Aleš Prokop - Böcker

Algae offer potential to produce renewable chemicals and fuels using solar energy and carbon dioxide from atmosphere or in flue gases while simultaneously reducing the generation of greenhouse gases. Since these can be grown on marginal lands with micronutrients and macronutrients often present in waste streams, algae-based chemicals and fuels do not compete with foods. Still large-scale production of algae-based fuels and chemicals faces considerable technological and economical challenges and it would by necessity require a biorefinery approach wherein all the possible algal components are converted into value-added compounds. The present series on algal biorefineries represents a forum for reporting the state of the art of different technologies as well as the latest advances in this field. The volume II of this series complements the volume I in terms of the current state of the art. Different chapters in this volume address diverse issues ranging from genetically modifies algaeto new products to life-cycle analysis of algal products.

Algae offer potential to produce renewable chemicals and fuels using solar energy and carbon dioxide from atmosphere or in flue gases while simultaneously reducing the generation of greenhouse gases.

It can be argued that drugs generated using the conventional means of drug development (i.e., relying on facile biodistribution and activity after (preferably) oral administration) are not suitable for a target-specific delivery and would not benefit from such delivery even when a seemingly perfect delivery system is available.

This book features a special subsection of Nanomedicine, an application of nanotech­nology to achieve breakthroughs in healthcare. It exploits the improved and often novel physical, chemical and biological properties of materials only existent at the nanometer scale. As a consequence of small scale, nanosystems in most cases are efficiently uptaken by cells and appear to act at the intracellular level. Nanotechnology has the potential to improve diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of diseases, and includes targeted drug delivery and regenerative medicine; it creates new tools and methods that impact sig­nificantly upon existing conservative practices. This volume is a collection of authoritative reviews. In the introductory section we define the field (intracellular delivery). Then, the fundamental routes of nanode­livery devices, cellular uptake, types of delivery devices, particularly in terms of localized cellular delivery, both for small drug molecules, macromolecular drugs and genes; at the academic and applied levels, are covered. The following section is dedicated to enhancing delivery via special targeting motifs followed by the introduction of different types of intracellular nanodelivery devices (e.g. a brief description of their chemistry) and ways of producing these different devices. Finally, we put special emphasis on particular disease states and on other biomedical applications, whilst diagnostic and sensing issues are also included.Intracellular delivery / therapy is a highlytopical which will stir great inter­est. Intracellular delivery enables much more efficient drug delivery since the impact (on different organelles and sites) is intracellular as the drug is not supplied externally within the blood stream. There is great potential for targeted delivery with improved localized delivery and efficacy.

The US is currently well ahead of the rest of the world in the development and application of SB and its principles especially as they pertain to basic medical research and development. This lead is largely due to its earlier start in the academic arena. However, there is evidence of rapid development in both the UK/EU and Japan, and the gap is narrowing, particularly in the UK. From an industrial point of view, the Pharmaceutical Industry based in the US and UK can capitalize on these opportunities and gain the benefits of this technology. Many educational institutions (particularly their medical divisions) at present are heavily business-oriented, realize that in this particular industrial environment, that every dollar counts.

Growth in the pharmaceutical market has slowed down – almost to a standstill. One reason is that governments and other payers are cutting costs in a faltering world economy. But a more fundamental problem is the failure of major companies to discover, develop and market new drugs. Major drugs losing patent protection or being withdrawn from the market are simply not being replaced by new therapies – the pharmaceutical market model is no longer functioning effectively and most pharmaceutical companies are failing to produce the innovation needed for success. This multi-authored new book looks at a vital strategy which can bring innovation to a market in need of new ideas and new products: Systems Biology (SB). Modeling is a significant task of systems biology. SB aims to develop and use efficient algorithms, data structures, visualization and communication tools to orchestrate the integration of large quantities of biological data with the goal of computer modeling. It involves the use of computer simulations of biological systems, such as the networks of metabolites comprise signal transduction pathways and gene regulatory networks to both analyze and visualize the complex connections of these cellular processes. SB involves a series of operational protocols used for performing research, namely a cycle composed of theoretical, analytic or computational modeling to propose specific testable hypotheses about a biological system, experimental validation, and then using the newly acquired quantitative description of cells or cell processes to refine the computational model or theory.

Over the past century, the majority of chemical and energy needs of our industrial society has originated from fossilized carbon sources (coal, crude oil, natural gas). Increasingly, there is a realization that utilization of the fossilized carbon sources has adverse environmental consequences in the form of increasing concentration of greenhouse gases. We are also becoming aware of the limited nature of these resources. As a result, considerable efforts are being made to produce chemicals and fuels from renewable resources such as forest products, agricultural residues and plant products. All of these systems capture solar energy and atmospheric carbon dioxide as a part of the natural carbon cycle. Serious research efforts are also underway, targeting cultivation of photosynthetic autotrophic microbes for the production of biomass and lipids. In this category, algae appears to offer the most potential for capturing solar energy and atmospheric carbon dioxide and delivering sufficient quantities of biomass/lipids that can offset the fossilized carbon utilization in a meaningful manner without impacting food output adversely. However, several advances, both technologically as well as politically, are needed before we can realize its full potential. It is also clear that a biorefinery approach must be undertaken in order to harvest renewable energy and chemicals from algae economically.This edited, multi-authored volume on Algal Biorefineries will document new advances involving algae-based technology.

Growth in the pharmaceutical market has slowed down – almost to a standstill. One reason is that governments and other payers are cutting costs in a faltering world economy. But a more fundamental problem is the failure of major companies to discover, develop and market new drugs. Major drugs losing patent protection or being withdrawn from the market are simply not being replaced by new therapies – the pharmaceutical market model is no longer functioning effectively and most pharmaceutical companies are failing to produce the innovation needed for success. This multi-authored new book looks at a vital strategy which can bring innovation to a market in need of new ideas and new products: Systems Biology (SB). Modeling is a significant task of systems biology. SB aims to develop and use efficient algorithms, data structures, visualization and communication tools to orchestrate the integration of large quantities of biological data with the goal of computer modeling. It involves the use of computer simulations of biological systems, such as the networks of metabolites comprise signal transduction pathways and gene regulatory networks to both analyze and visualize the complex connections of these cellular processes. SB involves a series of operational protocols used for performing research, namely a cycle composed of theoretical, analytic or computational modeling to propose specific testable hypotheses about a biological system, experimental validation, and then using the newly acquired quantitative description of cells or cell processes to refine the computational model or theory.

This volume is a continuation of Volume 1 following the previously published Editorial. More emphasis is given to novel nanocarrier designs, their characterization and function, and applications for drug discovery and treatment. A number of chapters will deal with nanofibers as a new major application within the biomedical field with a very high success rate particularly in wound healing and diabetic foot and spine injuries. A major new subdivision will deal with mathematical methods for the assembly of nanocarriers both for simulation and function.

Over the past century, the majority of chemical and energy needs of our industrial society has originated from fossilized carbon sources (coal, crude oil, natural gas). Increasingly, there is a realization that utilization of the fossilized carbon sources has adverse environmental consequences in the form of increasing concentration of greenhouse gases. We are also becoming aware of the limited nature of these resources. As a result, considerable efforts are being made to produce chemicals and fuels from renewable resources such as forest products, agricultural residues and plant products. All of these systems capture solar energy and atmospheric carbon dioxide as a part of the natural carbon cycle. Serious research efforts are also underway, targeting cultivation of photosynthetic autotrophic microbes for the production of biomass and lipids. In this category, algae appears to offer the most potential for capturing solar energy and atmospheric carbon dioxide and delivering sufficient quantities of biomass/lipids that can offset the fossilized carbon utilization in a meaningful manner without impacting food output adversely. However, several advances, both technologically as well as politically, are needed before we can realize its full potential. It is also clear that a biorefinery approach must be undertaken in order to harvest renewable energy and chemicals from algae economically.This edited, multi-authored volume on Algal Biorefineries will document new advances involving algae-based technology.