Quantum dots (QDs) are important in the research and industrial fields due to their diverse properties and technological importance. Recently, QDs have been found to be suitable for biological, biomedical, agricultural, and food science applications. Many research articles, review papers, and internet sources have published on the use of QDs to improve plant growth and yield, but a comprehensive overview in book form has not been available to date. This book provides detailed information on synthesis, functionalization, and the use of various types of quantum dots for plant systems. It also addresses the current state of knowledge on sensing mechanisms of QD-based biosensors used for microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and plant virus detection. This book also offers in-depth knowledge related to QDs used for plant growth, nutrients, and plant protection from micro-organisms. This volume is beneficial as one comprehensive resource for students, researchers, scientists, technicians, academicians, and industrialists.

The Thal Desert of Pakistan has rich diversity in grasses and various habitats are available for their growth. This book encompasses a broad spectrum of agrostology in Thal area emphasizing various aspects such as morphology, foliar anatomy, palynology as well as folk use of grasses. This book would be a valuable assistance to taxonomists, foresters and range scientists in agrostological field of research.

The role of lipid rafts or glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)- domains has been reported to be very important during T cell activation via clustering important molecular players, such as adhesion molecules, GPI-anchored proteins or signaling kinases. The main focus of my study is to explore the role of GPI-anchored proteins in activation of T cells. We have previously found that the GPI-anchored molecules, CD48 and CD59 behave differentially. Since CD2 has been shown to interact with CD48 in cis and trans configuration, I asked whether this interaction could be responsible for the differential behavior of CD48 and CD59. For this purpose I used the siRNA technology and down regulated CD2 and CD48 expression in Jurkat T cells. The knock- out cells showed altered recruitment of Lck, a Src family kinase (SFK) member, and LAT, a transmembrane adaptor protein (TRAP), to the TCR/CD3, decreased IL-2 promoter activity and decreased calcium flux as compared with the normal cells. Thus, these results show that CD2 and CD48 are not only important for recruitment of Lck and LAT but that they also interplay for association of these molecules and proper signal transduction.