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This book focuses primarily on the newly discovered theory and techniques of veterinary molecular immunology. It also covers application of modern immunological methods into the treatment and control of infectious diseases and cancer, and future research trends. In terms of new immunological theories, this book focuses on recently-discovered innate lymphocytes (ILCs), signal transduction triggered by engagement of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) with pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), and signal communication between nerve and immune systems, antimicrobial peptides, immunoregulation and checkpoint, development and maturation of T and B lymphocytes, regulatory T cells, immune tolerance, and immunosuppression and evasion. In terms of new techniques and application, the book covers the categories and designs of preventive and therapeutic vaccines and the principle of developing vaccination program, occurrence, development and immune evasion of cancer cells, and the novel techniques for cancer therapy. In addition, comparison of avian and porcine cytokines with human and mouse ones is also provided in the appendices to illustrate the differences in cytokines between species. This book is valuable for the undergraduates, graduate students or professional researchers with requirement for advanced studies in veterinary immunology. It meets their requirements for improving and expanding knowledge of immunology.

This edited book is a comprehensive compilation of applications of plant molecular farming in various fields including agriculture, industry and medicine, using different plant/crop systems as bioreactors for the bulk production of products of interest. The book places special emphasis on plant molecular farming being utilized for the bulk production of biologics, industrial enzymes, vaccines, drugs and recombinant pharmaceutical proteins.Plant molecular farming (PMF) is an upcoming promising interdisciplinary subject, and therefore the book contains contributions from experts across the disciplines. The utilization of plant viral vectors to produce biologics, virus-like particles and antimicrobial peptides via PMF have been highlighted. Molecular farming for the bulk production of recombinant pharmaceutical proteins and various types of human and veterinary vaccines in different crops/plants and genetically modified seeds has been included. The process of scaling up to manufacturing capacity, product formation by bioprocessing of plant cell suspension culture, and bioreactor engineering have been incorporated. Lastly, the book provides special coverage on utilizing PMF made products to control neglected tropical diseases and plant-made antigens as immunotherapies for allergic and autoimmune diseases.The book has chapters from leading experts on the subject, making it equally beneficial for researchers, policy planners, industrialists, medical professionals, entrepreneurs, and students of various related disciplines.

The second edition of this book provides a completely updated account of the structure, dynamics, and physics of viral particles: from the moment they emerge by self-assembly from viral components produced in the infected cell, through their extracellular stage, until they recognize and infect a new host cell and cease to exist as they lose their physical integrity to initiate a new infectious cycle. New insights into the structure of viruses, their physical properties, and mechanisms of action, derived from results obtained in the last decade, have been included, as well as other (bio)physical techniques to study the structure or dynamics of virus particles and components. These include, among many others, new advances in high-resolution electron cryomicroscopy; novel approaches in the use of electron cryotomography or the application of soft X-ray tomography to study viruses in the infected cell; high-speed atomic force microscopy to study virus assembly and dynamics; and the development of new antiviral drugs and vaccines. as well as of many nanomedical and nanotechnological applications of virus particles. New chapters on the study of viruses inside infected cells and on technological applications of modified viral particles have been included in this second edition. The book is still aimed primarily at Master's students, Ph.D. students, and postdoctoral researchers with degrees in biology, chemistry, physics or related scientific disciplines who have an interest in or are working with viruses. It provides an up-to-date overview of many important concepts, techniques, studies and applications in structural and physical virology for specialized researchers working with viruses, regardless of their field of specialization, covering the latest research together with fundamental concepts and well-established facts. In short, this book is basic enough to be used by undergraduate and Ph.D. students, but advanced and up-to-date enough for experienced scientists with an interest in structural and/or physical virology.

The Covid-19 pandemic changed the world. Indeed a real race took place worldwide between SARS-CoV-2 on the one hand and researchers on the other – especially those specializing in messenger RNA vaccines. Four years after its emergence, the pandemic is not over, but some decisive battles have been won, thanks to the great success of mRNA vaccines. The Marathon of The Messenger presents the history of these mRNA vaccines, combining a scientific background with historical and economic perspectives. It appears that an important page in the history of these new vaccines was written in Europe, thanks to the crucial work of German and French scientists; this effort began in 1993 and continues to this day. In the face of a prevailing single-mindedness, these researchers pushed through a new therapeutic concept and defined the biotechnological keys that would open the way to the production of therapeutic messenger RNA in the fight against cancer and viral infections. Written for a broad audience and accompanied by humorous cartoons, this book will appeal to anyone looking for scientific and historical answers about mRNA vaccines. Readers will discover not only the technical and scientific knowledge of how these vaccines work, but also the economic levers that were necessary to create this technology. This book has been written in collaboration with Dr. Steve Pascolo, former director of CureVac, and the RNA messenger expert Professor Chantal Pichon. It also features a preface by Dr. Pierre Meulien, former director of the European Union public-private partnership Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI).

This reference work covers general concepts of anti-viral metabolites, classifications, ethnopharmacology, chemistry, clinical and preclinical studies focusing on different medicinal plants against various types of viral infections. Various plants have been used in medicine since ancient times and are known for their strong therapeutic effects. The book will describe potential antiviral properties of medicinal plants against a diverse group of viruses, and provide an insight to the potential plants possess for broad-spectrum antiviral effects against emerging viral infections. The book aims to target a broad audience including virologists, molecular biologist, microbiologist and scientists working with natural products as well as researchers, students, healthcare experts involved in pharmaceutical and medical field.

This book reviews cell-free production systems, exploring the frontiers in cellular engineering and biotechnology. With contributions from experts in the field, the book offers a comprehensive and up-to-date account of the latest advancements and practical applications. The volume covers a diverse range of topics, beginning with an in-depth analysis of cell-free display techniques for protein evolution, shedding light on the methodologies used to engineer proteins for diverse purposes, followed by an examination of bottom-up synthetic biology employing cell-free protein synthesis. Additionally, it investigates the intricacies of the cell-free synthesis of metalloproteins, elucidating the unique properties and functionalities of these biologically important molecules.In this book, particular attention is given to the integration of cell-free production systems with droplet microfluidics, a pioneering approach that has revolutionized research activities in both academic and industrial settings. Readers will also discover the latest advancements in cell-free protein synthesis and immobilization, and find out more about the eCell technology, which combines cell-free protein synthesis with bio-sensing and remediation, revolutionizing critical areas of study in biotechnology. Together with the companion volume entitled “Cell-free Production: System Development”, both books highlight the research progresses on the basic and applied research of cell-free production systems in the last few years, and are invaluable resources for scholars, researchers, and bioengineers. This book also appeals to enthusiasts of synthetic biology.

This book covers recent advances and future trends in yeast synthetic biology, providing readers with an overview of computational and engineering tools, and giving insight on important applications. Yeasts are one of the most attractive microbial cell factories for the production of a wide range of valuable products, including pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, agrochemicals and biofuels. Synthetic biology tools have been developed to improve the metabolic engineering of yeasts in a faster and more reliable manner. Today, these tools are used to make synthetic pathways and rewiring metabolism even more efficient, producing products at high titer, rate, and yield. Split into two parts, the book opens with an introduction to rational metabolic pathway prediction and design using computational tools and their applications for yeast systems and synthetic biology. Then, it focuses on the construction and assembly of standardized biobricks for synthetic pathway engineering in yeasts, yeast cell engineering and whole cell yeast-based biosensors. The second part covers applications of synthetic biology to produce diverse and attractive products by some well-known yeasts. Given its interdisciplinary scope, the book offers a valuable asset for students, researchers and engineers working in biotechnology, applied microbiology, metabolic engineering and synthetic biology.

In this book, a summary and update of the most important areas of CPP research are presented, whilst raising relevant questions for further development. The CPP sequences are presented and discussed throughout the book. The methods for testing CPP mechanisms are discussed in detail. Various approaches for the testing of endocytotic pathways of CPP uptake are also described. Different CPP uptake experiments are compared since it is becoming clear that it is often best to apply several methods in a complementary manner in order to most comprehensively evaluate CPP uptake mechanisms due to the complexity of these processes. A brief summary of functionality issues of CPPs, both in vitro and in vivo are discussed. Therapeutic potential of CPPs and commercial developments are discussed. The monograph is written for researchers and students in the field.

In this book, a summary and update of the most important areas of cell-penetrating peptides (CPP) research are presented, while raising relevant questions for further development. The CPP sequences are presented and discussed throughout the book. The methods for testing CPP mechanisms are discussed in detail. Various approaches for the testing of endocytotic pathways of CPP uptake are also described. Different CPP uptake experiments are compared since it is becoming clear that it is often best to apply several methods in a complementary manner in order to most comprehensively evaluate CPP uptake mechanisms due to the complexity of these processes. A brief summary of functionality issues of CPPs, both in vitro and in vivo, is discussed. Therapeutic potential of CPPs and commercial developments are discussed. The present, second edition of this book is the updated and expanded version of the first edition, published in 2019. The development of the field of cell-penetrating peptides in these five years has been obvious and exciting. This second edition of the book has been partly reorganized and comprehensively expanded with the exciting research in 2019-2023. Around 2500 novel scientific articles have become available, most of them are reviewed in the second edition. Additional rapidly growing areas of high impact presented in this second edition are therapeutic developments (Chapter 16) and delivery of oligonucleotides and proteins/peptides (Chapters 5 and 6) including novel reports on genome editing with CPP assistance. Also, several additional examples are available now on clinical trials using CPPs (Chapter 15). The book is written for researchers and students in the field.

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and infects approximately 75 million individuals worldwide. It is also one of the major causes of liver cancer and liver transplants. The elucidation of the HCV genome, and the development of a whole cell system to study the virus spurred the search for novel direct acting antiviral drugs to cure this disease. This global effort culminated in the development of direct acting antiviral drugs that led to cure rates approaching 100% in all patient populations after only 8-12 weeks of therapy. These efforts resulted in one of the greatest achievements in public health and provides the potential for eliminating HCV as a major disease worldwide.This volume is aimed at a broad audience of academic and industrial scientists interested in the discovery and development of drugs to treat viral diseases and those interested in reading about one of the most unique accomplishments in biomedical research. The volume will provide a one of a kind reference work that highlights the many efforts, from the discovery of the HCV virus, to the invention of breakthrough medicines and their use in the real world to cure patients. It is the companion book to the volume'HCV: The Journey from Discovery to a Cure - Volume II'.

This book covers the current states of microbial and related technologies that have been developed for the efficient production of chemicals, fuels and materials by integrating strain and enzyme development, fermentation processes, and downstream processes. The book also covers how microbes and microbial products can be employed to facilitate petroleum recovery. Global consequences of bio-based production of chemicals, fuels and materials are also discussed with insights.

This book focuses on host–pathogen interactions at the metabolic level. It explores the metabolic requirements of the infectious agents, the microbial metabolic pathways that are dedicated to circumvent host immune mechanisms as well as the molecular mechanisms by which pathogens hijack host cell metabolism for their own benefit. Finally, it provides insights on the possible clinical and immunotherapeutic applications, as well as on the available experimental and analytical methods. The contributions break new ground in understanding the metabolic crosstalk between host and pathogen.

Proteomics, like other post-genomics tools, has been growing at a rapid pace and has important applications in numerous fields of science. While its use in animal and veterinary sciences is still limited, there have been considerable advances in this field in recent years, in areas as diverse as physiology, nutrition and food of animal origin processing. This is mainly as a consequence of a wider availability and better understanding of proteomics methodologies by animal and veterinary researchers. This book provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art account of the status of farm-animal proteomics research, focusing on the principles behind proteomics methodologies and its specific applications and offering clear example.

This second edition integrates the more technical and mathematical aspects of bioinformatics with concrete examples of their application to current research problems in molecular, cellular and evolutionary biology. This broad, unified approach is made possible, in large part, by the very wide scope of Dr. Xia's own research experience. The integration of genomics, proteomics and transcriptomics into a single volume makes this book required reading for anyone entering the new and emerging fields of Systems Biology and Evolutionary Bioinformatics.

The “omics” era has given a new perspective to the findings on the origin and evolution of the process of translation. This book provides insight into the evolution of the translation process and machinery from a modern perspective. Written by leading experts in molecular biology, this text looks into the origins and evolution of the protein synthetic machinery.

This book provides a useful text for research students and scientists on the latest knowledge about the immune system of fish, cutting edge technologies and the step required to develop, test and commercialise fish vaccines. It brings together information that is currently difficult to obtain in one book, and highlights problem areas and research topics that still need to be addressed to improve future vaccines.

This book presents advanced expression technologies for the production of protein complexes. Since complexes lie at the heart of modern biology, the expression, purification, and characterization of large amounts of high-quality protein complexes is crucial for the fields of biomedicine, biotechnology, and structural biology. From co-expression in E. coli, yeast, mammalian and insect cells to complex reconstitution from individual subunits, this book offers useful insights and guidance for successful protein expressionists. Across several sections readers will discover existing opportunities for the production of protein complexes in bacterial systems (including membrane proteins and cell-free co-expression), methylotrophic and non-methylotrophic yeasts, protozoa (Leishmania terantolae and Dictyostelium discoideum), baculovirus-infected insect cells, mammalian cells, plants and algae. Complex reconstitution from individually purified subunits or subcomplexes is discussed as a complementary strategy. A last section introduces briefly some of the biophysical and structural characterization techniques for macromolecular complexes using state-of-the-art solution scattering and nuclear magnetic resonance. This work is a guided tour over some of the most powerful and successful protein expression technologies, with a focus on co-expression and high-throughput applications. It is addressed to everyone interested in the production and characterization of macromolecular complexes, from university students who want an accessible description of the major co-expression systems to researchers in biomedicine and the life sciences seeking for an up-to-date survey of available technologies.

Entomology is a super science, embracing interdisciplinary approaches in genomics, proteomics, and interdependent fields of biochemistry, physiology, molecular entomology, and biotechnology. An urgent need to manage available resources for the benefit of the planet and humankind has led to remarkable progress since publication of the fruit fly genome in 2000. “Short Views on Insect Genomics and Proteomics” presents multiple perspectives of recognized experts from around the world in genomics, bioinformatics, molecular biology, biochemistry, physiology, and immunology, emphasizing fast-moving areas of current research on insects and other arthropods. Concise, accessible, topical reviews include body lice and white fly genome projects, aphid phenotypic plasticity, insect regulatory genomics, the complex tick sialome, protein expression systems, therapeutic potential of insect antimicrobial peptides, nanoparticle insecticides, and novel uses for recombinant and synthetic spider silks.

Co-chaperones are important mediators of the outcome of chaperone assisted protein homeostasis, which is the dynamic integration of the processes of protein folding, degradation and translocation to ensure that cellular function is finely tuned in space and time. This third edition of the book The Networking of Chaperones by Co-chaperones describes how the function of the major molecular chaperones is regulated by co-chaperones, a diverse cohort of non-client proteins. Since the second edition was released, not only has knowledge deepened on how co-chaperones act as nodes to network and functionalise chaperones, but an understanding of their broader biological function has started to emerge. The third edition provides new and updated chapters highlighting recent developments and emerging themes on co-chaperones, such as their extracellular functions, their role in human disease and their status as putative drug targets. The book is a useful resource for both newcomers and established researchers in the field of cell stress and chaperones, as well as those interested in cross-cutting disciplines such as cellular networks and systems biology.

Artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone originally extracted from the medicinal plant Artemisia annua L., is an effective antimalarial agent, particularly for multi-drug resistant and cerebral malaria. However, the concentration of artemisinin in the plant is very low. Because the chemical synthesis of artemisinin is complicated and not economically feasible in view of the poor yield of the drug, the intact plant remains the only viable source of artemisinin production. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the concentration of artemisinin in A. annua to reduce the cost of artemisinin based antimalarial drugs. Plant scientists have focused their efforts on A. annua for a higher artemisinin crop yield. With the present volume, we are bringing together the research which is being done on this plant throughout the world and future possibilities for scientists and researchers who want to work on it.

This book, for the first time, comprehensively assembles and analyzes a large body of information on the role of the fundamental mechanism of the protein biosynthesis pathway, translation, in cancer biology. It systematically explores the function of the translation machinery and its regulation, including cell signaling, in the development, maintenance and progression of human cancer. The work presented here unveils the tremendous potential and applications of this vast and exciting branch of genetic, biochemical and molecular science in cancer medicine and drug development.Chapters contributed by experts in the field take the reader on a journey that starts with a dissection of the translation machinery and its regulation in norm and cancer. Later chapters characterize etiological and pathogenetic roles that translation plays in specific cancer types. Various aspects of diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic significance of the translation machinery and its control in cancer are discussed. Readers will discover the importance of the process of translation and its regulatory mechanisms in physiology and cancer biology.The chapters and the numerous illustrations included here were contributed by expert scientists and clinicians from renowned academic and clinical establishments in Canada, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Germany and Australia.The book conveys information and knowledge that may interest a broad range of students and scholars ranging from basic scientists to clinicians and drug developers seeking to better understand the protein synthesis and its aberrations in cancer biology and cancer medicine.

MALDI-ToF Mass Spectrometry for Studying Noncovalent Complexes of Biomolecules, by Stefanie Mädler, Elisabetta Boeri Erba, Renato Zenobi Application of MALDI-TOF-Mass Spectrometry to Proteome Analysis Using Stain-Free Gel Electrophoresis, by Iuliana Susnea, Bogdan Bernevic, Michael Wicke, Li Ma, Shuying Liu, Karl Schellander, Michael Przybylski MALDI Mass Spectrometry for Nucleic Acid Analysis, by Xiang Gao, Boon-Huan Tan, Richard J. Sugrue, Kai Tang Determination of Peptide and Protein Disulfide Linkages by MALDI Mass Spectrometry, by Hongmei Yang, Ning Liu, Shuying Liu MALDI In-Source Decay, from Sequencing to Imaging, by Delphine Debois, Nicolas Smargiasso, Kevin Demeure, Daiki Asakawa, Tyler A. Zimmerman, Loïc Quinton, Edwin De Pauw Advances of MALDI-TOF MS in the Analysis of Traditional Chinese Medicines, by Minghua Lu, Zongwei Cai Chemical and Biochemical Applications of MALDI TOF-MS Based on Analyzing the Small Organic Compounds, by Haoyang Wang, Zhixiong Zhao, Yinlong Guo Bioinformatic Analysis of Data Generated from MALDI Mass Spectrometry for Biomarker Discovery, by Zengyou He, Robert Z. Qi, Weichuan Yu

Springer Handbook of Enzymes provides data on enzymes sufficiently well characterized. It offers concise and complete descriptions of some 5,000 enzymes and their application areas. Data sheets are arranged in their EC-Number sequence and the volumes themselves are arranged according to enzyme classes. This new, second edition reflects considerable progress in enzymology: many enzymes are newly classified or reclassified. Each entry is correlated with references and one or more source organisms. New datafields are created: application and engineering (for the properties of enzymes where the sequence has been changed). The total amount of material contained in the Handbook has more than doubled so that the complete second edition consists of 39 volumes as well as a Synonym Index. In addition, starting in 2009, all newly classified enzymes are treated in Supplement Volumes. Springer Handbook of Enzymes is an ideal source of information for researchers in biochemistry, biotechnology, organic and analytical chemistry, and food sciences, as well as for medicinal applications.

This book provides a premier resource on understanding the ribosome's essential nature and how it interacts with other proteins and nucleic acids to control protein synthesis. As one of the central foundations in our understanding of the biology at the molecular level, this topic appeals to a wide audience, from bench researcher to clinician. With the advent of atomic scale structures, methods to visualize and separate individual molecules, and the computational power to model the complex interactions of over a million atoms at once, our understanding of how gene expression is controlled at the level of protein translation is now deeply ensconced in the biophysical realm.

This volume presents the response of the eukaryotic translational apparatus to cellular stress and apoptosis, including kinases activated through both the ERK and stress-activated pathways. It further explores two agents that inhibit protein synthesis, calcium and the immunosuppressant rapamycin. Six chapters written by leading experts in the field provide both new data and comprehensive literature reviews. Both the regulation of initiation and elongation are discussed, and the mechanisms of apoptosis are related to changes in the protein synthesis machinery.

RNA binding proteins are an exciting area of research in gene regulation. A multitude of RNA-protein interactions are used to regulate gene expression including pre-mRNA splicing, polyadenylation, editing, transport, cytoplasmic targeting, translation and mRNA turnover. In addition to these post-transcriptional processes, RNA-protein interactions play a key role in transcription as illustrated by the life cycle of retroviruses. Unlike DNA, the structure of RNA is highly variable and conformationally flexible, thus creating a number of unique binding sites and the potential for complex regulation by RNA binding proteins. Although there is a wide range of topics included in this volume, general themes have been repeated, highlighting the overall integrative nature of RNA binding proteins. The chapters have been separated into three different sections: Translational Control; mRNA Metabolism; and Hormonal and Homeostatic Regulation. The chapters of this volume were written with the seasoned investigator and student in mind. Summaries of key concepts are reviewed within each chapter as well as guiding questions that can be used to stimulate class discussions. The Editors of this volume hope that this compendium educates, enthralls, and stimulates the readers to look to the future possibilities in this rapidly evolving field.

Animal cell technology is a discipline of growing importance, which aims not merely at understanding structure, function and behaviour of differentiated animal cells, but especially at the development of their abilities useful for clinical application. Topics of interest in this regard include: viral vaccines, pharmaceutical proteins and novel applications such as gene therapy and organ culture. Undoubtedly, these Proceedings of the joint Meeting of the European Society for Animal Cell Technology and the Japanese Association for Animal Cell Technology (Veldhoven, The Netherlands, September 1994) review the most recent status of the field, and will be most valuable to anyone actively involved in the culture of animal cells and its applications. The contributions to this volume were strictly selected on the basis of quality and novelty of contents. Kluwer is honoured to be able to add this work to its strongly developing publication programme in cell and tissue culture, which now has its connections to all major Societies in this field worldwide. Audience: Cell biologists, biochemists, molecular biologists, immunologists, virologists and all other disciplines related to animal cell technology, working in an academic environment, as well as in (biotechnology or pharmaceutical) industry.

RNA Motifs and Regulatory Elements is the new edition of the successful book,'Regulatory RNA'. It alerts the reader to the importance of regulatory RNA elements for the many different areas of cellular life.The computational and experimental methods and tools to search for new interesting regulatory RNA structures are explained and compared. The knowledge on regulatory RNA structures and elements already available is concisely summarized as well as catalogued. In addition, interesting RNA elements are analyzed in detail regarding their dynamics, regulation, and as a dominant topic of current resarch in molecular biology, including areas such as RNA mediated regulation of gene-expression, DNA/RNA chip data, and ribozymes, splicing, or telomerases in aging. Medical implications are also covered. Future progress and research are finally outlined.

The latest edition in this continuing series includes the newest advances in the rapidly evolving field of animal cell culture, genetic manipulations for heterologous gene expression, cell line enhancements, improved bioreactor designs and separations, gene therapy manufacturing, tissue engineering, anti-apoptosis strategies and cell cycle research. The contents include new research articles as well as critical reviews on emerging topics such as viral and viral-like agent contamination of animal cell culture components. These papers were carefully selected from contributions by leading academic and industrial experts in the biotechnology community at the recent Cell Culture Engineering VI Meeting in San Diego, USA, 1998. However, the book is not merely a proceedings. Audience: Biochemical engineers, cell biologists, biochemists, molecular biologists, immunologists and other disciplines related to cell culture engineering, working in the academic environment and the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry.

Chronic hepatitis C is a major worldwide health problem affecting more than 170 million people. Chronic infections lead to cirrhosis and liver failure or hepatocellular cancer in many instances. This volume includes comprehensive reviews that cover much of the vast literature that has appeared since the identification of the hepatitis C virus RNA genome. It will be an invaluable collection for anyone wanting an up-to-date picture of HCV transmission, molecular virology, immune response, cellular/molecular pathogenesis, and possible avenues for developing effective new therapeutics and vaccines.

Ribonucleases are a ubiquitous and functionally diverse group of enzymes that have a common ability to cleave RNA. Either through scission of internal phosphodiesters, or removal of nucleotides from RNA 5'or 3'ends, ribonucleases perform essential roles in gene expression and regulation, genome replication and maintenance, host defense, stress response, and viral strategies of infection. Ribonucleases have also served as highly informative models to understand virtually every aspect of biomolecular structure and function. The fifteen chapters in this volume are written by recognized researchers in the field, and provide in-depth analyses of the major ribonuclease families. Particular focus is given to the relation of ribonuclease structure and mechanism to biological function, as well as ribonuclease dysfunction in certain disease states. Other topics include the evolutionary genetics and functional diversification of ribonucleases, engineered ribonucleases as anti-cancer agents, the mechanisms of action of artificial ribonucleases, and ribonucleases as models to understand protein folding and stability. This volume should serve as an essential reference for a broad range of researchers and educators with interests in RNA metabolism, enzymology, and gene regulation.

As the industrial revolution that has been based on by higher photosynthetic efficiencies and more utilization of fossil fuels nears its end [R. A. Ker biomass production per unit area. (2007) Even oil optimists expect energy demand to According to Times Magazine (April 30, 2007 outstrip supply. Science 317: 437], the next indus- issue), one fifth of the US corn crop is presently trial revolution will most likely need development converted into ethanol, which is considered to burn of alternate sources of clean energy. In addition cleaner than gasoline and to produce less gre- to the development of hydroelectric power, these house gases. In order to meet a target of 35 billion efforts will probably include the conversion of gallons of ethanol produced by the year 2017, the wind, sea wave motion and solar energy [Solar Day entire US corn crop would need to be turned into in the Sun (2007) Business week, October 15, pp fuel. But crops such as corn and sugarcane cannot 69–76] into electrical energy. The most promising yield enough to produce all the needed fuel. F- of those will probably be based on the full usage thermore, even if all available starch is converted of solar energy. The latter is likely to be plenti- into fuel, it would only produce about 10% of ful for the next 2–3 billion years. Most probably, our gasoline needs [R. F.

The silencing of gene expression by small interfering RNAs has been recognized for only a relatively short time, but this has transformed our understanding of both transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene regulatory mechanisms. Multiple pathways culminate in formation of an RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) containing a member of the Argonaute protein family bound to a 22-nt RNA strand that interacts with a target mRNA or gene through Watson-Crick base pairing. One consequence is mRNA-specific inhibition of protein synthesis. Evidence has been presented for diverse mechanisms, but there is not universal agreement in the field of how RISCs affect the translational machinery. The chapters collected in this volume represent contribution by leaders in the search to understand how miRNAs affect translation. They include chapters representing work in plants and Caenorhabditis elegans, the biological systems that originally led to the discovery of small interfering RNAs, but also include chapters on mammalian systems, with special emphasis on regulation of a key tumor suppressor and a protein that restricts human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1).

The 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to the discoverers of RNA interference, Andrew Fire and Craig Mello. This prize, which follows “RNA” Nobels for splicing and RNA catalysis, highlights just one class of recently discovered non-protein coding RNAs. Remarkably, non-coding RNAs are thought to outnumber protein coding genes in mammals by perhaps as much as four-fold. In fact, it appears that the complexity of an organism correlates with the fraction of its genome devoted to non-protein coding RNAs. Essential biological processes as diverse as cell differentiation, suppression of infecting viruses and parasitic tra- posons, higher-level organization of eukaryotic chromosomes, and gene expression are found to be largely directed by non-protein coding RNAs. Currently, bioinformatic, high-throughput sequencing, and biochemical approaches are identifying an increasing number of these RNAs. Unfortunately, our ability to characterize the molecular details of these RNAs is significantly lacking. The biophysical study of these RNAs is an emergent field that is unraveling the molecular underpinnings of how RNA fulfills its multitude of roles in sustaining cellular life. The resulting understanding of the physical and chemical processes at the molecular level is critical to our ability to harness RNA for use in biotechnology and human therapy, a prospect that has recently spawned a multi-billion dollar industry.

Currently, there is no single source that permits comparison of the factors, elements, enzymes and/or mechanisms employed by different classes of viruses for genome replication. As a result, we (and our students) often restrict our focus to our particular system, missing out on the opportunity to define unifying themes in viral genome replication or benefit from the advances in other systems. For example, extraordinary biological and experimental paradigms that have been established over the past five years for the DNA replication systems of bacteriophage T4 and T7 will likely be of great value to anyone interested in studying a replisome from any virus. These studies could easily go unnoticed by animal RNA and DNA virologists. It is our hope that this monograph will cross-fertilize and invigorate the field, as well as encourage students into this area of research.

Springer Handbook of Enzymes provides data on enzymes sufficiently well characterized. It offers concise and complete descriptions of some 5,000 enzymes and their application areas. Data sheets are arranged in their EC-Number sequence and the volumes themselves are arranged according to enzyme classes. This new, second edition reflects considerable progress in enzymology: many enzymes are newly classified or reclassified. Each entry is correlated with references and one or more source organisms. New datafields are created: application and engineering (for the properties of enzymes where the sequence has been changed). The total amount of material contained in the Handbook has more than doubled so that the complete second edition consists of 39 volumes as well as a Synonym Index. In addition, starting in 2009, all newly classified enzymes are treated in Supplement Volumes. Springer Handbook of Enzymes is an ideal source of information for researchers in biochemistry, biotechnology, organic and analytical chemistry, and food sciences, as well as for medicinal applications.

The 18th ESACT meeting was celebrated in Granada (Spain) in May 2003, and was entitled'Animal Cell Technology Meets Genomics', in order to reflect that the emerging technologies in the area of genomics, proteomics and other'-omics'-type disciplines will provide key technological assets to increase knowledge and open new horizons in animal cell technology. During the meeting a variety of top-class emerging technologies were presented together with the lastest advances in more mature industrial areas. The meeting was opened by a first session devoted to the understanding of basic cellular mechanisms, and four sessions focused on applied aspects of animal cell technology: Cell-based therapies and gene-based therapies, target discovery and biopharmaceuticals. The Granada Meeting has also seen a special focus on forefront industrial case studies. The spirit and scientific excellence of the 18th ESACT meeting is now reflected in different chapters of the book. The book presents, in form of short papers, a high number of the contributions to the meeting, and has been prepared with the aim to provide a relevant reference of the current research efforts in Animal Cell Technology.

Modern Biotechnology has potential for solving many problems associated with animal productivity and health and offers exciting opportunities for enhancing agricultural productivity. At present the focus is, however, on the issues and problems of significance for livestock producers in the developed world. In order to fully realize the benefits of this technology in developing countries, there is a need to identify, characterize and apply appropriate gene-based technologies for these regions. These proceedings present peer reviewed state-of-the-art papers describing the achievements in the areas of animal breeding and genetics, animal nutrition, animal health, and environment, ethics, safety, and regulatory aspects of gene-based technologies; achievements which could be realized using these modern scientific tools to maximise the benefits from the'livestock revolution'that is taking place; and the constraints in the use of gene-based technologies and their specific research needs. This book will help in bridging the wide gap between developed and developing countries, in the development and use of gene-based technologies, and to elucidate the current and future roles of such technologies in the developing world. It is a good reference source for researchers, students and policy-makers alike.

Springer Handbook of Enzymes provides data on enzymes sufficiently well characterized. It offers concise and complete descriptions of some 5,000 enzymes and their application areas. Data sheets are arranged in their EC-Number sequence and the volumes themselves are arranged according to enzyme classes. This new, second edition reflects considerable progress in enzymology: many enzymes are newly classified or reclassified. Each entry is correlated with references and one or more source organisms. New datafields are created: application and engineering (for the properties of enzymes where the sequence has been changed). The total amount of material contained in the Handbook has more than doubled so that the complete second edition consists of 39 volumes as well as a Synonym Index. In addition, starting in 2009, all newly classified enzymes are treated in Supplement Volumes. Springer Handbook of Enzymes is an ideal source of information for researchers in biochemistry, biotechnology, organic and analytical chemistry, and food sciences, as well as for medicinal applications.