This book is devoted to alkaliphiles, their microbiology, biotechnological applications and adaptive mechanisms. Alkaliphiles are extremophilic organisms that are adapted to thrive in alkaline environments. Over the years, a wide variety of alkaliphiles belonging to domain Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya have been isolated and studied. These organisms use various adaptive mechanisms to thrive in 'extreme' alkaline environments, and some of these adaptive mechanisms are of immense importance to a range of biotechnological applications. In this book, readers will learn about the adaptive strategies of alkaliphiles in colonizing alkaline habitats, with a main focus on: (1) the production of enzymes that are active and stable in the high pH environment, and (2) the production of acids that decrease the pH of their immediate surrounding environment. Enzymes that are operationally stable at high pH (also known as alkaline active enzymes) are desirable in several applications such as detergent formulating and leather tanning processes, and they are among the major selling enzymes and the most important industrial enzymes. The growing demand in many existing and emerging biotechnological applications led to the discovery, characterization, engineering and evaluation of diverse types of alkaline active enzymes. In addition to the use of these fascinating enzymes in biotechnological applications, readers will discover the mechanisms of action and stability of these enzymes at extreme pH. Studies have shown that some alkaliphiles decrease the severity of the high pH of their media by producing substantial amount of organic acids, which could be of great interest in various applications presented in this book. In addition to enzymes and organic acids, other products of biotechnological importance such as carotenoids, bioactive substances, and chelators have also attracted researchers' attention. Whole-cells of alkaliphiles have been used as food and feed, and are also useful in environmental applications such as in waste treatment and construction.

This book review series presents current trends in modern biotechnology. The aim is to cover all aspects of this interdisciplinary technology where knowledge, methods and expertise are required from chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, genetics, chemical engineering and computer science. Volumes are organized topically and provide a comprehensive discussion of developments in the respective field over the past 3-5 years. The series also discusses new discoveries and applications. Special volumes are dedicated to selected topics which focus on new biotechnological products and new processes for their synthesis and purification. In general, special volumes are edited by well-known guest editors. The series editor and publisher will however always be pleased to receive suggestions and supplementary information. Manuscripts are accepted in English.

Cell separation, which was once limited to merely being a basic technique for fractionating different cell populations, has come a long way in the last two decades. New, advanced and more speci?c and selective techniques have emerged as the demand for isolating a speci?c cell type for various biological applications has increased. Ef?cient and cost-effective techniques for fr- tionation and isolation of target cell types are necessary to provide pure cell populations for diagnostics, biotechnological and biomedical applications. One can see a considerable need, both in biomedical research and in di- nostic medicine, for the speci?c separation of a discrete population of cells from a mixture. For example, in the ?eld of tissue engineering, isolation of stemcellsfromtissuesororgansisofparticularlygreatimportance.Moreover, understanding cell developmental pathways becomes increasingly signi?cant as diagnosis and treatment of diseases turns more to the molecular level. The diagnosis of cell-related diseases requires methods of detection, isolation and theanalysisofindividualcells,regardlessoftheirrelativecontentinthetissue. Since cell-based therapies now turn towards more realistic medical options, developing an effective separation system for large-scale cell separation has becomechallengingresearchgoalforcellbiologistsandbiotechnologists.The ideal technique should provide in a short time a good yield of cells with high puritywhile maintaining cellfunction.Despite the growingneed formethods to separate cells into cell subpopulations, the existing cell-separation te- niques stillhave somelimitations when the desired degree ofperformance on apreparativescaleisrequired.Wewillseemoreresearchfocusinthisdirection in the future. The traditional techniques of micro?ltration, ultra?ltration and ultrac- trifugation, which exploit differences in cell size, shape and density, have remainedtheworkhorsesdespitelowspeci?cityandproblemswithscalingup.

Controlled radical polymerization techniques for molecular imprinting, by Mark E. Byrne From bulk polymers to nanoparticles, by Lei Ye Post-imprinting and in-cavity functionalization, by Toshifumi Takeuchi Characterization of MIPs (affinity, selectivity, site heterogeneity...), by Richard Ansell Theoretical aspects and computer modelling, by Ian Nicholls MIPs in aqueous environments, by Bin Lu MIPs for binding macromolecules, by Kenneth J. Shea Solid phase extraction, by Ecevit Yilmaz Sensors, by Sergey A. Piletsky MIPs for catalysis and synthesis, by Marina Resmini Wastewater treatment, by Bo Mattiasson MIPs as tools for bioassays, biotransformation and drug delivery, by Meiping Zhao

The first book to tackle the application of smart polymers in bioseparation and bioprocessing, Smart Polymers: Applications in Biotechnology and Biomedicine broke new ground in this challenging field. Completely revised, updated, and following in the footsteps of its predecessor, the second edition is poised to take its place as a premier reference in this field. This new edition considers those polymers in which a highly nonlinear response of a smart polymer to small changes in the external medium is of critical importance for the successful functioning of the system. The systems discussed are based on soluble/insoluble transition of smart polymers in aqueous solution, on conformational transitions of the macromolecules physically attached or chemically grafted to a surface and on the shrinking/swelling of covalently cross-linked networks of macromolecules, i.e. smart hydrogels.

The book focuses on the theory describing the behavior of smart polymers in solution, as gels, and when grafted to surfaces. It provides solid, quantitative descriptions and reliable guidelines, reflecting the maturation of the field and the demand for the development of new smart polymer systems. The coverage highlights smart gels and especially fast responding and macroporous gels, as these gels pave the way to different applications of smart polymers in the areas ofbioseparation, drug release, and microfluidics. With contributions from leading researchers as well as extensive end-of-chapter references, this volume offers a comprehensive overview of the current state-of-the-art in the field and the potential for future developments.

This publication details the isolation of proteins from biological materials, techniques for solid-liquid separation, concentration, crystallization, chromatography, scale-up, process monitoring, product formulation, and regulatory and commercial considerations in protein production. The authors discuss the release of protein from a biological host, selectivity in affinity chromatography, precipitation of proteins (both non-specific and specific), extraction for rapid protein isolation, adsorption as an initial step for the capture of proteins, scale-up and commercial production of recombinant proteins, and process monitoring in downstream processing.

Macroporous polymers are rapidly becoming the material of choice for many tissue engineering, bioseparation, and bioprocessing applications. However, while important information is scattered about in many different publications, none, to date, have drawn this information together in user-friendly format, until now. Meeting the need for an accessible, organized resource, Macroporous Polymers: Production Properties and Biotechnological/Biomedical Applications supplies a systematic presentation of the production, characterization, and application of these polymers. The text discusses traditional methods of production, including phase separation polymerization, leaching, foaming, and double emulsion as well as emerging methods such as cryogelation. The chapters also detail the various applications of macroporous gels for the separation of biomolecules and for the cultivation of mammalian cells in bioreactors and for tissue engineering. The book underscores existing and potential problems while providing a solid background on which to base the evaluation of the scientific and commercial value of new developments. The editors bring together different viewpoints, summarize state-of-the-art achievement, and cover applications in biotechnology, downstream processing, and biomedicine. They have collected the latest research and molded it into a cohesive reference, closing the gap between macromolecular design and production of these gels/polymers and their possible applications. With the intensity of development in this area likely to increase, the foundation provided by this book can help you meet the challenges inherent in the development of new and better materials for new and better applications.

This book is devoted to alkaliphiles, their microbiology, biotechnological applications and adaptive mechanisms. Alkaliphiles are extremophilic organisms that are adapted to thrive in alkaline environments. Over the years, a wide variety of alkaliphiles belonging to domain Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya have been isolated and studied. These organisms use various adaptive mechanisms to thrive in 'extreme' alkaline environments, and some of these adaptive mechanisms are of immense importance to a range of biotechnological applications. In this book, readers will learn about the adaptive strategies of alkaliphiles in colonizing alkaline habitats, with a main focus on: (1) the production of enzymes that are active and stable in the high pH environment, and (2) the production of acids that decrease the pH of their immediate surrounding environment. Enzymes that are operationally stable at high pH (also known as alkaline active enzymes) are desirable in several applications such as detergent formulating and leather tanning processes, and they are among the major selling enzymes and the most important industrial enzymes. The growing demand in many existing and emerging biotechnological applications led to the discovery, characterization, engineering and evaluation of diverse types of alkaline active enzymes. In addition to the use of these fascinating enzymes in biotechnological applications, readers will discover the mechanisms of action and stability of these enzymes at extreme pH. Studies have shown that some alkaliphiles decrease the severity of the high pH of their media by producing substantial amount of organic acids, which could be of great interest in various applications presented in this book. In addition to enzymes and organic acids, other products of biotechnological importance such as carotenoids, bioactive substances, and chelators have also attracted researchers' attention. Whole-cells of alkaliphiles have been used as food and feed, and are also useful in environmental applications such as in waste treatment and construction.

This book review series presents current trends in modern biotechnology. The aim is to cover all aspects of this interdisciplinary technology where knowledge, methods and expertise are required from chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, genetics, chemical engineering and computer science. Volumes are organized topically and provide a comprehensive discussion of developments in the respective field over the past 3-5 years. The series also discusses new discoveries and applications. Special volumes are dedicated to selected topics which focus on new biotechnological products and new processes for their synthesis and purification. In general, special volumes are edited by well-known guest editors. The series editor and publisher will however always be pleased to receive suggestions and supplementary information. Manuscripts are accepted in English.

Controlled radical polymerization techniques for molecular imprinting, by Mark E. Byrne From bulk polymers to nanoparticles, by Lei Ye Post-imprinting and in-cavity functionalization, by Toshifumi Takeuchi Characterization of MIPs (affinity, selectivity, site heterogeneity...), by Richard Ansell Theoretical aspects and computer modelling, by Ian Nicholls MIPs in aqueous environments, by Bin Lu MIPs for binding macromolecules, by Kenneth J. Shea Solid phase extraction, by Ecevit Yilmaz Sensors, by Sergey A. Piletsky MIPs for catalysis and synthesis, by Marina Resmini Wastewater treatment, by Bo Mattiasson MIPs as tools for bioassays, biotransformation and drug delivery, by Meiping Zhao

The first book to tackle the application of smart polymers in bioseparation and bioprocessing, Smart Polymers: Applications in Biotechnology and Biomedicine broke new ground in this challenging field. Completely revised, updated, and following in the footsteps of its predecessor, the second edition is poised to take its place as a premier reference in this field. This new edition considers those polymers in which a highly nonlinear response of a smart polymer to small changes in the external medium is of critical importance for the successful functioning of the system. The systems discussed are based on soluble/insoluble transition of smart polymers in aqueous solution, on conformational transitions of the macromolecules physically attached or chemically grafted to a surface and on the shrinking/swelling of covalently cross-linked networks of macromolecules, i.e. smart hydrogels. The book focuses on the theory describing the behavior of smart polymers in solution, as gels, and when grafted to surfaces. It provides solid, quantitative descriptions and reliable guidelines, reflecting the maturation of the field and the demand for the development of new smart polymer systems. The coverage highlights smart gels and especially fast responding and macroporous gels, as these gels pave the way to different applications of smart polymers in the areas ofbioseparation, drug release, and microfluidics. With contributions from leading researchers as well as extensive end-of-chapter references, this volume offers a comprehensive overview of the current state-of-the-art in the field and the potential for future developments.

This publication details the isolation of proteins from biological materials, techniques for solid-liquid separation, concentration, crystallization, chromatography, scale-up, process monitoring, product formulation, and regulatory and commercial considerations in protein production. The authors discuss the release of protein from a biological host, selectivity in affinity chromatography, precipitation of proteins (both non-specific and specific), extraction for rapid protein isolation, adsorption as an initial step for the capture of proteins, scale-up and commercial production of recombinant proteins, and process monitoring in downstream processing.

Macroporous polymers are rapidly becoming the material of choice for many tissue engineering, bioseparation, and bioprocessing applications. However, while important information is scattered about in many different publications, none, to date, have drawn this information together in user-friendly format, until now. Meeting the need for an accessible, organized resource, Macroporous Polymers: Production Properties and Biotechnological/Biomedical Applications supplies a systematic presentation of the production, characterization, and application of these polymers.

The text discusses traditional methods of production, including phase separation polymerization, leaching, foaming, and double emulsion as well as emerging methods such as cryogelation. The chapters also detail the various applications of macroporous gels for the separation of biomolecules and for the cultivation of mammalian cells in bioreactors and for tissue engineering. The book underscores existing and potential problems while providing a solid background on which to base the evaluation of the scientific and commercial value of new developments.

The editors bring together different viewpoints, summarize state-of-the-art achievement, and cover applications in biotechnology, downstream processing, and biomedicine. They have collected the latest research and molded it into a cohesive reference, closing the gap between macromolecular design and production of these gels/polymers and their possible applications. With the intensity of development in this area likely to increase, the foundation provided by this book can help you meet the challenges inherent in the development of new and better materials for new and better applications.