Vitamins and related growth factors belong to the few chemicals with a positive appeal to most people; the name evokes health, vitality, fitness, strength . . . . each one of us indeed needs his daily intake of vitamins, which should normally be provided via a balanced and varied diet. However, current food habits or preferences, or food processing and preservation methods do not always assure a sufficient natural daily vitamin supply, even for a healthy human being; this is all the more true for stressed or sick individuals. Although modern society is seldom confronted with the notorious avitaminoses of the past, they do still occur frequently in overpopulated and poverty- and famine-struck regions in many parts of the world. Apart from their in-vivo nutritional-physiological roles as growth factors for man, animals, plants and micro-organisms, vitamin compounds are now being introduced increasingly as food/feed additives, as medical-therapeutical agents, as health-aids, and also as technical aids. Indeed, today an impressive number of processed foods, feeds, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and chemicals contain extra added vitamins or vitamin-related compounds, and single or multivitamin preparations are commonly taken or prescribed. These reflections do indicate that there is an extra need for vitamin supply, other than that provided from plant and animal food resources. Most added vitamins are indeed now prepared chemically and/or biotechnologically via fermentation/bioconversion processes. Similarly, other related growth factors, provitamins, vitamin-like com pounds, i. e.

Vitamins are a group of physiologically very important, chemically quite complex organic compounds, that are essential for humans and animals. Some vitamins and other growth factors behave as antioxidants, while some can be considered as biopigments. As their chemical synthesis is laborious, their biotechnology-based synthesis and production via microbial fermentation has gained substantial interest within the last decades. Recent progress in microbial genetics and in metabolic engineering and implementation of innovative bioprocess technology has led to a biotechnology-based industrial production of many vitamins and related compounds. Divided into three sections, this volume covers: 1. water-soluble vitamins 2. fat-soluble vitamin compounds and 3. other growth factors, biopigments, and antioxidants. They are all reviewed systematically: from natural occurrence and assays, via biosynthesis, strain development, to industrially-employed biotechnological syntheses and applications.

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.

Mycology, the study of fungi, originated as a subdiscipline of botany and was a descrip tive discipline, largely neglected as an experimental science until the early years of this century. A seminal paper by Blakeslee in 1904 provided evidence for self incompatibility, termed "heterothallism", and stimulated interest in studies related to the control of sexual reproduction in fungi by mating-type specificities. Soon to follow was the demonstration that sexually reproducing fungi exhibit Mendelian inheritance and that it was possible to conduct formal genetic analysis with fungi. The names Burgeff, Kniep and Lindegren are all associated with this early period of fungal genetics research. These studies and the discovery of penicillin by Fleming, who shared a Nobel Prize in 1945, provided further impetus for experimental research with fungi. Thus began a period of interest in mutation induction and analysis of mutants for biochemical traits. Such fundamental research, conducted largely with Neurospora crassa, led to the one gene: one enzyme hypothesis and to a second Nobel Prize for fungal research awarded to Beadle and Tatum in 1958. Fundamental research in biochemical genetics was extended to other fungi, especially to Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and by the mid-1960s fungal systems were much favored for studies in eukaryotic molecular biology and were soon able to compete with bacterial systems in the molecular arena.

Vitamins are a group of physiologically very important, chemically quite complex organic compounds, that are essential for humans and animals. Some vitamins and other growth factors behave as antioxidants, while some can be considered as biopigments. As their chemical synthesis is laborious, their biotechnology-based synthesis and production via microbial fermentation has gained substantial interest within the last decades. Recent progress in microbial genetics and in metabolic engineering and implementation of innovative bioprocess technology has led to a biotechnology-based industrial production of many vitamins and related compounds. Divided into three sections, this volume covers: 1. water-soluble vitamins 2. fat-soluble vitamin compounds and 3. other growth factors, biopigments, and antioxidants. They are all reviewed systematically: from natural occurrence and assays, via biosynthesis, strain development, to industrially-employed biotechnological syntheses and applications.

Algal Green Chemistry: Recent Progress in Biotechnology presents emerging information on green algal technology for the production of diverse chemicals, metabolites, and other products of commercial value. This book describes and emphasizes the emerging information on green algal technology, with a special emphasis on the production of diverse chemicals, metabolites, and products from algae and cyanobacteria. Topics featured in the book are exceedingly valuable for researchers and scientists in the field of algal green chemistry, with many not covered in current academic studies. It is a unique source of information for scientists, researchers, and biotechnologists who are looking for the development of new technologies in bioremediation, eco-friendly and alternative biofuels, biofertilizers, biogenic biocides, bioplastics, cosmeceuticals, sunscreens, antibiotics, anti-aging, and an array of other biotechnologically important chemicals for human life and their contiguous environment. This book is a great asset for students, researchers, and biotechnologists. Discusses high-value chemicals from algae and their industrial applications Explores the potential of algae as a renewable source of bioenergy and biofuels Considers the potential of algae as feed and super-food Presents the role of triggers and cues to algal metabolic pathways Includes developments in the use of algae as bio-filters

The last few years have seen a growing consumer awareness of nutrition and healthy eating in general. As a consequence, the food industry has become more concerned with the nutritional value of products and the maintenance of guaranteed micronutrient levels. While the food industry has the responsibility of producing foods that provide a realistic supply of nutrients, including vitamins, it is now also required to offer produce with a high degree of convenience and a long shelf life. Vitamins are relatively unstable, being affected by factors such as heat, light and other food components, but also by the processes needed to preserve the goods or to convert them into consumer products (such as pasteurization, sterilization, extrusion and irradiation). The result of these interactions may be a partial or total degradation of the vitamins. Food technology is concerned with both the maintenance of vitamin levels in foods and the restoration of the vitamin content to foods where losses have occurred. In addition, foods designed for special nutritional purposes, such as infant food and slimming goods, need to be enriched or fortified with vitamins and other micronutrients. This book reviews vitamins as ingredients of industrially manufactured food products. The technology of their production and use is covered from the food technologist's and engineer's points of view. Detailed coverage is also provided of other technical aspects such as analysis, stability and the use of vitamins as food technological aids.