Biomass conversion into drop-in chemicals using novel heterogeneous bulk- and nano-scale catalysts is currently a hot research topic with the aim of replacing petrochemicals in the chemical industry. Considering the importance of this subject to the scientific community, Advanced Catalysis for Drop-in Chemicals provides the latest developments in the catalytic synthesis of drop-in chemicals mainly from lignocellulose, carbohydrates (cellulose, hemicellulose, C6 and C5 sugars, and their derivatives), lignin, and glycerol. The role of both heterogeneous bulk solid and nanostructured catalysts, along with their advantages and disadvantages for drop-in chemicals synthesis are critically summarized. Addressing the frontiers and prospects for using drop-in chemicals in place of petrochemicals in the chemical industry is also a key topic of this book.

Smart Agrochemicals for Sustainable Agriculture proposes products that fulfill the need for chemicals that provide a sustainable delivery system for nutrients necessary to maximize the production of agricultural animals and plants while producing the smallest possible environmental footprint. This book addresses all aspects related to the production process, including chemical formulas, stability of formulations, and the application of the effect of its utilization. Over the past decade, biobased chemicals have received significant attention as candidate resource materials in fertilizers and agrochemicals production due to their renewability. Substitution of conventional raw materials with biobased requires a new approach towards the development of technology. On the other hand, the use of biobased chemicals, such as biostimulants, bioregulators and biofertilizers offers a new palette of products that are natural, thus their application does not pose an impact on the environment (residues) or cultivated plants.

Green Biocomposites for Biomedical Engineering: Design, Properties, and Applications combines emergent research outcomes with fundamental theoretical concepts relevant to processing, properties and applications of advanced green composites in the field of biomedical engineering. The book outlines the design elements and characterization of biocomposites, highlighting each class of biocomposite separately. A broad range of biomedical applications for biocomposites is then covered, with a final section discussing the ethics and safety regulations associated with manufacturing and the use of biocomposites. With contributions from eminent editors and recognized authors around the world, this book is a vital reference for researchers in biomedical engineering, materials science and environmental science, both in industry and academia.

Plant and Algal Hydrogels for Drug Delivery and Regenerative Medicine offers a materials-focused and systematic overview of biopolymeric hydrogels utilized for biomedical applications. The book details the synthesis and characterization of plant and algal-based hydrogels, with each chapter addressing a separate polysaccharide hydrogel type. Specific applications in drug delivery and regenerative medicine are also discussed, highlighting the efficacy, biocompatibility, benefits and challenges for each polysaccharide hydrogel subtype. There is increasing demand for biomaterials which reduce/prevent the host response, inflammation and rejection, hence this book provides a timely resource. Biopolymeric hydrogels have skyrocketed because of their necessity in in vivo applications. They create an environment similar to living tissue, which is both biocompatible and biodegradable. Plant and algal polysaccharides in particular are well-equipped with functional groups that are easily modified for beneficial results.

Polysaccharide-Based Nanocomposites for Gene Delivery and Tissue Engineering presents quantitative background on new polysaccharide nanocomposites in a clear and logical way, highlighting the most exciting applications in gene delivery and tissue engineering and their progress. The book focuses on the different types of polysaccharide nanocomposites for gene delivery and tissue engineering and covers polysaccharide hydrogels for tissue engineering and polysaccharide magnetic nanocomposites for gene delivery. Chapters cover various nanocomposites presented in twenty-one separate chapters. This book will be of great interest to all those researching the development and applications of polysaccharide-based nanocomposites for modeling. As polysaccharide-based nanocomposites promise cutting-edge applications in gene delivery and tissue engineering, with their development at the forefront of modern medicine, this book is a welcome title on this exciting science.

Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering introduces the fundamental concepts and translational applications of musculoskeletal tissue engineering, in combination with emerging technologies and materials. Sections discuss Tissues and Technologies, covering a range of musculoskeletal tissues, including bone, cartilage, ligament and more. Each chapter in this section details core tissue engineering principles specific to each tissue type. Next, a Technologies section looks at the range of biomaterials used in musculoskeletal tissue engineering, focusing on biocompatibility of materials and interactions at the material-tissue interface. Other chapters cover nanotechnology, 3D printing, gene therapy, tissue chips, and more. This book offers an advanced reference text for researchers in biomedical engineering, materials science and regenerative medicine.

Optical Fiber Biosensors: Device Platforms, Biorecognition, Applications provides a comprehensive overview of the field of fiber optic sensors using an interdisciplinary approach that covers the fabrication of sensing devices and optical hardware, the functionalization to perform selective biorecognition, and the main applications of biosensors, with a present and a future outlook. Chapters discuss the principles of light propagation and the sensing devices suitable to perform biosensing with optical fibers, the process to functionalize the previous devices to selective biosensing, and applications in cells, small molecules, biomarkers and protein sensing, with a birds eye view on the most important results. This book provides a coherent picture of fiber optic biosensors, from the start (the device) to the end (the application), explaining in simple terms what is the whole process for development of a biosensor. The book also contains practical material (e.g. commercial instruments, fabrication instructions, medical standards for biocompatibility) that cannot be easily found elsewhere, and this is very useful for researchers to plan their development and build their labs.

Nanobiotechnology: Microbes and Plant Assisted Synthesis of Nanoparticles, Mechanisms and Applications covers in detail the green synthesis of nanostructures of tailor-made size, shape and physico-chemical and opto-electronic properties. The rationale behind the selection of bacteria, cyanobacteria, algae, fungi, virus and medicinal plants for the synthesis of biologically active exotic nanoparticles for biomedical applications is also part of this book. It also explores metal recovery, bioconversion, detoxification and removal of heavy metals using nanobiotechnology and discusses the potential of nanobiotechnology to address environmental pollution and toxicity. The book further covers the economic and commercial aspects of such green nanobiotechnology initiatives, its current status in intellectual property rights like patents filed so far globally, technology transfers, and market potential. This information enables one to decipher the scope of biogenic nanoparticles and its prospects.

Photocatalytic Systems by Design: Materials, Mechanisms and Applications explores various aspects of photocatalysis, including the photocatalytic phenomenon and process, applications, and the design of photocatalysts via band gap engineering. The book also covers band edge position engineering for multiple photocatalytic applications, such as pollutant degradations, hydrogen production, CO2 reduction into hydrocarbon fuels, antimicrobial disinfections, organic synthesis, N2 fixation, and more. This book is designed to enable beginners to learn the concepts and applications of photocatalysis. Unlike conventional books on photocatalysis, the book provides a 360 Degrees perspective into the field of photocatalysis and serves as an informative handbook for all audiences.

Foaming with Supercritical Fluids, Volume Nine provides a comprehensive description of the use of supercritical fluids as blowing agents in polymer foaming. To this aim, the fundamental issues on which the proper design and control of this process are rooted are discussed in detail, with specific attention devoted to the theoretical and experimental aspects of sorption thermodynamics of a blowing agent within a polymer, the effect of the absorbed blowing agent on the thermal, interfacial and rheological properties of the expanding matter, and the phase separation of the gaseous phase, and of the related bubble nucleation and growth phenomena. Several foaming technologies based on the use of supercritical blowing agents are then described, addressing the main issues in the light of the underlying chemical-physical phenomena.

Sustainable Environmental Clean-up: Green Remediation includes some natural, clean, and eco-sustainable technologies that have undergone the process of gradual development in past few decades. These technologies include a range of innovative natural and viable materials and offer a clean solution of environmental pollution. It includes case studies of phytoremediation, bioremediation (microbial removal of pollutant), constructed wetlands, natural media filtration for the sustainable environmental cleanup. Sustainable Environmental Clean-up: Green Remediation includes coverage of: Recent trends in eco-sustainable green remediation, Role of constructed wetlands in green remediation, Factor responsible for biodegradation of organic pollutants, Remediation through natural media (Sand, gravel, stope-chips), Microbes and their role in green remediation.

Photocatalytic Degradation of Dyes: Current Trends and Future Perspectives covers in detail current trends and future aspects on photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes using novel photocatalytic techniques such as metallic nanoparticles, heterogeneous and hybrid systems using visible light irradiation. It highlights the most recent scientific and technological achievements and importance of degradation of dyes in the textile effluent by simple environmental friendly approaches using eco-friendly catalysts. It is of assistance to everyone interested in bioremediation of effluents: professionals, consulting engineers, academicians, and research scholars as well.

Nanotechnology in Conservative Dentistry provides a detailed review of the use of nanotechnology in conservative dentistry, from diagnosis and restorative materials, through to tissue engineering and regeneration. This book covers fundamental topics in the field of conservative dentistry, including caries therapy, dentin reconstruction, pulp protection and more; each chapter reviews and discusses how nanotechnology can be implemented as a novel approach to traditional conservative dentistry techniques, exploring the many uses and advantages of this fast-growing technology. Various nanobiomaterials and technologies are covered, as well as assessment of the biocompatibility and toxicological risks of utilizing nanotechnology in dentistry. Nanotechnology in Conservative Dentistry will help dentists and materials science academics alike, understand the potential of nanotechnology in dentistry, building on and going beyond traditional concepts and techniques in this field.

Tailor-Made and Functionalized Biopolymer Systems: For Drug Delivery and Biomedical Applications covers the design and application of these functionalized and tailor-made biopolymers and biopolymer systems intended for drug delivery and biomedical applications. Various concepts, design protocols and biomedical applications of tailor-made biopolymer systems are covered, guiding the reader from theoretical knowledge to practical application. Authored by an array of experts from global institutions, this book offers an interdisciplinary approach to how tailor-made biopolymers lead to novel drug delivery and treatment solutions. This will be a useful reference to a broad audience, including biomedical engineers, materials scientists, pharmacologists and chemists.

Bioinspired and Biomimetic Materials for Drug Delivery delves into the potential of bioinspired materials in drug delivery, detailing each material type and its latest developments. In the last decade, biomimetic and bioinspired materials and technology has garnered increased attention in drug delivery research. Various material types including polymer, small molecular, protein, peptide, cholesterol, polysaccharide, nano-crystal and hybrid materials are widely considered in drug delivery research. However, biomimetic and bioinspired materials and technology have shown promising results for use in therapeutics, due to their high biocompatibility and reduced immunogenicity. Such materials include dopamine, extracellular exosome, bile acids, ionic liquids, and red blood cell. This book covers each of these materials in detail, reviewing their potential and usage in drug delivery. As such, this book will be a great source of information for biomaterials scientists, biomedical engineers and those working in pharmaceutical research.

Lignocellulosic Biomass in Biotechnology highlights significant aspects of lignocellulose biotechnology, demonstrating its potential value from an application perspective. Sections cover the physico-chemical characteristics of lignocellulosic biomass, the physical and structural properties of hemicelluloses, celluloses and lignin, sources of lignocellulosic biomass , microorganisms and their lignocellulytic enzymes, enzymatic degradation of lignocellulosic biomass, regulation of cell-wall degrading enzymes, barriers to lignocellulose biodegradation, biotechnological importance of lignocellulosic biomass, lignocellulosic pretreatment techniques, bioprocessing of lignocellulosic biomass, lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment methods, valuable chemicals and products, techno-economic evaluation and future perspectives. This book answers questions surrounding the biotechnology of lignocelluloses. It is ideal for both students and professionals in the industry supply chain. It also provides a reference for researchers and administrators engaged in the utilization and industrial development of agricultural resources.

Systems analysis for sustainability is an emerging discipline where technologies, processes or policies are evaluated comprehensively for sustainability. Trifold sustainability metrics such as technical feasibility, economic viability and environmental impacts are commonly used to assess sustainability. In addition to these metrics, it is important to consider resource sustainability, policies and social aspects for evaluating the sustainability of any proposed alternative. Green-Economy: Systems Analysis for Sustainability provides a theoretical background to perform such analyses and detailed case studies. The first part of this book introduces methods and tools to perform technical feasibility analysis, economic viability analysis, environmental impacts assessment, environmental risk assessment, resource sustainability assessment, policy and social aspects of technologies, general logic-based sustainability assessment for green products and introduces resilience thinking. The second part of the book focuses on case studies with an emphasis on solar energy, biofuels and bioproducts from across the globe.

Strategic Perspectives in Solid Waste and Wastewater Management explores conventional and advanced biotechnologies for waste management, including socio-economic aspects, techno-economic feasibility, models and modeling tools, and a detailed life-cycle assessment approach in solid waste (SW) and wastewater (WW). These innovative technologies are highly applicable to current real-world situations. The enormous increase in the quantum and diversity of SW and WW - including waste materials generated due to human activity and their potentially harmful effects on the environment and public health - have led to increasing awareness about an urgent need to adopt novel technologies for appropriate management of both SW and WW. While there is an obvious need to minimize the generation of wastes and to reuse and recycle them, the technologies for managing such wastes can play a vital role in mitigating problems. Besides recovery of substantial energy, these technologies can lead to a considerable reduction in the overall waste quantities requiring final disposal, which can be better managed for safe disposal in a controlled manner while meeting pollution control standards.

Micro and Nano Systems for Biophysical Studies of Cells and Small Organisms provides a comprehensive introduction to the state-of-the-art micro and nano systems that have recently been developed and applied to biophysical studies of cells and small organisms. These micro and nano systems span from microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and microfluidic devices to robotic micro-nanomanipulation systems. These biophysical studies range from cell mechanics to the neural science of worms and Drosophila. This book will help readers understand the fundamentals surrounding the development of these tools and teach them the most recent advances in cellular and organismal biophysics enabled by these technologies.

Handbook of Nano-biomaterials for Therapeutics and Diagnostic Applications covers in-depth topics on nano-biomaterials and nano drug delivery systems (biosensors and bioimaging) involving polymer nanocomposites, metal nanocomposites, and other carbon family fibers and proteins. The book covers the current application of tiny machines or nanodevices and their use as early detection systems for life threatening diseases, giving detailed literature on the development of nanodevices, their use as diagnostic tools, and their present trend in the industry and market. In addition, their synthesis, potential applications and future of smart nanodevices in diagnosis of diseases and their use as smart clinical devices is covered. Users will find sections on recent advances in interdisciplinary research on the processing, morphology, structure and properties of nanostructured materials and their applications in drug delivery for various diseases such as cancer, tuberculosis, Alzheimer disease, ophthalmic diseases, and more.

Wild Germplasm for Genetic Improvement in Crop Plants addresses the need for an integrated reference on a wide variety of crop plants, facilitating comparison and contrast, as well as providing relevant relationships for future research and development. The book presents the genetic and natural history value of wild relatives, covers what wild relatives exist, explores the existing knowledge regarding specific relatives and the research surrounding them and identifies knowledge gaps. As understanding the role of crop wild relatives in plant breeding expands the genetic pool for abiotic and biotic stress resistance, this is an ideal reference on this important topic.

Bionanocomposites in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine explores novel uses of these in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. This book offers an interdisplinary approach, combining chemical, biomedical engineering, materials science and pharmacological aspects of the characterization, synthesis and application of bionanocomposites. Chapters cover a broad selection of bionanocomposites including chitosan, alginate and more, which are utilized in tissue engineering, wound healing, bone repair, drug formulation, cancer therapy, drug delivery, cartilage regeneration and dental implants. Additional sections of Bionanocomposites in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine discuss, in detail, the safety aspects and circular economy of bionanocomposites - offering an insight into the commercial and industrial aspects of these important materials. Bionanocomposites in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine will prove a highly useful text for for those in the fields of biomedical engineering, chemistry, pharmaceutics and materials science, both in academia and industrial R&D groups.