This book review series presents current trends in modern biotechnology. The aim is to cover all aspects of this interdisciplinary technology where knowledge, methods and expertise are required from chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, genetics, chemical engineering and computer science. Volumes are organized topically and provide a comprehensive discussion of developments in the respective field over the past 3-5 years. The series also discusses new discoveries and applications. Special volumes are dedicated to selected topics which focus on new biotechnological products and new processes for their synthesis and purification. In general, special volumes are edited by well-known guest editors. The series editor and publisher will however always be pleased to receive suggestions and supplementary information. Manuscripts are accepted in English.

In this volume, a detailed description of cutting-edge computational methods applied to protein modeling as well as specific applications are presented. Chapters include: the application of Car-Parrinello techniques to enzyme mechanisms, the outline and application of QM/MM methods, polarizable force fields, recent methods of ligand docking, molecular dynamics related to NMR spectroscopy, computer optimization of absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion extended by toxicity for drugs, enzyme design and bioinformatics applied to protein structure prediction. A keen emphasis is laid on the clear presentation of complex concepts, since the book is primarily aimed at Ph.D. students, who need an insight in up-to-date protein modeling. The inclusion of descriptive, color figures will allow the reader to get a pictorial representation of complicated structural issues.

This volume aims at providing an update on state of the art methodologies to study various aspects of selenoprotein biology. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Selenoproteins: Methods and Protocols aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital field.

A great deal of effort is being invested in understanding the molecular mechanisms through which plants interact with pathogenic microbes. In Plant Immunity: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers in the field describe emerging technologies that can be applied to the most significant outstanding questions faced by scientists studying immunity in plants. The technologies in this detailed volume include methods for examining protein localization, protein complex purification, protein-protein interactions, transient and inducible gene expression, chromatin immunoprecipitation, microaspiration, laser microdissection, purification of fungal haustoria, and genetic manipulation of bacterial and oomycete pathogens. These techniques are applicable to a wide range of topics, including molecular functionality of NB-LRR proteins and other immune signaling components, and functional characterization of effector proteins and other pathogen components that sabotage host immunity. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

The proteome consists of a complex mixture of proteins each of which need to be folded correctly in order to function for the health of the organism, and many of these proteins require molecular chaperones to reach the correct conformation and, in some cases, to remain in a folded form. In "Molecular Chaperones: Methods and Protocols," expert researchers address a wide variety of approaches to the study these mechanisms, featuring the workings of heat shock proteins and heat shock transcription factors, "in vitro" and "in vivo." Written in the highly successful "Methods in Molecular Biology " series format, chapters features introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Authoritative and cutting-edge, "Molecular Chaperones: Methods and Protocols" serves as an ideal guide for all scientists who wish to pursue this vital biological action and its impact on human health and disease."

Medicinal chemistry is both science and art. The science of medicinal chemistry offers mankind one of its best hopes for improving the quality of life. The art of medicinal chemistry continues to challenge its practitioners with the need for both intuition and experience to discover new drugs. Hence sharing the experience of drug research is uniquely beneficial to the field of medicinal chemistry. Drug research requires interdisciplinary team-work at the interface between chemistry, biology and medicine. Therefore, the topic-related series Topics in Medicinal Chemistry covers all relevant aspects of drug research, e.g. pathobiochemistry of diseases, identification and validation of (emerging) drug targets, structural biology, drugability of targets, drug design approaches, chemogenomics, synthetic chemistry including combinatorial methods, bioorganic chemistry, natural compounds, high-throughput screening, pharmacological in vitro and in vivo investigations, drug-receptor interactions on the molecular level, structure-activity relationships, drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, toxicology and pharmacogenomics. In general, special volumes are edited by well known guest editors

Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field.

Calcium ions represent Mother Nature's 'ion-of-choice' for regulating fundamental physiological functions, as they initiate a new life at the time of fertilization and guide subsequent developmental and physiological functions of the human body. Calcium channels, which act as gated pathways for the movement of calcium ions across the membranes, play a central part in the initiation of calcium signals, and defects in calcium channel function have been found to result in a plethora of human diseases, referred to as the calcium channelopathies. Pathologies of Calcium Channels brings together leading international experts to discuss our current understanding of human diseases associated with the various calcium channels, from their molecular basis to potential future therapeutic targeting of calcium channels.

This book describes medical applications of photochemistry. In the first part, a general introduction to photochemistry and related phototechnologies is provided. In the second part, photochemistry-based medical applications for diagnostics (biochips and bioimaging) and therapeutics (biomaterials for artificial organs, medical adhesives, dental materials, drug-delivery systems, tissue engineering, and photodynamic therapy) are described, with examples of recent research. The year 2015 is the International Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies. Light plays a vital role in our daily lives and is important in many interdisciplinary scientific fields in the twenty-first century. Light-based concepts have revolutionized medicine, including areas such as oncology, molecular biology, and surgery. Although photochemistry has contributed significantly to medicine directly and through photochemical fabrication of biomaterials, a book giving a comprehensive overview of recent progress has not been published until now. The aim of this book is to highlight the contributions of photochemistry in interdisciplinary fields of chemistry and medical engineering. This book will be useful for chemists who are interested in medical applications of photochemistry and engineers who are eager to learn the principles of photochemistry to enable its use in practical applications.

The volumes of this classic series, now referred to simply as "Zechmeister" after its founder, L. Zechmeister, have appeared under the Springer Imprint ever since the series' inauguration in 1938. It is therefore not really surprising to find out that the list of contributing authors, who were awarded a Nobel Prize, is quite long: Kurt Alder, Derek H.R. Barton, George Wells Beadle, Dorothy Crowfoot-Hodgkin, Otto Diels, Hans von Euler-Chelpin, Paul Karrer, Luis Federico Leloir, Linus Pauling, Vladimir Prelog, with Walter Norman Haworth and Adolf F.J. Butenandt serving as members of the editorial board. The volumes contain contributions on various topics related to the origin, distribution, chemistry, synthesis, biochemistry, function or use of various classes of naturally occurring substances ranging from small molecules to biopolymers. Each contribution is written by a recognized authority in his field and provides a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the topic in question. Addressed to biologists, technologists and chemists alike, the series can be used by the expert as a source of information and literature citations and by the non-expert as a means of orientation in a rapidly developing discipline.

This book reviews the current strategies and challenges for the treatment of bacterial, fungal, parasitic and viral infectious diseases in developing countries. Contributing authors present expert analysis on the transmission, epidemiology, bacteriology, pathogenesis and treatment of Neglected Tropical Bacterial Diseases such as Leprosy, Buruli ulcer, and Trachoma. Particular attention is also given to current antifungal agents, their spectrum of activity, mode of action, limitations, and current challenges in antifungal therapy. The authors explore the medicinal chemistry efforts that gave rise to currently launched drugs and new anti-HIV agents, and they also highlight the latest vaccine and drug developments in the clinical management of the Ebola Virus Disease, ignited by the 2014-2016 outbreak. This work has an interdisciplinary appeal and will engage scholars and professionals in the burden of communicable diseases.

This detailed volume explores methods of examining gangliosides, membrane amphiphilic lipids that are deeply involved in the modulation of the overall properties of cellular membranes, as well as of the functions of membrane-associated proteins. The contents take into account the vital availability of new enzymatic approaches, the knowledge of an incredibly extensive number of glyco-enzymes, and the improvement of multi-genetic analyses. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Gangliosides: Methods and Protocols serves as a valuable guidebook for entering in the vast research world of gangliosides.

This book encapsulates over three decades of the author's work on comparative functional respiratory morphology. It provides insights into the mechanism(s) by which respiratory means and processes originated and advanced to their modern states. Pertinent cross-disciplinary details and facts have been integrated and reexamined in order to arrive at more robust answers to questions regarding the basis of the functional designs of gas exchangers. The utilization of oxygen for energy production is an ancient process, the development and progression of which were underpinned by dynamic events in the biological, physical, and chemical worlds. Many books that have broached the subject of comparative functional respiratory biology have only described the form and function of the end-product, ' the gas exchanger; they have scarcely delved into the factors and the conditions that motivated and steered the development from primeval to modern respiratory means and processes. This book addresses and answers broad questions concerning the critical synthesis of multidisciplinary data, and clarifies previously cryptic aspects of comparative respiratory biology.

I. Ojima * E. S. Zuniga * J. D. Seitz: Advances in the Use of Enantiopure -Lactams for the Synthesis of Biologically Active Compounds of Medicinal Interests.- I. Fernandez * Miguel A. Sierra: -Lactams from Fischer Carbene Complexes: Scope, Limitations, and Reaction Mechanism.- Bablee Mandal * Basudeb Basu: Synthesis of -Lactams Through Alkyne-Nitrone Cycloadditions.- T. T. Tidwell: Preparation of Bis- -Lactams by Ketene-Imine Cycloadditions.- Edward Turos: The Chemistry and Biology of N-Thiolated -Lactams.- Indrani Banik * Bimal K. Banik: Synthesis of -Lactams and Their Chemical Manipulations Via Microwave-Induced Reactions.

Few problems in protein biochemistry have proven to be as challenging and recalcitrant as the molecular description of nitrogenase, the catalyst of one of the most remarkable chemical transformations in biological systems: the nucleotide-dependent reduction of atmospheric dinitrogen to bioavailable ammonia. In "Nitrogen Fixation: Methods and Protocols," recognized experts in the field provide an up-to-date, in-depth overview of the methods that have been applied to studying the nitrogenase at a molecular level, ranging from genetic, biochemical, spectroscopic, and chemical methods to theoretical calculations. In addition, techniques used to study an enzyme system that is homologous to nitrogenase are described in this book. Written in the highly successful "Methods in Molecular Biology " series format, methods chapters include introductions to their respective chapters, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Practical and cutting-edge, "Nitrogen Fixation: Methods and Protocols" will be useful for anyone interested in nitrogenase research and willing to venture further toward addressing the remaining mechanistic and biosynthetic questions of this fascinating enzyme system."

Medicinal chemistry is both science and art. The science of medicinal chemistry offers mankind one of its best hopes for improving the quality of life. The art of medicinal chemistry continues to challenge its practitioners with the need for both intuition and experience to discover new drugs. Hence sharing the experience of drug research is uniquely beneficial to the field of medicinal chemistry. Drug research requires interdisciplinary team-work at the interface between chemistry, biology and medicine. Therefore, the topic-related series Topics in Medicinal Chemistry covers all relevant aspects of drug research, e.g. pathobiochemistry of diseases, identification and validation of (emerging) drug targets, structural biology, drugability of targets, drug design approaches, chemogenomics, synthetic chemistry including combinatorial methods, bioorganic chemistry, natural compounds, high-throughput screening, pharmacological in vitro and in vivo investigations, drug-receptor interactions on the molecular level, structure-activity relationships, drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, toxicology and pharmacogenomics. In general, special volumes are edited by well known guest editors.

The ability of a single genome to give rise to hundreds of functionally distinct cell type programs is in itself remarkable. Pioneering studies over the past few decades have demonstrated that this plasticity is retained throughout development, a phenomenon of epigenetic programming and reprogramming that remains one of the most fascinating areas of modern biology, with major relevance to human health and disease. This book presents the basic biology involved, including key mechanistic insights into this rapidly growing field.

This volume covers an array of techniques available for studying SH2 domains and phosphotyrosine signaling. The book is divided into six parts: Part I outlines the history of SH2, technology development, and cell signaling; Part II focuses on computational approaches and tools used for identification, classification, and predictions of SH2 domain binding partners; Part III details various ways to prepare the SH2 domains as experimental reagents; Part IV presents methods for structural analysis and conventional binding assays using SH2 domains; Part V describes high-throughput and proteomics approaches to aid in analyzing SH2-mediated interactions; and Part VI covers applications for SH2 domain to functional and imaging analyzes. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Cutting-edge and thorough, SH2 Domains: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource for computational biologists, biochemists, structural biologists, cell biologists, pathologists, and people interested in SH2 domains and phosphotyrosine signaling. Researchers who are investigating how protein interaction domain mediate specificity in signaling systems may also find this book informative.

Carbohydrate Chemistry provides review coverage of all publications relevant to the chemistry of monosaccharides and oligosaccharides in a given year. The amount of research in this field appearing in the organic chemical literature is increasing because of the enhanced importance of the subject, especially in areas of medicinal chemistry and biology. In no part of the field is this more apparent than in the synthesis of oligosaccharides required by scientists working in glycobiology. Clycomedicinal chemistry and its reliance on carbohydrate synthesis is now very well established, for example, by the preparation of specific carbohydrate- based antigens, especially cancer-specific oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. Coverage of topics such as nucleosides, amino-sugars, alditols and cyclitols also covers much research of relevance to biological and medicinal chemistry. Each volume of the series brings together references to all published work in given areas of the subject and serves as a comprehensive database for the active research chemist Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage in major areas of chemical research. Compiled by teams of leading authorities in the relevant subject areas, the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, with regular, in-depth accounts of progress in particular fields of chemistry. Subject coverage within different volumes of a given title is similar and publication is on an annual or biennial basis.

Yeasts are a versatile group of eukaryotic microorganisms, exhibiting heterogeneous nutritional profiles and an extraordinary ability to survive in a wide range of natural and man-associated ecosystems, including cold habitats. Cold-adapted yeasts inhabit numerous low-temperature environments where they are subjected to seasonal or permanent cold conditions. Hence, they have evolved a number of adaptation strategies with regard to growth and reproduction, metabolic activities, survival and protection. Due to their distinctive ability to thrive successfully at low and even subzero temperatures, cold-adapted yeasts are increasingly attracting attention in basic science and industry for their enormous biotechnological potential.

This book presents our current understanding of the diversity and ecology of cold-adapted yeasts in worldwide cold ecosystems, their adaptation strategies, and their biotechnological significance. Special emphasis is placed on the exploitation of cold-adapted yeasts as a source of cold-active enzymes and biopolymers, as well as their benefits for food microbiology, bioremediation and biocontrol. Further, aspects of food biodeterioration are considered.

This volume provides a sound basis for the molecular investigation of NLR function in health and disease. Chapters focus on of innate immune receptors, "atypical" inflammasomes, biochemical and novel bioluminescence techniques for the measurement of IL-1b, bioluminescent probe, biochemical and microscopy techniques, techniques to measure caspase-1 activation, cell free systems for the study of inflammasome function, and inflammasome activation. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, NLR Proteins: Methods and Protocols aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital field.

The regulation of intracellular Ca2+ has continued to be a powerful area of study since the publication of the first and second editions of Calcium Signaling Protocols, and the developments in the field have also, naturally, continued. With the third edition, expert contributors explore some of the exciting new molecular techniques that have both enabled new studies of intracellular Ca2+ regulation and provided much new information on processes. Comprised of five main section, the book covers theoretical and very simple suspension-based fluorimetric assays, specialist measurement systems, measurement of channel activity, measurement of store release, as well as specialist measurement techniques which include targeted probes, using G-protein chimeras to force Ca2+ signalling for screening, and genetically encoded sensors. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Updated and accessible, Calcium Signaling Protocols, Third Edition will be a valuable reference for all those contemplating a move into the study of intracellular Ca2+.

Over the past decade, there has been an increase in powerful proteomics technologies that allow greater fundamental insights into the blood proteome. Further developments in informatic analyses, software developments, and computational tools are providing insights into large data sets, open-source data along with large-scale application of bioinformatics. Serum/Plasma Proteomics: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition is a comprehensive resource of protocols for areas, pre-analytical through to analytical, of plasma and serum proteomics. Divided into five convenient sections, covering fractionation strategies for in-depth blood proteome analysis, defined procedures for blood collection, handling and storage, detailed protocols for performing both antibody-based and non-antibody based quantitative assays, proteome analysis of blood cell compartments, circulating nanomebraneous vesicles and blood-related fluids, data management, statistical design, and bioinformatic challenges. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Serum/Plasma Proteomics: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition delivers a valuable foundation for the development and application of blood-based proteomics, and further incorporates blood cell components, including platelets, red blood cells, circulating extracellular vesicles/exosomes, and related biofluids.