Novel Frontiers In The Production Of Compounds For Biomedical Use

The present book entitled “Novel Frontiers in the Production of Compounds for Biomedical Uses” can perhaps be placed in its best perspective by the Shakespearean character in The Tempest who exclaimed" What’s past is prologue”. Indeed, this compilation of some of the outstanding presentations in the field of biomedicine made at th the 9 European Congress on Biotechnology (Brussels, Belgium, July 11-15, 1999) not only reflects the achievements of the recent past, but provides a privileged glimpse of the biotechnology that is emerging in the first decade of the new Millennium. It is becoming increasingly apparent that biotechnology is offering biomedicine novel approaches and solutions to develop a sorely needed new generation of biopharmaceuticals. This is all the more necessary because in recent years, new diseases have emerged with extraordinary lethality in all corners of the globe, while age-related chronic illnesses have filled the gap wherever biomedicine has made successful inroads. The rise of antibiotic resistance also poses major threats to public health. Thus, as disease patterns evolve, the rational development of new drugs is becoming urgent, not only for the clinical outcome of patients, but also in optimising the allocation of scarce health care resources through the use of cost-effective productions methods. It is in response to all these challenges that biotechnology offers new strategies that go beyond the more traditional approaches. By the mid-1990’s, the number of recombinant products approved annually for therapeutic use reached double digits. With the advent of the genomics revolution.

This second edition of a bestselling textbook offers an instructive and comprehensive overview of our current knowledge of biocatalysis and enzyme technology. The book now contains about 40% more printed content. Three chapters are completely new, while the others have been thoroughly updated, and a section with problems and solutions as well as new case studies have been added. Following an introduction to the history of enzyme applications, the text goes on to cover in depth enzyme mechanisms and kinetics, production, recovery, characterization and design by protein engineering. The authors treat a broad range of applications of soluble and immobilized biocatalysts, including wholecell systems, the use of non-aqueous reaction systems, applications in organic synthesis, bioreactor design and reaction engineering. Methods to estimate the sustainability, important internet resources and their evaluation, and legislation concerning the use of biocatalysts are also covered.

Cell Immobilisation Biotechnology Biotechnology is divided into two volumes. The first volume is dedicated to fundamental aspects of cell immobilisation while the second volume deals with the diverse applications of this technology. The first volume, Fundamentals of Cell Immobilisation Biotechnology, comprises 26 chapters arranged into four parts: Materials for cell immobilisation/encapsulation, Methods and technologies for cell immobilisation/encapsulation, Carrier characterisation and bioreactor design, and Physiology of immobilised cells: techniques and mathematical modelling.

Chemistry and chemical engineering have changed significantly in the last decade. They have broadened their scopeâ€"into biology, nanotechnology, materials science, computation, and advanced methods of process systems engineering and controlâ€"so much that the programs in most chemistry and chemical engineering departments now barely resemble the classical notion of chemistry. Beyond the Molecular Frontier brings together research, discovery, and invention across the entire spectrum of the chemical sciencesâ€"from fundamental, molecular-level chemistry to large-scale chemical processing technology. This reflects the way the field has evolved, the synergy at universities between research and education in chemistry and chemical engineering, and the way chemists and chemical engineers work together in industry. The astonishing developments in science and engineering during the 20th century have made it possible to dream of new goals that might previously have been considered unthinkable. This book identifies the key opportunities and challenges for the chemical sciences, from basic research to societal needs and from terrorism defense to environmental protection, and it looks at the ways in which chemists and chemical engineers can work together to contribute to an improved future.

An up-to-date overview of diverse findings and accomplishments in biocatalysis and bioenergy With the high price of petroleum and researchers worldwide seeking new means of producing energy, this comprehensive book on biocatalysis for bioenergy and biofuel applications is very timely. It combines information on state-of-the-art advances and in-depth reviews of the latest achievements in biocatalysis and bioenergy, emphasizing biodiesel, bioethanol, and industrial products. The advantages of biocatalysis include high specificity, efficiency, energy conservation, and pollution reduction. Biocatalysis and Bioenergy details advances in the field, with: * Three primary sections, covering biodiesel research, bioethanol, and industrial products * Information on enzyme catalysis, biotransformation, bioconversion, fermentation, genetic engineering, and product recovery * * Contributions from leading experts worldwide who share their research and findings The prospect of using biocatalysis for the production of energy has great potential due to its cost-effectiveness, the fact that it does not require a limited resource such as oil, and its potential universality of application and use globally. This is the definitive reference for biochemists and biochemical engineers, bioprocess and bioenergy scientists, physical and oil chemists (oleochemists), microbiologists, industrial microbiologists, molecular biologists, metabolic engineers working in biocatalysis, bioethanol, and biodiesel fuels, DOE scientists working on renewable energy, and other professionals in related fields.

Has the concept of Diversity Oriented Synthesis remained unchanged over these two decades, or do we observe improvements or deviations from the original guidelines drawn by the pioneers? The aim of this Research Topic is to collect contributions on the state-of-the-art and progress of Diversity Oriented Synthesis, and to foresee its shape in the next decade.

As freshwater resources continue to decline as the population grows and development activities continue, desalination has taken on a sense of urgency. Desalination refers to any of several processes that remove excess salt and other minerals from water. Desalination may also refer to the removal of salts and minerals more generally, as in soil desalination. This book includes within its scope distillation, membranes, reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, ion exchange, freezing, water purification, and water reuse and wastewater treatment. This new volume examines new research in this frontier field.

While the world is grappling with the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, marine organisms offer a promising solution with their diverse repertoire of bioactive compounds. This thematic volume explores the untapped potential of marine organisms in the fight against microbial threats. The focus of the 17 featured chapters lies in highlighting the vast array of antimicrobial agents that can be found within marine environments. The chapters provide in-depth knowledge about the latest discoveries, advancements and future needs in antimicrobial research. Readers will learn about astonishing discoveries of natural compounds with remarkable antimicrobial properties and sources. The list of agents covered in the book includes synthetic derivatives, bioactive polysaccharides and marine viruses. The book also includes chapters that cover various stages of the antimicrobial drug development process, providing an overview of recent antimicrobial agents derived from marine organisms, preclinical studies and the identification of patented drugs sourced from the ocean. Furthermore, the book sheds light on the diverse applications of these marine-derived compounds, spanning the fields of medicine, agriculture, and industry. Professionals in the fields of microbiology, marine biology, pharmaceutical sciences, and drug development will gain valuable insights into the use of marine organisms as a source of antimicrobial agents. Audience Medicinal chemists, professional researchers and scholars in microbiology, marine biology and related fields in life sciences.