Recent Advances In Biotechnology

The biotechnology as we know today is the perfect amalgam of 'Biology' and its applications by utilising advances in different fields such as engineering, physics, chemistry, and mathematics/information technology. Recent advances and developments in areas such as nanotechnology, molecular biology and OMICS, synthetic-biology, and genetic engineering tools further pave the way to achieve different selective criteria and development of 'tailor-made' microbe-metabolites that can be effectively applied for different applications. The presence of biotechnology has reached beyond academics research in microorganisms, plants and animals to different 'day-to-day' applications in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, green-nanotechnology, petroleum industry and environmental applications, to list a few. It is worth mentioning the impact of substantial academic and industrial research and developments in last decade on several attributes of different branches of biotechnology, especially in nanotechnology for health and enzyme research, environmental applications, applications of extremophiles, proteomics, uses of toxins, and many more remarkable fields. In the current book, researchers highlighted such emerging technological advances and their applications. The current book was compiled with the help of leading biotechnologists from the Middle East and India, with the objective of providing recent developments in global status and opportunities of biotechnology. This book will prove to be a useful and timely contribution to both academic and industrial researchers from diverse biological background all over the world.

In last decades rapid scientific and engineering developments have been occuring within the context of Biotechnology. If the World Economy is to benefit fully from the advances in biosciences and biochemical engineering, it must be able to focus new knowledge on commercially appropriate targets. Modern Biotechnology is a mixture of far reaching innovation superimposed on an industrial background and it represents a means of production with bright prospects, challenging problems and stimulating competition. This NATO Advanced Study Institute on "RECENT ADVANCES IN INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY" held between September 16-27, 1991 in Ku§Etdasl was the first ASI on Biotechnology :Ln Turkey. !t was aiming to provide an updated overview of the fundamental principles, novel application areas and impact of Biotechnology on international economy. Recent developments in the field of Biotechnology have been thoroughly discussed, concentrating on various interdisciplinary aspects. The illain lectures presented at the Institute covered both scientific and commercial aspects of new developments in biotechnology and discussed the possible ways of meeting the challenges of the industry. The main lectures were supplemented by Oral 2nd Poster Presentations. Thus, this volume is comprised of three sections. Part I contains the i~vited lectures and Part II oral presentations. Exte~ded abstracts of poster presentations have been included in Part III to provide a more comprehensive coverage of the ASI.

Plant biotechnology applies to three major areas of plants and their uses: (1) control of plant growth and development; (2) protection of plants against biotic and abiotic stresses; and (3) expansion of ways by which specialty foods, biochemicals, and pharmaceuticals are produced. The topic of recent advances in plant biotechnology is ripe for consideration because of the rapid developments in this ?eld that have revolutionized our concepts of sustainable food production, cost-effective alt- native energy strategies, environmental bioremediation, and production of pla- derived medicines through plant cell biotechnology. Many of the more traditional approaches to plant biotechnology are woefully out of date and even obsolete. Fresh approaches are therefore required. To this end, we have brought together a group of contributors who address the most recent advances in plant biotechnology and what they mean for human progress, and hopefully, a more sustainable future. Achievements today in plant biotechnology have already surpassed all previous expectations. These are based on promising accomplishments in the last several decades and the fact that plant biotechnology has emerged as an exciting area of research by creating unprecedented opportunities for the manipulation of biological systems. In connection with its recent advances, plant biotechnology now allows for the transfer of a greater variety of genetic information in a more precise, controlled manner. The potential for improving plant productivity and its proper use in agric- ture relies largely on newly developed DNA biotechnology and molecular markers.

The book “Advances in Biotechnology” is about recent advances in some of the important fields that are ongoing in certain biotechnological applications. Biotechnology has been quite helpful in keeping pace with the demands of every increasing human population and in improving the quality of human life. Major biotechnological achievements associated with human welfare have been from the fields like genetic engineering; transgenic plants and animals; genomics, proteomics, monoclonal antibodies for the diagnosis of disease, gene therapy etc. Fourteen authoritative chapters written by experts having experience in academics and research on current developments and future trends in biotechnology have been empathized. The book provides a detailed account of various methodologies used in biotechnology i.e. High capacity vectors, DNA sequencing dealing with next generation sequencing, Molecular markers, DNA microarray technology, as well as Proteomics that have revolutionized biotechnology with a wide array of applications. The book not only presents a well-founded explanation of the topics but also aims to present up-to-date reviews of current research efforts, some thoughtful discussions on the potential benefits and risks involved in producing biotechnological products and the challenges of bringing such products to market. It will prove to be an excellent reference work for both academicians and researchers, indicating new starting points to young researchers for new projects in the field. The book is intended for biotechnologist, biologist, researchers, teachers and students of Biosciences and Biotechnology.

This book is divided into five sections. The first section deals with the methodology and bioresource generation, techniques related to genetic engineering, and gene transfer to the nuclear genome and chloroplast genome. The new techniques of genome profiling and gene silencing are also presented. The second section of the book covers the classical aspect of plant biotechnology viz. tissue culture and micropropagation. Use of genetic engineering via Agrobacterium and direct transfer of DNA through particle bombardment to develop transformed plants in Artemisia, castor and orchids, and production of recombinant proteins in plant cells have been dealt with in the third section. The fourth section addresses the abiotic and biotic stress tolerance in plants. The basic biology of some of the stress responses, and designing plants for stress tolerance is discussed in this section. The fifth section examines medicinal plants and alkaloid production.

Advances in Biotechnology for Food Industry, Volume Fourteen in the Handbook of Food Bioengineering series, provides recent insight into how biotechnology impacts the global food industry and describes how food needs are diverse, requiring the development of innovative biotechnological processes to ensure efficient food production worldwide. Many approaches were developed over the last 10 years to allow faster, easier production of widely used foods, food components and therapeutic food ingredients. This volume shows how biotechnological processes increase production and quality of food products, including the development of anti-biofilm materials to decrease microbial colonization in bioreactors and food processing facilities. Presents basic to advanced technological applications in food biotechnology Includes various scientific techniques used to produce specific desired traits in plants, animals and microorganisms Provides scientific advances in food processing and their impact on the environment, human health and food safety Discusses the development of controlled co-cultivations for reproducible results in fermentation processes in food biotechnology

This book presents an overview of the latest advances and developments in plant biotechnology. The respective chapters explore emerging areas of plant biotechnology such as RNAi technology, fermentation technology, genetic engineering, nanoparticles and their applications, climate resilient crops, bio-films, bio-plastic, bio-remediation, flavonoids, antioxidants etc. All chapters were written by respected experts and address the latest developments in plant biotechnology that are of industrial importance, especially with regard to crop yields and post-harvest strategies. As such, the book offers a valuable guide for students, educators and researchers in all disciplines of the life sciences, agricultural sciences, medicine, and biotechnology at universities, research institutions and biotechnology companies.