This book examines how biotechnology can improve livestock breeding and farming, and thereby also animal products. In the first chapters the reader will discover which techniques and approaches are currently used to improve animal breeding, animal health and the value of animal products. Particular attention is given to reproduction techniques, animal nutrition and livestock vaccines that not only enhance animal health but also have a significant effect on human health by ensuring safe food procurement and preventing zoonotic diseases. In addition, modern biotechnology can increase not only productivity but also the consistency and quality of animal food, fiber and medical products. In the second part of the book, issues such as how animal biotechnology could affect the environment and the important topic of animal waste management are explored. In the concluding chapter, the authors discuss future challenges related to animal biotechnology. This work will appeal to a wide readership, from scientists and professionals working in animal production, to those in farm animal management and veterinary science.

This book critically assesses the current state of knowledge on new and important detection technologies, e.g. mass spectrometry, tandem mass spectrometry, biosensor detection and tissue imaging, in connection with toxic chemical and biological agents. In general, the main topics discussed concern the risks and consequences of chemical and biological agents for human health in general, with special emphasis on all biochemical and metabolic pathways including the reproductive system. The exposome, genetic risks and the environment, various health hazard agents, risk assessment, environmental assessment and preparedness, and analysis of sub-lethal effects at the molecular level are also discussed. In closing, the book provides comprehensive information on the diagnosis of exposure, and on health concerns related to toxic chemical and biological agents.

In the past half century, filamentous fungi have grown in commercial importance not only in the food industry but also as sources of pharmaceutical agents for the treatment of infectious and metabolic diseases and of specialty proteins and enzymes used to process foods, fortify detergents, and perform biotransformations. The commercial impact of molds is also measured on a negative scale since some of these organisms are significant as pathogens of crop plants, agents of food spoilage, and sources of toxic and carcinogenic compounds. Recent advances in the molecular genetics of filamentous fungi are finding increased application in the pharmaceutical, agricultural, and enzyme industries, and this trend promises to continue as the genomics of fungi is explored and new techniques to speed genetic manipulation become available.

This volume focuses on the filamentous fungi and highlights the advances of the past decade, both in methodology and in the understanding of genomic organization and regulation of gene and pathway expression.

This edited book provides a comprehensive overview of modern strategies in fruit crop breeding in the era of climate change and global warming. It demonstrates how advances in plant molecular and genomics-assisted breeding can be utilized to produce improved fruit crops with climate-smart traits. Agriculture is facing a number of challenges in the 21st century, as it has to address food, nutritional, energy and environmental security. Future fruit varieties must be adaptive to the varying scenarios of climate change, produce higher yields of high-quality food, feed, and fuel and have multiple uses. To achieve these goals, it is imperative to employ modern tools of molecular breeding, genetic engineering and genomics for 'precise' plant breeding to produce 'designed' fruit crop varieties. This book is of interest to scientists working in the fields of plant genetics, genomics, breeding, biotechnology, and in the disciplines of agronomy and horticulture.

This book explores fascinating topics at the edge of life, guiding the reader all the way from the relation of life processes to the second law of thermodynamics and the abundance of complex organic compounds in the universe through to the latest advances in synthetic biology and metabolic engineering. The background to the book is the extraordinary scientific adventures that are being undertaken as progress is made toward the creation of an artificial cell and the control of life processes. This journey involves input from research areas as diverse as genetic engineering, physical chemistry, and information theory. Life is to be thought of not only as a chemical event but also as an information process, with the genome a repository of information gathered over time through evolution. Knowledge of the mechanisms affecting the increase in complexity associated with evolutionary paths is improving, and there appear to be analogies with the evolution of the technologies promoting the development of our society. The book will be of wide interest to students at all levels and to others with an interest in the subject.

The second volume in a series which aims to focus on advances in computational biology. This volume discusses such topics as: statistical analysis of protein sequences; progress in large-scale sequence analysis; and the architecture of loops in proteins.

Integrating basic to applied science and technology in medicine, pharmaceutics, molecular biology, biomedical engineering, biophysics and irreversible thermodynamics, this book covers cutting-edge research of the structure and function of biomaterials at a molecular level. In addition, it examines for the first time studies performed at the nano- and micro scale. With innovative technologies and methodologies aiming to clarify the molecular mechanism and macroscopic relationship, Nano/Micro Science and Technology in Biorheology thoroughly covers the basic principles of these studies, with helpful step-by-step explanations of methodologies and insight into medical applications. Written by pioneering researchers, the book is a valuable resource for academics and industry scientists, as well as graduate students, working or studying in bio-related fields.

Synthetic biology is a new area of biological research that combines science and engineering in order to design and build novel biological functions and systems. The definition of synthetic biology has been generally accepted as the engineering of biology: the synthesis of complex, biologically based (or inspired) systems, which display functions that do not exist in nature. This engineering perspective may be applied at all levels of the hierarchy of biological structures from individual molecules to whole cells, tissues and organisms. As with any multi-disciplinary field, there is an immense and rapidly-growing body of literature concerning synthetic biology, with several dedicated journals now available. However, locating the best information, or identifying the hottest topics can be time-consuming. This Specialist Periodical Report presents critical and comprehensive reviews of the recent literature in themed chapters prepared by invited authors from across the globe. The series editors are active in the field, ensuring that the most valuable information is presented in an authoritative manner.

This book examines the fundamental concepts of multimodality small-animal molecular imaging technologies and their numerous applications in biomedical research. Driven primarily by the widespread availability of various small-animal models of human diseases replicating accurately biological and biochemical processes in vivo, this is a relatively new yet rapidly expanding field that has excellent potential to become a powerful tool in biomedical research and drug development. In addition to being a powerful clinical tool, a number of imaging modalities including but not limited to CT, MRI, SPECT and PET are also used in small laboratory animal research to visualize and track certain molecular processes associated with diseases such as cancer, heart disease and neurological disorders in living small animal models of disease. In vivo small-animal imaging is playing a pivotal role in the scientific research paradigm enabling to understand human molecular biology and pathophysiology using, for instance, genetically engineered mice with spontaneous diseases that closely mimic human diseases.

Published since 1959, Advances in Applied Microbiology continues to be one of the most widely read and authoritative review sources in Microbiology.
The series contains comprehensive reviews of the most current research in applied microbiology. Recent areas covered include bacterial diversity in the human gut, protozoan grazing of freshwater biofilms, metals in yeast fermentation processes and the interpretation of host-pathogen dialogue through microarrays.
Eclectic volumes are supplemented by thematic volumes on various topics including Archaea and Sick Building Syndrome.
Impact factor for 2003: 1.893

In Chloroplast Biotechnology: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers in the field detail many of the methods which are now commonly used in chloroplast molecular biology. Chapters focus on essential background information, applications in tobacco and protocols for plastid transformation in crops and Chlamydomonas and Bryophytes. 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 key tips on troubleshooting and avoidance of known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Chloroplast Biotechnology: Methods and Protocols seek to aid scientists who study chloroplast molecular biology as well as those interested in applications in agriculture, industrial biotechnology and healthcare.

In a normal physiological state, several bacteria are present in the human gut that is essential to maintain the normal to healthy gastrointestinal function. Disturbances in this "normal flora" lead to gut inflammation and infection. This volume explores the potential of probiotics, the healthy bacteria, to manage gut-related diseases including gastrointestinal cancers, ulcerative colitis, H. pylori infections, and diarrhea; vaginosis; oral health; airway inflammation; and atopic dermatitis. The concept of designer probiotics, edible vaccines and future scope of research in the field is also presented. The animal models used for studying the benefits of probiotics in gut inflammation are described for beginners.

This book brings together philosophical, social-theoretical and empirically oriented contributions on the philosophical and socio-theoretical debate on migration and integration, using the instruments of recognition as a normative and social-scientific category. Furthermore, the theoretical and practical implications of recognition theory are reflected through the case of migration. Migration movements, refugees and the associated tensions are phenomena that have become the focus of scientific, political and public debate in recent years. Migrants, in particular refugees, face many injustices and are especially vulnerable, but the right-wing political discourse presents them as threats to social order and stability. This book shows what a critical theory of recognition can contribute to the debate. The book is suitable for researchers in philosophy, social theory and migration research. "A profound examination of how states and societies struggle to recognize migrants as fellow human beings in all their fullness. The contributions are exceptional for combining astute philosophy and social theory with a discussion of actual politics and real lives." Dr. Hugo Slim (Senior Research Fellow at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford and formerly Head of Policy at the International Committee of the Red Cross) "This impressive and timely volume offers an innovative way of understanding the issues of migration and integration by using a critical theory of recognition. Recognition theory has rich potential for effectively responding to the issues of autonomy, identity, integration, and empowerment that are at the core of the current public debates on mass migration, displacement, and the refugee crisis. By examining the normative and policy implications of recognition as they apply to migration, the book offers a pathbreaking look at the human dimension of the debate." Dr. Helle Porsdam (Professor of Law and Humanities and UNESCO Chair in Cultural Rights University of Copenhagen)

The rapid growth of biotechnology and drug design, based on rational principles of biopolymer interactions, has generated many developments in the field of biophysical chemistry. This series presents overviews of these developments and of other topical areas that are attracting interest in the field, from methodological developments in high-resolution NMR spectroscopy and molecular modelling to advances in structural chemistry and mechanistic studies of proteins and other biological compounds crucial for drug design.

Nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary research field that integrates chemistry, engineering, biology, and medicine. Nanomaterials offer tremendous opportunity as well as challenges for researchers. Of course, cancer is one of the world's most common health problems, responsible for many deaths. Exploring efficient anticancer drugs could revolutionize treatment options and help manage cancer mortality. Nanomedicine plays a significant role in developing alternative and more effective treatment strategies for cancer theranostics. This book mainly focuses on the emerging trends using nanomaterials and nanocomposites as alternative anticancer material's. The book is divided into three main topic areas: how to overcome existing traditional approaches to combat cancer, applying multiple mechanisms to target the cancer cells, and how nanomaterials can be used as effective carriers. The contents highlight recent advances in interdisciplinary research on processing, morphology, structure, and properties of nanostructured materials and their applications to combat cancer.Cancer Nanotheranostics is comprehensive in that it discusses all aspects of cancer nanotechnology. Because of the vast amount of information, it was decided to split this material into two volumes. In the first volume of Cancer Nanotheranostics, we discuss the role of different nanomaterials for cancer therapy, including lipid-based nanomaterials, protein and peptide-based nanomaterials, polymer-based nanomaterials, metal-organic nanomaterials, porphyrin-based nanomaterials, metal-based nanomaterials, silica-based nanomaterials, exosome-based nanomaterials and nano-antibodies. In the second volume, we discuss the nano-based diagnosis of cancer, nano-oncology for clinical applications, nano-immunotherapy, nano-based photothermal cancer therapy, nano-erythrosomes for cancer drug delivery, regulatory perspectives of nanomaterials, limitations of cancer nanotheranostics, the safety of nano-biomaterials for cancer nanotheranostics, multifunctional nanomaterials for targeting cancer nanotheranostics, and the role of artificial intelligence in cancer nanotheranostics.

The discovery of ribozymes nearly 30 years ago triggered a huge interest in the chemistry and biology of RNAs. Much of the recently made progress focusing on metal ions is addressed in MILS 9. This book, written by 28 internationally recognized experts from 8 nations, provides a most up-to-date view and is thus of special relevance for colleagues teaching courses in biological inorganic chemistry and for researchers dealing, e.g., with nucleic acids, gene expression, and enzymology, but also for those in analytical and bioinorganic chemistry or biophysics. Structural and Catalytic Roles of Metal Ions in RNA describes in an authoritative and timely manner in 12 stimulating chapters, supported by nearly 1600 references, 13 tables, and 75 illustrations, mostly in color, metal ion-binding motifs, methods to detect and characterize metal ion-binding sites, and the role of metal ions in folding and catalysis. It deals with diffuse metal ion binding, RNA quadruplexes, the regulation of riboswitches, metal ions and ribozymes, including artificial ribozymes. The spliceosome, the ribosome, ribozymes involving redox cofactors as well as the binding of kinetically inert metal ions to RNA are also covered.

This important reference is the first comprehensive resource worldwide that reflects research achievements in neglected and underutilized crop biotechnology, documenting research events during the last three decades, current status, and future outlook. This book has 16 chapters divided into 4 sections. Section 1 has three chapters dealing with Chenopodium as a potential food source, thin cell layer technology in micropropagation of Jatropha, and Panax vietnamensis. Section 2 deals with molecular biology and physiology of Haberlea rhodopensis, cell trait prediction in vitro and in vivo of legumes, and application of TILLING in orphan crops. Section 3 has five chapters on biotechnology of neglected oil crops, Quinoa, Erucia sativa, Stylosanthes, and Miscanthus. And Section 4 contains five chapters mainly on genetic transformation of Safflower, Jatropha, Bael, and Taro. This section also includes a chapter on genetic engineering of Mangroves.