Gels in Life Sciences discusses in detail the use of gels in food, and its significance in research and medicine. Gels as supramolecular hydrocolloids are discussed in detail, followed by their use in fish industry. A chapter is dedicated to micromechanics in a fibrin gel, and subsequent chapters throw light on the different types of gel and getting a detailed understanding of Gel Electrophoresis Separation. The book also presents an enlightening perspective on staining of gels.

This book challenges the current wisdom of how cells work. It emphasizes the role of cell water and the gel-like nature of the cell, building on these features to explore the mechanisms of communication, transport, contraction, division, and other essential cell functions. Written for the non-expert, the book is profound enough for biologists, chemists, physicists and engineers.--From publisher description.

As applied life science progresses, becoming fully integrated into the biological, chemical, and engineering sciences, there is a growing need for expanding life sciences research techniques. Anticipating the demands of various life science disciplines, Laboratory Protocols in Applied Life Sciences explores this development. This book covers a wide spectrum of areas in the interdisciplinary fields of life sciences, pharmacy, medical and paramedical sciences, and biotechnology. It examines the principles, concepts, and every aspect of applicable techniques in these areas. Covering elementary concepts to advanced research techniques, the text analyzes data through experimentation and explains the theory behind each exercise. It presents each experiment with an introduction to the topic, concise objectives, and a list of necessary materials and reagents, and introduces step-by-step, readily feasible laboratory protocols. Focusing on the chemical characteristics of enzymes, metabolic processes, product and raw materials, and on the basic mechanisms and analytical techniques involved in life science technological transformations, this text provides information on the biological characteristics of living cells of different origin and the development of new life forms by genetic engineering techniques. It also examines product development using biological systems, including pharmaceutical, food, and beverage industries. Laboratory Protocols in Applied Life Sciences presents a nonmathematical account of the underlying principles of a variety of experimental techniques in disciplines, including: Biotechnology Analytical biochemistry Clinical biochemistry Biophysics Molecular biology Genetic engineering Bioprocess technology Industrial processes Animal Plant Microbial biology Computational biology Biosensors Each chapter is self-contained and written in a style that helps students progress from basic to advanced techniques, and eventually design and execute their own experiments in a given field of biology.

Sol-Gel Science: The Physics and Chemistry of Sol-Gel Processing presents the physical and chemical principles of the sol-gel process. The book emphasizes the science behind sol-gel processing with a chapter devoted to applications. The first chapter introduces basic terminology, provides a brief historical sketch, and identifies some excellent texts for background reading. Chapters 2 and 3 discuss the mechanisms of hydrolysis and condensation for nonsilicate and silicate systems. Chapter 4 deals with stabilization and gelation of sols. Chapter 5 reviews theories of gelation and examines the predicted and observed changes in the properties of a sol in the vicinity of the gel point. Chapter 6 describes the changes in structure and properties that occur during aging of a gel in its pore liquor (or some other liquid). The discussion of drying is divided into two parts, with the theory concentrated in Chapter 7 and the phenomenology in Chapter 8. The structure of dried gels is explored in Chapter 9. Chapter 10 shows the possibility of using the gel as a substrate for chemical reactions or of modifying the bulk composition of the resulting ceramic by performing a surface reaction (such as nitridation) on the gel. Chapter 11 reviews the theory and practice of sintering, describing the mechanisms that govern densification of amorphous and crystalline materials, and showing the advantages of avoiding crystallization before sintering is complete. The properties of gel-derived and conventional ceramics are discussed in Chapter 12. The preparation of films is such an important aspect of sol-gel technology that the fundamentals of film formation are treated at length in Chapter 13. Films and other applications are briefly reviewed in Chapter 14. Materials scientists and researchers in the field of sol-gel processing will find the book invaluable.

Colloidal systems occur everywhere—in soils, seawater, foodstuff, pharmaceuticals, paints, blood, biological cells, and microorganisms. Colloids and Interfaces in Life Sciences and Bionanotechnology, Second Edition, gives a concise treatment of physicochemical principles determining interrelated colloidal and interfacial phenomena. New in the Second Edition: New topics, including phase separations in polymer systems, electrokinetics of charged permeable surface coatings, and polymer brush coatings to control adsorption and adhesion of particles Emphasis on inter-particle interactions and surface phenomena in (bio)nanotechnology Full solutions to over 100 updated and additional exercises are presented in the Appendix Focusing on physicochemical concepts that form the basis of understanding colloidal and interfacial phenomena—rather than on experimental methods and techniques—this book is an excellent primer for students and scientists interested in colloidal and interfacial phenomena, their mutual relations and connections, and the fascinating role they play in natural and man-made systems.

Gels are used in a large variety of commercial and scientific products from drug delivery systems and food science to biomedical sensors. They also are invaluable in MRI physics research where they mimic biological tissue and in radiotherapy quality assurance where they are used to capture the three dimensional radiation dose distribution. This unique book discusses the state-of-the-art of NMR and MRI techniques in studying the physics and chemistry of gel systems, in their application as MRI phantoms and as three dimensional radiation dosimeters. The first part of the book will cover the fundamental physical concepts of gels and the NMR techniques to study gel systems. The second part is dedicated to the application of gels in the life sciences and in the medical practice to validate radiotherapy and new MRI techniques. Filling the gap in literature, this volume provides the scientific reader with an extensive overview of possible techniques and methods to study the interesting properties and applications of gels. For the MRI researcher and medical physicist, the book will be a valuable resource in using gel phantoms for validating contemporary MRI techniques and radiotherapy treatments.

Hydrogels are made from a three-dimensional network of cross linked hydrophilic polymers or colloidal particles that contain a large fraction of water. In recent years, hydrogels have attracted significant attention for a variety of applications in biology and medicine. This has resulted in significant advances in the design and engineering of hydrogels to meet the needs of these applications. This handbook explores significant development of hydrogels from characterization and applications. Volume 1 covers state-of-art knowledge and techniques of fundamental aspects of hydrogel physics and chemistry with an eye on bioengineering applications. Volume 2 explores the use of hydrogels in the interdisciplinary field of tissue engineering. Lastly volume 3 focuses on two important aspects of hydrogels, that is, drug delivery and biosensing. Contains 50 colour pages.