapter is devoted to micropropagation of virus-free ornamentals in the CIS. Throughout the book, detailed protocols as well as a comprehensive review of the literature are provided. Advanced students, teachers, and researchers in the fields of floriculture, horticulture, and plant biotechnology in general, and also those interested in industrial or commercial micropropagation will find a wealth of useful information in the book.

The rapidly developing field of systems biology is influencing many aspects of biological research and is expected to transform biomedicine. Some emerging offshoots and specialized branches in systems biology are receiving particular attention and are becoming highly active areas of research. This collection of invited reviews describes some of the latest cutting-edge experimental and computational advances in these emerging sub-fields of systems biology. In particular, this collection focuses on the study of mammalian embryonic stem cells; new technologies involving mass-spectrometry proteomics; single cell measurements; methods for modeling complex stochastic systems; network-based classification algorithms; and the revolutionary emerging field of systems pharmacology.

Plants produce more than 30,000 types of chemicals, including pharmaceuticals, pigments and other fine chemicals, which is four times more than those obtain ed from microbes. Plant cell culture has been receiving great attention as an alternative for the production of valuable plant derived secondary metabolites, since it has many advantages over whole plant cultivation. However, much more research is required to enhance the culture productivity and reduce the pro cessing costs, which is the key to the commercialization of plant cell culture pro cesses. The recent achievements in related biochemical engineering studies are reviewed in Chapter 1. The effect of gaseous compounds on plant cell behavior has been little studied, and Chapter 2 focuses on these gas concentration effects (including oxygen, carbon dioxide, ethylene and others, such as volatile hor mones like methyl jasmonate) on secondary metabolite production by plant cell cultures. Two metabolites of current interest, i. e. , the antimalarial artemisinin (known as "qing hao su" in China) that is produced by Artemisia annua (sweet wormwood) and taxanes used for anticancer therapy that are produced by species of Taxus, are taken as examples. Bioprocess integration is another hot topic in plant cell culture technology. Because most of the plant secondary meta bolites are toxic to the cells at high concentrations during the culture, removal of the product in situ during the culture can lead to the enhanced productivity. Various integrated bioprocessing techniques are discussed in Chapter 3.