The Handbook of Carbohydrate Engineering provides an overview of the basic science, theory, methods, and applications of this broad, interdisciplinary field. The text provides background information along with practical knowledge for current and future research methodologies used in the characterization and synthesis of various carbohydrates. This

This book provides an actual overview of the structure, function, and application of carbohydrate-modifying biocatalysts. Carbohydrates have been disregarded for a long time by the scientific community, mainly due to their complex structure. Meanwhile, the situation changed with increasing knowledge about the key role carbohydrates play in biological processes such as recognition, signal transduction, immune responses, and others. An outcome of research activities in glycoscience is the development of several new pharmaceuticals against serious diseases such as malaria, cancer, and various storage diseases. Furthermore, the employment of carbohydrate-modifying biocatalysts—enzymes as well as microorganisms—will contribute significantly to the development of environmentally friendly processes boosting a shift of the chemical industry from petroleum- to bio-based production of chemicals from renewable resources. The updated content of the second edition of this book has been extended by discussing the current state of the art of using recombinantly expressed carbohydrate-modifying biocatalysts and the synthesis of minicellulosomes in connection with consolidated bioprocessing of lignocellulosic material. Furthermore, a synthetic biology approach for using DAHP-dependent aldolases to catalyze asymmetric aldol reactions is presented.

Glycans represent a major constituency of post-translational modifications that occur on most, if not all, proteins. Whether on mammalian or invertebrate cell surfaces, they exist as sugar chain moieties designed from the exquisite and coordinated activity of cell-specific glycosylation. Some of the more common glycan structures are linked to cell surface polypeptides via an asparagine (N)-linked residue or a serine/threonine (O)-linked residue, along with a notable contingent found linked to ceramides in the lipid bilayer known as glycosphingolipids. These glycans can associate with complementary glycan-binding proteins (GBP) or lectins to mediate and translate this carbohydrate recognition to cell function. In immunity, there is increasing evidence that precise immune cell glycans are recognized by corresponding GBPs in a cell-intrinsic or -extrinsic manner. Unique carbohydrate recognition domains within GBPs are comprised of precisely spaced amino acid functional groups that allow for selective engagement of a particular glycan target. This structure-function relationship is present in immune signaling pathways, whereby glycans and GBPs on the surface of immune cells (and non-immune cells) help control processes such as immune cell activation, recognition of pathogens, suppression and tissue-specific migration. The diversity of glycan structures and glycosylation among individual immune cell subsets is controlled by the expression of genes involved in glycan biosynthesis including glycosyltransferases, glycosidases, glycan-precursor biosynthetic enzymes and nucleotide-sugar transporters. These genes represent more than 3% of the human genome, and cell-specific expression of these genes dictates a cell’s glycan repertoire, ultimately influencing its molecular interactions with GBPs. Altogether, these emerging lines of investigation highlight the regulatory capacity of glycans in immune health and disease, which in turn, pave the way for novel diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic strategies.

Undoubtedly the applications of polymers are rapidly evolving. Technology is continually changing and quickly advancing as polymers are needed to solve a variety of day-to-day challenges leading to improvements in quality of life. The Encyclopedia of Polymer Applications presents state-of-the-art research and development on the applications of polymers. This groundbreaking work provides important overviews to help stimulate further advancements in all areas of polymers. This comprehensive multi-volume reference includes articles contributed from a diverse and global team of renowned researchers. It offers a broad-based perspective on a multitude of topics in a variety of applications, as well as detailed research information, figures, tables, illustrations, and references. The encyclopedia provides introductions, classifications, properties, selection, types, technologies, shelf-life, recycling, testing and applications for each of the entries where applicable. It features critical content for both novices and experts including, engineers, scientists (polymer scientists, materials scientists, biomedical engineers, macromolecular chemists), researchers, and students, as well as interested readers in academia, industry, and research institutions.

Green chemistry is a work tool that can be applied in different areas such as medicine, materials, polymers, food, organic chemistry, etc., since it was propounded in the early 2000s. It has become a viable alternative for care, remediation and protection of the environment and has been implemented worldwide. In this book the twelve principles of green chemistry are presented in a simple way, with examples of the applications of green chemistry in numerous areas showcasing it as an ideal alternative for environmental care. It also provides information on current research being implemented at the pilot plant and industrial level. The book demonstrates the importance of the use of renewable raw materials, the use of catalysis and the implementation of alternative energy sources such as the use of microwaves and ultrasound in different separation and chemical processes.

This volume summarizes our current knowledge on different biomass-converting enzymes and their potential use in converting biomass into simple sugar to generate bioenergy and other value added co-/by products. It consists of 13 chapters and is divided into three parts: cellulases; hemicellulases; and lignocellulose oxidoreductases. Written by international experts, the contributions offer clear and concise descriptions of both standard and new technologies. It is an invaluable reference resource for undergraduates, post-graduates, researchers and practitioners in the field of microbial enzymes for biofuel and biorefinery applications.

Handbook of Biofuels looks at the many new developments in various type of bioenergy, along with the significant constraints in their production and/or applications. Beyond introducing current approaches and possible future directions of research, this title covers sources and processing of raw materials to downstream processing, constraints involved and research approaches to address and overcome these needs. Different combinations of products from the biorefinery are included, along with the material to answer questions surrounding the optimum process conditions for conversion of different feedstocks to bioenergy, the basis for choosing conversion technology, and what bioenergy products make economic sense. With chapters on the techno-economic analysis of biofuel production and concepts and step-by-step approaches in bioenergy processing, the objective of this book is to present a comprehensive and all-encompassing reference about bioenergy to students, teachers, researchers and professionals. - Reviews all existing and emerging technologies surrounding the production of advanced biofuels, including biodiesel and bioethanol - Includes biofuel applications with compatible global application case studies - Offers new pathways for converting biomass