This book provides an example of the successful and rapid expansion of bioengineering within the world of the science. It includes a core of studies on bioengineering technology applications so important that their progress is expected to improve both human health and ecosystem. These studies provide an important update on technology and achievements in molecular and cellular engineering as well as in the relatively new field of environmental bioengineering. The book will hopefully attract the interest of not only the bioengineers, researchers or professionals, but also of everyone who appreciates life and environmental sciences.

Materials for Biomedical Engineering: Hydrogels and Polymer-Based Scaffolds discusses the use of a wide variety of hydrogels as bioactive scaffolds in regenerative medicine, including updates on innovative materials and their properties. Various types of currently investigated scaffolding materials and hydrogels are discussed, as is their future roles and applications, the main techniques for scaffold fabrication, and their characterization procedures. Readers will be able to use this book as a guide for the selection of the best materials for a specific application. - Provides a valuable resource of recent scientific progress, highlighting the most well-known applications of hydrogels as bioactive scaffolds in regenerative medicine - Includes novel opportunities and ideas for developing or improving technologies in biomaterials, and in related biomedical industries - Features at least 50% of references from the last 2-3 years

Biorefinery of Oil Producing Plants for Value-Added Products An instructive and up-to-date pretreatment and industrial applications of oil producing plants Biorefinery of Oil Producing Plants for Value-Added Products is a two-volume set that delivers a comprehensive exploration of oil producing plants, from their availability to their pretreatment, bioenergy generation, chemical generation, bioproduct generation, and economic impact. The distinguished team of editors has included a wide variety of highly instructive resources written by leading contributors to the field. This set explores the current and future potential of bioenergy production to address the energy and climate crisis, as well as the technologies used to produce materials like biogas, biodiesel, bioethanol, biobutanol, biochar, fuel pellets, and biohydrogen. It also discusses the production of biobased chemicals, including bio-oil, biosurfactants, catanionic surfactants, glycerol, biovanillin, bioplastic, and plant-oil based polyurethanes. Concluding with an insightful analysis of the economic effects of oil producing plants, the set also offers readers: A thorough introduction to the availability of oil producing plants, including palm oil, castor oil, jatropha, nyamplung, and coconut A comprehensive exploration of the pretreatment of oil producing plants, including the physical, chemical and biological pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass Practical discussion of the generation of bioenergy, including biogas generation in the palm oil mill and biodiesel production techniques using jatropha In-depth examinations of the generation of biobased chemicals, including those produced from the tobacco plant Perfect for researchers and industry practitioners involved with the biorefinery of oil producing plants, Biorefinery of Oil Producing Plants for Value-Added Products also belongs in the libraries of undergraduate and graduate students studying agriculture, chemistry, engineering, and microbiology.

Polymer systems can be developed into a variety of functional forms to meet industrial and scientific applications. In general, they are presented in four common physical forms: (1) linear free chains in solution, (2) covalently or physically cross-linked reversible gels, (3) micro and nanoparticles, and (4) chains adsorbed or in surface-grafted form. Hydrogels are polymeric particles consisting of water-soluble polymer chains, chemically or physically connected using, in general, a cross-linking agent. These materials do not dissolve in water but may swell considerably in aqueous medium, demonstrating an extraordinary ability (>20%) to absorb water into the reticulated structure. Such features make these materials promising tools in the biomedical field, especially as controlled drug release systems. This chapter describes recent progress in the development and applications of polymeric nanostructured hydrogels, mainly in the context of biomedical devices. Additionally, it reports the significant advances in synthesis and characterization strategies of these materials. Special attention is devoted to smart or stimuli-responsive bionanogels, which mimic the property of living systems responding to environmental changes such as pH, temperature, light, pressure, electric field, chemicals, or ionic strength, or a combination of different stimuli. Consequently, these bionanogels offer an efficient solution to various biomedical limitations in the field of drug administration.

Persistent and non-degradable, heavy metals stand as pollutants with the potential for severe ecological repercussions when released into the environment. Municipal and industrial wastewater face a high risk of contamination by these hazardous substances, posing a formidable challenge to water treatment technologies. The imperative is clear: effective and affordable methods for effluent treatment and metal recovery are essential for meeting regulatory standards and unlocking the latent value of valuable metals within the waste. However, new methods of accomplishing this challenge are necessary for increasing the effectiveness in both cost and application Biosorption Processes for Heavy Metal Removal comprehensively explores the imperative to remove heavy metals from waste streams. It provides an insightful overview of biosorbents and biosorption technology, focusing on their underlying biosorption features. The compilation within this book comprises of a series of review articles delving into the current understanding of biosorption mechanisms and biochemistry, the efficacy of bacterial, fungal, and algal biomass, and practical considerations for biosorbent preparation and engineering. The physicochemical evaluations of biosorbents, process optimization, and factors influencing biosorption efficiency are also covered. Furthermore, the book explores biosorption applications for removing nutrients, organic pollutants, and metals in wastewater treatment across diverse contexts. Geared towards administrators, policymakers, consultants, industry professionals, academicians, scientists, researchers, and graduate and post-graduate students in environmental sciences and related fields, this book serves as their comprehensive reference.

Algae Biotechnology: Integrated Algal Engineering for Bioenergy, Bioremediation, and Biomedical Applications covers key applications of algae for bioenergy and how to integrate the production of biofuels with environmental, nutraceutical and biomedical processes and products. The book emphasizes cost-effective biofuels production through integrated biorefinery, combining continuous processes and various algae as feedstock to produce biofuel, bioenergy and various high value biochemicals. Novel algal culturing technologies and bioprocess engineering techniques are provided for the optimization of operational approaches for commercial-scale production, as well as to reduce the overall costs. New and existing molecular methods for genetic and metabolic engineering of algae are also presented. Furthermore, methods for the optimization of existing biochemical pathways are explained, and new pathways are introduced, in order to maximize the potential for biofuels production and related nutraceutical and biomedical co-products. This book provides an ideal roadmap for bioenergy researchers and engineers who want to incorporate valuable nutraceutical and biomedical products and environmental practices into the production of biofuels. - Addresses issues faced by the bioenergy sector and how to resolve them through the integration of algal biotechnology and engineering - Provides a guide to the efficient and cost-effective production of bioenergy, while simultaneously mitigating pollution and producing valuable nutraceutical and biomedical biproducts - Covers new and emerging approaches in integrated algal biotechnology - Offers a roadmap to their application in the production of biofuels alongside nutraceutical, biomedical, and environmental processes and products

This book is the first of two volumes that together offer a comprehensive account of cutting-edge advances in the development of biomaterials for use within tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Topics addressed in this volume, which is devoted to bioinspired biomaterials, range from novel biomaterials for regenerative medicine through to emerging enabling technologies with applications in, for example, drug delivery, maternal–fetal medicine, peripheral nerve repair and regeneration, and brain tumor therapy. New bioinspired hydrogels receive detailed attention in the book, and a further focus is the use of bioinspired biomaterials in the regulation of stem cell fate. Here the coverage includes the role of scaffolds in cartilage regeneration, the bioapplication of inorganic nanomaterials in tissue engineering, and guidance of cell migration to improve tissue regeneration. The authors are recognized experts in the interdisciplinary field of regenerative medicine and the book will be of value for all with an interest in regenerative medicine based on biomaterials.

Bioremediation of Pollutants: From Genetic Engineering to Genome Engineering provides insights into genetic and genome engineering strategies in bioremediation, covering a wide range of microorganisms that are key to the removal of pollutants. The book includes discussions on root engineering, transgenic plants, metagenomics, bioreactors, molecular biology tools, genome editing, synthetic biology, microbial indicators, biosurfactants, biofilms, genetically modified organisms, and engineered fungi and bacteria. Presented by top experts in the field, this resource captures the essence and diversity of bioremediation methodologies in a single source. Students and beginners in environmental science, researchers, soil scientists, genetic and genome engineers, stakeholders and policymakers interested in improving this rapidly growing area of research will find this resource extremely useful. - Draws together research from eminent scientists from across the globe in the areas of phytoremediation and microbial remediation - Includes case studies of engineered bacterial remediation - Covers the genome editing CRISPR-Cas9 system that has been less explored in plants and microorganisms

It has been observed that rapid population expansion has raised the amount of anthropogenic activity, resulting in high levels of pollution in water, air, and solid waste as well as an increase in the pressure placed on agricultural lands. Bioaugmentation Techniques and Applications in Remediation provides detailed information on bioaugmentation approaches for the remediation of sediments, water, and soil polluted with organic and inorganic pollutants. Practical applications of bioaugmentation techniques performed in restricted systems under controlled conditions, laboratory investigations, and in the field are addressed. Special emphasis is placed on the applications of nanomaterials in combination with bioaugmentation techniques for enhanced bioremediation efficiency. FEATURES Explores abiotic and biotic factors that enhance and facilitate environmental remediation of contaminants Provides a primer on the elementary microbial processes entailed in bioaugmentation Summarizes methods and approaches for executing bioaugmentation technology Details commercially available products and instrumentation This book is an ideal resource for researchers, students, and engineers working in materials science and bioremediation.

The long-held tenets of the energy sector are being rewritten in the twenty-first century. The rise of unconventional oil and gas and of renewables is transforming our economies and improving our understanding of the distribution of the world's energy resources and their impacts. A complete knowledge of the dynamics underpinning energy markets is n