This volume covers experimental and theoretical advances on the relationship between composition, structure and macroscopic mechanical properties of novel hydrogels containing dynamic bonds. The chapters of this volume focus on the control of the mechanical properties of several recently discovered gels with the design of monomer composition, chain architecture, type of crosslinking or internal structure. The gels discussed in the different chapters have in common the capability to dissipate energy upon deformation, a desired property for mechanical toughness, while retaining the ability to recover the properties of the virgin material over time or to self-heal when put back in contact after fracture. Some chapters focus on the synthesis and structural aspects while others focus on properties or modelling at the continuum or mesoscopic scale. The volume will be of interest to chemists and material scientists by providing guidelines and general structure-property considerations to synthesize and develop innovative gels tuned for applications. In addition it will provide physicists with a better understanding of the role of weak interactions between molecules and physical crosslinking on macroscopic dissipative properties and self-healing or self-recovering properties.

This second edition provides new and updated methods that detail new DNA nanotechnology techniques. Chapters focus on DNA origami nanostructures for arranging matter in the nanoscale or on their manipulation with the aid of other technologies, on procedures for making nucleic acids nanostructures of different kinds, and methods to simulate complex nanostructures or to use them in biosensing. 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, DNA Nanotechnology: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital field.

Few topics have inspired as much international furor and misinformation as the development and distribution of genetically altered foods. For thousands of years, farmers have bred crops for their resistance to disease, productivity, and nutritional value; and over the past century, scientists have used increasingly more sophisticated methods for modifying them at the genetic level. But only since the 1970s have advances in biotechnology (or gene-splicing to be more precise) upped the ante, with the promise of dramatically improved agricultural products--and public resistance far out of synch with the potential risks. In this provocative and meticulously researched book, Henry Miller and Gregory Conko trace the origins of gene-splicing, its applications, and the backlash from consumer groups and government agencies against so-called "Frankenfoods"--from America to Zimbabwe. They explain how a "happy conspiracy" of anti-technology activism, bureaucratic over-reach, and business lobbying has resulted in a regulatory framework in which there is an inverse relationship between the degree of product risk and degree of regulatory scrutiny. The net result, they argue, is a combination of public confusion, political manipulation, ill-conceived regulation (from such agencies as the USDA, EPA, and FDA), and ultimately, the obstruction of one of the safest and most promising technologies ever developed--with profoundly negative consequences for the environment and starving people around the world. The authors go on to suggest a way to emerge from this morass, proposing a variety of business and policy reforms that can unlock the potential of this cutting-edge science, while ensuring appropriatesafeguards and moving environmentally friendly products into the hands of farmers and consumers. This book is guaranteed to fuel the ongoing debate over the future of biotech and its cultural, economic, and political implications.

Current information in applied microbioogy is provided in this text supported by an extensive bibliography.

An Introduction to Ethical, Safety and Intellectual Property Rights Issues in Biotechnology provides a comprehensive look at the biggest technologies that have revolutionized biology since the early 20th century, also discussing their impact on society. The book focuses on issues related to bioethics, biosafety and intellectual property rights, and is written in an easy-to-understand manner for graduate students and early career researchers interested in the opportunities and challenges associated with advances in biotechnology. Important topics covered include the Human Genome Project, human cloning, rDNA technology, the 3Rs and animal welfare, bioterrorism, human rights and genetic discrimination, good laboratory practices, good manufacturing practices, the protection of biological material and much more. Full of relevant case studies, practical examples, weblinks and resources for further reading, this book offers an essential and holistic look at the ways in which biotechnology has affected our global society.

Antimicrobial resistance is a major global public health problem. This book focuses on the clinical implications of multi-drug resistant pathogens; tracking AMR and its evolutionary significance; antifungal resistance; and current and alternative treatment strategies for AMR, including antivirulent, antibiofilm and antimicrobial resistance breakers, repurposing of drugs, and probiotic therapy. Advances in antimicrobial stewardship, antibiotic policies from a global perspective and their impacts are also discussed. The book also explores the use of omics approaches to gain insights into antibacterial resistance, and includes chapters on the potential benefits of a 'One Health approach' describing the environmental and zoonotic sources of resistant genes and their effects on the global resistance pool.

This thesis focuses on the study of interactions between protein and peptides and their potential applications in cell imaging and nanoparticle surface modification. Drawing inspiration from naturally occurring coiled-coil binding pairs, it proposes a novel covalent peptide tag and probe system, based on the concept of "affinity guided covalent conjugation." This newly established methodology provides complementary resolution to protein labeling, imaging and trafficking. By systematically investigating the coordination interaction between protein and quantum dots using various engineered protein ligands, this thesis proposes a general rule for protein self-assembly on the surface of quantum dots and reports a revolutionized nanobelt protein in accordance with this rule. It is an extraordinary example of interdisciplinary research, providing answers to real-life biological problems from a chemistry perspective.

This book presents the select proceedings of the International Conference on Functional Material, Manufacturing and Performances (ICFMMP) 2019. The book provides the state-of-the-art research, development, and commercial prospective of recent advances in materials science and engineering. The contents cover various synthesis and fabrication routes of functional and smart materials for applications in mechanical engineering, manufacturing, metrology, nanotechnology, physics, chemical and biological sciences, civil engineering, food science among others. It also provides the evolutionary behavior of materials science for industrial applications. This book will be a useful resource for researchers as well as professionals interested in the highly interdisciplinary field of materials science.

Epigenetics and Systems Biology highlights the need for collaboration between experiments and theoretical modeling that is required for successful application of systems biology in epigenetics studies. This book breaks down the obstacles which exist between systems biology and epigenetics researchers due to information barriers and segmented research, giving real-life examples of successful combinations of systems biology and epigenetics experiments. Each section covers one type of modeling and one set of epigenetic questions on which said models have been successfully applied. In addition, the book highlights how modeling and systems biology relate to studies of RNA, DNA, and genome instability, mechanisms of DNA damage signaling and repair, and the effect of the environment on genome stability.

Algal Green Chemistry: Recent Progress in Biotechnology presents emerging information on green algal technology for the production of diverse chemicals, metabolites, and other products of commercial value. This book describes and emphasizes the emerging information on green algal technology, with a special emphasis on the production of diverse chemicals, metabolites, and products from algae and cyanobacteria. Topics featured in the book are exceedingly valuable for researchers and scientists in the field of algal green chemistry, with many not covered in current academic studies. It is a unique source of information for scientists, researchers, and biotechnologists who are looking for the development of new technologies in bioremediation, eco-friendly and alternative biofuels, biofertilizers, biogenic biocides, bioplastics, cosmeceuticals, sunscreens, antibiotics, anti-aging, and an array of other biotechnologically important chemicals for human life and their contiguous environment. This book is a great asset for students, researchers, and biotechnologists.

Biology and Engineering of Stem Cell Niches covers a wide spectrum of research and current knowledge on embryonic and adult stem cell niches, focusing on the understanding of stem cell niche molecules and signaling mechanisms, including cell-cell/cell-matrix interactions. The book comprehensively reviews factors regulating stem cell behavior and the corresponding approaches for understanding the subsequent effect of providing the proper matrix molecules, mechanical cues, and/or chemical cues. It encompasses a variety of tools and techniques for developing biomaterials-based methods to model synthetic stem cell niches in vivo, or to enhance and direct stem cell fate in vitro. A final section of the book discusses stem cell niche bioengineering strategies and current advances in each tissue type.

Membrane Characterization provides a valuable source of information on how membranes are characterized, an extremely limited field that is confined to only brief descriptions in various technical papers available online. For the first time, readers will be able to understand the importance of membrane characterization, the techniques required, and the fundamental theory behind them. This book focuses on characterization techniques that are normally used for membranes prepared from polymeric, ceramic, and composite materials.

This book caters to the need of researchers working in the ever-evolving field of agricultural biotechnology. It discusses and provides in-depth information about latest advancements happening in this field. The book discusses evolution of plant tissue culture techniques, development of doubled haploids technology, role of recombinant-DNA technology in crop improvement. It also provides an insight into the global status of genetically modified crops, use of RNAi technology and mi-RNAs in plant improvement. Chapters are also dedicated for different branches of 'omics' science including genomics, bioinformatics, proteomics, metabolomics and phenomics along with the use of molecular markers in tagging and mapping of various genes/QTLs of agronomic importance. This book also covers the role of enzymes and microbes in agriculture in productivity enhancement. It is of interest to teachers, researchers of biotechnology and agriculture scientists. Also the book serves as additional reading material for undergraduate and postgraduate students of biotechnology, agriculture, horticulture, forestry, ecology, soil science, and environmental sciences. National and international biotechnologists and agricultural scientists will also find this to be a useful read.

Science, Virtue, and the Future of Humanity addresses each of the key public policy issues of our techno-future from the perspective of deeply informed and philosophically inclined public intellectuals. Among the issues addressed are the detachment of our idea of justice from any credible foundation; Tocqueville's prescience on how a "cognitive elite" might be the aristocracy to be most feared in our time; robotization and the possibility of being ruled by morally challenged robots; organ markets; the degradation of liberal education by obsessive techno-enthusiasm; biotechnology and biological determinism; the birth dearth and the inevitable erosion of our entitlements; the possibility that our techno-domination is basically an unfolding of the Lockean logic of our foundation; and the future of the free exercise of religion in an aggressively libertarian time. All in all, this book should provoke widespread discussion about the relationship between scientific/technological progress and the one true moral/spiritual progress that takes place over the course of every particular human life.

Proteomics, like other post-genomics tools, has been growing at a rapid pace and has important applications in numerous fields of science. While its use in animal and veterinary sciences is still limited, there have been considerable advances in this field in recent years, in areas as diverse as physiology, nutrition and food of animal origin processing. This is mainly as a consequence of a wider availability and better understanding of proteomics methodologies by animal and veterinary researchers. This book provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art account of the status of farm-animal proteomics research, focusing on the principles behind proteomics methodologies and its specific applications and offering clear example.

This book comprises a collection of chapters on advances in green nanomaterials. The book looks at ways to establish long-term safe and sustainable forms of nanotechnology through implementation of nanoparticle biosynthesis with minimum impact on the ecosystem. The book looks at synthesis, processing, and applications of metal and metal oxide nanomaterials and also at bio-nanomaterials. The contents of this book will prove useful for researchers and professionals working in the field of nanomaterials and green technology.

This volume contains selects papers presented during the 2nd International Conference on Environmental Geotechnology, Recycled Waste Materials and Sustainable Engineering, held in the University of Illinois at Chicago. It covers the recent innovations, trends, and concerns, practical challenges encountered, and the solutions adopted in waste management and engineering, geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering, infrastructure engineering, and sustainable engineering. This book will be useful for academics, educators, policy makers and professionals working in the field of civil engineering, chemical engineering, environmental sciences and public policy.