Evolutionary Methods in Biotechnology

Biotechnology can deliver complex flavors both as fermentation products and single constituents. Recent developments in transgenic research have spawned numerous studies in the use of metabolic engineering of biosynthetic pathways to produce high-value secondary metabolites that can enhance the flavors of food products. Biotechnology is also playing an increasingly important role in the breeding of food crops for enhanced flavor. This book provides a unique overview of the current state of the art of flavor production through biotechnology, examining the principles and current methods of producing flavors from plants and other organisms. Chapters are included on plant tissue culture, genetic engineering of plants for flavor improvement and genetic engineering of bacteria and fungi for flavor improvement of fermented beverages and dairy products. The book is directed at food scientists and technologists in the food and flavour industries as well as academics and ingredients suppliers.

The application of biotechnology in the food sciences has led to an increase in food production and enhanced the quality and safety of food. Food biotechnology is a dynamic field and the continual progress and advances have not only dealt effectively with issues related to food security but also augmented the nutritional and health aspects of food. Advances in Food Biotechnology provides an overview of the latest development in food biotechnology as it relates to safety, quality and security. The seven sections of the book are multidisciplinary and cover the following topics: GMOs and food security issues Applications of enzymes in food processing Fermentation technology Functional food and nutraceuticals Valorization of food waste Detection and control of foodborne pathogens Emerging techniques in food processing Bringing together experts drawn from around the world, the book is a comprehensive reference in the most progressive field of food science and will be of interest to professionals, scientists and academics in the food and biotech industries. The book will be highly resourceful to governmental research and regulatory agencies and those who are studying and teaching food biotechnology.

Focusing on all current applications, this book presents the various methods as well as their suitability and limitations for a specific question. One particular highlight is the presentation of all basic information on the structure of the relevant objects, thus allowing readers to choose the most suitable applications for any specific problem. They will also find in-depth background information on structure-function relationships, plus descriptions of sample preparations with respect to a particular technique and the necessary equipment. The whole is rounded off with an overview of the future application potential for devices and applications of upcoming interest in biotechnology.

A very broad range of professionals are using immunoassay technology daily to analyze genetically engineered (GE) crops and related areas, and many of these professionals are completely new to this technology. There is a great need for users to have a book containing technical and practical guidance, and describing limitations and pitfalls of applying immunoassay in agricultural biotechnology. This book focuses on the application of immunoassays to GE plants and related areas. A group of international experts from government agencies, academics and industries, who have many years of related experience, contribute high quality chapters in their areas of expertise. This book covers topics including principles of immunoassay, antibody engineering in AgBiotech, current technologies (formats, kit development, manufacturing and quality control), method validation, applications in trait discovery and product development, applications in grain products and food processing, applications in environmental monitoring, automation and high throughput, reference materials, data interpretation and source of error, and future perspectives and challenges. In addition, to meet the practical needs for a variety of readers from different backgrounds, methods and protocols are included as well.

When trying to find new methods and problem-solving strategies for their research, scientists often turn to nature for inspiration. An excellent example of this is the application of Darwin's Theory of Evolution, particularly the notion of the 'survival of the fittest', in computer programs designed to search for optimal solutions to many kinds of problems. These 'evolutionary algorithms' start from a population of possible solutions to a given problem and, by applying evolutionary principles, evolve successive generations with improved characteristics until an optimal, or near-optimal, solution is obtained. This book highlights the versatility of evolutionary algorithms in areas of relevance to molecular design with a particular focus on drug design. The authors, all of whom are experts in their field, discuss the application of these computational methods to a wide range of research problems including conformational analysis, chemometrics and quantitative structure-activity relationships, de novo molecular design, chemical structure handling, combinatorial library design, and the study of protein folding. In addition, the use of evolutionary algorithms in the determination of structures by X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy is also covered. These state-of-the-art reviews, together with a discussion of new techniques and future developments in the field, make this book a truly valuable and highly up-to-date resource for anyone engaged in the application or development of computer-assisted methods in scientific research.

This cutting-edge book covers emerging, evolutionary and nature inspired optimization techniques in the field of advanced manufacturing. The complexity of real life advanced manufacturing problems often cannot be solved by traditional engineering or computational methods. Hence, in recent years researchers and practitioners have proposed and developed new strands of advanced, intelligent techniques and methodologies. Evolutionary computing approaches are introduced in the context of a wide range of manufacturing activities, and through the examination of practical problems and their solutions, readers will gain confidence to apply these powerful computing solutions. The initial chapters introduce and discuss the well established evolutionary algorithm, to help readers to understand the basic building blocks and steps required to successfully implement their own solutions to real life advanced manufacturing problems. In the later chapters, modified and improved versions of evolutionary algorithms are discussed. The book concludes with appendices which provide general descriptions of several evolutionary algorithms.

Throughout history, human beings have sought ways to enhance the flavor of the foods they eat. In the 21st century, biotechnology plays an important role in the flavor improvement of many types of foods. This book covers many of the biotechnological approaches currently being applied to flavor enhancement. The contribution of microbial metabolism to flavor development in fermented beverages and dairy products has been exploited for thousands of years, but the recent availability of whole genome sequences of the yeasts and bacteria involved in these processes is stimulating targeted approaches to flavor enhancement. Chapters discuss recent developments in the flavor modification of wine, beer, and dairy products through the manipulation of the microbial species involved. Biotechnological approaches to the production of specific flavor molecules in microbes and plant tissue cultures, and the challenges that have been encountered, are also covered, along with the metabolic engineering of food crops for flavor enhancement – also a current area of research. Biotechnology is also being applied to crop breeding through marker-assisted selection for important traits, including flavor, and the book looks at the application of the biotechnological approach to breeding for enhanced flavor in rice, apple, and basil. These techniques are subject to governmental regulation, and this is addressed in a dedicated chapter. This updated second edition features five brand new chapters, and the topics covered in the book will be of interest to those in the flavor and food industries as well as to academic researchers interested in flavors.

Here, the world's top experts impart their knowledge and experience, many in print for the first time. By considering developing country markets, this book is the first truly global guide to technology transfer, helping companies all around the world to avoid costly mistakes in product development and to recover investments quickly. Individual sections treat trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights, technology transfer in health and healthcare as well as in agriculture and the environment.

Dr. Abdelhamid Elaissari, internationally respected author and researcher, reports on and analyzes a broad range of important findings from new studies on the use of colloidal nanoparticles in biomedical, food, and environmental diagnostics and analyses. Throughout the presentation, the book uses a blend of classical tools, including optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, microsystems, and microfluidics, to help you take full advantage of colloidal nanoparticles for your own research and applications.

With the dramatically rising sophistication of biological methods and products and the increasing use of recombinant DNA technology, now is an apt time to review the status of biotechnology in animal feeding. This book gives succinct yet comprehensive coverage of products of biotechnology and allied sciences used in animal feed and feeding industries. Particular emphasis is placed on: – Conservation and upgrading of feeds and feed components – Increasing the protein value of feeds – Antimicrobials – Microbial feed additives – Increasing the energy value of feeds. Moreover, increasing environmental concerns are reflected in chapters describing dietary products which may help to reduce environmental hazards from animal feeding enterprises. A discussion of social and legislative aspects relating to biotechnology and animal feeding rounds off this useful compilation of timely articles.