Sustainable increase in agricultural production while keeping the environmental quality, agro-ecosystem function and biodiversity is a real challenge in current agricultural practices. Application of PGPR can help in meeting the expected demand for increasing agricultural productivity to feed the world's booming population. Global concern over the demerits of chemicals in agriculture has diverted the attention of researchers towards sustainable agriculture by utilizing the potential of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR). Use of PGPR as biofertilizers, biopesticides, soil, and plant health managers has gained considerable agricultural and commercial significance. The book Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR): Prospects for Sustainable Agriculture has contributions in the form of book chapter from 25 eminent global researchers, that discusses about the PGPRs and their role in growth promotion of various crop plants, suppression of wide range of phytopathogens, their formulation, effect of various factors on growth and performance of PGPR, assessment of diversity of PGPR through microsatellites and role of PGPR in mitigating biotic and abiotic stress.This book will be helpful for students, teachers, researchers, and entrepreneurs involved in PGPR and allied fields. The book will be highly useful to researchers, teachers, students, entrepreneurs, and policymakers.

This comprehensive guide to gene cloning provides beginning and advanced readers with the background, standard techniques, practical applications, and ethical and safety considerations in the field. A one-stop reference for students, researchers in academia and industry, and anyone interested in a thorough but accessible overview.

This edited book highlights the gravity and efficacy of next-generation breeding tools for the enhancement of stress-resilience in cereals, especially in the context of climate change, pests, diseases, and abiotic stresses. The content of the book helps in understanding the application of emerging genetic concepts and neoteric genomic approaches in cereal breeding. It collates all the latest information about enhancing the stress resilience in cereal crops for overcoming food security issues. Cereals have predominantly been used as a staple food since time immemorial and contribute more than 50% of the caloric requirement of the global population. However, in cereals, the yield losses due to various stresses are very high, considering the crop growth stage and stress sensitivity. Therefore, to feed and nourish the generations in the era of climate change, it is imperative to develop stress-resilient cereal cultivars. This book explores newly developed next-generation breeding tools, viz., genome-wide association studies, genomic prediction, genome editing, and accelerated generation advancement methodologies, which revealed promising outcomes by enhancing the stress resilience in cereals with yield potential. This book is useful for postgraduate students specializing in plant breeding, plant stress physiology, plant genomics, agriculture, and agronomy. It is of immense value to scientific community involved in teaching, research, and extension activities related to cereal cultivation.

Over the last thirty years, the study of liquids containing polymers, surfactants, or colloidal particles has developed from a loose assembly of facts into a coherent discipline with substantial predictive power. These liquids expand our conception of what condensed matter can do. Such structured-fluid phenomena dominate the physical environment within living cells. This book teaches how to think of these fluids from a unified point of view showing the far-reaching effects of thermal fluctuations in producing forces and motions. Keeping mathematics to a minimum, the book seeks the simplest explanations that account for the distinctive scaling properties of these fluids. An example is the growth of viscosity of a polymer solution as the cube of the molecular weight of the constituent polymers. Another is the hydrodynamic radius of a colloidal aggregate, which remains comparable to its geometrical radius even though the density of particles in the aggregate becomes arbitrarily small. The book aims for a simplicity, unity and depth not found in previous treatments, and includes numerous figures, tables and problems. It will be an ideal textbook for teaching undergraduates in physical science how to understand soft matter, but will also be of interest to industrial scientists, who want to gain a broader understanding of soft matter systems.

Dental Implants: Materials, Coatings, Surface Modifications and Interfaces with Oral Tissues provides readers with information on past and contemporary advances in the design and modification of dental implants to enhance osseointegration and biocompatibility. The book begins with a look at the current status of dental implants, materials and fabrication methods. Chapters then cover surface modification techniques and a variety of inorganic, organic and biological coatings. Final sections cover tissue-implant interfaces. Written by a multidisciplinary team of materials scientists, dental clinicians and implantologists, this book is an essential reference for materials scientists, dental practitioners and researchers and students in academia.

This third edition is a comprehensive and extended study about the best known approaches for preparing the main types of glycosides, covering the classic and more recent glycosylation reactions used for preparing simple and challenging glycosides currently used as potent antiviral and antineoplastic drugs, or fluorogenic substrates used for enzymatic detection in cell biology. Besides, this new edition provides more examples of the glycosidic methodologies followed for preparing complex glycoconjugates such as glycoproteins and glycosphingolipids and gangliosides used as adjuvants or as synthetic vaccines candidates. Also, additional mechanistic evidence is presented for better understanding of the glycosylation reaction, trying to identify the variables mainly depending on protecting and leaving groups, as well as catalyst and reaction condition which altogether directs the anomeric stereo control. A chapter on the glycoside hydrolysis is included in view of the increasing interest in the use of biomass as a natural and renewable source for obtaining important intermediates or products used in food or valuable materials. The author includes information in the characterization of glycosides section with the aim of giving additional tools for the structural assignment through NMR, X-Ray and mass spectra techniques.

Stem cell research, and particularly embryonic stem cell research, while offering the prospect of developing theories for serious life-threatening diseases, also raises a number of difficult and controversial moral questions. This is reflected in a variety of moral perspectives and regulatory regimes, already adopted or in the process of being developed, in EU Member States. In particular the "moral exclusion" clause in Article 6 of the EC Directive on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions has created much uncertainty in this field.
This collection of original essays provides comprehensive analysis of the EU patent system as applied to biotechnological inventions and particularly stem cell research, dealing with the overlapping EPC, EU, international and national law regimes bearing on the exclusion of patents in a morally fragmented and contested field. In this multidisciplinary study, the editors aim to clarify the legal scope of Article 6, which they deem essential for the fostering of research and investment in Europe, while ensuring that such research is conducted within clear ethical limits which address the concerns of society.
As well as a complete overview of the application of the European patent law in the field of human embryonic stem cells, topics covered include legal and philosophical accounts of the boards of the European Court of Justice and European Patent Offices' reasoning in the leading litigated cases, as well as the institutional tensions between national and transnational European research and patent regimes. With its broad research in the fields of patent law, ethics and philosophy, the book analyzes a wide range of issues in a way no other book has previously done and suggests solutions to unblock the current stalemate surrounding the patentability of human embryonic stem cell related inventions. The book will be welcomed by a broad readership, including experts and academics in both ethical and legal disciplines as well as policy makers and regulators in the field of embryonic stem cell research in Europe.

This book provides a broad overview how extremophiles can be used in biotechnology, including for the production and degradation of compounds. It reviews various recent discoveries and applications related to a large variety of extremophiles, considering both prokaryotes as well as eukaryotes.

Healthy environment is important for any kind of biota on earth. It provides the basic elements of life such as clean water, fresh air, fertile soil and supports ecosystem of the food chain. Pollution drastically alters quality of the environment by changing the physico-chemical and biological aspects of these components. Accordingly, toxic metals, combustible and putrescible substances, hazardous wastes, explosives and petroleum products are all examples of inorganic and organic compounds that cause contaminations. Specifically, pollution of toxic and heavy metal in the environment is a growing problem worldwide, currently at an alarming rate. Toxic metals threaten the aquatic ecosystems, agriculture and ultimately human health. Traditional treatment techniques offer certain advantages such as rapid processing, ease of operation and control and flexibility. But, they could not maintain the quality of the environment due to the high operational costs of chemicals used, high energy consumption and handling costs for sludge disposal and overburden of chemical substances which irreversibly affect and destroy biodiversity, which ultimately render the soil useless as a medium for plant growth. Therefore, bioremediation and biotechnology, carried out by living assets to clean up, stabilize and restore contaminated ecosystems, have emerged as promising, environmental friendly and affordable approaches. Furthermore, the use of microbes, algae, transgenic plants and weeds adapted to stressful environments could be employed to enhance accumulation efficiency. Hence, sustainable and inexpensive processes are fast emerging as a viable alternative to conventional remediation methods, and will be most suitable for developing countries. In the current volume, we discuss pollution remediation challenges and how living organisms and the latest biotechnological techniques could be helpful in remediating the pollution in ecofriendly and sustainable ways.

This book covers various aspects of microbial biotechnology to produce bioenergy. It focuses on production of biofuels from plant and microbial biomass including agri-food residues and other wastes. It educates readers about various biomass resources, major aspects of production of renewable energy and fuels based on biochemical conversion routes. There is special focus on the microbial system and biotechnological processes as well as process optimization and industrial scale-up. The book brings together current challenges and potential solutions to enhance biomass to biofuel bioconversion. It is relevant for researchers, academicians, students as well as industry professionals working on biomass-based biorefineries.

ORAL DRUG DELIVERY FOR MODIFIED RELEASE FORMULATIONS Provides pharmaceutical development scientists with a detailed reference guide for the development of MR formulations Oral Drug Delivery for Modified Release Formulations is an up-to-date review of the key aspects of oral absorption from modified-release (MR) dosage forms. This edited volume provides in-depth coverage of the physiological factors that influence drug release and of the design and evaluation of MR formulations. Divided into three sections, the book begins by describing the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and detailing the conditions and absorption processes occurring in the GIT that determine a formulation's oral bioavailability. The second section explores the design of modified release formulations, covering early drug substance testing, the biopharmaceutics classification system, an array of formulation technologies that can be used for MR dosage forms, and more. The final section focuses on in vitro, in silico, and in vivo evaluation and regulatory considerations for MR formulations. Topics include biorelevant dissolution testing, preclinical evaluation, and physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modelling (PBPK) of in vivo behaviour. Featuring contributions from leading researchers with expertise in the different aspects of MR formulations, this volume: Provides authoritative coverage of physiology, physicochemical determinants, and in-vitro in-vivo correlation (IVIVC) Explains the different types of MR formulations and defines the key terms used in the field Discusses the present status of MR technologies and identifies current gaps in research Includes a summary of regulatory guidelines from both the US and the EU Shares industrial experiences and perspectives on the evaluation of MR dosage formulations Oral Drug Delivery for Modified Release Formulations is an invaluable reference and guide for researchers, industrial scientists, and graduate students in general areas of drug delivery including pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical sciences, biomedical engineering, polymer and materials science, and chemical and biochemical engineering.

Advances and Avenues in the Development of Novel Carriers for Bioactives and Biological Agents provides sound data on the utility of biological and plant-based drugs and describes challenges faced in all aspects offering indispensable strategies to use in the development of bioactive medicines. Bioactive based medications are commonly used throughout the world and have been recognized by physicians and patients for their therapeutic efficacy. Bioactive formulations, including their subordinates and analogs, address 50% of all medicines in clinical practice. Novel bioactive medicine transporters can cure many disorders by both spatial and transitory approaches and have various justifications in medicinal potential. This book presents information on the utility of natural, plant, animal and bioengineered bioactive materials. It is a fundamental source of information and data for pharmacognosists, pharmaceutical analysts, drug transport scientists and pharmacologists working in bioactive medications.

This detailed second edition volume expands upon the prior edition by addressing newly emerged technologies as well as improved existing protocols in nucleic acid delivery via nanotechnology. The book addresses topics ranging from chemical synthesis of macromolecules and bioconjugates, novel and established nanoformulations, characterization of these nanoformulations for biophysical, biological and toxicological aspects, and also protocols dealing with application and imaging of such carrier systems in vivo. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, 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. Authoritative and up-to-date, Nanotechnology for Nucleic Acid Delivery: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition serves as an ideal guide to researchers seeking to use this vital area of study in their own lab work or to progress knowledge within the field itself.

Bioimaging is a sophisticated non-invasive and non-destructive technique for direct visualization of biological processes. Highly luminescent quantum dots combined with magnetic nanoparticles or ions form an exciting class of new materials for bioimaging. These materials can be prepared in cost-effective ways and show unique optical behaviours. Magnetic Quantum Dots for Bioimaging explores leading research in the fabrication, characterization, properties, and application of magnetic quantum dots in bioimaging. * Covers synthesis, properties, and bioimaging techniques. * Discusses modern manufacturing technologies and purification of magnetic quantum dots. * Explores thoroughly the properties and extent of magnetization to various imaging techniques. * Describes the biocompatibility, suitability, and toxic effects of magnetic quantum dots. * Reviews recent innovations, applications, opportunities, and future directions in magnetic quantum dots and their surface decorated nanomaterials. This comprehensive reference offers a roadmap of the use of these innovative materials for researchers, academics, technologists, and advanced students working in materials engineering and sensor technology.

The most commonly used biological wastewater treatment technologies still have serious technical-economical and sustainability-related limitations, due to their high energy requirements, poor effluent quality, and lack of energy and resource recovery processes. In this thesis, novel electrochemical membrane bioreactors (EMBRs), which take advantage of membrane separation and bioelectrochemical techniques, are developed for wastewater treatment and the simultaneous recovery of energy and resources. Above all, this innovative system holds great promise for the efficient wastewater treatment and energy recovery. It can potentially recover net energy from wastewater while at the same time harvesting high-quality effluent. The book also provides a proof-of-concept study showing that electrochemical control might offer a promising in-situ means of suppressing membrane fouling. Lastly, by integrating electrodialysis into EMBRs, phosphate separation and recovery are achieved. Hence, these new EMBR techniques provide viable alternatives for sustainable wastewater treatment and resource recovery.

Climate Change and Food Security with Emphasis on Wheat is the first book to present the full scope of research in wheat improvement, revealing the correlations to global issues including climate change and global warming which contribute to food security issues. Wheat plays a key role in the health of the global economy. As the world population continuously increases, economies modernize, and incomes rise, wheat production will have to increase dramatically to secure it as a reliable and sustainable food source. Since covering more land area with wheat crops is not a sustainable option, future wheat crops must have consistently higher yields and be able to resist and/or tolerate biotic and abiotic stresses that result from climate change. Addressing the biophysical and socioeconomic constraints of producing high-yielding, disease-resistant, and good quality wheat, this book will aid in research efforts to increase and stabilize wheat production worldwide. Written by an international team of experts, Climate Change and Food Security with Emphasis on Wheat is an excellent resource for academics, researchers, and students interested in wheat and grain research, especially as it is relevant to food security.

Biomechanics of Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaque: From Model to Patient, First Edition, is the first comprehensive text to focus on important biomechanical studies conducted in the last decade that have increased our understanding of coronary atherosclerotic plaque initiation, growth, and rupture, as well as improving the design of medical devices and clinical interventions, including surgical procedures. The book provides students, researchers, engineers, clinicians, and interventional cardiologists with an overview of the main topics related to the biomechanics of atherosclerosis, in a single volume written by several experts in the field. This volume is part of the Biomechanics of Living Organs book series. The biomechanics of human soft tissues and organs has been an emerging research field since the publication of Y.C. Fung's original book series in the 1990s. The publication of such books entirely dedicated to a specific biomechanical subject is necessary to advance scientific research in the field of biomechanics and to transfer important knowledge to future generations. Therefore, this series of volumes on the biomechanics of living organs has been created. This series began in July 2017 with the publication of a first volume on the fundamentals of Hyperelastic Constitutive Laws for Finite Element Modeling of Living Organs. The current volume on the Biomechanics of Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaque, is the latest in this new series.

Traditional methods in synthetic chemistry produce chemical waste and byproducts, yield smaller desired products, and generate toxic chemical substances, but the past two centuries have seen consistent, greener improvements in organic synthesis and transformations. These improvements have contributed to substance handling efficiency by using green-engineered forerunners like sustainable techniques, green processes, eco-friendly catalysis, and have minimized energy consumption, reduced potential waste, improved desired product yields, and avoided toxic organic precursors or solvents in organic synthesis. Green synthesis has the potential to have a major ecological and monetary impact on modern pharmaceutical R&D and organic chemistry fields. This book presents a broad scope of green techniques for medicinal, analytical, environmental, and organic chemistry applications. It presents an accessible overview of new innovations in the field, dissecting the highlights and green chemistry attributes of approaches to green synthesis, and provides cases to exhibit applications to pharmaceutical and organic chemistry. Although daily chemical processes are a major part of the sustainable development of pharmaceuticals and industrial products, the resulting environmental pollution of these processes is of worldwide concern. This edition discusses green chemistry techniques and sustainable processes involved in synthetic organic chemistry, natural products, drug syntheses, as well various useful industrial applications.

Herbal drugs play a pivotal role in modern medicine and pharmaceutical care however only limited biotechnology application has been seen in medicinal plants. Revolutions in high-throughput approaches emphasize omics approaches, such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. A volume in the Exploring Medicinal Plants series, this book provides a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of breakthroughs in high-throughput approaches for the research of medicinal plants. Exploring the principles and applications of omics technologies, this book is essential for those working on or are involved in the modern research of medicinal and aromatic plants. There is also a strong focus on practical implications of these technologies through exploring the safety aspects and conservation strategies of various plants. From informative discussions on the latest research to a holistic evaluation of their potential applications, this book appeals to students, researchers and professionals working with medicinal and aromatic plants, as well as healthcare professionals interested in the area.

Presents sensor specification, theory of operation, sensor design, and application criteria Provides background plus specific information for practicing engineers who want to understand sensors Includes a complete chapter on industrial sensor communication protocols Explains temperature sensitivity, how to determine, and how to avoid Discusses how to understand and utilize sensor specifications

Metal-Organic Frameworks for Biomedical Applications is a comprehensive, authoritative reference that offers a substantial and complete treatment of published results that have yet to be critically reviewed. It offers a summary of current research and provides in-depth understanding of the role of metal-organic frameworks in biomedical engineering. The title consists of twenty-two chapters presented by leading international researchers in the field. Chapters are arranged by target-application in biomedical engineering, allowing medical and pharmaceutic specialists to translate current materials and engineering science on metal-organic frameworks into their work.

Biomaterials for Cancer Therapeutics: Evolution and Innovation, Second Edition, discusses the role and potential of biomaterials in treating this prevalent disease. The first part of the book discusses the fundamentals of biomaterials for cancer therapeutics. Part Two discusses synthetic vaccines, proteins and polymers for cancer therapeutics. Part Three focuses on theranosis and drug delivery systems, while the final set of chapters look at biomaterial therapies and cancer cell interaction. Cancer affects people of all ages, and approximately one in three people are estimated to be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. Extensive research is being undertaken by many different institutions to explore potential new therapeutics, and biomaterials technology is being developed to target, treat and prevent cancer. Hence, this book is a welcomed resource to the discussion.

Fungi are an understudied, biotechnologically valuable group of organisms. Due to their immense range of habitats, and the consequent need to compete against a diverse array of other fungi, bacteria, and animals, fungi have developed numerous survival mechanisms. However, besides their major basic positive role in the cycling of minerals, organic matter and mobilizing insoluble nutrients, fungi have other beneficial impacts: they are considered good sources of food and active agents for a number of industrial processes involving fermentation mechanisms as in the bread, wine and beer industry. A number of fungi also produce biologically important metabolites such as enzymes, vitamins, antibiotics and several products of important pharmaceutical use; still others are involved in the production of single cell proteins. The economic value of these marked positive activities has been estimated as approximating to trillions of US dollars. The unique attributes of fungi thus herald great promise for their application in biotechnology and industry. Since ancient Egyptians mentioned in their medical prescriptions how they can use green molds in curing wounds as the obvious historical uses of penicillin, fungi can be grown with relative ease, making production at scale viable. The search for fungal biodiversity, and the construction of a living fungi collection, both have incredible economic potential in locating organisms with novel industrial uses that will lead to novel products. Fungi have provided the world with penicillin, lovastatin, and other globally significant medicines, and they remain an untapped resource with enormous industrial potential. Volume 1 of Industrially Important Fungi for Sustainable Development provides an overview to understanding fungal diversity from diverse habitats and their industrial application for future sustainability. It encompasses current advanced knowledge of fungal communities and their potential biotechnological applications in industry and allied sectors. The book will be useful to scientists, researchers, and students of microbiology, biotechnology, agriculture, molecular biology, and environmental biology.

This book provides an overview of the multi-dimensional approach for the production of ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass. The sustainability of this biofuel, the current and future status of the technology and its role in waste valorization are also addressed. Bioethanol from lignocellulosic material has emerged as an alternative to the traditional first-generation bioethanol. The book also discusses various pretreatment methods for effective separation of the various components of lignocellulosic feedstock as well as their advantages, and limitations. It describes the valorization of lignocellulosic waste through the production of bioethanol and emphasizes the significance of waste utilization in managing the production cost of the fuel. Finally, the utilization of genetically engineered plants and microorganisms to increase the conversion efficiency is reviewed.