Promise And Challenges In Systems Microbiology

Microbiologists have become interested in applying "systems biology" to understand and harness complex biological processes in microbial communities. A systems approach, which attempts to use comparative, high-throughput assays, and mathematical or computational models, has been used to generate a picture of system-wide activity that can yield insight into processes operating within a single cell. But the concept of integrating advances in genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics and incorporating them into mathematical models can also be applied to microbial ecosystems, which typically occur in consortia of related and unrelated organisms. Research on microbial communities using a system-based approach could provide a broader perspective on controls on biological processes and how they operate in and among microorganisms. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a workshop on "Progress and Promises of Systems Microbiology" in August 2003, with the intent of providing a forum for discussion of the tools, technology, and programs that are needed to advance the study of microorganisms through a systems approach. Participants also discussed ways to encourage collaboration among scientists of different disciplines. This report summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

Current Developments in Biotechnology and Bioengineering: Synthetic Biology, Cell Engineering and Bioprocessing Technologies covers the current perspectives and outlook of synthetic biology in the agriculture, food and health sectors. This book begins with the basics about synthetic biology and cell engineering, and then explores this in more detail, focusing on topics like applications of synthetic biology, industrial bioprocesses, and future perspectives. Information on cell engineering is also presented, and manipulation in endogenous metabolic network is studied alongside advanced topics such as fine tuning of metabolic pathways, de novo biosynthetic pathway design, enzyme engineering targeted to improved kinetics and stability, and potential applications of the novel biological systems in bioprocess technology to achieve the production of value-added compounds with specific biological activities. Assists in developing a conceptual understanding of synthetic biology and cellular and metabolic engineering. Includes comprehensive information on new developments and advancements. Lists applications of synthetic biology in agriculture, food, and health

Web service technologies are redefining the way that large and small companies are doing business and exchanging information. Due to the critical need for furthering automation, engagement, and efficiency, systems and workflows are becoming increasingly more web-based. Web Services: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications is an innovative reference source that examines relevant theoretical frameworks, current practice guidelines, industry standards and standardization, and the latest empirical research findings in web services. Highlighting a range of topics such as cloud computing, quality of service, and semantic web, this multi-volume book is designed for computer engineers, IT specialists, software designers, professionals, researchers, and upper-level students interested in web services architecture, frameworks, and security.

A microfluidic biochip is an engineered fluidic device that controls the flow of analytes, thereby enabling a variety of useful applications. According to recent studies, the fields that are best set to benefit from the microfluidics technology, also known as lab-on-chip technology, include forensic identification, clinical chemistry, point-of-care (PoC) diagnostics, and drug discovery. The growth in such fields has significantly amplified the impact of microfluidics technology, whose market value is forecast to grow from $4 billion in 2017 to $13.2 billion by 2023. The rapid evolution of lab-on-chip technologies opens up opportunities for new biological or chemical science areas that can be directly facilitated by sensor-based microfluidics control. For example, the digital microfluidics-based ePlex system from GenMarkDx enables automated disease diagnosis and can bring syndromic testing near patients everywhere. However, as the applications of molecular biology grow, the adoption of microfluidics in many applications has not grown at the same pace, despite the concerted effort of microfluidic systems engineers. Recent studies suggest that state-of-the-art design techniques for microfluidics have two major drawbacks that need to be addressed appropriately: (1) current lab-on-chip systems were only optimized as auxiliary components and are only suitable for sample-limited analyses; therefore, their capabilities may not cope with the requirements of contemporary molecular biology applications; (2) the integrity of these automated lab-on-chip systems and their biochemical operations are still an open question since no protection schemes were developed against adversarial contamination or result-manipulation attacks. Optimization of Trustworthy Biomolecular Quantitative Analysis Using Cyber-Physical Microfluidic Platforms provides solutions to these challenges by introducing a new design flow based on the realistic modeling of contemporary molecular biology protocols. It also presents a microfluidic security flow that provides a high-level of confidence in the integrity of such protocols. In summary, this book creates a new research field as it bridges the technical skills gap between microfluidic systems and molecular biology protocols but it is viewed from the perspective of an electronic/systems engineer.

Melanocyte system for studying stem cell niche -- Establishment and maniupulation of monkey and human embryonic stem cell lines for biomedical research -- Human embryonic stem cell derivation -- In search of the elusive epidermal stem cell -- Corneal cells for regeneration -- Polycomb gene product Bmi-l -- Directed differentiation of neural and sensory tissues from embryonic stem cells in vitro -- Stem cell biology for vascular regeneration.

This book focuses on two key issues confronting humanity, viz., energy and environment. There is a need to devise strategies for protecting the environment, at the same time adequately meeting the ever-growing energy needs of the world. Harnessing the power of microbes is one step towards finding cheap, green and sustainable solutions to the problems of energy and environment. The book is divided into eight major topics. These topics include emerging trends in microbial biotechnology, harnessing sustainable energy sources from microorganisms, mechanistics of bioenergy production, bioenergy from wastes and pollutant removal, microalgae for biofuels, bioremediation technologies for petroleum hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and xenobiotics, bioremediation of nuclear wastes, and the role of extremophilic microorganisms in environmental cleanup.

This volume contains cutting-edge reviews by world-leading experts on the systems biology of microorganisms. As well as covering theoretical approaches and mathematical modelling this book includes case studies on single microbial species of bacteria and archaea, and explores the systems analysis of microbial phenomena such as chemotaxis and phagocytosis. Topics covered include mathematical models for systems biology, systems biology of Escherichia coli metabolism, bacterial chemotaxis, systems biology of infection, host-microbe interactions, phagocytosis, system-level study of metabolism in M.