This volume details a comprehensive and extensive set of protocols for the study of autophagy in vitro and in vivo. Chapters focus on mammals, various model organisms, and provide protocols for the study of autophagy-related processes outside of the canonical autophagy pathways. 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, Autophagy: Methods and Protocols aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital field.

The papers assembled in this volume were originally presented at the joint meeting of the Phytochemical Society of North America and the Mid-Atlantic Plant Molecular Biology Society, in August 2000. The symposium from which these chapters were prepared was entitled ""Regulation of Phytochemicals by Molecular Techniques"" and was organised by James Saunders and Ben Matthews. This joint meeting was timely because of recent landmark advances in molecular biology and genomics as well as the renewed interest in phytochemistry as a rich source of nutraceuticals, drugs, and alternatives to synthetic agriculture pesticides. Progress in genome sequencing in plants such as Arabidopsis and rice has been remarkable, as have expressed sequence tag (EST) projects in other plants, including maize and soybean. Recently, private and public sector participants of the Human Genome Project announced that a rough draft of the human genome has been constructed. These advances directly influence phytochemical investigations by providing both insight and tools for exploring and manipulating genomes.
The chapters cover a wide range of applications from molecular biology to phytochemistry, and from basic studies on promoters and gene expression to pathway regulation and engineering with transformed plants. A number of noteworthy aspects emerge from this volume: applications of molecular biology to phytochemical practical problems are succeeding; newly emerging molecular tools promise to open new doors to discovery; and remarkable progress has already occurred in phytochemical pathway engineering.

Recent advances in protein structural biology, coupled with new developments in human genetics, have opened the door to understanding the molecular basis of many metabolic, physiological, and developmental processes in human biology. Medical pathologies, and their chemical therapies, are increasingly being described at the molecular level. For single-gene diseases, and some multi-gene conditions, identification of highly correlated genes immediately leads to identification of covalent structures of the actual chemical agents of the disease, namely the protein gene products. Once the primary sequence of a protein is ascertained, structural biologists work to determine its three-dimensional, biologically active structure, or to predict its probable fold and/or function by comparison to the data base of known protein structures. Similarly, three-dimensional structures of proteins produced by microbiological pathogens are the subject of intense study, for example, the proteins necessary for maturation of the human HIV virus. Once the three-dimensional structure of a protein is known or predicted, its function, as well as potential binding sites for drugs that inhibit its function, become tractable questions. The medical ramifications of the burgeoning results of protein structural biology, from gene replacement therapy to "rational" drug design, are well recognized by researchers in biomedical areas, and by a significant proportion of the general population. The purpose of this book is to introduce biomedical scientists to important areas of protein structural biology, and to provide an insightful orientation to the primary literature that shapes the field in each subject.
The chapters in this volume cover aspects of protein structural biology which have led to the recognition of fundamental relationships between protein structure and function.

This volume covers some of the most widely used protocols on nanocanonical amino acids, providing details and advice for users to get each method up and running for their chosen application. Chapters have been divided into three parts describing methods for protein production in the test tube, in prokaryotes, and in eukaryotes. 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, Noncanonical Amino Acids: Methods and Protocols aims to provide readers with techniques that enable them to design new experiments and create new areas of research.

This book is a passionate account of the scientific breakthroughs that led to the solution of the first protein structures and to the understanding of their function at atomic resolution. The book is divided into self-standing chapters that each deal with a protein or protein family. The subject is presented in a fluid, non-technical style that will engage student and scientists in biochemistry, biophysics, molecular and structure biology and physiology.

Nature, by dint of its constitution, harbors many unassuming mysteries broadly manifested by its constituent cohorts. If physics is the pivot that holds nature and chemistry provides reasons for its existence, then the rest is just manifestation. Nanoscience and technology harbor the congruence of these two core subjects, whereby many phenomenon may be studied in the same perspective. That nature operates at nanoscale-obeying the principles of thermodynamics and supramolecular chemistry-is a well understood fact manifested in a variety of life processes: bones are restored after a fracture; clots potentially leading to cerebral strokes can be dissolved. The regeneration of new structures in our system follows a bottom-up approach. Be it a microbe (benign or pathogenic), plant (lower or higher), plant parts/organs, food beneficiaries, animal (lower), higher animal processing wastes, these all are found to deliver nanomaterials under amenable processing conditions. Identically, the molecules also seem to obey the thermodynamic principles once they get dissociated/ionized and the energy captured in the form of bonding helps in the synthesis of a myriad of nanomaterials. This edited volume explores the various green sources of nanomaterial synthesis and evaluates their industrial and biomedical applications with a scope of scaling up. It provides useful information to researchers involved in the green synthesis of nanomaterials in fields ranging from medicine to integrated agricultural management.

This volume offers a careful selection of trend-setting topics in the field. In-depth review articles illustrate current trends in the field. Experienced experts present a comprehensive overview concerning the electrochemical biosensing of glucose for diabetes care from an industrial research and development perspective a survey of bioassay applications for individually addressable electrochemical arrays, focusing on liquid-phase bioanalytical assays a review of recent advances in the development of electronic tongues based on the use of biosensor arrays coupled with advanced chemometric data analysis novel strategies of DNA biosensor development and corresponding applications for studies of DNA damage a survey of recent trends in the electrochemistry of redox proteins, including the increasing diversity of redox proteins used in electrochemical studies, novel immobilization strategies, and biosensor / biofuel cell applications an overview of electrochemical sensing of blood gases with advanced sensor concepts a survey of recent bioelectroanalytical studies with high spatial resolution using scanning electrochemical microscopy with a wide range of applications covering imaging of living cells, studies of metabolic activity, imaging of local enzyme activity, and studies of transport through biolayers This timely collection will be of interest not only for experts in the field, but also to students and their teachers in disciplines that include analytical chemistry, biology, electrochemistry, and various interdisciplinary research areas.

This book will provide current understandings about two ubiquitously expressed metabotropic GPCRs, G-coupled purinoreceptor type 2 (P2Y) and Takeda G-protein-coupled bile acid receptor 5 (TGR5). G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of proteins implicated in majority of cellular responses. The two receptor sub-families play a central role in many physiological functions as well as in many pathological conditions. This book offers up-to-date information on the physiological functions, signaling pathways and regulatory mechanisms of P2Y and TGR5 receptors. In addition, this book provides a comprehensive overview about the abnormalities of P2Y/TGR5 receptors and their contribution in the development and progression of pathological conditions. It also covers the currently available natural, chemical and pharmacological agents targeting these two receptor families and their therapeutic implications in P2Y and TGR5 associated disorders. This book is a valuable source for beginners and researchers to follow the rapidly progressing field of these two GPCR subfamily members.

A reference on cellular signaling processes, the third edition of Signal Transduction continues in the tradition of previous editions, in providing a historical overview of how the concept of stimulus-response coupling arose in the early twentieth century and shaped our current understanding of the action of hormones, cytokines, neurotransmitters, growth factors and adhesion molecules. In a new chapter, an introduction to signal transduction, the book provides a concise overview of receptor mechanisms, from receptor - ligand interactions to post-translational modifications operational in the process of bringing about cellular changes. The phosphorylation process, from bacteria to men, is discussed in detail. Signal transduction third edition further elaborates on diverse signaling cascades within particular contexts such as muscle contraction, innate and adaptive immunity, glucose metabolism, regulation of appetite, oncogenic transformation and cell fate decision during development or in stem cell niches. The subjects have been enriched with descriptions of the relevant anatomical, histological, physiological or pathological condition.

This up-to-date volume includes protocols that illustrate the broad use of chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and ChIP-related methods in a variety of biological research areas. The collection also includes protocols designed to improve the performance of ChIP for specific applications. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introduction to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, as well as tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Chromatin Immunoprecipitation: Methods and Protocols features techniques, including bioinformatic analysis of ChIP data, will be of interest to a very broad research community in the fields of biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, and biomedicine.

Ions, their transport across membranes, and their flow through specialized ion channels are central to the understanding of brain function, normal and pathological. The first part of this book deals with the regulation of ions in brain extra- and intracellular fluids. Regulation is effected by the blood-brain barrier, and by membrane ion pumps and other transport mechanisms of neurons and glial cells. Normally adjusted for optimal neural function, ion levels can change and alter the excitability of neurons and influence synaptic transmission in healthy and diseased brains. After an introduction to the electrophysiology of epilepsy, and a description of experimental seizure "models," the second part discusses the roles of the faulty regulation of ions and of the diseases of ion channels in generating epileptic seizures. The mechanisms of action of various anticonvulsant drugs are also considered. The third part is devoted to the phenomenon of spreading depression and its likely role in human diseases. The final chapters of the book deal with the role of ions in the devastation caused by lack of oxygen and by insufficient blood flow to brain tissue, and the reasons for the exceptional vulnerability of certain classes of central neurons in hypoxia and stroke. The book will be of interest to neuroscientists, neurobiologists, neurophysiologists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, and to their students and trainees.

Focuses on the aggregation of recombinant proteins in bacterial cells in the form of inclusion bodies and on their use in biotechnological and medical applications The first book devoted specifically to the topic of aggregation in bacteria, Protein Aggregation in Bacteria: Functional and Structural Properties of Inclusion Bodies in Bacterial Cells provides a large overview of protein folding and aggregation, including cell biology and methodological aspects. It summarizes, for the first time in one book, ideas and technical approaches that pave the way for a direct use of inclusion bodies in biotechnological and medical applications. Protein Aggregation in Bacteria covers: * Molecular and cellular mechanisms of protein folding, aggregation, and disaggregation in bacteria * Physiological importance and consequences of aggregation for the bacterial cell * Factors inherent to the protein sequence responsible for aggregation and evolutionary mechanisms to keep proteins soluble * Structural properties of proteins expressed as soluble aggregates and as inclusion bodies within bacterial cells both from a methodological point of view and with regard to their similarity with amyloids * Control of the structural and functional properties of aggregated proteins and use thereof in biotechnology and medicine Protein Aggregation in Bacteria is ideal for researchers in protein science, biochemistry, bioengineering, biophysics, microbiology, medicine, and biotechnology, particularly if they are related with the production of recombinant proteins and pharmaceutical science.

This is the second volume in a series on membrane protein transfer. Membrane protein transport underlies the topological disposition of many proteins within cells and it is this disposition that allows for the co-ordination of the central cellular processes, such as metabolism.

Multidisciplinary resource for graduate studies and the biotechnology industry

Knowledge of the genetic basis of biological functioning continues to grow at an astronomical rate, as do the challenges and opportunities of applying this information to the production of therapeutic compounds, specialty biochemicals, functional food ingredients, environmentally friendly biocatalysts, and new bioproducts from renewable resources. While genetic engineering of living organisms transforms the science of genomics into treatments for cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, or products for industry and agriculture, the science and technology of bioseparations are the keys to delivering these products in a purified form suitable for use by people.

The methods, theory, and materials that reduce the science of bioseparations to practice, whether in the laboratory or the plant, are the subjects of Bioseparations Engineering. Examples address purification of biomolecules ranging from recombinant proteins to gene therapy products, with footnotes detailing economics of the products. Mechanistic analysis and engineering design methods are given for:

• Isocratic and gradient chromatography
• Sedimentation, centrifugation, and filtration
• Membrane systems
• Precipitation and crystallization

Topics addressed within this framework are: stationary phase selection; separations development; modeling of ion exchange, size exclusion, reversed phase, hydrophobic interaction, and affinity chromatography; the impact of regulatory issues on chromatography process design; organization of separation strategies into logical sequences of purification steps; and bridges between molecular biology, combinatorial methods, and separations science.

A result of teaching and developing the subject matter over ten years, Bioseparations Engineering is an ideal text for graduate students, as well as a timely desk book for process engineers, process scientists, researchers, and research associates in the pharmaceutical, food, and life sciences industries.

Biochemistry for Medical Professionals contains pivotal advances in the biochemistry field and provides a resource for professionals across medicine, dentistry, pharmaceutical sciences and health professions who need a concise, topical biochemistry reference. Relevant, well-illustrated coverage begins with the composition of the human body and then goes into the technical detail of the metabolism of the human body and biochemistry of internal organs before featuring a biotechnology study inclusive of numerous methods and applications. The work is written at a consistently high level, with technical notes added to aid comprehension for complex topics.

This book gathers selected peer-reviewed papers presented at the Second International Conference on Infectious Diseases and Nanomedicine (ICIDN), held in Kathmandu, Nepal on December 15-18, 2015. It also includes invited papers from the leading experts in the related fields. The book highlights the importance of "Interdisciplinary Collaborative Research for Innovation in the Biomedical Sciences," the motto of the ICIDN conference. In particular, it addresses interdisciplinary scientific approaches for systematic understanding of the biology of major human infectious diseases and their treatment regimes by applying the tools and techniques of nanotechnology. It also provides cutting-edge information on infectious diseases and nanomedicine, focusing on various aspects of emerging infectious diseases: cellular and molecular microbiology; epidemiology and infectious disease surveillance; antimicrobials, vaccines and alternatives; drug design, drug delivery and tissue engineering; nanomaterials and biomedical materials.

Medicinal Chemistry of Anticancer Drugs, Second Edition, provides an updated treatment from the point of view of medicinal chemistry and drug design, focusing on the mechanism of action of antitumor drugs from the molecular level, and on the relationship between chemical structure and chemical and biochemical reactivity of antitumor agents. Antitumor chemotherapy is a very active field of research, and a huge amount of information on the topic is generated every year. Cytotoxic chemotherapy is gradually being supplemented by a new generation of drugs that recognize specific targets on the surface or inside cancer cells, and resistance to antitumor drugs continues to be investigated. While these therapies are in their infancy, they hold promise of more effective therapies with fewer side effects. Although many books are available that deal with clinical aspects of cancer chemotherapy, this book provides a sorely needed update from the point of view of medicinal chemistry and drug design.

Although contributing to the nutritional quality of the foods we consume, proteins also act as integral components by virtue of their diverse functional properties. The expression of these functional properties during the preparation, processing and storage of foods is largely dictated by changes to the structure or structure-related properties of the proteins involved. This work describes the nature of structure-function relationships so that the use of food protein sources can be optimized. The first section uses food systems as examples to demonstrate the intricate nature of the structure-function relationship. Later chapters discuss the techniques which are used to examine structural parameters or establish relationships between protein structure and function. This guide should prove useful for food chemists, scientists and technologists, and can serve as a reference for students of this field.

1 Einleitung.- 1.1 Rechtliche Hygieneregelung.- 1.2 Aspekte zum Hygienekonzept.- Literatur.- 2 Begriffe zur Lebensmittelhygiene.- 2.1 Lebensmittel.- 2.2 Lebensmittelhygiene.- 2.3 Leichtverderbliche Lebensmittel.- 2.4 Verpackte Lebensmittel.- 2.5 Herstellen.- 2.6 Behandeln.- 2.7 In-Verkehr-bringen.- 2.8 Verzehren.- 2.9 Nachteilige Beeinflussung.- 2.10 Genusstauglichkeit/ Genusswert.- 2.11 Mindesthaltbarkeitsdatum.- 2.12 Bedarfsgegenstande.- Literatur.- 3 Lebensmittelmikrobiologie.- 3.1 Einteilung von Mikroorganismen.- 3.1.1 Bakterien und Bakteriensporen.- 3.1.2 Schimmelpilze.- 3.1.3 Hefepilze.- 3.1.4 Viren.- 3.2 Groessenordnung von Mikroorganismen und Viren.- 3.3 Erkennbarmachung von Keimen.- 3.4 Vermehrungsformen von Mikroorganismen.- 3.4.1 Ungeschlechtliche Fortpflanzung.- 3.4.2 Geschlechtliche Fortpflanzung von Hefen.- 3.5 Gesundheitsgefahrdende Mikroorganismen, Lebensmittelverderber und Nutzlinge.- 3.5.1 Gesundheitsgefahrdende Mikroorganismen und schadliche Stoffwechselprodukte.- 3.5.2 Lebensmittelverderber.- 3.5.3 Technologisch erwunschte Mikroorganismen.- Literatur.- 4 Wachstumsvoraussetzungen fur Mikroorganismen - Beeinflussung der Vermehrung.- 4.1 Wachstumsfaktoren.- 4.1.1 Nahrstoffangebot.- 4.1.2 Wasseraktivitat und Feuchtigkeit.- 4.1.3 pH-Wert.- 4.1.4 Temperatur.- 4.1.5 Redoxpotential.- 4.2 Beeinflussung des Wachstums von Mikroorganismen.- Literatur.- 5 Mikrobielle Gefahrdung von Produkten.- 5.1 Lebensmittelverderb.- 5.1.1 Faulnis.- 5.1.2 Garung.- 5.1.3 Sauerung.- 5.1.4 Ranziditat.- 5.1.5 Schimmeln.- 5.2 Lebensmittelvergiftung.- 5.2.1 Salmonellen.- 5.2.2 Staphylococcus aureus.- 5.2.3 Clostridium perfringens.- 5.2.4 Clostridium botulinum.- 5.2.5 Bacillus cereus.- 5.2.6 Listeria monocytogenes.- 5.3 Gefahrdungen physikalischen Ursprungs.- Literatur.- 6 Schadlingsbefall und weitere Gefahrdungen.- 6.1 Insekten.- 6.2 Nager und Voegel.- 6.3 Schadlingsbekampfung als Teil der Betriebshygiene.- 6.4 Chemische Schadensquellen.- 6.5 Physikalische Schadensquellen.- 7 Raum-und Anlagenhygiene.- 7.1 Reinigung und Desinfektion.- 7.1.1 Reinigungsverfahren.- 7.1.2 Desinfektion.- 7.1.3 Reinigungsintervalle.- 7.2 Raumtemperaturen.- 7.3 Konstruktive Anlagenhygiene.- Literatur.- 8 Stichprobenplane.- 8.1 Mikrobiologische Stichprobenplane.- 8.1.1 2-Klassenplan.- 8.1.2 3-Klassenplan.- 8.2 Stichprobenplane fur die sensorische Prufung.- Literatur.- 9 Betriebseigene Massnahmen und Kontrollen - HACCP-Konzept.- 9.1 Produktbeschreibung, Ermittlung potentieller Gefahren, Identifizierung kritischer Punkte (HACCP-Grundsatze 1-3).- 9.2 Festlegung und Durchfuhrung des Verfahrens zur UEberwachung und Kontrolle der kritischen Punkte (HACCP-Grundsatze 4, 5).- 9.3 UEberprufung der Eigenkontrollsysteme, Dokumentation (HACCP-Grundsatze 6, 7).- Literatur.