This contributed volume sheds new light on waste management and the production of biofuels. The authors share insights into microbial applications to meet the challenges of environmental pollution and the ever- growing need for renewable energy. They also explain how healthy and balanced ecosystems can be created and maintained using strategies ranging from oil biodegration and detoxification of azo dyes to biofouling. In addition, the book illustrates how the metabolic abilities of microorganisms can be used in microbial fuel-cell technologies or for the production of biohydrogen. It inspires young researchers and experienced scientists in the field of microbiology to explore the application of green biotechnology for bioremediation and the production of energy, which will be one of the central topics for future generations.

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a relatively new separation technique suitable for handling small amounts of sample very important in bioanalytical research and in various clinical, diagnostic, genetic, and forensic applications. In Capillary Electrophoresis of Biomolecules: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers in the field provide key techniques to investigate CE focusing on simple and complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides), aminoacids, peptides and proteins, enzymes, and nucleic acids. Along with practical procedures, reviews discussing CE applications related to bio(macro)molecules are also included. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) 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 avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Capillary Electrophoresis of Biomolecules: Methods and Protocols provides the reader with the latest break throughs and improvements in CE and CE techniques applied to several classes of bio(macro)molecules.

Providing current diverse approaches and techniques used to study the immunoproteome, Immunoproteomics: Methods and Protocols collects chapters from key researchers that deliver information to be used in diagnostics, disease progression, and vaccine correlates of protection analysis, to name but a few. This detailed volume includes techniques used for the study of the antibody targets of bacterial pathogens, viruses, and cancer, mass spectrometry-based approaches to characterize T-cell epitopes, chapters on detection and relative quantification of cytokines in serum, as well as in silico prediction of epitopes using sequence-based or modeling approaches. 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. Practical and thorough, Immunoproteomics: Methods and Protocols aids researchers in transferring these techniques to their own laboratories in addition to providing a reference to guide researchers toward appropriate techniques.

This book provides new structural, biochemical, and clinical information on ABC transporters. The authors explore and describe the state of the art of research, knowledge, and prospects for the future for this important family of proteins. The first ABC transporter was discovered in 1973 and was named P-glycoprotein. It elicits resistance to cytotoxic drugs, chiefly in human tumours, within which chemotherapy failure is observed in about 50% of cases. Together with its complex pharmacology, and even a suspected role in Alzheimer's disease, this ABC transporter still eludes a clinical solution to its multidrug resistance property. ABC transporters are integral membrane active proteins and they belong to one of the largest protein families across all species. Their myriad roles encompass the import or export of a diverse range of allocrites, including ion, nutrients, peptides, polysaccharides, lipids, and xenobiotics. They are of major medical importance with many members elaborating multidrug resistance in bacteria, fungi, yeast, parasites, and humans. Other ABC transporters are involved in a number of inherited diseases, including cystic fibrosis, macular degeneration, gout, and several other metabolic disorders

Cell biology spans among the widest diversity of methods in the biological sciences. From physical chemistry to microscopy, cells have given up with secrets only when the questions are asked in the right way This new volume of "Methods in Cell Biology" covers laboratory methods in cell biology, and includes methods that are among the most important and elucidating in the discipline, such as transfection, cell enrichment and magnetic batch separation.

Covers the most important laboratory methods in cell biology Chapters written by experts in their fields
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This book describes the state of the art in the field of bioanalytical nano- and microsystems with optical functionality. In 12 chapters distinguished scientists and leaders in their respective fields show how various optical technologies have been miniaturized and integrated over the last few decades in order to be combined with nano- and microsystems for applications in the life sciences. The main detection and characterization technologies are introduced, and examples of the superiority of these integrated approaches compared to traditional ones are provided. Examples from e.g. the fields of optical waveguides, integrated interferometers, surface plasmon resonance or Raman spectroscopy are introduced and discussed, and it is shown how these approaches have led to novel functionalities and thereby novel applications.

Based on presentations made during the 6th International Symposium on Natural Product Chemistry, this book is divided into two broad sections. Section A includes articles on synthetic routes developed to complex natural products, while Section B is a compilation of discoveries of new natural products and their pharmacological properties.
There are several chapters devoted to various advances in the ongoing quest for improved anticancer agents from natural sources, be they from plants, marine organisms or microorganisms. Approaches to the development of new antimalarial agents are reviewed, as are strategies for cancer chemopreventive agents.

The concept of immunotherapy was in infancy when the first edition was written; since then, major advances have been made, not only with several prominent clinical trials, but also with the approval of cell-based therapy by the FDA for the treatment of cancer in 2010. These events resulted in a gradually narrowing gap between early scientific knowledge and the late development of immune-based therapies. Consequently, the significance and magnitude of these advances warranted a revision of this contribution; this revised edition will provide a deeper understanding of the recent advances and discoveries related to the function of the immune response and their applications in the development of novel therapies to treat human diseases. Some of the key discoveries during the past five years include: the identification of the new subsets of helper T cells; new cytokines and their networks; and novel signal transduction mechanisms. For example, the identification of TH17 subset of helper T cells, in addition to TH1 and TH2 cells, not only advanced our understanding of the function of the basic immune response, but also raised our awareness of the possible etiology and pathogenesis of diseases such as allergy, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and other auto-immune/immune system based diseases. The newly identified powerful cytokine networks, that regulate both innate and acquired immune responses, emerged as a result of the finding of new cell types such as innate lymphoid cells and iNKT. Identification of the novel cytokines and their networks has advanced our knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis, including inflammation and tissue repair during stress and injury. The development of HIV vaccines has also seen dramatic changes over the last few years. There has been a shift from a sole focus on T cell vaccines to a holistic approach that pertains to the induction of both humoral and cellular elements. This entails the induction of antibodies - both binding and neutralizing - to prevent infection. The cellular vaccination produces a safety net of CD8+ T-cell responses to suppress the replication of the virus in the infected patients, and both of the effector arms are aided by helper T cells. From the perspective of clinical applications, significant advances have also been made in: oral immunotherapy for allergic disease, the possible treatment of HIV infection, the development of new monoclonal antibodies and their fragments to treat human diseases, and immune cell based therapies for cancer.

This book presents the latest breakthrough results in glycobiology regarding the roles of glycans in relation to quality control and transport of protein, the immune system, viral infection, stem cells, the neural system, and various diseases such as cancer, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, muscular dystrophy, and schizophrenia. Although glycoscience has long been regarded as a very specialized field with no simple analytical method, the recent explosive progress in research continues to provide limitless evidence that glycan chains are the key component in various biological phenomena. Cell surface glycans, for example, change with developmental stages or environmental conditions and thus represent a "face" of the cell that is utilized for identification of iPS and ES cells and as biomarkers in diagnosis or detection of cancer. This book comprises 17 chapters, each of which poses outstanding "glyco-related" questions enabling non-specialists to have a clearer idea about what the future direction for further investigation of glycans in their own research fields will be. Also including basic information to understand the nature of glycans, this title serves as an excellent "textbook" for researchers in diverse research fields who are not familiar with, but nevertheless interested in, glycan chains or sugar chains.

For many years, it has been known that when rats and mice are given a reduced amount of food, their life span is increased and they remain healthy and vigorous at advanced ages.

What is the reason for this change in the usual pattern of aging? The evidence is overwhelming that the life extension results from a slowing of aging processes. And the factor responsible is the decrease in caloric intake. The obvious question: How does this factor work? A good question - and the reason that research on the anti-aging action of caloric restriction is today one of the most studied research areas in biological gerontology. For it is felt that if the biological mechanisms of the anti-aging action of caloric restriction can be uncovered, we would gain an understanding of the basic nature of aging processes, which would, in turn, yield possible interventions in human aging. This book aims to provide the growing number of researchers in this field (faculty, postdoctoral trainees, and graduate students) with a detailed knowledge of what is known about caloric restriction within the frame of gerontology, as well as insights on future of this field.

The work described in this book is an excellent example of interdisciplinary research in systems biology. It shows how concepts and approaches from the field of physics can be efficiently used to answer biological questions and reports on a novel methodology involving creative computer-based analyses of high-throughput biological data. Many of the findings described in the book, which are the result of collaborations between the author (a theoretical scientist) and experimental biologists and between different laboratories, have been published in high-quality peer-reviewed journals such as Molecular Cell and Nature. However, while those publications address different aspects of post-transcriptional gene regulation, this book provides readers with a complete, coherent and logical view of the research project as a whole. The introduction presents post-transcriptional gene regulation from a distinct angle, highlighting aspects of information theory and evolution and laying the groundwork for the questions addressed in the subsequent chapters, which concern the regulation of the transcriptome as the primary functional carrier of active genetic information.

This book brings together reviews from international experts who are exploring the biological activities of nanomaterials for medical applications or to better understand nanotoxicity. Topics include but are not limited to the following: 1) mechanistic understanding of nanostructure-bioactivity relationships; 2) the regulation of nanoparticles' bioactivity by means of chemical modification; 3) the new methodologies and standard methods used to assess nanoparticles' bioactivity; 4) the mechanisms involved in nanoparticle-biomolecule interactions and nanoparticle-cell interactions; and 5) biomedical applications of nanotechnology. The book will be a valuable resource for a broad readership in various subfields of chemical science, engineering, biology, environment, and medicine.

This volume of "Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science" discusses cutting-edge research of proteasomes and proteasome-associated proteins and cellular systems. The volume is split into two sections. The first part discusses the current knowledge of the structure, function, and regulation of the proteasomal system. The second part describes the role of the proteasome in aging and disease.

Key features:

* Contributions from leading authorities * Informs and updates on all the latest developments in the field

This volume of the Trilogy of Traditional Foods, part of the ISEKI Food Series, describes important aspects of the production of foods and beverages from all over the globe. The intention of this volume is to provide readers with an appreciation of how products were initially made, and which factors have shaped their development over time. Some modern products have remained local, while others are commodities that appear in peoples' cabinets all over the world. Modernization of Traditional Food Processes and Products is divided into two sections. The first section focuses on products originating in Europe, while the second section is a collection of products from the rest of the world. Each chapter describes the origin of a particular food or beverage and discusses the changes and the science that led to the modern products found on supermarket shelves. The international List of Contributors, which includes authors from China, Thailand, India, Argentina, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, attests to the international collaboration for which the ISEKI Food Series is known. The volume is intended for both the practicing food professional and the interested reader.

This special volume of "The Enzymes "is targeted towards researchers in biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, pharmacology, and cancer. This thematic volume discusses Eukaryotic RNases and their partners in RNA degradation and biogenesis.

Key features:

* Contributions from leading authorities

* Informs and updates on all the latest developments in the field

The discovery of vitamins in the early 1900s, their later chemical characterization and the clarification of pivotal metabolic functions are sequential aspects of a brilliant chapter in the history of modern nutritional sciences and medicine. The name, derived from "vital-amines", indicates their elementary metabolic key functions in human metabolism. Vitamins are truly families of compounds, which include precursors and various free and bound forms, all with individual roles in metabolism and function. A more recent approach therefore searches for the components, the understanding of their roles in physiology and pathology as well as looking for novel pharmacological applications. When used properly, vitamins are, indeed, "magical" substances. Due to their efficacy, they should therefore be regarded as drugs with effects and side effects to be weighted against each other. Today, it is not the previously fatal deficiency-associated diseases that are in the focus of interest, but rather the relation of suboptimal vitamin bioavailability to chronic disease. This is complicated by genetic susceptibility, lifestyle, and the presence or absence of health-compromising habits, such as smoking. In turn, the development and application of new and more sensitive and specific assays further enable us to look more closely into the many functions of vitamins. Water soluble vitamins are complex molecular structures and even today, many areas in vitamin biochemistry are not yet fully understood. Novel effects and functions of vitamins remain and continue to be discovered. This book presents most recent research results and fascinating new knowledge on the role and effects of the water soluble vitamins in man. Some of the most distinguished chemists, biochemists, biologists and clinicians have contributed valuable chapters sharing unexpected novel insights into the biochemistry, (epi)genetics, metabolism, and function of water soluble vitamins, with their potential for clinical applications. Thus, physicians, clinicians, scientists, researchers, epidemiologists. nutritional specialists and health professionals alike will find stimulating and fascinating new insight in the many roles that water soluble vitamins play in human health and disease.

The series "Advances in Dendritic Macromolecules" aims to cover the synthesis and supramolecular chemistry of dendritic or cascade super-molecules as well as their less perfect hyperbranched cousins.
In Volume 3, Chapter 1 describes the synthesis and characterization of dendrimers and hyperbranched polyesters, both based on 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid, as the AB2-monomer. Chapter 2, discusses the advantages and drawbacks of dendritic molecular architectures necessary to create polymeric organic magnetic materials. In Chapter 3, Balzani and colleagues delineate their contributions to the field of polynuclear transition metal complexes in the design and construction of dendritic nanostructures; these luminesence and redox-active complexes suggest their role as photochemical molecular devices operating by photoinduced energy and electron transfer processes. Chapter 4, reviews the overall progress on redox-active dendrimers, especially as redox catalysts, organic conductors, modified electrodes, and models for electron transfer proteins. Chapter 5, summarizes the pioneering research in organometallic dendritic macromolecules and then delineates the redox properties of a series of silicon-based ferrocenyl-containing dendrimers.

This book, for the first time, comprehensively assembles and analyzes a large body of information on the role of the fundamental mechanism of the protein biosynthesis pathway, translation, in cancer biology. It systematically explores the function of the translation machinery and its regulation, including cell signaling, in the development, maintenance and progression of human cancer. The work presented here unveils the tremendous potential and applications of this vast and exciting branch of genetic, biochemical and molecular science in cancer medicine and drug development.

Chapters contributed by experts in the field take the reader on a journey that starts with a dissection of the translation machinery and its regulation in norm and cancer. Later chapters characterize etiological and pathogenetic roles that translation plays in specific cancer types. Various aspects of diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic significance of the translation machinery and its control in cancer are discussed. Readers will discover the importance of the process of translation and its regulatory mechanisms in physiology and cancer biology.

The chapters and the numerous illustrations included here were contributed by expert scientists and clinicians from renowned academic and clinical establishments in Canada, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Germany and Australia.

The book conveys information and knowledge that may interest a broad range of students and scholars ranging from basic scientists to clinicians and drug developers seeking to better understand the protein synthesis and its aberrations in cancer biology and cancer medicine.

This book reviews the fundamental aspects of quinoxaline chemistry: synthesis, reactions, mechanisms, structure, properties, and uses. The first four chapters present a survey of the developments in quinoxaline chemistry since the publication of the monograph on "Condensed Pyrazines" by Cheeseman and Cookson in 1979. These chapters give comprehensive coverage of all the methods of the synthesis of quinoxalines and the important quinoxaline-containing ring systems such as thiazolo[3,4-a]-, pyrrolo[1,2-a]-, and imidazo[1,5-a]quinoxalines. Chapter five describes many new methods for the construction of quinoxaline macrocycles, which are important in applications such as optical devices and materials. The final chapter reviews all previously known rearrangements of heterocyclic systems that lead to benzimidazole derivatives. Mamedov critically analyses these transformations to reveal a novel acid-catalyzed rearrangement of quinoxalinones giving 2-heteroarylbenzimidazoles and 1-heteroarylbenzimidazolones in the presence of nucleophilic reactants (MAMEDOV Heterocycle Rearrangement). This book is of interest to researchers in the fields of heterocyclic and synthetic organic chemistry.

Our knowledge of the chemistry of selenium and tellurium has seen significant progress in the last few decades. This monograph comprises contributions from leading scientists on the latest research into the synthesis, structure and bonding of novel selenium and tellurium compounds. It provides insight into mechanistic studies of these compounds and describes coordination chemistry involving selenium and tellurium containing ligands. Contributions also describe the theoretical and spectroscopic studies of selenium and tellurium compounds. Additionally, this monograph outlines the applications of selenium and tellurium in biological systems, materials science and as reagents in organic synthesis and shows how these applications have been a fundamental driving force behind the research into the inorganic and organic chemistry these fascinating elements.

This book presents a critical assessment of progress on the use of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to determine the structure of proteins, including brief reviews of the history of the field along with coverage of current clinical and in vivo applications. The book, in honour of Oleg Jardetsky, one of the pioneers of the field, is edited by two of the most highly respected investigators using NMR, and features contributions by most of the leading workers in the field. It will be valued as a landmark publication that presents the state-of-the-art perspectives regarding one of today's most important technologies.