This book presents an overview of fundamental aspects of surface-based biosensors and techniques for enhancing their detection sensitivity and speed. It focuses on rapid detection using miniaturized sensors and describes the physical principles of nanoscale transducers, surface modifications, microfluidics and reaction engineering, diffusion and kinetics. A key challenge in the field of bioanalytical sensors is the rapid delivery of target biomolecules to the sensing surface. While various nanostructures have shown great promise in sensitive detection, diffusion-limited binding of analyte molecules remains a fundamental problem. Recently, many researchers have put forward novel schemes to overcome this challenge, such as nanopore channels, electrokinetics, and dielectrophoresis, to name but a few. This book provides the readers an up-to-date account on these technological advances.

This fully updated edition provides practical advice on how to carry out tissue-based laser microdissection successfully by using the different laser microdissection systems that are available and by applying a wide range of molecular technologies. The contents of the volume explore these techniques that have revolutionized carrying out molecular analysis on specific types of normal and diseased cells and fully utilizing the power of current molecular technologies including PCR, microarrays, next generation sequencing, and proteomics. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, 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 comprehensive, Laser Capture Microdissection: Methods and Protocols, Third Edition seeks to aid researchers generally and pathologists in particular in moving their studies forward with these vital techniques.

This book summarizes the early successes, drawbacks and accomplishments in cell biology and cell biotechnology achieved by the latest projects performed on the International Space Station ISS. It also depicts outcomes of experiments in tissue engineering, cancer research and drug design and reveals the chances that research in Space offers for medical application on Earth. This SpringerBriefs volume provides an overview on the latest international activities in Space and gives an outlook on the potential of biotechnological research in Space in future. This volume is written for students and researchers in Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Pharmacology and may specifically be of interest to scientists with focus on protein sciences, crystallization, tissue engineering, drug design and cancer research.

This Microbiology Monographs volume covers the current and most recent advances in genomics and genetics, biochemistry, physiology, and molecular biology of C. reinhardtii. Expert international scientists contribute with reviews on the genome, post-genomic techniques, the genetic toolbox development as well as new insights in regulation of photosynthesis and acclimation strategies towards environmental stresses and other structural and genetic aspects, including applicable aspects in biotechnology and biomedicine. Advancement in Chlamydomonas biology allowed new understandings in biotechnological and biomedical related aspects.

This well-established textbook on biocatalysis provides a basis for undergraduate and graduate courses in modern organic chemistry, as well as a condensed introduction into this field. After a basic introduction into the use of biocatalysts-principles of stereoselective transformations, enzyme properties and kinetics-the different types of reactions are explained according to the 'reaction principle', such as hydrolysis, reduction, oxidation, C-C bond formation, etc. Special techniques, such as the use of enzymes in organic solvents, immobilization techniques, artificial enzymes and the design of cascade-reactions are treated in a separate section. A final chapter deals with the basic rules for the safe and practical handling of biocatalysts. The use of biocatalysts, employed either as isolated enzymes or whole microbial cells, offers a remarkable arsenal of highly selective transformations for state-of-the-art synthetic organic chemistry. Over the last two decades, this methodology has become an indispensable tool for asymmetric synthesis, not only at the academic level, but also on an industrial scale. In this 7th edition new topics have been introduced which include alcohol and amine oxidases, amine dehydrogenases, imine reductases, haloalkane dehalogenases, ATP-independent phosphorylation, Michael-additions and cascade reactions. This new edition also emphasizes the use of enzymes in industrial biotransformations with practical examples.

Multiscale Biomechanics provides new insights on multiscale static and dynamic behavior of both soft and hard biological tissues, including bone, the intervertebral disk, biological membranes and tendons. The physiological aspects of bones and biological membranes are introduced, along with micromechanical models used to compute mechanical response. A modern account of continuum mechanics of growth and remodeling, generalized continuum models to capture internal lengths scales, and dedicated homogenization methods are provided to help the reader with the necessary theoretical foundations. Topics discussed include multiscale methods for fibrous media based on discrete homogenization, generalized continua constitutive models for bone, and a presentation of recent theoretical and numerical advances. In addition, a refresher on continuum mechanics and more advanced background related to differential geometry, configurational mechanics, mechanics of growth, thermodynamics of open systems and homogenization methods is given in separate chapters. Numerical aspects are treated in detail, and simulations are presented to illustrate models. This book is intended for graduate students and researchers in biomechanics interested in the latest research developments, as well as those who wish to gain insight into the field of biomechanics.

Rapid advances in the life sciences means that there is now a far more detailed understanding of biological systems on the cellular, molecular and genetic levels. Sited at the intersection between the life sciences, the engineering sciences and the design sciences, innovations in the biomaterials industry are expected to garner increasing attention and play a key role in future development. This book examines the biomaterials innovations taking place in corporations and in academic research settings today.Biomaterials Innovation offers a comprehensive overview of life science innovation and presents empirical research in the field of biomaterials innovation. Alexander Styhre examines innovation management practices in the field of biomaterials development and explains institutional changes in the biomaterials industry. The demand for accomplishing biocompatibility between the human body and the materials developed is highlighted, as is the relationship between financial markets and biomaterials companies. Finally, the author discusses the therapeutic, regulatory and managerial implications of biomaterials innovation. Biomaterials Innovation will be required reading for any researcher, policy-maker or student interested in innovation management, the life sciences and the development of health care therapies. Contents: 1. Life and Materiality, Nature and Artifice: Transgressing the Divide 2. Bios, Materiality, and Biomateriality 3. Innovation Management and Innovation in the Life Sciences 4. Shifting Institutional Logics in Biomaterial Companies 5. The Epistemology of Biomaterials: How Biomaterials Become Embodied 6. Financing Biomaterials Innovation: Selling Science in Venture Capital Markets 7. Biomaterials Innovation: Re-creating the Human Body Appendix: Methodology of the Studies Bibliography Index

The second part of Bioenergy: Principles and Technologies continues the discussion of biomass energy technologies covering fuel ethanol production, pyrolysis, biomass-based hydrogen production and fuel synthesis, biodiesel, municipal solid water treatment and microbial fuel cells. With a combination of theories, experiments and case studies, it is an essential reference for bioenergy researchers, industrial chemists and chemical engineers.

Bioenergy: Principles and Technologies introduces biomass energy resources and then elaborates on bioenergy technologies including biomass combustion, biogas production, biomass briquettes and biomass gasification. With a combination of theories, experiments and case studies, the book is an essential reference for bioenergy researchers, industrial chemists and chemical engineers.

This book provides a comprehensive review of biosynthetic approaches to the production of industrially important chemicals and the environmental challenges involved. Its 19 chapters discuss different aspects of biosynthetic technology from the perspective of leading experts in the field. It covers various biorefinery approaches, including the use of microbes, metabolically engineered plants, biomass-based and green technology methods. Further, it examines important research in the areas of organic and hazardous waste composting, management and recovery of nutraceuticals from agro-industrial waste, biosynthesis and technological advancements of biosurfactants and waste water bioremediation. This book contributes to the scientific literature on biosynthetic technologies and the related environmental challenges for researchers and academics working in this area around the globe.

This book presents a unified overview of eco-friendly bionanocomposites on the basis of characterization, design, manufacture, and application. It also explores replacing conventional materials with bionanocomposites with a focus on their use in packaging applications. In addition, the book broadens readers' insights by providing illustrations and tables summarizing the latest research on the packaging applications of different bionanocomposites. By offering a detailed account of this field of research and describing real-world applications, it enables researchers, scientists, and professionals in industry to develop a more informed understanding of the need for bionanocomposites in the development of green, biodegradable, and sustainable packaging applications.

This thesis presents original research on how to seamlessly integrate electronics with living biological systems. Jia Liu has used silicon nanowires as active sensors to investigate biological signals at the cellular level. He has also designed nanoelectronic networks into flexible, three-dimensional (3D) and macroporous architectures, which mimic the structure of tissue scaffolds for in vitro 3D integrations with synthetic tissues and in vivo implantation by means of syringe injection. Importantly, the results demonstrate 3D interpenetrations of nanoelectronic networks with neural networks, 3D mapping of tissue activity and long-term implantation with minimal immunoresponses. Further, the book discusses potential applications for pharmacological studies, brain activity mapping and nanoelectronics enabled therapies. The findings presented here have gained wide recognition, including a top research ranking by Chemical & Engineering News and being listed among Scientific American's 10 world changing ideas in 2015.

The book focuses on the principles and practices of tropical maize improvement with special emphasis on early and extra-early maize to feed the increasing population in Sub-Saharan Africa. It highlights the similarities and differences between results obtained in temperate regions of the world and WCA in terms of corroboration or refutation of genetic principles and theory of maize breeding. The book is expected to be of great interest to maize breeders, advanced undergraduates, graduate students, professors and research scientists in the national and international research institutes all over the world, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa. It will also serve as a useful reference for agricultural extension and technology transfer systems, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), seed companies and community-based seed enterprises, policy makers, and all those who are interested in generating wealth from agriculture and alleviating hunger and poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This book presents descriptive overviews of gene editing strategies across multiple species while also offering in-depth insight on complex cases of application in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Chapters feature contributions from leaders in stem cell therapy and biology, providing a comprehensive view of the application of gene therapy in numerous fields with an emphasis on ophthalmology, stem cells, and agriculture. The book also highlights recent major technological advances, including ZFN, TALEN, and CRISPR. Precision Medicine, CRISPR, and Genome Engineering is part of the highly successful Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology series. It is an indispensable resource for researchers and students in genetics as well as clinicians.

The development of sensors at macroscopic or nanometric scales in solid, liquid, or gas phases, contact or noncontact configurations, has driven the research of sensor & detection materials and technology into high gear. The emphasis on detection techniques requires the use of spin crossover organic, inorganic and composite materials and methods that could be unique for sensors fabrication. The influence of length, composition and conformation structure of materials on their properties and the possibilities to adjust sensing properties by doping or adding the side-groups are the starting point of multifarious sensing. The role of inter-molecular interactions, polymer and ordered phases formation, as well as the behavior under pressure, magnetic and electric fields are also important facts for processing of ultra-sensing materials. Advanced Sensor and Detection Materials highlights the key features that aid the design of new sensor and detection materials for a multitude of sensor and detection devices. The senior contributors write on the follow topics: Construction of nanostructuresThe role of the shape in the design of new nanoparticlesAdvances in sensors' nanotechnologyMolecularly imprinted polymer for enantioselective sensing devicesFerrites for high frequency applicationsMesoporous Silica: Making Sense of SensorsPorous TiO2-Au/Ag materialsFerroelectronic glass-ceramicsNASICON: Synthesis, structure and electrical characterisationHeavy clay products qualityIonic liquidsDendrimers and hyperbranched polymersTheoretical investigation of superconducting state parametersMicroscopic polarization and thermal conductivity of binary Wurtzite nitridesExperiments techniques and theoretical background to study materialsThe book is written for readers from diverse backgrounds across chemistry, physics, materials science and engineering, medical science, pharmacy, biotechnology, and biomedical engineering. It offers a comprehensive view of cutting-edge research on advanced materials for sensor and detection technology and applications.

The book covers the latest development in the biosciences field covering key topics in crop improvement including 'omic approaches to improving sustainable crop production, advancement in marker technology, strategies in genetic manipulation, crop quality and sustainability and plant microbe interaction detailing on proven technologies to address critical issue for agricultural sustainability which are beneficial for researchers and students. The book also includes aspects of preserving crops after harvest as this is a key factor in promoting sustainable crop quality in terms of addressing waste, choosing the appropriate packaging and moving crops through the food and industrial supply chain. An important strategy to overcome the challenges in providing food for the world population in a sustainable manner is through concerted efforts by crop scientists to embrace new technologies in increasing yield, quality and improving food safety while minimizing adverse environmental impact of the agricultural activities. Most of the proven molecular and genetic technologies in crop science have been tested and verified in model plants such as Arabidopsis and tomato. The technologies, when deployed on various plant species of importance for human nutrition and industrial applications, including cereals, vegetables, fruits, herbs, fibre and oil crops, face many challenges, not only due to their longer life cycle but many other physiological and environmental factors affecting yield and quality of plant products. Furthermore, major impacts on crop production due to catastrophic diseases and global climate change needs urgent and innovative solutions. Therefore a systematic approach, employing various leading-edge technologies that enable the functional elucidation of key pathway genes via 'omics tools, genome wide association with desired phenotypes and development of cost effective and practicable molecular tools for selection, is vital. The International Conference on Crop Improvement was held to address these and other pressing issues. This volume summarizes the keynote presentations from the meeting and highlights addition discussions that are critical to crop improvement in a challenging time.

This book presents and discusses the latest advances in biotechnology, and selected challenges and opportunities in connection with its industrial applications. It gathers the proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Applied Biotechnology (ICAB2016), held on November 25-27, 2016 in Tianjin, China, which continued the success of the previous biennial ICAB conferences, providing a platform for scientists and engineers to exchange ideas about the frontiers of biotechnology. Topics include (but are not limited to) microbial genetics and breeding; biological separation and purification; optimization and control of biological processes; and advances in biotechnology. Offering key insights into the latest breakthroughs, the book is intended for industrial leaders, professionals and research pioneers in the field of applied biotechnology.

This volume is the second of the new two-volume Plant Biotechnology set. This volume covers many recent advances in the development of transgenic plants that have revolutionized our concepts of sustainable food production, cost-effective alternative energy strategies, microbial biofertilizers and biopesticides, and disease diagnostics through plant biotechnology. With the advancements in plant biotechnology, many of the customary approaches are out of date, and an understanding of new updated approaches is needed. This volume presents information related to recent methods of genetic transformation, gene silencing, development of transgenic crops, biosafety issues, microbial biotechnology, oxidative stress, and plant disease diagnostics and management. Key features: Provides an in-depth knowledge of various techniques of genetic transformation of plants, chloroplast, and fungus Describes advances in gene silencing in plants Discusses transgenic plants for various traits and their application in crop improvement Looks at genetically modified foods and biodiesel production Describes biotechnological approaches in horticultural and ornamental plants Explores the biosafety aspect associated with transgenic crops Considers the role of microbes in sustainable agriculture

This book focuses on an "outside the box" notion by utilizing the powerful applications of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies in the interface of chemistry and biology. In personalized medicine, developing small molecules targeting a specific genomic sequence is an attractive goal. N-methylpyrrole (P)-N-methylimidazole (I) polyamides (PIPs) are a class of small molecule that can bind to the DNA minor groove. First, a cost-effective NGS (ion torrent platform)-based Bind-n-Seq was developed to identify the binding specificity of PIP conjugates in a randomized DNA library. Their biological influences rely primarily on selective DNA binding affinity, so it is important to analyze their genome-wide binding preferences. However, it is demanding to enrich specifically the small-molecule-bound DNA without chemical cross-linking or covalent binding in chromatinized genomes. Herein is described a method that was developed using high-throughput sequencing to map the differential binding sites and relative enriched regions of non-cross-linked SAHA-PIPs throughout the complex human genome. SAHA-PIPs binding motifs were identified and the genome-level mapping of SAHA-PIPs-enriched regions provided evidence for the differential activation of the gene network. A method using high-throughput sequencing to map the binding sites and relative enriched regions of alkylating PIP throughout the human genome was also developed. The genome-level mapping of alkylating the PIP-enriched region and the binding sites on the human genome identifies significant genomic targets of breast cancer. It is anticipated that this pioneering low-cost, high through-put investigation at the sequence-specific level will be helpful in understanding the binding specificity of various DNA-binding small molecules, which in turn will be beneficial for the development of small-molecule-based drugs targeting a genome-level sequence.

This detailed volume provides background on recent new technology developments highlighting the potential of the genomic era in wheat breeding with invaluable instruction on the methodology, which is complemented by overview chapters on the status of new technology application in major wheat production countries. The topics, addressed by internationally renowned scientists active in the field, cover methods underpinning the latest developments in the field of wheat biotechnology. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, 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, Wheat Biotechnology: Methods and Protocols serves as a vital resource for scientists working to breed future high-yielding wheat varieties to sustain a growing population in an increasingly unpredictable world.

This book gathers the best papers presented at the Third Italian National Conference on Sensors, held in Rome, Italy, from 23 to 25 February 2016. The book represents an invaluable and up-to-the-minute tool, providing an essential overview of recent findings, strategies and new directions in the area of sensor research. Further, it addresses various aspects based on the development of new chemical, physical or biological sensors, assembling and characterization, signal treatment and data handling. Lastly, the book applies electrochemical, optical and other detection strategies to relevant issues in the food and clinical environmental areas, as well as industry-oriented applications.

This book provides exhaustive information on several recent technologies that are employed for sugarcane improvement through biotechnology and will be of great interest to plant scientists, biotechnologists, molecular biologists and breeders who work on sugarcane crop. Topics discussed in this volume include genomics and transcriptomics, transgenic sugarcane for trait improvement, potential candidate promoters, new strategies for transformation, molecular farming, sugarcane as biofuel, chloroplast transformation, and genome editing.

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.

Encyclopedia of Sensors and Biosensors, Four Volume Set provides unique foundational level information on the rapidly growing sensor community. The book covers innovations in materials, designs, devices and software that find their way into new types of sensors. Sections include over 1000 color images, including representations of sensor design, sensor manufacturing, and assessments of sensor performance. In addition, applications of sensors in healthcare, food safety, environmental engineering and other fields are discussed, making this a truly interdisciplinary work. The book is structured using a logical and thematic approach, with chapters taking a balanced viewpoint, listing both advantages and disadvantages. Perfect for those learning their trade in both academia and industry, this vital reference work will serve many groups, including chemists, engineers, biological scientists, clinicians, and industrial researchers.

This is the fourth updated and revised edition of a well-received book that emphasises on fungal diversity, plant productivity and sustainability. It contains new chapters written by leading experts in the field. This book is an up-to-date overview of current progress in mycorrhiza and association with plant productivity and environmental sustainability. The result is a must hands-on guide, ideally suited for agri-biotechnology, soil biology, fungal biology including mycorrhiza and stress management, academia and researchers. The topic of this book is particularly relevant to researchers involved in mycorrhiza, especially to food security and environmental protection. Mycorrhizas are symbioses between fungi and the roots of higher plants. As more than 90% of all known species of plants have the potential to form mycorrhizal associations, the productivity and species composition and the diversity of natural ecosystems are frequently dependent upon the pre sence and activity of mycorrhizas. The biotechnological application of mycorrhizas is expected to promote the production of food while maintaining ecologically and economically sustainable production systems.