The objective of this wide-ranging, multi-disciplinary book is to provide in depth knowledge and an attempt to highlight the current manipulations taking place in plant genome research. The book incorporates topics on plant genome, its diversity, conservation and manipulation, distributed in fifteen original articles written by eminent scholars. The authors have tried to amalgamate up-to-date information, is pertinent for researchers and students alike. The chapter include molecular mechanisms of DNA damage and repair, Comet assay to assess DNA damage and genotoxic stress in plants, olmecular evaluation of plant genomic biodiversity, biotechnological exploitations of cyanobacteria, metabolic engineering: a multifarious promising tool of post-genomic era, molecular map based breeding and gene mapping for valuable pharmaceutical alkaloid yields, a prospect strategy to unfold molecular mechanism of retinoblastoma (RB) gene pathway in human, Amaranthus: genomic diversity, evolution and its importance, Ploidy: a prime facilitator of speciation and evolution in plants, Biodegradation of sodium dodecyl sulphate, Microcystins, a novel class of toxins from cyanobacteria, and Banana genomics. The original articles include Wide hybridization in crop plants, Altered adaptive response of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and Production of wheat haploids by chromosome elimination technique.

Discusses the recent developments in the ever-expanding areas of Mechanical Engineering viz. Material and Composites, Advanced Manufacturing Process, Computer Aided Design and Analysis, Ergonomics, Alternative Energy Sources and Thermal Engineering are opening up new vistas of venture and exploration. The studies included in this volume brew with Micro-Electro Mechanical Systems, Aerospace Engineering, Bio-Engineering and Energy which are multidisciplinary fields that hold enormous opportunities for Mechanical Engineers. Finite Element Methods, Human Body Vibration, Soft Computing Techniques like Fuzzy Decision Theory; Artificial Neural Network etc. make this volume a good exposition of knowledge. It is hoped that this will help young researchers and academics to adopt a holistic and sustainable approach to the development of modern world of which we are an integral part.