Human actions across the past few centuries have led to a depletion of the world's natural energy sources, as well as large scale environmental degradation. In the context of these current global issues, this book covers the latest research on the application and use of microbes in topical areas such as bioremediation and biofuels. With chapters covering environmental clean-up, microbial fuel cells and biohydrogen, it provides a comprehensive discussion of the latest developments in the field of microbe utilization.

Disaster management is an increasingly important subject, as effective management of both natural and manmade disasters is essential to save lives and minimize casualties. This book discusses the best practice for vital elements of disaster medicine in both developed and developing countries, including planning and preparedness of hospitals, emergency medical services, communication and IT tools for medical disaster response and psychosocial issues. It also covers the use of state-of the-art training tools, with a full section on post-disaster relief, rehabilitation and recovery.

Despite years of research world-over, non-toxic and effective radiomodulators remain elusive. In recent years, there has been a shift towards the use of herbals, which are also apparently being viewed as sources of promising radiomodulatory drugs. This book discusses the potential of radiation countermeasure agents and radiosensitizers of herbal origin, their multifaceted mode of action, specifically the use of the former in a nuclear theatre of operations, rescue operations and deep space missions in addition to their application during radiotherapy.

There have been rapid advances in the field of plant biotechnology in recent years, increasing the potential for medical application. Covering the latest advances in the use of plants to produce medicinal drugs and vaccines, this volume examines topics including plant tissue culture, secondary metabolite production, metabolomics and metabolic engineering, bioinformatics, molecular farming and future biotechnological directions, with contributors from key researchers in the field. "Medicinal Plant Biotechnology" is an essential reference for researchers in plant biology and biotechnology, medical sciences and pharmacology.