This volume explores plastid evolution, structure, and function in algae, plants and protists. The methods described in this book help scientists visualize, fractionate, purify, and study primary and secondary plastids in plant and algal materials. The chapters in this book also look at various techniques to analyze plastids through means of combining biology strategies from genetics, genomics, proteomics, and lipidomics. 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. Cutting-edge and thorough, Plastids: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource for students, engineers, and researchers who are interested in this evolving organelle and overall field.

Biological and chemical sciences have undergone an unprecedented transformation, reflected by the huge use of parallel and automated technologies in key fields such as genome sequencing, DNA chips, nanoscale functional biology or combinatorial chemistry. It is now possible to generate and store from tens of thousands to millions of new small molecules, based on enhanced chemical synthesis strategies. Automated screening of small molecules is one of the technologies that has revolutionized biology, first developed for the pharmaceutical industry and recently introduced in academic laboratories. High-throughput and high-content screening allow the identification of bioactive compounds in collections of molecules (chemical libraries), being effective on biological targets defined at various organisational scales, from proteins to cells to complete organisms. These bioactive molecules can be therapeutic drug candidates, molecules for biotech, diagnostic or agronomic applications, or tools for basic research. Handling a large number of biological (genomic and post-genomic), chemical and experimental information, screening approaches cannot be envisaged without any electronic storage and mathematical treatment of the data. "Chemogenomics and Chemical Genetics" is an introductory manual presenting methods and concepts making up the basis for this recent discipline. This book is dedicated to biologists, chemists and computer scientist beginners. It is organized in brief, illustrated chapters with practical examples. Clear definitions of biological, chemical and IT concepts are given in a glossary section to help readers who are not familiar with one of these disciplines. "Chemogenomics and Chemical Genetics" should therefore be helpful for students (from Bachelor's degree level), technological platform engineers, and researchers in biology, chemistry, bioinformatics, cheminformatics, both in biotech and academic laboratories.

Lipids in Plants and Algae: From Fundamental Science to Industrial Applications, Volume 101 provides in-depth reviews on the most important aspects of the field. Topics in this volume encompass the most recent data about the physical properties of membrane lipids, lipid biosynthesis and metabolism (including glycerolipids, fatty acids, sterols, N-acylethanolamines, prostaglandins, phytoprostane), lipid storage, acyl flux, the dynamic and transport of glycerolipids, and the conversion of fatty acids into hydrocarbons. Lipid metabolism and lipidomics in plants and algae are one of the most challenging areas in biology, not only for fundamental research but also for the sustainable production of valuable molecules for green chemistry, including biofuel and health.