Fibroblast Growth Factors, Second Edition systematically introduces readers to FGF in the fields of injury repair and regeneration, endocrinology and metabolism, structure and modification, pharmaceutics, pharmacology, FGF/FGFR inhibitor, engineering and new drug development. Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are secreted protein ligands that act in a paracrine or endocrine fashion to carry out their pleiotropic functions in development, tissue homeostasis and metabolism. This book covers the work from Li’s team from 2013 to 2018 and will be a primer for scientists, particularly young students entering the FGFs field with an eye on basic research and application.

RNA Recognition, Volume 623, the latest volume in the Methods in Enzymology series, continues the legacy of this premier serial with quality chapters authored by leaders in the field. This updated volume covers a variety of topics, including The Preparation of cooperative RNA recognition complexes for crystallographic structural studies, Methods for thermal denaturation studies of fluorogenic aptamers, Dynamic combinatorial chemistry as a rapid, fragment-based approach to RNA-targeted compound discovery, Using a click chemistry assay to identify natural product ligands for pre-microRNAs, Lessons from exploration of chemical and structural small molecule:RNA space, Using ligand-observed NMR to study RNA-small molecule interactions, and much more.

The Solar Corridor Crop System: Implementation and Impacts presents a case-study format on the planning and implementation of alternative cropping systems designed to maximize incident sunlight and bio-support of all crops in a rotation system. The book describes the basic component of the system, an increased access point of incident sunlight between each row or pairs of rows that enables a more uniform vertical distribution of incident sunlight to chloroplasts within the entire corn leaf canopy. While the production environment and environment specific genetics determine the performance potential of this principle, by maximizing the principles that light is basic to crop yield, a solar corridor ultimately contributes to increased grain yield. Written by experts who were integral in the development of solar corridor systems, and providing real-world examples of the methods, challenges and future prospects, this book will be valuable for those seeking to increase yield-per-acre through both primary and cover-crops.

Optochemical Biology, Volume 624, the latest release in the Methods in Enzymology series, continues the legacy of this premier serial with quality chapters on a variety of topics, including Cell Lineage Tracing in Zebrafish Embryos with an Expanded Genetic Code, Optical Control of Tumor Induction in the Zebrafish, Optogenetic Control by Pulsed Illumination, Optimizing the Photocontrol of bZIP Coiled Coils with Azobenzene Crosslinkers: Role of the Crosslinking Site, Site-Directed RNA Editing in Vivo Can Be Triggered by the Light-Driven Assembly of an Artificial Riboprotein, In Situ Formation of an Azo Bridge on Proteins Controllable by Visible Light, and much more.

Membrane Transporters in the Pathogenesis of Cardiovascular and Lung Disorders, Volume 83, the latest release in the Current Topics in Membranes series, highlights new advances in the field, with this volume presenting chapters from recognized experts on topics such as cardiotonic steroids, Na+, K+ pumps and vascular fibrosis, purinergic signaling in the lung, structural models of a2-subunit N-termini and binding interfaces, ubiquitous and cell type-specific transcriptomic changes triggered by dissipation of monovalent cation gradients, the Na, K-ATPase alpha2 isoform in cardiovascular pathologies, the role of cell swelling and volume-sensitive ion channels in stroke pathology, structure-function relationships in the renal NaCl cotransporter, and more.

Genetic Engineering and Genome Editing for Zinc Biofortification of Rice provides the first single-volume, comprehensive resource on genetic engineering approaches, including novel genome editing techniques, that are carried out in rice, a staple crop for much of the world's population. Dietary zinc deficiency can lead to negative health outcomes, including increased risk of stunting, respiratory diseases, diarrhea, mortality during childhood, and preterm births in pregnancy. By providing a complete view of the need for zinc biofortification in rice, sections in this book discuss state-of-the-art scientific advances, and then go further, placing them in their proper scientific, regulatory and socioeconomic contexts. While zinc biofortification can be achieved through conventional breeding, genetic engineering and agronomic practices, this is the first reference to bring all the latest insights and understanding to a comprehensive resource that is based on real-world experience and targeted applications.

Advances in Clinical Chemistry, Volume 114, the latest installment in this internationally acclaimed series, contains chapters authored by world-renowned clinical laboratory scientists, physicians and research scientists.

Chemical and Synthetic Biology Approaches To Understand Cellular Functions - Part B, Volume 622, the latest release in the Methods in Enzymology series, highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting chapters that cover the Design of optogenetic proteins, the Application of optogenetic proteins, Antibody aggregation mechanism probed by a fluorescently-labeled antibody with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, Bimane labeling of B-arrestins to measure their interaction with GPCRs, Reversible biotinylation of proteins for investigating their interaction with partners, Chemical biology approaches to study RNA cytidine acetylation, Salt sensitive intein in robotic production of peptides, and much more.

Chemical and Synthetic Biology Approaches to Understand Cellular Functions - Part A, Volume 621, the latest release in the Methods in Enzymology series, highlights new advances in the field, with this volume covering Site-directed ethylation of membrane proteins for measuring conformational transitions in lipid bilayers, the Design and synthesis of fluorescent activity probes for protein phosphatases, Stains, Utilizing split-nanoLuc fragments as luminescent probes for protein solubility in living cells, SH2-domain based sensor for intracellular recognition of sulfo-tyrosine, DNA-encoded immunoglobulins for detection of parasites, An engineered TEV protease - calmodulin fusion based sensor for neuronal calcium recording, and much more.

Advances in Clinical Chemistry, Volume 90, the latest installment in this internationally acclaimed series, contains chapters authored by world-renowned clinical laboratory scientists, physicians and research scientists. The serial discusses the latest and most up-to-date technologies related to the field of clinical chemistry, and is the benchmark for novel analytical approaches in the clinical laboratory.

Advances in Microbial Physiology, Volume 74, the latest release in this ongoing series, continues the long tradition of topical, important, cutting-edge reviews in microbiology. The book contains updates in the field, with comprehensive chapters covering The electrifying physiology of Geobacter bacteria 30 years on, Adaptive morphogenesis in bacteria, Bacterial energetics and respiratory metabolism, Bacteria respiration during infection, Regulation of Organohalide Respiration, Bioenergetics of Campylobacter jejuni, Formate Hydrogenlyases, Bioenergetical Aspects of the Bacterial and Archaeal Hydrogen Metabolism, and more.

Glycans and Glycosaminoglycans as Clinical Biomarkers and Therapeutics - Part B, Volume 163 in the Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science series, provides informative monographs on a variety of research topics related to Glycans and glycosaminoglycans as clinical biomarkers and therapeutics. Topics in this update include an Overview of Fugal Glycan-based Therapeutics, Heparin: An Essential Drug for Modern Medicine, Low Molecular Weight Heparins and Their Clinical Applications, The Clinical Use of Fondaparinux: A Synthetic Heparin Pentasaccharid, Heparinoids as Clinically Used Drugs, Marine Glycan-Derived Therapeutics in China, Efficacy of Heparinoid PSS in Treating Cardiovascular and other Diseases-30 Years Clinical Applications in China, and more.

Alternative Methods in Neurotoxicology, Volume Nine, the latest release in this series, provides an overview of important in vitro and non-vertebrate animal models available to study the neurotoxicity of a range of toxicants of occupational and environmental relevance. Chapters in this new release include Evaluation of mitochondrial function in neurotoxicology using alternative models, Planarians as a model to study neurotoxic agents, Role of Drosophila melanogaster in neurotoxicology studies: Responses to different harmful substances, Neurotoxicology of metals and metallic nanoparticles in Caenorhabditis elegans, Neurotoxicology of environmental toxicants using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model, Nauphoeta cinerea as an emerging model in neurotoxicology, and more. Other chapters cover Human Neural Stem Cells in Developmental Neurotoxicology: Current Scenario and Future Prospects, Use of Drosophila melanogaster for advances in developmental neurotoxicology studies, 3D neurospheres and neurotoxicity of organophosphorus and TCE, Genetic factors in methylmercury-induced neurotoxicity: what we have learned from Caenorhabditis elegans models, and more.

Vertebrate Skeletal Development, Volume 133, the latest release in the Current Topics in Developmental Biology series, presents interesting chapters on a variety of topics, with this edition focusing on Craniofacial skeletal development, Regulatory mechanism of jawbone and tooth development, Development of the axial skeleton and intervertebral discs, Stem and progenitor cells in skeletal development, Origin, functioning and morphogenetic activity of limb synovial joint, ECM signaling in cartilage development and endochondral ossification, Sox genes in skeletal development, Wnt-Signaling in Skeletal Development, Gas signaling in skeletal development and diseases, FGF signaling in skeletal development, Bone morphogenetic growth factors in bone development, and more.

New Experimental Probes for Enzyme Specificity and Mechanism serial highlights new advances in the field with this new volume presenting interesting chapters. Each chapter is written by an international board of authors.

Effect of High-Pressure Technologies on Enzyme: Science and Applications provides a deep, practical discussion of high-pressure processing (HPP) and high-pressure homogenization (HPH) technologies and biochemical approaches, applied across research and industry, with applications ranging from food to pharmaceuticals and commercial enzyme production. Early chapters discuss foundational aspects of HPP and HPH approaches; the science of enzyme modification; and basic aspects of enzyme activity, stability, and structure as studied in biochemical processes. Later chapters consider the effect of HPP and HPH technologies and their mechanisms of controlling enzyme modification to improve enzyme performance for chosen applications. Special attention is paid to the application of HPP and HPH technologies and enzyme modifications in food processing, microbial enzyme modification, drug discovery, and production of other commercial enzymes, as well as the challenges of undesirable enzyme inactivation. The final chapter discusses future directions of the field and technologies, and expanded applications.

The Impact of Nanoparticles on Agriculture and Soil, part of the Nanomaterials-Plant Interaction series, contributes the most recent insights into understanding the cellular interactions of nanoparticles in an agricultural setting, focusing on current applications and means of evaluating future prospects. In order to ensure and improve the biosafety of nanoparticles, it is a primary concern to understand cellular bioprocess like nanomaterial's cellular uptake and their influence on cellular structural, functional and genetic components. This book addresses these and other important aspects in detail along with showcasing their applications in the area of agriculture. With an international team of authors, and experienced editors, this book will be valuable to those working to understand and advance nanoscience to benefit agricultural production and human and environmental welfare. In-depth knowledge of these bioprocess will enable researchers to engineer nanomaterials for enhanced biosafety.

Developments and Applications of Enzymes from Thermophilic Microorganisms extensively presents the industrial application of thermophilic/hyperthermophilic enzymes. The book brings thorough and in-depth coverage on the role of these enzymes in a broad range of industries, focusing on present scenarios of these enzymes in biofuel industries, including recent advancements. The use of thermophilic enzymes in 2G biorefineries may enable the whole production process to take place at high temperatures, allowing increased reaction rate and reduced costs. Researchers in biochemistry, microbiology, microbial technology, biotechnology, molecular biology and bioresource technology will benefit from the new insights given on potential applications of hyperthermophiles. Hyperthermophilic enzymes, many of which survive at temperatures at or above 100C, contain novel macromolecules and metabolic systems which represent a vast resource for fundamental molecular and physiological studies, and for potential exploitation in biotechnology.

The Nutritional Biochemistry of Chromium(III), Second Edition, reviews the fields of chromium biochemistry and nutrition and how they have dramatically changed in the last decade. Editor John Vincent has lead much of the research that has resulted in new discoveries and reversals of previously held beliefs, such as health concerns surrounding the toxicity of chromium(III). New sections include a review of new evidence showing why chromium may not be an essential element, why national recommendations may need updating, and new data on the use of chromium supplementation in animal feeds. Discussions on the controversial topic of the role of chromium(III) at the molecular level in insulin signaling and information on cell cultures and in vitro assays of chromium toxicity are also covered.

Scientists are deciphering the biology of the tumor cell at a level of detail that would have been hard to imagine just a decade or so ago. The development of high-throughput DNA sequencing and genomics technologies have allowed an understanding of the development, growth, survival, and spread of cancer cells in the body. From this information, we now have a basic blueprint or roadmap of how a single damaged cell can develop into a pre-malignant lesion, a primary tumor, and finally, a lethal tumor that may spread throughout the body and resist both medical therapy and host immune responses. In this book, we provide an overview of our current understanding of this cancer blueprint, which has been aided both by the study of familial cancer syndromes, in vitro studies of cancer cells, and animal models. Three classes of genes have emerged from these studies: tumor suppressor genes needed for normal growth control and DNA repair; oncogenes that regulate cell growth and survival, and epigenetic modifiers, enzymes that regulate the modification of DNA and the proteins that form chromatin. Each of these three classes of genes is mutated or altered at least once in virtually all malignant cancer cells. Current technologies permit the DNA sequencing of cancer exomes (coding gene sequencing), whole genomes, transcriptome (all expressed genes), and DNA methylation profiling. These studies show that all tumors have unique constellations of mutated, rearranged, amplified, and deleted genes. Single-cell sequencing further shows that there is extensive variation in individual cells in the tumor; that cancers evolve, and have many of the properties of a multi-cellular entity. Lastly, cancer cells, through mutations in epigenetic modifiers, can reprogram the genome and unlock entire developmental and gene expression pathways to adapt and survive in changing conditions. This reprogramming allows the tumor to elude the host body's defenses, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy that we use in cancer treatment. Understanding this cancer blueprint paves the way for the development of future therapies to treat and eliminate cancer.

Cancer Therapy and Diagnosis, Part B, Volume 44 in The Enzymes series highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters on Mesoporous silica nanoparticle synthesis, Periodic mesoporous organosilica, Nanovalves and other nanomachine-equipped nanoparticles and controlled release, Two-photon light control and photodynamic therapy, Biodegradable PMO nanoparticles, Cationic mesoporous silica and protein delivery, Drug loading, stimuli-responsive delivery and cancer treatment, Animal models and cancer therapy, siRNA delivery and TWIST shutdown for ovarian cancer treatment, and TBC (mesoporous silica nanoparticles and cancer therapy or biodistribution of MSN).