The exponential increase in computing power in the late twentieth century has allowed researchers to gather, process and analyze large volumes of information and construct rational paradigms of systems. Life sciences are no exception and computing advances have led to the birth of fields such as functional genomics and bioinformatics and facilitated an expansion of our understanding of biological systems. Biological Systems: Complexity and Artificial Life is an essential primer on systems biology for biologists and researchers having a multidisciplinary background. The volume covers a variety of theoretical models explaining biological processes. The book starts with an introductory chapter on the classical molecular biology paradigm and progresses towards concepts related to enzyme kinetics, non equilibrium dynamics, cellular thermodynamics, molecular motion in cells and more. The book concludes with a philosophical note on the concept of the biological system.

Bioluminescence, the cold living light or the cold fire of the sea is extremely common in all oceans at all depths. However, this phenomenon is nearly absent in freshwater, with the exception of a freshwater limpet. More than 75% of deep-sea creatures have been reported to produce their own light. The luminescent marine plankton such as dinoflagellate, radiolarians, jellyfish, comb jellies, annelids, copepods, ostracods, mysids, amphipods, euphausiids, and tunicates form an important component in the marine food chain. Research on luminescent marine plankton is gaining momentum owing to its importance in life science research and medicine. The glowing Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) extracted from the North Pacific jellyfish, Aqueorea victoria (for which the Japanese biologist, Osamu Shimonmura won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2008) has helped shed light on key processes such as the spread of cancer, the development of brain cells, the growth of bacteria, damage to cells by Alzheimer's disease, and the development of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Therefore, it is difficult to underscore the importance of bioluminescence and the organisms associated with this phenomenon. Bioluminescent Marine Plankton is a unique reference that attempts to provide answers to questions about bioluminescence. The first of its kind, this book attempts to answer questions on the subject with a focus on planktonic organisms. 12 chapters provide information about the chemistry of bioluminescence, types of bioluminescent displays, distribution of bioluminescence among marine plankton, ecological functions and utility of planktonic bioluminescence. Chapters are dedicated to the biology and ecology of specific groups of plankton that span about 200 luminescent marine species. The detailed book is an essential compendium on marine plankton for a broad range of readers who want to learn about bioluminescent plankton. A list of detailed references is also provided for the benefit of teachers, students, researchers and enthusiasts interested in marine biology, aquaculture, and environmental sciences.

The biophysics of diving and decompression in the human body are complex. The average individual experiences atmospheric pressure swings of 3% at sea level and over 20% at altitudes greater than a mile. Divers and their equipment can experience compressions and decompressions in orders of greater magnitude than pressures outside water, all within considerably shorter time spans. The understanding of the mechanics behind diving is based on absolute pressure and pressure changes. While these mechanics are readily quantified in physics, chemistry, and engineering applications, the physiological and medical aspects of pressure changes in living systems need to be understood clearly to assess the safety of routine divers. This monograph is a compilation of a body of knowledge on biophysics, gas transport, bubble studies and physiological models used for diving and hyperbaric applications. Information in the monograph is divided into three parts that cover biophysics and models, data correlation and validation approaches and practical applications, respectively. The book is a useful resource for researchers and maritime professionals who wish to understand the biophysics behind underwater diving and decompression for the purpose of maritime operations as well as diving simulation applications.

Waste management is one of the major challenges for environmental and public health organizations for maintaining safety standards in any area. Population growth and urbanization increase the difficulty in maintaining a sustainable waste management system. Bioremediation refers to the use of living organisms in processes designed to remove toxic chemicals present in waste material. Bioremediation represents a sustainable way to remove a range of environmental pollutants. Bioremediation: Challenges and Advancements covers the subject of bioremediation in eight chapters that focus on a broad range of waste sources, their adverse impacts on the ecosystem, and the advanced strategies for their remediation. Each chapter also highlights the problems encountered in bioremediation processes. Key features: - Comprehensive coverage of bioremediation in 8 reader-friendly chapters - Highlights methods and challenges of bioremediation in one volume. - Introduces the reader to bioremediation - Explains recent biotechnological methods for removing heavy metals and xenobiotic compounds - Describes strategies including physical, chemical, and biological methods to mitigate radioactive waste from contaminated sites and water bodies - Details the use of microbial-aided remediation techniques for the management of biomedical and electronic wastes, and its impact on the ecosystem - Describes bioremediation technologies for decontamination of solid waste pollutants - Showcases the application of Omics approaches such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics to improve bioremediation processes. - Covers bioremediation of agro-wastes - Includes detailed references This book is an informative reference for scholars (researchers, undergraduate and graduate students of environmental sciences, microbiology and biotechnology) professionals (environmental engineers) and researchers, giving each a good understanding of the significance of bioremediation in solid waste management and the restoration of contaminated sites.

Increasing public health concern about healthy lifestyles has sparked a greater demand among consumers for healthy foods. Natural ingredients and environmental friendly food production and processing chains are more aligned to meeting the demand for healthy food. There is a wide array of food additives and chemicals that have nutritional value. The biotechnological food production processes, therefore, vary for different types of food chemicals and ingredients accordingly. Biotechnological Production of Natural Ingredients for Food Industry explains the main aspects of the production of food ingredients from biotechnological sources. The book features 12 chapters which cover the processes for producing and adding a broad variety of food additives and natural products, such as sweeteners, amino acids, nucleotides, organic acids, vitamins, nutraceuticals, aromatic (pleasant smelling) compounds, colorants, edible oils, hydrocolloids, antimicrobial compounds, biosurfactants and food enzymes. Biotechnological Production of Natural Ingredients for Food Industry is a definitive reference for students, scientists, researchers and professionals seeking to understand the biotechnology of food additives and functional food products, particularly those involved in courses or activities in the fields of food science and technology, food chemistry, food biotechnology, food engineering, bioprocess engineering, biotechnology, applied microbiology and nutrition.

Modern techniques have been developed to overcome problems associated with the extraction of natural products from plants. These techniques include production of secondary metabolites by biotechnological methods such as plant tissue culture and microbial biotransformation of natural substances. Such methods have led to an increased yield of secondary metabolite amount, the discovery of new biochemical derivatives and agricultural development. For instance, use of these techniques in agricultural area have led to some beneficial traits such as formation of new varieties of known plant species, better crop quality, higher yield, better nutritive properties, more resistant species to insects and pests. Microbial biotransformation is beneficial in plant secondary metabolite production and derivatization (chemical modification of any compound made by a microorganism) and is chiefly applicable to several varieties of terpenes and steroids. This E-book demonstrates recent developments in this field. It will be of particular interest to the professionals in pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries, as well as natural product chemists, medicinal chemists, plant biochemists, and molecular biologists.

Brassinosteroids: Practical Applications in Agriculture and Human Health provides a comprehensive overview on the practical applications of brassinosteroids (BRs) in plant biology (including stress tolerance, growth and development) and human health (anticancer, antiviral and anti-inflammatory activity). The book assures readers a high-quality review of practical applications with a selection of contributions from an international panel of expert researchers. The book suggests new opportunities for professionals to effectively increase the supply of quality food and other plant-derived products, and to improve human health. This book is a reference guide for the performance and interpretation of applications of brassinosteroids to agronomists, chemists, physicians and plant physiologists.

Organotins are widespread contaminants especially of water environments. Their chemically versatile structure makes organotin compounds able to bind to a variety of biomolecules thus widely affecting biological functions. Trisubstituted molecules, namely tributyltin (TBT) and triphenyltin (TPhT), have been widely employed in antifouling paints and are also exploited as plastic stabilizers that unfortunately cause harmful biological effects. Persistent bioaccumulation has resulted in organotins becoming a significant environmental threat. Chapter by chapter, the biological and biochemical effects of organotins are unravelled in this e-book by a careful analysis of the most recent findings with special focus on contaminant action mechanisms at cellular and molecular level. The e-book provides an intriguing insight into the molecular mechanisms involved in organotin toxicology thus serving as a useful reference to biochemists, biologists, ecotoxicologists and life science students.

This eBook presents a comprehensive review on the chemical composition of natural products derived from honeybee farming. These products include honey, pollen and propolis. Each chapter details specific products and the contents are complemented with an explanation of distinct analytical techniques for studying these products. Readers will also find a summary of current information about biological properties and applications of honey, pollen and propolis, which contribute to added value to these bee and plant-derived products. The eBook is a handy reference for students, researchers and laymen studying the biochemical aspects of apiculture.

Comparative bioacoustics is extraordinarily broad in scope. It includes the study of sound propagation, dispersion, attenuation, absorption, reverberation, and signal degradation as well as sound detection, recognition, and classification in both marine and terrestrial organisms (including humans). This research is informed by an understanding of the mechanisms underlying sound generation and aural reception, as well as the anatomy and physiology of the organs dedicated to these functions. Comparative Bioacoustics is the definitive introductory guide to the field of acoustics in animal and human biology. Key features of this volume are: -Comprehensive introduction to sound and related physical phenomena -Multidisciplinary and comparative analyses of bioacoustic phenomena -Integrated audio and video clips -Information about relevant research methods in bioacoustics Comparative Bioacoustics makes key information accessible to readers, therefore, meeting the requirements of both novice and advanced researchers preparing for a scholarly career in bioacoustics.