CAMD or Computer Aided Molecular Design refers to the design of molecules with desirable properties. That is, through CAMD, one determines molecules that match a specified set of (target) properties. CAMD as a technique has a very large potential as in principle, all kinds of chemical, bio-chemical and material products can be designed through this technique.
This book mainly deals with macroscopic properties and therefore does not cover molecular design of large, complex chemicals such as drugs. While books have been written on computer aided molecular design relating to drugs and large complex chemicals, a book on systematic formulation of CAMD problems and solutions, with emphasis on theory and practice, which helps one to learn, understand and apply the technique is currently unavailable.
-This title brings together the theoretical aspects related to Computer Aided Molecular Design, the different techniques that have been developed and the different applications that have been reported.
-Contributing authors are among the leading researchers and users of CAMD
-First book available giving a systematic formulation of CAMD problems and solutions

Few topics have inspired as much international furor and misinformation as the development and distribution of genetically altered foods. For thousands of years, farmers have bred crops for their resistance to disease, productivity, and nutritional value; and over the past century, scientists have used increasingly more sophisticated methods for modifying them at the genetic level. But only since the 1970s have advances in biotechnology (or gene-splicing to be more precise) upped the ante, with the promise of dramatically improved agricultural products--and public resistance far out of synch with the potential risks. In this provocative and meticulously researched book, Henry Miller and Gregory Conko trace the origins of gene-splicing, its applications, and the backlash from consumer groups and government agencies against so-called "Frankenfoods"--from America to Zimbabwe. They explain how a "happy conspiracy" of anti-technology activism, bureaucratic over-reach, and business lobbying has resulted in a regulatory framework in which there is an inverse relationship between the degree of product risk and degree of regulatory scrutiny. The net result, they argue, is a combination of public confusion, political manipulation, ill-conceived regulation (from such agencies as the USDA, EPA, and FDA), and ultimately, the obstruction of one of the safest and most promising technologies ever developed--with profoundly negative consequences for the environment and starving people around the world. The authors go on to suggest a way to emerge from this morass, proposing a variety of business and policy reforms that can unlock the potential of this cutting-edge science, while ensuring appropriatesafeguards and moving environmentally friendly products into the hands of farmers and consumers. This book is guaranteed to fuel the ongoing debate over the future of biotech and its cultural, economic, and political implications.

Progress in the applications of biotechnology depends on a wide base of basic as well as applied sciences. The output of biotechnology has already proved itself in many different fields, from health to biomining, and from agriculture to enzyme "breeding."
The objectives of the "Biotechnology Annual Review" series is to provide readers with the needed in-depth knowledge by reviewing specific topics in each volume. In this way, it is easier for scientists to keep in touch with progress and applications in biotechnology.
Up-to-date topics are reviewed that are related to regulatory affairs, social impact, biodiversity and patent issues, as well as production and technology.

An Introduction to Ethical, Safety and Intellectual Property Rights Issues in Biotechnology provides a comprehensive look at the biggest technologies that have revolutionized biology since the early 20th century, also discussing their impact on society. The book focuses on issues related to bioethics, biosafety and intellectual property rights, and is written in an easy-to-understand manner for graduate students and early career researchers interested in the opportunities and challenges associated with advances in biotechnology. Important topics covered include the Human Genome Project, human cloning, rDNA technology, the 3Rs and animal welfare, bioterrorism, human rights and genetic discrimination, good laboratory practices, good manufacturing practices, the protection of biological material and much more. Full of relevant case studies, practical examples, weblinks and resources for further reading, this book offers an essential and holistic look at the ways in which biotechnology has affected our global society.

This multi-authored handbook is a unique cross-industry resource for formulators and compounders, and an invaluable reference for the producers of formulated commodities and industrial minerals. Monographs on each of the common functional industrial minerals-asbestos, barite, calcium carbonate, diatomite, feldspar, gypsum, hormite, kaolin, mica, nepheline syenite, perlite, pyrophyllite, silica, smectite, talc, vermiculite, wollastonite, and zeolite include an overview of natural and commercial varieties, market size, and application areas. These are supported by descriptions of mineral structures, and the wedding of minerals and chemicals through mineral surface modification.

This orientation to the minerals and their uses forms the foundation for chapters where they are presented in the context of the overall technology of various consuming industries. Each of these industry-specific presentations covers both the chemical and mineral raw materials used by the formulator, how these are combined, and relevant test methods. These chapters serve a dual purpose. Each clarifies for technologists the function and value of the mineral constituents of their products. Equally important, they provide a primer on the technology of industries other than their own, so that raw material, formulation, processing and testing considerations can be compared and contrasted.

The book concludes with a formulary demonstrating how specific mineral and chemical ingredients are actually compounded in major application areas, and technical data on scores of commercial mineral products.

Membrane processes today play a signifi cant role in the replacement therapy for acute and chronic organ failure diseases. Current extracorporeal blood purifi cation and oxygenation devices employ membranes acting as selective barriers for the removal of endogeneous and exogeneous toxins and for gas exchange, respectively. Additionally, membrane technology offers new interesting opportunities for the design of bioartificial livers, pancreas, kidneys, lungs etc. This book reviews the latest developments in membrane systems for bioartificial organs and regenerative medicine, investigates how membrane technology can improve the quality and efficiency of biomedical devices, and highlights the design procedures for membrane materials covering the preparation, characterization, and sterilization steps as well as transport phenomena. The different strategies pursued for the development of membrane bioartifi cial organs, including crucial issues related to blood/cell-membrane interactions are described with the aim of opening new and exciting frontiers in the coming decades. The book is a valuable tool for tissue engineers, clinicians, biomaterials scientists, membranologists as well as biologists and biotechnologists. It is also a source of reference for students, academic and industrial researchers in the topic of biotechnology, biomedical engineering, materials science and medicine.

Interdisciplinary Research and Applications in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, and Environmental Sciences is a collection of cutting-edge research papers in the field of computational and systems biology contributed by leading researchers from across the globe. The studies range from the atomic/molecular level to the genomic level and present a wide spectrum of important biological problems and applications. It is a must-read for researchers in a broad range of disciplines, including computer science, chemistry, physics, math and statistics, and biological sciences.

This thesis focuses on the study of interactions between protein and peptides and their potential applications in cell imaging and nanoparticle surface modification. Drawing inspiration from naturally occurring coiled-coil binding pairs, it proposes a novel covalent peptide tag and probe system, based on the concept of "affinity guided covalent conjugation." This newly established methodology provides complementary resolution to protein labeling, imaging and trafficking. By systematically investigating the coordination interaction between protein and quantum dots using various engineered protein ligands, this thesis proposes a general rule for protein self-assembly on the surface of quantum dots and reports a revolutionized nanobelt protein in accordance with this rule. It is an extraordinary example of interdisciplinary research, providing answers to real-life biological problems from a chemistry perspective.

Algal Green Chemistry: Recent Progress in Biotechnology presents emerging information on green algal technology for the production of diverse chemicals, metabolites, and other products of commercial value. This book describes and emphasizes the emerging information on green algal technology, with a special emphasis on the production of diverse chemicals, metabolites, and products from algae and cyanobacteria. Topics featured in the book are exceedingly valuable for researchers and scientists in the field of algal green chemistry, with many not covered in current academic studies. It is a unique source of information for scientists, researchers, and biotechnologists who are looking for the development of new technologies in bioremediation, eco-friendly and alternative biofuels, biofertilizers, biogenic biocides, bioplastics, cosmeceuticals, sunscreens, antibiotics, anti-aging, and an array of other biotechnologically important chemicals for human life and their contiguous environment. This book is a great asset for students, researchers, and biotechnologists.

The abiotic stresses like drought, temperature, cold, salinity, heavy metals etc. affect a great deal on the yield performance of the agricultural crops. To cope up with these challenges, plant breeding programs world-wide are focussing on the development of stress tolerant varieties in all crop species. Significant genomic advances have been made for abiotic stress tolerance in various crop species in terms of availability of molecular markers, QTL mapping, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), genomic selection (GS) strategies, and transcriptome profiling. The broad-range of articles involving genomics and breeding approaches deepens our existing knowledge about complex traits. The chapters are written by authorities in their respective fields. This book provides comprehensive and consolidated account on the applications of the most recent findings and the progress made in genomics assisted breeding for tolerance to abiotic stresses in many important major crop species with a focus on applications of modern strategies for sustainable agriculture. The book is especially intended for students, molecular breeders and scientists working on the genomics-assisted genetic improvement of crop species for abiotic stress tolerance.

Novel Catalytic and Separation Process Based on Ionic Liquids presents the latest progress on the use of ionic liquids (ILs) in catalytic and separation processes. The book discusses the preparation of ILs, the characterization of IL catalysts by spectroscopic techniques, catalytic reactions over IL catalysts, separation science and technology of ILs, applications in biomass utilization, and synthesis of fine chemicals. Scientists, engineers, graduate students, managers, decision-makers, and others interested in ionic liquids will find this information very useful. The book can be used as a springboard for more advanced work in this area as it contains both theory and recent applications, research conducted, and developments in separation techniques and catalysis using ionic liquids.

This major new edition of a popular undergraduate text covers topics of interest to chemical engineers taking courses on fluid flow. These topics include non-Newtonian flow, gas-liquid two-phase flow, pumping and mixing. It expands on the explanations of principles given in the first edition and is more self-contained. Two strong features of the first edition were the extensive derivation of equations and worked examples to illustrate calculation procedures. These have been retained. A new extended introductory chapter has been provided to give the student a thorough basis to understand the methods covered in subsequent chapters.

Piezo Channels, Volume 79, the latest volume in the Current Topics in Membranes series provides the necessary membrane research to assist readers in discovering the current state of a particular field and future directions. New chapters in the updated volume include A Tour de Force: The Discovery, Properties, and Function of Piezo Channels, Piezo1 Channels in Vascular Development and the Sensing of Shear Stress, the Origin of the Force: The Force-From-Lipids Principle Applied to Piezo Channels, Genetic Diseases of PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 Dysfunction, and The Structural Basis for Sensing by the Piezo1 Protein. Users of this series will find an up-to-date presentation of the current knowledge in the field of Piezo Channels.

This unique and comprehensive text considers all aspects of heat exchanger fouling from the basic science of how surfaces become fouled to very practical ways of mitigating the problem and from mathematical modelling of different fouling mechanisms to practical methods of heat exchanger cleaning. The problems that restrict the efficient operation of equipment are described and the costs, some of them hidden costs, that are associated with the fouling of heat exchangers are discussed. Some simple concepts and models of the fouling processes are presented as part of the introduction to the subject.

Advice on the selection, design, installation and commissioning of heat exchangers to minimise fouling is given. A large part of the text is devoted to the use of chemical and other additives to reduce or eliminate the problem of fouling. Another large section is designed to give information on both on-line and off-line cleaning of heat exchangers. One of the difficulties faced by designers and operators of heat exchangers is anticipating the likely extent of fouling problems to be encountered with different flow streams. Another large section addresses the question and describes methods that have been used in attempting to define fouling potential. The book concludes with a chapter on how fouling information can be obtained using plant data, field tests and laboratory studies.

Biology and Engineering of Stem Cell Niches covers a wide spectrum of research and current knowledge on embryonic and adult stem cell niches, focusing on the understanding of stem cell niche molecules and signaling mechanisms, including cell-cell/cell-matrix interactions. The book comprehensively reviews factors regulating stem cell behavior and the corresponding approaches for understanding the subsequent effect of providing the proper matrix molecules, mechanical cues, and/or chemical cues. It encompasses a variety of tools and techniques for developing biomaterials-based methods to model synthetic stem cell niches in vivo, or to enhance and direct stem cell fate in vitro. A final section of the book discusses stem cell niche bioengineering strategies and current advances in each tissue type.

The field of membrane separation technology is presently in a state of rapid growth and innovation. Many different membrane separation processes have been developed during the past half century and new processes are constantly emerging from academic, industrial, and governmental laboratories. While new membrane separation processes are being conceived with remarkable frequency, existing processes are also being constantly improved in order to enhance their economic competitiveness. Significant improvements are currently being made in many aspects of membrane separation technology: in the development of new membrane materials with higher selectivity and/or permeability, in the fabrication methods for high-flux asymmetric or composite membranes, in membrane module construction and in process design. Membrane separation technology is presently being used in an impressive variety of applications and has generated businesses totalling over one billion U.S. dollars annually.

The main objective of this book is to present the principles and applications of a variety of membrane separation processes from the unique perspectives of investigators who have made important contributions to their fields. Another objective is to provide the reader with an authoritative resource on various aspects of this rapidly growing technology. The text can be used by someone who wishes to learn about a general area of application as well as by the knowledgeable person seeking more detailed information.

Lead-Acid Batteries: Science and Technology: A Handbook of Lead-Acid Battery Technology and Its Influence on the Product, Second Edition presents a comprehensive overview of the technological processes of lead-acid battery manufacture and their influence on performance parameters. The book summarizes current knowledge on lead-acid battery production, presenting it in the form of an integral theory that is supported by ample illustrative material and experimental data that allows technologists and engineers to control technological processes in battery plants. In addition, the book provides university lecturers with a tool for a clear and in-depth presentation of lead-acid battery production in courses. This updated edition includes new supplementary material (text and illustrations) in chapters 2, 4, 6 and 16, as well as a brand new chapter on the action of carbon as an additive to the negative active material and the utilization of the lead-carbon supercapacitor electrodes. Substantial revisions of other chapters have been made, making the book beneficial for battery researchers, engineers and technologists.

Epigenetics and Systems Biology highlights the need for collaboration between experiments and theoretical modeling that is required for successful application of systems biology in epigenetics studies. This book breaks down the obstacles which exist between systems biology and epigenetics researchers due to information barriers and segmented research, giving real-life examples of successful combinations of systems biology and epigenetics experiments. Each section covers one type of modeling and one set of epigenetic questions on which said models have been successfully applied. In addition, the book highlights how modeling and systems biology relate to studies of RNA, DNA, and genome instability, mechanisms of DNA damage signaling and repair, and the effect of the environment on genome stability.