Metabolism, Structure and Function of Plant Tetrapyrroles, Volume 90, the latest release in the Advances in Botanical Research series is a compilation of the current state-of-the-art on the topic. Chapters in this new release cover Tetrapyrrole Pigments of Photosynthetic Antennae and Reaction Centers of Higher Plants: Biochemistry, Biophysics, Functions, Molecular Mechanism of Antenna Regulation, Applications, Chlorophyll c: Synthesis, Occurrence, Light-Harvesting, Absorbance, Excitation Properties, Pigment Organization in Chlorophyll-Binding Proteins (FCP), Chlorophyll d and f: Synthesis, Occurrence, Light-harvesting, Absorbance, Excitation Properties, Pigment Organization in Chlorophyll-Binding Protein Complexes, Analysis of Chlorophyll, Precursors and Derivatives by New High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry, and much more. - Presents the latest release in the Advances in Botanical Research series - Provides an Ideal resource for post-graduates and researchers in the plant sciences, including botany, plant biochemistry, plant pathology and plant physiology - Contains contributions from internationally recognized authorities in their respective fields

Algae, including cyanobacteria, are in the spotlight today for a number of reasons; firstly it has become abundantly clear over recent years that algae have been neglected in terms of basic research and that knowledge gap is being rapidly closed with the establishment of some surprising discoveries, such as the presence of Near-Infra-Red-Absorbing cyanobacteria and a wealth of natural products; secondly molecular approaches have provided a wealth of approaches to genetically modify algae and produce value-added products; thirdly it has become clear just how important, marine phytoplankton is to global carbon capture and the production of food globally; and fourthly, it has also become clear that algae present unparalleled opportunities to generate biofuels in a sustainable and non-polluting way. This volume presents 15 chapters by world experts on their subjects, ranging from reviews of algal diversity and genetics to in-depth reviews of special algal groups such as diatoms (which account for over 30% of marine carbon capture). Other chapters chart the ways in which this carbon capture occurs or how there are a multiplicity of ways in which algae intercept sun light and deploy this energy for carbon capture. A fascinating aspect here is the way in which sun light is harvested. A special chapter is devoted to the very recent and exciting possibility that algae use coherent light energy transformation to enhance the efficiency of light capture, an aspect of quantum physics that has implications for future developments at several levels and a variety of industries. Just how and why algae use Chlorophyll a as the major light capture pigment is discussed in several chapters. However, attention is also given to those cyanobacteria, which have been found to use the special Near-Infra Red absorbing chlorophylls mentioned above. And attention is also given to those algae that employ phycobiliproteins to fill in the “green window”, i.e., the spectral region from 400 – 650 nm, which is not efficiently covered by chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments. Photoinhibition and photoprotection is the subject area of several chapters and one which it is essential to understand a we work towards greater efficiency of algal photosynthesis. A final chapter is devoted to understanding the molecular basis for coral bleaching, a much-neglected area that is essential in trying to come up with solutions to this very worrying phenomenon, caused by global warming and ocean acidification. This is a book for research scientists, environmentalists, planners in a range of areas including those of marine resources, nutrient control and pollution of water bodies and that growing body of concerned citizens interested in controlling carbon emissions and global warming. Special attention has been given to generating a set of articles that will be read by university students, informed laymen and all those whose wish to understand the rapid changes that have come about in our knowledge of algae over the past decade.

New possibilities have been brought about by the stunning number of genomic sequences becoming available for photosynthetic organisms. This new world of whole genome sequence data spans the phyla from photosynthetic microbes to algae to higher plants. These whole genome projects are intrinsically interesting, but also inform the variety of other molecular sequence databases including the recent 'meta-genomic' sequencing efforts that analyze entire communities of organisms. As impressive as they are, are obviously only the beginning of the effort to decipher the biological meaning encoded within them. This book aims to highlight progress in this direction. This book aims toward a genome-level understanding of the structure, function, and evolution of photosynthetic systems and the advantages accrued from the availability of phyletically diverse sets of gene sequences for the major components of the photosynthetic apparatus. While not meant to be fully comprehensive in terms of the topics covered, it does provide detailed views of specific cases and thereby illustrates important new directions that are being taken in this fast-moving field—a field that involves the integration of bioinformatics, molecular biology, physiology, and ecology.

The Pigments from Microalgae Handbook presents the current state of knowledge on pigment production using microalgae-based processes, and covers both the scientific fundamentals of this technology and its practical applications. It addresses biology, chemistry, biochemistry, analysis and engineering aspects, as well as applications of natural pigments in photosynthetic organisms. The book also describes the analytical procedures associated with the characterization of pigments and the engineering aspects of microalgal pigment production. It considers the three major classes of pigments(chlorophylls, carotenoids and phycobiliproteins) produced and surveys the main commercial applications of these chemicals. The book offers a valuable source of information for industrial researchers and practitioners in industrial biotechnology, as it covers various engineering aspects of microalgal pigment production, such as bioreactors and bioprocesses, industrial extraction processes, and the bioeconomy of production including life-cycle assessment. The book will also be of interest to undergraduate and graduate students of biochemistry, food chemistry, and industrial microbiology.

This publication is unique among a number of books on cyanobacteria because it focuses on the bioenergetics of these widespread organisms which are the evolutionary prerequisite for the development of all higher forms of life on our "blue" planet. The book primarily addresses questions of energy conversion by the fundamental bioenergetic processes: (oxygenic) photosynthesis, (aerobic) respiration, and (anaerobic) fermentation which uniquely occur together in these prokaryotic cells. Thermophilic cyanobacteria offer the most suitable material for high resolution structure analyses of Photosystem I and II and other electron transport complexes by X-ray crystallography (for example, at present the structure of Photosystem II at atomic resolution is only known for these organisms). These achievements during the last decade represent a milestone in our understanding of the complexes which are crucial for solar energy exploitation through photosynthetic water splitting. The present work represents an ambitious attempt to achieve the goal of a synoptic state-of-the-art picture by casting together the mosaics of detailed knowledge described by leading experts in the field. It contains 24 chapters written by 35 authors from Europe, USA, India and Japan. The book is aimed at reaching a broad audience ranging from students to experienced scientists. The editors wish all readers a pleasant and stimulating journey through the fascinating “world” of the bioenergetics of cyanobacteria and sincerely hope that this book will not only be of great value for the experts but also entice young people into this exciting research area with the aim to address successfully the challenging problems of high relevance that are still waiting for a satisfactory answer.

This book summarizes the latest research results on the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plants, particularly in many abiotic stresses, and their regulation. Redox homeostasis refers to maintaining a balance of oxidised and reduced state of biomolecules in a biological system for all-round sustenance. In a living system, redox reactions contribute to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which act as signalling molecules for developmental as well as stress-response processes in plants. It is presumed that, being sessile and an aerobe requiring oxygen for mitochondrial energy production, as well as producing oxygen during photosynthesis, the redox homeostasis process is more complex and regulated in plants than in animals. Any imbalance in the homeostasis is mainly compensated for by the production of various ROS molecules, which, though they can cause severe oxidative damage in excess, can also ideally act as signalling molecules.

“Photosynthesis: Plastid Biology, Energy Conversion and Carbon Assimilation” was conceived as a comprehensive treatment touching on most of the processes important for photosynthesis. Most of the chapters provide a broad coverage that, it is hoped, will be accessible to advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers looking to broaden their knowledge of photosynthesis. For biologists, biochemists, and biophysicists, this volume will provide quick background understanding for the breadth of issues in photosynthesis that are important in research and instructional settings. This volume will be of interest to advanced undergraduates in plant biology, and plant biochemistry and to graduate students and instructors wanting a single reference volume on the latest understanding of the critical components of photosynthesis.