Features Surveys of the systems approach to analysing and understanding multifaceted, complex problems in astrobiology, written by two scientists who also have engineering backgrounds. Systems applications to areas important to astrobiology, such as chemical evolution, prebiotic chemistry, geochemical/geophysical settings conducive to emergence of life, robotic space exploration, and much more. Wide appeal for all readers interested in the origin and occurrence of life in our Solar System and beyond.

This book addresses the timely subject of systems applications in astrobiology. It demonstrates how astrobiology - a multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary field of science - can benefit from adopting the systems approach. Astrobiology draws upon its founding sciences, such as astronomy, physics, chemistry, biochemistry, geology, and planetary sciences. However, astrobiologists can encounter difficulties working across these fields. The systems approach, we believe, is the best contemporary approach to consider astrobiology holistically. The approach is currently used in other fields, such as engineering, which uses systems analysis routinely. Such an approach needs to be learned, both in principle and through examples from the field. This book features chapters from experts across the field of astrobiology who have applied the systems approach. It will be a valuable guide for astrobiology students at the advanced undergraduate and graduate level, in addition to researchers in the field, both in academia and the space industry. Key Features: Offers a unique and novel approach to studying and understanding astrobiology. Encourages astrobiologists to apply a holistic systems approach to their work, rather than being bogged down in details. Imparts practical knowledge on readers which can be adopted in different research and job opportunities in the field of astrobiology. Vera M. Kolb obtained degrees in chemical engineering and organic chemistry from Belgrade University, and her PhD in organic chemistry from Southern Illinois University. At Carbondale. Following a thirty-year career, she is Professor Emerita of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. During her first sabbatical leave with the NASA Specialized Center of Research and Training (NSCORT) in Astrobiology, she has conducted research with Dr. Leslie Orgel at the Salk Institute and Prof. Stanley Miller at UC San Diego. Her second sabbatical was with Prof. Joseph Lambert at Northwestern University, where she studied sugar silicates and their potential astrobiological relevance. She over 160 publications, in the fields of organic and medicinal chemistry, green chemistry, and astrobiology, including several books. Recently, she authored "Green Organic Chemistry and its Interdisciplinary Applications" (CRC 2016). In the astrobiology field she edited "Astrobiology, An Evolutionary Approach" (CRC 2015), and "Handbook of Astrobiology"(CRC 2019). She co-authored (with Benton C. Clark) "Astrobiology for a General Reader: A Questions and Answers Approach" (CSP 2020), and "Systems Approach to Astrobiology" (CRC 2023).

Choice Recommended Title, August 2019 Read an exclusive interview with Professor Vera Kolb here. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life on Earth. This exciting and significant field of research also investigates the potential existence and search for extra-terrestrial life in the Solar System and beyond. This is the first handbook in this burgeoning and interdisciplinary field. Edited by Vera Kolb, a highly respected astrobiologist, this comprehensive resource captures the history and current state of the field. Rich in information and easy to use, it assumes basic knowledge and provides answers to questions from practitioners and specialists in the field, as well as providing key references for further study. Features: Fills an important gap in the market, providing a comprehensive overview of the field Edited by an authority in the subject, with chapters written by experts in the many diverse areas that comprise astrobiology Contains in-depth and broad coverage of an exciting field that will only grow in importance in the decades ahead

Green Organic Chemistry and Its Interdisciplinary Applications covers key developments in green chemistry and demonstrates to students that the developments were most often the result of innovative thinking. Using a set of selected experiments, all of which have been performed in the laboratory with undergraduate students, it demonstrates how to optimize and develop green experiments. The book dedicates each chapter to individual applications, such as Engineering The chemical industry The pharmaceutical industry Analytical chemistry Environmental chemistry Each chapter also poses questions at the end, with the answers included. By focusing on both the interdisciplinary applications of green chemistry and the innovative thinking that has produced new developments in the field, this book manages to present two key messages in a manner where they reinforce each other. It provides a single and concise reference for chemists, instructors, and students for learning about green organic chemistry and its great and ever-expanding number of applications.

Features Surveys of the systems approach to analysing and understanding multifaceted, complex problems in astrobiology, written by two scientists who also have engineering backgrounds. Systems applications to areas important to astrobiology, such as chemical evolution, prebiotic chemistry, geochemical/geophysical settings conducive to emergence of life, robotic space exploration, and much more. Wide appeal for all readers interested in the origin and occurrence of life in our Solar System and beyond.

Green Organic Chemistry and Its Interdisciplinary Applications covers key developments in green chemistry and demonstrates to students that the developments were most often the result of innovative thinking. Using a set of selected experiments, all of which have been performed in the laboratory with undergraduate students, it demonstrates how to optimize and develop green experiments. The book dedicates each chapter to individual applications, such as Engineering The chemical industry The pharmaceutical industry Analytical chemistry Environmental chemistry Each chapter also poses questions at the end, with the answers included. By focusing on both the interdisciplinary applications of green chemistry and the innovative thinking that has produced new developments in the field, this book manages to present two key messages in a manner where they reinforce each other. It provides a single and concise reference for chemists, instructors, and students for learning about green organic chemistry and its great and ever-expanding number of applications.

Astrobiology: An Evolutionary Approach provides a full course in astrobiology with an emphasis on abiogenesis and evolution. The book presents astrobiology both as a developing science and as the science of the future. The origins of life and the possibility of life elsewhere continues to be a subject of scientific and philosophical examination. These topics evolve with time as our understanding of life itself and the laws of chemical and biological evolution evolve. Astrobiology: An Evolutionary Approach aims both to provide a foundation in astrobiology and to describe the most challenging questions and problems in the field. The book begins with an overview of astrobiology, the origin of elements, and the formation of the solar system, planets, and exoplanets. Other topics covered include prebiotic synthesis of biochemical compounds, transition from abiotic to biotic, microorganisms in space, the roles of silicon in life, encapsulation of organic materials in protocells, cold and dry limits of life, virolution, and more. The contributors explore different aspects of astrobiology, reflecting the exciting journeys of their own research. This book will inspire students to explore the endless possibilities in astrobiology. The book includes end-of-chapter questions, a glossary of terms, and recommended references, making it ideal for use as a classroom text.

Choice Recommended Title, August 2019 Read an exclusive interview with Professor Vera Kolb here. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life on Earth. This exciting and significant field of research also investigates the potential existence and search for extra-terrestrial life in the Solar System and beyond. This is the first handbook in this burgeoning and interdisciplinary field. Edited by Vera Kolb, a highly respected astrobiologist, this comprehensive resource captures the history and current state of the field. Rich in information and easy to use, it assumes basic knowledge and provides answers to questions from practitioners and specialists in the field, as well as providing key references for further study. Features: Fills an important gap in the market, providing a comprehensive overview of the field Edited by an authority in the subject, with chapters written by experts in the many diverse areas that comprise astrobiology Contains in-depth and broad coverage of an exciting field that will only grow in importance in the decades ahead