Synthetic membranes have been frequently used for many fields, such as, the food and beverage, biopharmaceutical, and biofuel industries. In the beer industry, microfiltration frequently suffers from fouling due to the interaction between different species. It is shown that polyphenols can form cross-links with protein molecules, forming insoluble aggregates. However, by adding an optimal amount of polysaccharides these aggregates can be disrupted thus reducing fouling by the aggregates. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) is a powerful technique to locate the foulants inside the wet membrane in order to understand more about the behavior of fouling in microfiltration. Membrane surface modification is used to impart desirable membrane surface properties. Here membrane surface modification is used to develop membrane adsorbers for protein purification. Hydrophobic interaction membrane chromatography (HIMC) has gained interest due to its excellent performance in purification humanized monoclonal antibodies. HIMC affords all the advantages of membrane adsorbers, which is dynamic capacities that are independent of flow rate, higher throughput and easy to scale up. Unique inverse colloidal crystal (ICC) membranes were developed with highly periodic structures, high porosity, and fully interconnected pores. ICC membranes offer a very high binding capacity for IgG4. On the other hand, salt responsive membranes were developed by grafting responsive ligand, poly vinylcaprolactam (PVCL), from the surface of the membrane by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The nanostructure can vary its conformation and hydrophobicity when the temperature changes. After modification, membrane is able to provide a very high recovery and yield. Membrane modification is also well applied for biofuel industry. Duel nanostructures, poly styrene sulfonic acid (PSSA) and poly ionic liquid (PIL) were grafted separately and neighborly from the surface of ceramic membrane substrate by control ATRP and UV initiated radical polymerization. Modified membrane substrates were challenged with cellulose and corn-stovers biomass hydrolysis in pure ionic liquid (IL) and mixture of IL and co-solvent. High yield in total reducing sugar (TRS), 95% and 60% for cellulose and corn-stovers biomass respectively, indicates strong activity of polymeric solid acid catalysts.

Surface Engineering of Polymer Membranes covers the processes that modify membrane surfaces to improve their in-service performance, meaning, to confer surface properties which are different from the bulk properties. Purposes may be to minimize fouling, modulate hydrophilicity/ hydrophobicity, enhance biocompatibility, create diffusion barriers, provide functionalities, mimic biomembranes, fabricate nanostructures, etc. First, the basics of surface engineering of polymer membranes are covered. Then topics such as surface modification by graft polymerization and macromolecule immobilization, biomimetic surfaces, enzyme immobilization, molecular recognition, and nanostructured surfaces are discussed. This book provides a unique synthesis of the knowledge of the role of surface chemistry and physics in membrane science. Dr. Zhikang Xu of the Institute of Polymer Science of Zhejiang University has eight Chinese patents and in 2006 was honored as a Distinguished Young Scholar by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NNSFC).

Micro- and Nanoengineering of the Cell Surface explores the direct engineering of cell surfaces, enabling materials scientists and chemists to manipulate or augment cell functions and phenotypes. The book is accessible for readers across industry, academia, and in clinical settings in multiple disciplines, including materials science, engineering, chemistry, biology, and medicine. Written by leaders in the field, it covers numerous cell surface engineering methods along with their current and potential applications in cell therapy, tissue engineering, biosensing, and diagnosis. The interface of chemistry, materials science, and biology presents many opportunities for developing innovative tools to diagnose and treat various diseases. However, cell surface engineering using chemistry and materials science approaches is a new and diverse field. This book provides a full coverage of the subject, introducing the fundamentals of cell membrane biology before exploring the key application areas. Demystifies the direct engineering of cell surfaces, enabling materials scientists and chemists to manipulate or augment cell functions and phenotypes Provides a toolkit of micro- and nanoengineering approaches to the manipulation of the cell surface Unlocks the potential of cell surface manipulation for a range of new applications in the fields of in vitro research, cell therapy, tissue engineering, biosensing, and diagnostics

A summary of the recent achievements in surface-functionalised cells including fabrication, characterisation, applications and nanotoxicity.

This book provides a detailed and up-to-date overview of all aspects of yeast cell surface engineering, including fundamental principles, practical strategies for the construction of engineered yeasts, as well as medical and industrial applications. The technique makes it possible to add eukaryotic modifications to the surface-displayed proteins/peptides, which is of significant value in basic and applied research. Generally referred to as an arming (molecular display) technology, it allows yeast to be used as a whole-cell biocatalyst for a range of purposes, including bio-energy production, pollutant removal, recovery of rare metal ions, and preparation of functional cells, all of which are comprehensively covered in the book. Among the medical applications discussed are in vitro antibody preparation and the production of oral vaccines. In addition, it presents the latest advances in protein engineering and high-throughput screening for directed evolution of enzymes. The book enables graduate students and researchers to gain a deeper, comprehensive understanding of the technology, and offers further inspiration for researchers and industrial experts in this rapidly evolving field.

Cell surface engineering is an emerging field concerning cell surface modifications to enhance its functionalities. The book introduces the reader to the area of surface-functionalized cells and summarizes recent developments in the area including fabrication, characterization, applications and nanotoxicity. Topics covered include recent approaches for the functionalization of cells with nanomaterials (polymer nanofilms and nanoparticles), fabrication of functional biomimetic devices and assemblies based on nanoparticle-modified microbial cells and artificial spores (the bioinspired encapsulation of living cells with inorganic nanoshells). The book provides an interdisciplinary approach to the topic with authors from both biological and chemical backgrounds. This multidisciplinary view makes the book suitable for those interested in biomaterials, biochemistry, microbiology and colloid chemistry, providing both an introduction for postgraduate students as well as a comprehensive summary for those already working in the area. biomaterials, biochemistry, microbiology and colloid chemistry.

The chapters in this book are based upon lectures given at the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Synthetic Membranes (June 26-July 8, 1983, Alcabideche, Portugal), which provided an integrated presentation of syn thetic membrane science and technology in three broad areas. Currently available membrane formation mechanisms are reviewed, as well as the manner in which synthesis conditions can be controlled to achieve desired membrane structures. Membrane performance in a specific separa tionprocess involves complex phenomena, the understanding of which re quires a multidisciplinary approach encompassing polymer chemistry, phys ical chemistry, and chemical engineering. Progress toward a global understanding of membrane phenomena is described in chapters on the principles of membrane transport. The chapters on membrane processes and applications highlight both established and emerging membrane processes, and elucidate their myriad applications. It is our hope that this book will be an enduring, comprehensive compen dium of the state of knowledge in the field of synthetic membranes. We have been encouraged in that hope by numerous expressions of interest in the book, coming from a variety of potential users.