The adsorption of proteins at interfaces plays a role in many ?elds, such as health, food, environment and analysis. Fundamental aspects are useful when considering applications. We focus here especially on solid-liquid interfaces and present a few fundamental studies regarding adsorption - netics and conformational changes, and examples of applications to sensors and membranes. The ?rst part is dedicated to fundamental studies performed using - tical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy, as an example of a technique that has the advantage of not requiring labelled proteins, but is limited to s- ci?c supports. Conversely, the radiolabelling of proteins, which has the disadvantage of any labelling process, allows application to any kind of s- faces. As proteins bear both positive and negative charges, we can expect thein?uenceofanelectric?eldnormaltothe interfaceonthe pack- ing order at interfaces. The re?ning of data treatment may also lead to the determination of useful structural parameters. The balance between protein-surface and protein-protein interactions is a key point for the - scription of the structure at high coverage of the surface. Electrokinetic methods, like measurement of the streaming potential, may be helpful in the electrical characterisation of the interfacial layer facing the solution. The second part includes different bench techniques that were dev- oped to improve the sensitivity of the characterisation of the orientation and structure of the proteins at interfaces: dual polarisation interferometry and total internal re?ection ellipsometry are such recent examples.

The fourth International Symposium of the International Society for Environmental Biotechnology was held on the campus of Queen's University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, on June 20-25, 1998, with an attendance of several hundred people. This meeting included technical presentations of state-of-the-art research which were integrated with tutorials and workshops by practising technologists in the broad field of environmental biotechnology. The meeting was designed to be, in every respect, truly global. For example, presentations were heard from technical workers in Southeast Asia, Iran, China, many countries in Europe, India, and the United States. By having these selected presenters, as well as experienced tutors with focused workshops, all participants benefited from this interactive symposium, and from an informal exchange of ideas, discussions of technical problems, and exploration of new applications. Environmental biotechnology is an emerging field of scientific and technological investigations that is truly global. Furthermore, popular recognition is high for the environmental problems being faced and solved by biotechnology methods. The papers in this book cover the following topics: (i) Metals: Mine Drainage, Removal, Toxicity; (ii) Waste Treatment/Monitoring; (iii) Integrated Systems; (iv) Bioremediation: In situ/Reactors/Basic Studies; (v) Water Quality; (vi) Biodegradation; (vii) Local/National/International Issues.

Diazotrophic bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen to plant-useable form and this input of nitrogen through biological fixation is of great agronomic importance. The contributions presented in this volume relate to free-living nitrogen fixers and the diazotrophs associated with plants. Symbiotic association of Frankia with non-legumes and cyanobacterial associations are also discussed. Research topics covered in this volume include the biochemistry and genetics of diazotrophs, recent developments in improvement of plant-microbe interactions and their molecular basis, the use of molecular probes in taxonomy and ecology of diazotrophs and reports on field applications, agronomic importance and improvement in methodologies for assessing their contribution to plants. This book provides valuable information not only for researchers working in the field of biological nitrogen fixation but also for biochemistry, molecular biologists, microbiologists and agronomists.

As with any rapid technological development, the biotechnology revolution is putting great strains on the ability of law to adapt to new challenges and threats. Although there is general agreement on the need to regulate biotechnology in many different fields of human activity (agriculture, life sciences, forensic science) domestic law remains deeply divided over the best approach to take. This book is the first attempt at covering the most pressing legal issues raised by the impact of biotechnologies on different categories of international norms. Through the contribution of a selected group of international scholars and experts from international organizations, the book addresses 1) the international status of genetic resources, both in areas of national jurisdiction and in common spaces such as the international sea bed area and Antarctica; 2) the relevance of environmental principles in the governance of modern biotechnologies; 3) the impact of biotechnologies on trade rules, including intellectual property law; 4) the human rights implications, especially in the field of human genetics; and 5) the intersection between general international law and regional systems, especially those developed in Europe and Latin America. The overall objective of the book is to provide an up-to-date picture of international law as it stands today and to stimulate critical reflection and further research on the solutions that will be required in years to come.

The biotechnology business in India with an increase from USD 500 million in 1997 and reaching an estimated USD 1 billion next year health related prod ucts accounting for 60%, agro and veterinary products together 15%, and con tract R&D, reagents, devices and supplies adding up to the remaining 25% of which the diagnostics share was about 10% of the total surely presented an encouraging picture even five years ago. While volumes have increased, the pat tern has not. According to a report, prepared by McKinsey & Co, India's Phar maceutical industry including domestic and export sales and contract services totals nearly USD 5 billion. Furthermore, the company optimistically projects the growth to a factor of five fold only if both the industry and the government are able to put in place achievable solutions that must take care of the formida ble obstacles preventing further growth. If this assessment is correct, then the established transformation made by IT growth should also provide the confi dence required by the high expectations for biotechnology which have arisen in the country in recent years. Some contributors to this are overenthusiastic these are bureaucrats, some retired scientists and of course the complacent politicians who have the least knowledge of what the new biotechnology is all about. However, there are clear indications of biotechnology growth demon strated by a few but rapidly expanding biotech companies such as Biocon Ltd, Shantha Biotech (P) Ltd, Dr.

Concern for the environment has become one of the big issues in modern society, and one of the chief concerns is the environmental impact of modern industrial production. A particularly sensitive issue is the possibility of accidents in industries where there may be severe consequences for people, property and the environment. At one time the nuclear industry was seen as the most likely to be the cause of significant environmental damage, but after the occurrence of several major accidents such as Seveso, Flixborough and Bhopal, that concern extends to much of the chemicals industry. Pressure from society, reflected by strong legislation, coupled with a greater understanding of the impact that chemical processing operations can have, has led to the adoption of higher profile safety and environmental management programs within the chemical industry. Under these programmes existing and new processes are rigorously examined to determine the possible causes and consequences of failure, and the results used to improve the process to make failure less likely. Any process audit, aimed at improving safety or lessening the environmental impact, cannot be carried out using intuition or experience alone, so the discipline of risk analysis has grown as a collection of tools and methods which can be utilized to give a quantitative assessment of the risks involved in operating any given process. In this new book the authors present risk analysis and reduction in a clear and unified way, emphasizing the various different methods which can be used together in a global approach to risk analysis in the chemical process industries. Originally conceived as a text book for graduate level courses in chemical engineering, the clear presentation and thorough coverage will ensure that anyone involved in risk assessment, environmental impact assessment or safety planning will find this book an invaluable source of reference.

This Volume presents generic protocols for wet experimental and computer-based systems and synthetic biology approaches relevant to the field of hydrocarbon and lipid microbiology. It complements a second Volume that describes protocols for systems and synthetic biology applications. The wet experimental tools presented in this Volume include protocols for the standardisation of transcriptional measurements, application of uracil excision-based DNA editing for, inter alia, multi-gene assembly, the use of fluxomics to optimise "reducing power availability", and the incorporation of non-canonical amino acids into proteins for optimisation of activities. Phenome-ing microbes, using a combination of RNA-seq and bioinformatic algorithms, is presented, as is an illustration, using methylotrophs as an example, of how the different key omics approaches constitute a pipeline for functional analysis, acquisition of a systems overview, and metabolic optimisation. Complementary computational tools that are presented include protocols for probing the genome architecture of regulatory networks, genome-scale metabolic reconstruction, and bioinformatic approaches to guide metabolic engineering. The Volume also includes an overview of how synthetic biology approaches can be used to improve biocontainment. Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology ProtocolsThere are tens of thousands of structurally different hydrocarbons, hydrocarbon derivatives and lipids, and a wide array of these molecules are required for cells to function. The global hydrocarbon cycle, which is largely driven by microorganisms, has a major impact on our environment and climate. Microbes are responsible for cleaning up the environmental pollution caused by the exploitation of hydrocarbon reservoirs and will also be pivotal in reducing our reliance on fossil fuels by providing biofuels, plastics and industrial chemicals. Gaining an understanding of the relevant functions of the wide range of microbes that produce, consume and modify hydrocarbons and related compounds will be key to responding to these challenges. This comprehensive collection of current and emerging protocols will facilitate acquisition of this understanding and exploitation of useful activities of such microbes.

This volume covers recent developments in both fundamental and applied research in biological nitrogen fixation. It emphasizes the application of biological nitrogen fixation for sustainable agriculture, which should lead to poverty alleviation, environmental protection, and good agricultural practices generally. The roles of, and advances in, plant breeding, plant molecular biology, nodule physiology, and symbiotic and associative interactions between plants and microbes in sustaining agricultural productivity and soil fertility are described. The evolution of symbioses and nitrogen fixation are also covered in this volume. To ensure high agricultural productivity, while protecting the environment (both soil and water resources), requires plant cultivars that also respond to beneficial microbes. The volume, therefore, describes the physiology and genomics of nitrogen-fixing bacteria together with the biochemistry and molecular genetics of the nitrogenase enzyme that actually fixes atmospheric nitrogen to a usable form.

This volume, which covers the most recent data on the role of nitrogen fixation in agriculture and forestry and on the biology of both plants and nitrogen-fixing microbes, is intended to serve as a useful reference for students and researchers, both in the laboratory (academic and commercial) and in the field.

Two of the recent books in the Methods in Molecular Biology series, Yeast Protocols and Pichia Protocols, have been narrowly focused on yeasts and, in the latter case, particular species of yeasts. Food Microbiology Pro- cols, of necessity, covers a very wide range of microorganisms. Our book treats four categories of microorganisms affecting foods: (1) Spoilage organisms; (2) pathogens; (3) microorganisms in fermented foods; and (4) microorganisms p- ducing metabolites that affect the flavor or nutritive value of foods. Detailed information is given on each of these categories. There are several chapters devoted to the microorganisms associated with fermented foods: these are of increasing importance in food microbiology, and include one bacteriophage that kills the lactic acid bacteria involved in the manufacture of different foods-cottage cheese, yogurt, sauerkraut, and many others. The other nine chapters give procedures for the maintenance of lactic acid bacteria, the isolation of plasmid and genomic DNA from species of Lac- bacillus, determination of the proteolytic activity of lactic acid bacteria, det- mination of bacteriocins, and other important topics.

This Volume addresses the pros and cons of oligonucleotide probes, primers and primer combinations, and importantly considers how to design the best tools for the microbial taxa and/or processes being investigated. Individual chapters focus on the design of primers targeting genes that code for enzymes associated with the following functions: degradation of aromatic, aliphatic and chlorinated hydrocarbons under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, methanogenesis, methane oxidation, and the nitrogen cycle. Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology Protocols There are tens of thousands of structurally different hydrocarbons, hydrocarbon derivatives and lipids, and a wide array of these molecules are required for cells to function. The global hydrocarbon cycle, which is largely driven by microorganisms, has a major impact on our environment and climate. Microbes are responsible for cleaning up the environmental pollution caused by the exploitation of hydrocarbon reservoirs and will also be pivotal in reducing our reliance on fossil fuels by providing biofuels, plastics and industrial chemicals. Gaining an understanding of the relevant functions of the wide range of microbes that produce, consume and modify hydrocarbons and related compounds will be key to responding to these challenges. This comprehensive collection of current and emerging protocols will facilitate acquisition of this understanding and exploitation of useful activities of such microbes.

This book is the lasting product, a resource of up-to-date information in the scientific literature for the field of animal cell technology, as it was presented during a pleasant and stimulating meeting in TylAsand, Sweden, in June 2001. The title of the meeting, From Target to Market, indicates the usefulness of Animal Cell Technology during all steps in the pharmaceutical development process. Following the biotech products reaching the market, it shows an upward trend in the contribution of biotech products to total New Molecular Entity output in the nineties, which continued until 1996 when biotech represented 25% of the annual output. Since then the proportion has been decreasing. A perceived hurdle from a market perspective is that a protein per definition is biodegradable and thus requires intravenous, or for some drugs subcutaneous administration. New promising administration technologies such as pulmonary delivery were highlighted at this meeting. The emphasis on project selection prior to entry in the development phase has triggered a portfolio management using more extensive preclinical data before a development decision is taken. Animal cells have become a very important tool in the drug discovery process. The next generation of products will evolve from applications such as gene therapy, novel vaccines, cell therapy, and gene regulation. Animal cell technology has a major role to play in the post-sequence era.

This volume contains the papers presented at the Sixth International Ion Exchange Conference organised by the SCI and held at Churchill College, Cambridge, UK, in July 1992. As on previous occasions, most recently in 1988, the organising committee did not engage plenary speakers but decided to solicit state-of-the-art contributions from the ion exchange community. This book contains the refereed papers presented at the meeting, whether in poster or oral form. Extra papers were presented at the meeting as posters because they were not available in time for refereeing purposes. The subject matter of the meeting and therefore the contents of the book is subdivided into seven separate topic areas as follows: resin developments; water treatment; fundamentals; biotechnology, food and pharmaceuticals; environmental and pollution control; membranes, inorganic materials and nuclear; and hydrometallurgy. The coverage of the meeting is similar to 1988 although there are fewer subdivisions on this occasion. The more restricted coverage this time reflects the smaller number of papers offered by authors. This is probably due to the world wide industrial recession which has affected commercial development and exploitation of the technology and restricts the ability of practitioners and academics to contribute to and attend international meetings. Nevertheless, the advances in biotechnology, growing concern about the environment and the. need for novel separation processes have provided sufficient impetus to stimulate a sufficient number of workers in the field.

An Introduction to Environmental Biotechnology provides an introduction to the subject of environmental biotechnology. Environmental biotechnology refers to the use of micro-organisms and other living systems to solve current environmental problems such as the detoxification of pollutants and clean-up of oil tanker spills. Additionally, it refers to the biotechnology of the agricultural environment, as well as the use of biopesticides and the application of microorganisms to the mining, metal recovery and paper industries. This is the only comprehensive introductory account of this subject matter. Beginning with an introduction to microbial growth, An Introduction to Environmental Biotechnology aims to provide the non-specialist with a complete overview of environmental biotechnology. It is presented in an easy to read style with illustrations and includes frequent references to the use of higher plants as well as micro-organisms in environmental biotechnology. An Introduction to Environmental Biotechnology is geared toward a non-specialist audience, including engineers and environmental chemists, and environmental scientists who have limited knowledge of microbiology and biotechnology.

Attention has recently turned to using plants as hosts for the production of commercially important proteins. The twelve case studies in this volume present successful strategies for using plants to produce industrial and pharmaceutical proteins and vaccine antigens. They examine in detail projects that have commercial potential or products that have already been commercialized, illustrating the advantages that plants offer over bacterial, fungal or animal cell-culture hosts. There are many indications that plant protein production marks the beginning of a new paradigm for the commercial production of proteins that, over the next decade, will expand dramatically.

Computational intelligence techniques are gaining momentum in the medical prognosis and diagnosis. This volume presents advanced applications of machine intelligence in medicine and bio-medical engineering. Applied methods include knowledge bases, expert systems, neural networks, neuro-fuzzy systems, evolvable systems, wavelet transforms, and specific internet applications. The volume is written in view of explaining to the practitioner the fundamental issues related to computational intelligence paradigms and to offer a fast and friendly-managed introduction to the most recent methods based on computer intelligence in medicine.

New data on animal cell technology are brought together in this volume, with emphasis given to the basic characterization of cell lines. The merits of different cell culture systems are examined and investigations into the factors influencing cell growth and productivity are presented. A special section deals with the biological properties of proteins produced by engineered animal cells. All those involved in the culture of animal cells will find this volume invaluable.

Stem cell based therapy is a 21st century approach of therapeutic intervention which epitomizes a shift from conventional symptomatic treatment strategy to addressing the root cause of the disease process. This is especially a hope for the patients suffering from diseases such as Alzheimer, diabetes, myocardial infarction and other diseases which have always been considered as incurable. Moreover, stem cells provide excellent in vitro disease models for drug development. This book is a compilation of the bench experience of experts from various research labs involved in the cutting edge area of research, describing the use of stem cells both as part of the combinatorial therapeutic intervention approach and as tools (disease model) during drug development.

Heavy metals always pose serious ecological risks when released into the environment due to their elemental non-degradable nature, regardless of their chemical form. This calls for the development of efficient and low-cost effluent treatment and metal recuperation technologies for contaminated waste water, not only because regulatory limits need to be met but also because the waste itself can be a resource for certain precious metals.

Biosorption is a general property of living and dead biomass to rapidly bind and abiotically concentrate inorganic or organic compounds from even very diluted aqueous solutions. As a specific term, biosorption is a method that utilizes materials of biological origin - biosorbents formulated from non-living biomass - for the removal of target substances from aqueous solutions. Recent research on biosorption provides a solid understanding of the mechanism underlying microbial biosorption of heavy metals and related elements.

This book gathers review articles analyzing current views on the mechanism and (bio)chemistry of biosorption, the performance of bacterial, fungal and algal biomass, and the practical aspects of biosorbent preparation and engineering. It also reviews the physico-chemical evaluations of biosorbents and modelling of the process as well as the importance of biosorption during heavy metal removal using living cells. It is a reference work for scientists, environmental safety engineers and R&D specialists who wish to further promote biosorption research and use the accumulated knowledge to develop and build industrial applications of biosorption in heavy metal separation technologies.

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The first Interfaces Conference was held at Swansea in April 1988 and represented the then state of the art of the science of implant surgery. The motivation for the initial venture was a supposed need for a closer interaction and dialogue between the clinician and scientist working in this area. As expressed in the Preface to the first Conference, we felt that the interface was represented graphically, scientifically and psychologically by the drawings of Edgar Rubins (1915), again widely used in the literature to the present Proceedings. The first Conference, we believe, achieved the aims of the organisers in bringing together scientists and clinicians towards an exchange of ideas by logically pursuing the sequence of events in clinical implant surgery. The present Conference, in collaboration with our Italian colleagues, has also attempted to achieve the same aims by examining the behaviour of implants constructed of a variety of materials in both hard and soft tissue. Many contributions in the conference employed the technique of finite element analysis, both for design and optimisation purposes, particularly in relation to bone remodelling. Indeed, this particular aspect of the Conference led to much debate and will require a major examination of the many levels of physical, chemical and biomechanical interactive behaviour of the implant and its environment. All this natural behaviour was presented and discussed, but difficulties and failures remain with such procedures and we feel it is only by continuing such meetings that we progress in this difficult area of clinical science.

Bioinformatics is an integrative field of computer science, genetics, genomics, proteomics, and statistics, which has undoubtedly revolutionized the study of biology and medicine in past decades. It mainly assists in modeling, predicting and interpreting large multidimensional biological data by utilizing advanced computational methods. Despite its enormous potential, bioinformatics is not widely integrated into the academic curriculum as most life science students and researchers are still not equipped with the necessary knowledge to take advantage of this powerful tool. Hence, the primary purpose of our book is to supplement this unmet need by providing an easily accessible platform for students and researchers starting their career in life sciences. This book aims to avoid sophisticated computational algorithms and programming. Instead, it will mostly focus on simple DIY analysis and interpretation of biological data with personal computers. Our belief is that once the beginners acquire these basic skillsets, they will be able to handle most of the bioinformatics tools for their research work and to better understand their experimental outcomes. The third volume is titled In Silico Life Sciences: Agriculture. It focuses on plant genetic, genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomics data. Using examples of new crop diseases-emergence, crop productivity and biotic/abiotic stress tolerance, this book illustrates how bioinformatics can be an integral components of modern day plant science research.

This book gives a state-of-the-art view by recognized researchers of the nanotechnologies required for future integrated systems leading to innovations in energy, the environment, and biotechnologies. Nanostructures that would be difficult to form using the current semiconductor technology will be realized using a combination of bottom-up and top-down processes, including hybrid nanostructures made of inorganic and organic/biological materials. Bio-sensing, imaging, and cell or molecular manipulation are discussed in Chapters 2-7. The acquisition of basic knowledge on the cellular level will lead to curing serious diseases. Also, nanofabrication technologies, discussed in Chapters 8-15, will lead to next-generation solar cells, secondary batteries, and advanced electronic circuits using nanostructured materials, thus providing solutions for serious energy and environment issues. Prospective readers of this book include graduate students as well as researchers and engineers working in this field.

Genetic engineering is a powerful tool for crop improvement. Crop biotechnology before 2001 was reviewed in Transgenic Crops I-III, but recent advances in plant cell and molecular biology have prompted the need for new volumes.

Transgenic Crops IV deals with cereals, vegetables, root crops, herbs and spices. Section I is an introductory chapter on the impact of plant biotechnology in agriculture. Section II focuses on cereals (rice, wheat, maize, rye, pearl millet, barley, oats), while Section III is directed to vegetable crops (tomato, cucumber, eggplant, lettuce, chickpea, common beans and cowpeas, carrot, radish). Root crops (potato, cassava, sweet potato, sugar beet) are included in Section IV, with herbs and spices (sweet and hot peppers, onion, garlic and related species, mint) in Section V.

This volume is an invaluable reference for plant breeders, researchers and graduate students in the fields of plant biotechnology, agronomy, horticulture, genetics and both plant cell and molecular biology.

The book deepens the understanding of the solid substrate culture technique in order to widen the engineering base needed to encourage its practical use. Theories of practical relevance are explained in detail.