Prasun Kumar – författare

Describes harmful elements and their bioremediation techniques for tannery waste, oil spills, wastewater, greenhouse gases, plastic and other wastes.

Microenvironmental conditions in soil provide a natural niche for ultra-structures, microbes and microenvironments. The natural biodiversity of these microenvironments is being disturbed by industrialization and the proliferation of urban centers, and synthetic contaminants found in these micro-places are causing stress and instability in the biochemical systems of microbes. The development of new metabolic pathways from intrinsic metabolic cycles facilitate microbial degradation of diverse resistant synthetic compounds present in soil. These are a vital, competent and cost-effective substitute to conventional treatments. Highly developed techniques for bioremediation of these synthetic compounds are increasing and these techniques facilitate the development of a safe environment using renewable biomaterial for removal of toxic heavy metals and xenobiotics.

Soil Microenvironment for Bioremediation and Polymer Production consists of 21 chapters by subject matter experts and is divided into four parts: Soil Microenvironment and Biotransformation Mechanisms; Synergistic Effects between Substrates and Microbes; Polyhydroxyalakanoates: Resources, Demands and Sustainability; and Cellulose-Based Biomaterials.

This timely and important book highlights

Describes harmful elements and their bioremediation techniques for tannery waste, oil spills, wastewater, greenhouse gases, plastic and other wastes.

Microenvironmental conditions in soil provide a natural niche for ultra-structures, microbes and microenvironments. The natural biodiversity of these microenvironments is being disturbed by industrialization and the proliferation of urban centers, and synthetic contaminants found in these micro-places are causing stress and instability in the biochemical systems of microbes. The development of new metabolic pathways from intrinsic metabolic cycles facilitate microbial degradation of diverse resistant synthetic compounds present in soil. These are a vital, competent and cost-effective substitute to conventional treatments. Highly developed techniques for bioremediation of these synthetic compounds are increasing and these techniques facilitate the development of a safe environment using renewable biomaterial for removal of toxic heavy metals and xenobiotics.

Soil Microenvironment for Bioremediation and Polymer Production consists of 21 chapters by subject matter experts and is divided into four parts: Soil Microenvironment and Biotransformation Mechanisms; Synergistic Effects between Substrates and Microbes; Polyhydroxyalakanoates: Resources, Demands and Sustainability; and Cellulose-Based Biomaterials.

This timely and important book highlights

This contributed volume sheds new light on waste management and the production of biofuels. The authors share insights into microbial applications to meet the challenges of environmental pollution and the ever- growing need for renewable energy. They also explain how healthy and balanced ecosystems can be created and maintained using strategies ranging from oil biodegration and detoxification of azo dyes to biofouling.

In addition, the book illustrates how the metabolic abilities of microorganisms can be used in microbial fuel-cell technologies or for the production of biohydrogen. It inspires young researchers and experienced scientists in the field of microbiology to explore the application of green biotechnology for bioremediation and the production of energy, which will be one of the central topics for future generations.

This book is the second in a two-volume set devoted to bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) and the opportunities that they may offer in providing a green solution to growing energy demands worldwide. While the first volume explains principles and processes, in this volume established research professionals shed light on how this technology can be used to generate high-value chemicals and energy using organic wastes. Bioelectricity is generated in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) under oxygen-depleted conditions, where microbial bioconversion reactions transform organic wastes into electrons. Dedicated chapters focus on MFCs and state of the art advancements as well as current limitations. In addition, the book covers the use of microbial biofilm- and algae-based bioelectrochemical systems for bioremediation and co-generation of valuable chemicals. A thorough review of the performance of this technology and its possible industrial applications is presented. The book is designed for a broad audience, including undergraduates, postgraduates, energy researchers/scientists, policymakers, and anyone else interested in the latest developments in this field.

This book is the first in a two-volume set devoted to bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) and the opportunities that they may offer in providing a green solution to growing energy demands worldwide. In this first volume, established research professionals explain the underlying principles and processes of BESs, providing a thorough introduction to these systems before proceeding to address the roles of cathode catalysts and biocatalysts, biofilms, heterotrophic denitrification, and nanotechnology approaches. This volume forms a sound foundation for understanding the potential industrial applications of this technology, which include in particular the generation of high-value chemicals and energy using organic wastes. These applications are the focus of the second volume, where readers will find up-to-date information on microbial fuel cells and the use of microbial biofilm- and algae-based bioelectrochemical systems for bioremediation and co-generation of valuable chemicals. The bookis designed for a broad audience, including undergraduates, postgraduates, energy researchers/scientists, policymakers, and anyone else interested in the latest developments in this field.

This book presents the latest knowledge on both the physiological and the microbiological aspects of wound healing. Fresh insights into the process of cutaneous wound healing are described, which involves tissue regeneration and repair processes consisting of a sequence of molecular and cellular events. The management of infected wounds is then discussed in detail, covering the roles of traditional medicine practices, novel anti-infective formulations, non-antibiotic approaches, and probiotic bacteria. A section devoted to the interdisciplinary approach to wound care addresses topics including in vitro and in vivo research models, the development of advanced wound dressings, tissue engineering, and the potential applications of bioscaffolds. The authors are all leading researchers in the field. This book is an attempt to showcase current research status and future directions  in the area of wound-healing research, which must be of interest to a large group ofreaders and researchers interested in this field.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been sought to be a potential alternative to the current arsenal of antibiotics against undesirable microbes. AMPs synthesized by lactic acid bacteria have attracted significant attention due to their strong activity against a broad range of bacteria including pathogens. The bacteriocin (an AMP) has been known to us since early 1928, a year before penicillin was reported. This is possibly due to their narrower activity compared to antibiotics. However, several AMPs having promising activity have been thoroughly characterized in the past few decades. Renewed interest has developed focusing on industrially important bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria. Some of these AMPs are also active against food spoilage and clinically important pathogens. Similar to antibiotics, large-scale intellectual screening is ongoing in the search for novel AMPs with unique properties. Recent research has revealed that AMPs may also play a role in maintaining gut microflora and keeping us protected from food-borne pathogens. The ongoing genomic studies suggest that there may be more such bioactive compounds waiting to be explored. This book provides an overview of the fundamental knowledge accumulated so far regarding the diversity and potential applications of AMPs produced by lactic acid bacteria. This updated reference book on AMPs from lactic acid bacteria is timely, covering the most important achievements in the field and providing the scientific community particularly graduate students, researchers, and clinicians with the latest updates. The goal of this book is to illustrate and detail the findings made so far, debate the state of the art, and draw new perspectives.

This book highlights microbial products and their applications in the health sector. The chapters introduce novel advancements and applications in different pharmaceutical and nutraceutical aspects of applied microbiology. Readers will obtain a detailed overview of the relevance of microbial metabolites to human health and nutrition. Besides knowing the products already developed, they will also get an idea of microbial products currently in the development pipeline and those that are likely to emerge as potential nutraceuticals. Readers will get an interesting and useful perspective on how supplementing food with microbes or their bioactive metabolites can realize the idea of ''food as medicine''. This book introduces the biological activities of various microbial fermentation products, and how they are relevant to mitigating various disease conditions (e.g. neuropathy, diabetes, gut dysbiosis, malnutrition, etc.) in humans. One of the highlights of this volume is the exploration of microbial pigments as potential substitutes for synthetic colorants, offering safer and more sustainable alternatives for the food and healthcare industries. The book has equivalent contributions from experts in academia and industry to fill the communication gap between them. Through this book, readers will gain valuable insights into the historical perspectives, contemporary impacts, and future prospects of microbial applications in health and nutrition. From food preservation to biopharmaceutical production, the potential of microbial products to revolutionize our approach to health and wellness is undeniable.

Blockchain is a new type of technology that combines and secures information exchange between different stakeholders such as medical practitioners, patients, healthcare providers, and other applicable parties. Among them, Blockchain Technology is one of the most important areas in the bioinformatics application of biomedical research and healthcare systems utilizing unique requirements and integration features. All the chapters are written by experts and researchers working in various areas of the biomedical and healthcare domain and they also dive into one of the most overlooked methodological, practical, and moral questions to secure and handle the enormous amount of data being generated from IoT-enabled biomedical and healthcare systems. In the beginning, this book presents an overview and then discusses open issues, challenges, and applicability aspect of Blockchain technology in healthcare. Then, this book presents a variety of perspectives on the most pressing questions in the field, for example: how IoT can connect billions of biomedical and healthcare information; how the blockchain-based secure access control mechanisms in biomedical and healthcare work; how to address the Quality-of-Service (QoS) and real-time accessibility requirements for healthcare applications; and how to ensure communication with efficiency. Also, it discusses Blockchain for IoT-enabled healthcare systems and presents a comparative analysis with respect to various performance evaluation metrics too.