Worldwide energy and food crises are spotlighting the importance of bio-based products - an area many are calling on for solutions to these shortages. Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology encapsulates the cutting-edge advances in the field with contributions from more than 50 international experts comprising sectors of academia, industry, an

This new volume, Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology: Fundamentals, Advances, and Practices for a Greener Future, looks at the application of a variety of technologies, both fundamental and advanced, that are being used for crop improvement, metabolic engineering, and the development of transgenic plants. The science of agriculture is among the oldest and most intensely studied by mankind. Human intervention has led to manipulation of plant gene structure for the use of plants for the production of bioenergy, food, textiles, among other industrial uses. A sound knowledge of enzymology as well as the various biosynthetic pathways is required to further utilize microbes as sources to provide the desired products for industrial utility. This volume provides an overview of all these aspects along with an updated review of the major plant biotechnology procedures and techniques, their impact on novel agricultural development, and crop plant improvement. Also discussed are the use of "white biotechnology" and "metabolic engineering" as prerequisites for a sustainable development. The importance of patenting of plant products, world food safety, and the role of several imminent organizations is also discussed. The volume provides an holistic view that makes it a valuable source of information for researchers of agriculture and biotechnology as well as agricultural engineers, environmental biologists, environmental engineers, and environmentalists. Short exercises at the end of the chapters help to make the book suitable for course work in agriculture biotechnology, genetics, biology, biotechnology, and plant science.

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.

This reference book originates from the interdisciplinary research cooperation between academia and industry. In three distinct parts, latest results from basic research on stable enzymes are explained and brought into context with possible industrial applications. Downstream processing technology as well as biocatalytic and biotechnological production processes from global players display the enormous potential of biocatalysts. Application of "extreme" reaction conditions (i.e. unconventional, such as high temperature, pressure, and pH value) - biocatalysts are normally used within a well defined process window - leads to novel synthetic effects. Both novel enzyme systems and the synthetic routes in which they can be applied are made accessible to the reader. In addition, the complementary innovative process technology under unconventional conditions is highlighted by latest examples from biotech industry.

Environmental and Agricultural Microbiology Uniquely reveals the state-of-the-art microbial research/advances in the environment and agriculture fields Environmental and Agricultural Microbiology: Applications for Sustainability is divided into two parts which embody chapters on sustenance and life cycles of microorganisms in various environmental conditions, their dispersal, interactions with other inhabited communities, metabolite production, and reclamation. Though books pertaining to soil & agricultural microbiology/environmental biotechnology are available, there is a dearth of comprehensive literature on the behavior of microorganisms in the environmental and agricultural realm. Part 1 includes bioremediation of agrochemicals by microalgae, detoxification of chromium and other heavy metals by microbial biofilm, microbial biopolymer technology including polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) and polyhydroxybutyrates (PHB), their production, degradability behaviors, and applications. Biosurfactants production and their commercial importance are also systematically represented in this part. Part 2 having 9 chapters, facilitates imperative ideas on approaches for sustainable agriculture through functional soil microbes, next-generation crop improvement strategies via rhizosphere microbiome, production and implementation of liquid biofertilizers, mitigation of methane from livestock, chitinases from microbes, extremozymes, an enzyme from extremophilic microorganism and their relevance in current biotechnology, lithobiontic communities, and their environmental importance, have all been comprehensively elaborated. In the era of sustainable energy production, biofuel and other bioenergy products play a key role, and their production from microbial sources are frontiers for researchers. The final chapter unveils the importance of microbes and their consortia for management of solid waste in amalgamation with biotechnology Audience The book will be read by environmental microbiologists, biotechnologists, chemical and agricultural engineers.

Green Biocatalysis presents an exciting green technology that uses mild and safe processes with high regioselectivity and enantioselectivity. Bioprocesses are carried out under ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure in aqueous conditions that do not require any protection and deprotection steps to shorten the synthetic process, offering waste prevention and using renewable resources. Drawing on the knowledge of over 70 internationally renowned experts in the field of biotechnology, Green Biocatalysis discusses a variety of case studies with emphases on process R&D and scale-up of enzymatic processes to catalyze different types of reactions. Random and directed evolution under process conditions to generate novel highly stable and active enzymes is described at length. This book features: A comprehensive review of green bioprocesses and application of enzymes in preparation of key compounds for pharmaceutical, fine chemical, agrochemical, cosmetic, flavor, and fragrance industries using diverse enzymatic reactions Discussion of the development of efficient and stable novel biocatalysts under process conditions by random and directed evolution and their applications for the development of environmentally friendly, efficient, economical, and sustainable green processes to get desired products in high yields and enantiopurity The most recent technological advances in enzymatic and microbial transformations and cuttingedge topics such as directed evolution by gene shuffling and enzyme engineering to improve biocatalysts With over 3000 references and 800 figures, tables, equations, and drawings, Green Biocatalysis is an excellent resource for biochemists, organic chemists, medicinal chemists, chemical engineers, microbiologists, pharmaceutical chemists, and undergraduate and graduate students in the aforementioned disciplines.

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.

In the past half century, filamentous fungi have grown in commercial importance not only in the food industry but also as sources of pharmaceutical agents for the treatment of infectious and metabolic diseases and of specialty proteins and enzymes used to process foods, fortify detergents, and perform biotransformations. The commercial impact of molds is also measured on a negative scale since some of these organisms are significant as pathogens of crop plants, agents of food spoilage, and sources of toxic and carcinogenic compounds. Recent advances in the molecular genetics of filamentous fungi are finding increased application in the pharmaceutical, agricultural, and enzyme industries, and this trend promises to continue as the genomics of fungi is explored and new techniques to speed genetic manipulation become available. This volume focuses on the filamentous fungi and highlights the advances of the past decade, both in methodology and in the understanding of genomic organization and regulation of gene and pathway expression.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the benefits of biofertilizers as an alternative to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Agricultural production has increased massively over the last century due to increased use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, but these gains have come at a price. The chemicals are not only expensive; they also reduce microbial activity in agricultural soils and accumulate in the food chain, with potentially harmful effects for humans. Accordingly, it is high time to explore alternatives and to find solutions to overcome our increasing dependence on these chemicals. Biofertilizers, which consist of plant remains, organic matter and microorganisms, might offer an alternative. They are natural, organic, biodegradable, eco-friendly and cost-effective. Further, the microbes present in the biofertilizers are important, because they produce nutrients required for plant growth (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium), as well as substances essential for plant growth and development (e.g., auxins and cytokinins). Biofertilizers also improve the physical properties, fertility and productivity of soil, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers while maintaining high crop yield. This makes biofertilizers a powerful tool for sustainable agriculture and a sustainable environment. The book covers the latest research on biofertilizers, ranging from beneficial fungal, bacterial and algal inoculants; to microbes for bioremediation, wastewater treatment; and recycling of biodegradable municipal, agricultural and industrial waste; as well as biocontrol agents and bio-pesticides. As such, it offers a valuable resource for researchers, academics and students in the broad fields of microbiology and agriculture.

This concise professional reference provides a fundamental framework for the design and operation of solid-state fermentation bioreactors, enabling researchers currently working at laboratory scale to scale up their processes. The authors survey bioreactor types in common use, and describe in depth how to plan a project, and model heat transfer phenomena. The book includes case studies, and a review of practical issues involved in bioreactor performance.