Bioluminescence, the cold living light or the cold fire of the sea is extremely common in all oceans at all depths. However, this phenomenon is nearly absent in freshwater, with the exception of a freshwater limpet. More than 75% of deep-sea creatures have been reported to produce their own light. The luminescent marine plankton such as dinoflagellate, radiolarians, jellyfish, comb jellies, annelids, copepods, ostracods, mysids, amphipods, euphausiids, and tunicates form an important component in the marine food chain. Research on luminescent marine plankton is gaining momentum owing to its importance in life science research and medicine. The glowing Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) extracted from the North Pacific jellyfish, Aqueorea victoria (for which the Japanese biologist, Osamu Shimonmura won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2008) has helped shed light on key processes such as the spread of cancer, the development of brain cells, the growth of bacteria, damage to cells by Alzheimer's disease, and the development of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Therefore, it is difficult to underscore the importance of bioluminescence and the organisms associated with this phenomenon. Bioluminescent Marine Plankton is a unique reference that attempts to provide answers to questions about bioluminescence. The first of its kind, this book attempts to answer questions on the subject with a focus on planktonic organisms. 12 chapters provide information about the chemistry of bioluminescence, types of bioluminescent displays, distribution of bioluminescence among marine plankton, ecological functions and utility of planktonic bioluminescence. Chapters are dedicated to the biology and ecology of specific groups of plankton that span about 200 luminescent marine species. The detailed book is an essential compendium on marine plankton for a broad range of readers who want to learn about bioluminescent plankton. A list of detailed references is also provided for the benefit of teachers, students, researchers and enthusiasts interested in marine biology, aquaculture, and environmental sciences.

Halophytic plants are a fascinating group of plants that also serve as dietary feed for livestock. Their utilization is essential for sustainable agriculture and maintaining ecological balance. This book explains the nature of halophytic plants through an in-depth presentation of their botanical and nutritional characteristics. Chapters of the book highlight different aspects of halophytes on a botanical, histological, ecological and nutritional basis when utilized as animal feed components. The issues of the histo-chemical aspects of halophytes are addressed with regard to their impact on nutrient compositions and availability to animals, while the important nutrient contents of halophytes are considered in relation to their value to animals. Key Features: - 10 organized chapters on halophytic plants - Explains the relationship between botanical and nutritional characteristics of halophytes when utilized as animal feed components - Covers information about important nutrient contents and secondary metabolites in halophytes - Includes information on nutritional and feeding values for animals - Includes informative diagram and tables - Includes references for further reading This book fills a notable gap in available literature on the subject, and will stimulate researchers to pursue the many unanswered questions in the field of biosaline agriculture. This text serves as reading material for undergraduate and graduate level courses and specializations in agriculture, animal nutrition, animal physiology, botany and plant physiology. It also serves as supplementary reading for students of taxonomy, ecology, and environmental science courses. Professional and apprentice livestock farmers will also benefit from the information presented by the book.

This book introduces the most recent research findings on selected parasitic weeds that occur in Jordan and are also spread in Middle Eastern countries. It is a valuable source of information for researchers, students as well as farmers, giving readers a better understanding of these regional parasites and their unusual growth patterns. The book set consists of two volumes. The first volume includes information about genera which are typically known as root parasites. These genera are Orobanchaceae, Santalaceae, and Cynomoriaceae families. The second volume covers stem parasites of the Cuscutaceae, Loranthaceae and Viscaceae families. The detailed information presented in this set makes this an essential reference on weeds and parasitic plants in Jordan and Middle Eastern regions. Key Features: - Chapters cover the biology, ecology, distribution, economic significance, host ranges, and control methods of a variety of regional weeds in an organized way - It includes information on parasitic families, genera and species that are found in Jordanian flora and their hosts. - It also provides coloured photos of weeds - Presents the latest techniques for plant pest management - Provides references for further reading - Includes a glossary and appendix suitable for beginners.

This reference explores the science of signaling mechanisms associated with diseases like endocrine, metabolic, and immune disorders which are linked to oxidative stress-mediated disease mechanisms. The common diseases in these categories include diabetes mellitus and arthritis and conditions defined by inflammation and autoimmunity. These diseases involve metabolic pathways mediated by reactive oxygen species or free radicals. The pathways are targets in the mechanism of drugs that aim to treat related disorders. The book covers key topics in free radical biology that help to understand the nature of the pathways and the pharmacology of the drugs that are designed to target them. 5 chapters elucidate the free radical biology of the diseases. 1. Role of free radical biology in diabetes mellitus 2. Role of GSK3 in the regulation of insulin release and glucose metabolism 3. Regulatory role of NRF2 in rheumatoid arthritis 4. Role of free radical biology in Alzheimer's disease 5. Regulatory role of immune cells mediated antibody on rheumatoid arthritis Key features: - Elucidates the key biochemical and pharmacological mechanisms that are mediated by free radicals in common endocrine, metabolic and immune diseases - Explains the activation of immunological factors (like RF and ACPA) that trigger inflammation and arthritis - Covers the role of free radicals in Alzheimer's disease and new interventions that target mitochondrial mechanisms - Systematically explains the molecular biology of free radicals with the help of schematic diagrams - Includes references for further reading The accessible and structured text in this reference makes it a suitable resource for all biomedical scientists, faculty, and postgraduate students in academia and industry.

Since ancient times, yeasts have been used for brewing and breadmaking processes. They now represent a flagship organism for alcoholic fermentation processes. The ubiquity of some yeast species also offers microbiologists a heterologous gene-expression platform, making them a model organism for studying eukaryotes. Yeasts: from Nature to Bioprocesses brings together information about the origin and evolution of yeasts, their ecological relationships, and the main taxonomic groups into a single volume. The book initially explores six significant yeast genera in detailed chapters. The book then delves into the main biotechnological processes in which both prospected and engineered yeasts are successfully employed. Yeasts: from Nature to Bioprocesses, therefore, elucidates the leading role of these single-cell organisms for industrial microbiology in environmental, health, social, and economic terms. This book is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary resource for general readers as well as scholars of all levels who want to know all about yeast microbiology and their industrial applications.

Waste management is one of the major challenges for environmental and public health organizations for maintaining safety standards in any area. Population growth and urbanization increase the difficulty in maintaining a sustainable waste management system. Bioremediation refers to the use of living organisms in processes designed to remove toxic chemicals present in waste material. Bioremediation represents a sustainable way to remove a range of environmental pollutants. Bioremediation: Challenges and Advancements covers the subject of bioremediation in eight chapters that focus on a broad range of waste sources, their adverse impacts on the ecosystem, and the advanced strategies for their remediation. Each chapter also highlights the problems encountered in bioremediation processes. Key features: - Comprehensive coverage of bioremediation in 8 reader-friendly chapters - Highlights methods and challenges of bioremediation in one volume. - Introduces the reader to bioremediation - Explains recent biotechnological methods for removing heavy metals and xenobiotic compounds - Describes strategies including physical, chemical, and biological methods to mitigate radioactive waste from contaminated sites and water bodies - Details the use of microbial-aided remediation techniques for the management of biomedical and electronic wastes, and its impact on the ecosystem - Describes bioremediation technologies for decontamination of solid waste pollutants - Showcases the application of Omics approaches such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics to improve bioremediation processes. - Covers bioremediation of agro-wastes - Includes detailed references This book is an informative reference for scholars (researchers, undergraduate and graduate students of environmental sciences, microbiology and biotechnology) professionals (environmental engineers) and researchers, giving each a good understanding of the significance of bioremediation in solid waste management and the restoration of contaminated sites.

This book introduces the most recent research findings on selected parasitic weeds that occur in Jordan and are also spread in Middle Eastern countries. It is a valuable source of information for researchers, students as well as farmers, giving readers a better understanding of these regional parasites and their unusual growth patterns. The book set consists of two volumes. The first volume includes information about genera which are typically known as root parasites. These genera are Orobanchaceae, Santalaceae, and Cynomoriaceae families. The second volume covers stem parasites of the Cuscutaceae, Loranthaceae and Viscaceae families. The detailed information presented in this set makes this an essential reference on weeds and parasitic plants in Jordan and Middle Eastern regions. Key Features: - Chapters cover the biology, ecology, distribution, economic significance, host ranges, and control methods of a variety of regional weeds in an organized way - It includes information on parasitic families, genera and species that are found in Jordanian flora and their hosts. - It also provides coloured photos of weeds - Presents the latest techniques for plant pest management - Provides references for further reading - Includes a glossary and appendix suitable for beginners

Burns can cause life-threatening injury and the lengthy hospitalization and rehabilitations required in burn therapy lead to higher healthcare costs. The risk of infection has also been one of the important concerns of burn wound management. The purpose of the burn wound care management is speedy wound healing and epithelization to limit the infection. The topical application of therapeutic agents is quintessential for the longevity of patients having significant burns. In recent times, research on herbal medicine for burn wound management has been vastly increased because of their safer toxicological profiles in contrast to synthetic medicines. Despite the promising therapeutic potential of herbal medicines in this area, herbal medications have some limitations which include low pharmacological activity, solubility and stability. Nanotechnology-based smart drug delivery approaches which involve the use of small molecules as nanocarriers, however, can help to overcome these biopharmaceutical challenges. This book provides an overview of plant-mediated metallic nanoparticulate systems and nanophytomedicine based therapeutic treatment modalities for burn wound lesions. Nine chapters deliver updated information about nanomedicines for burn wound therapy. Contributions are written by experts in nanomedicine and phytomedicine and collectively cover the pathophysiology of wound lesions, current and future outlook of nanomedicine based treatments for burn wound lesions, the role of biocompatible nanomaterials in burn wound management, plant-mediated synthesis of metal nanoparticles for treating burn wound sepsis, phytomedicine based nanoformulations and the phyto-informatics models involved in the wound healing process which are used to select appropriate nanotherapeutic agents. This reference serves as an accessible source of information on the topic of nanomedicine for burn treatments for all healthcare professionals (medical doctors, nurses, students trainees) and researchers in allied fields (pharmacology, phytomedicine) who are interested in this area of medicine.

Aluminium is a chemical element present in earth’s crust and it is a known environmental toxin which has been found to be associated with various neurological disorders. Aluminium has been found to be a very strong risk factor for the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Biochemical Mechanisms of Aluminium Induced Neurological Disorders explains the association of aluminium with neurological disorders. The book introduces the reader to sources of aluminium exposure, followed by an explanation of pharmacokinetics of aluminium and the different biochemical pathways that cause neurological effects. Chapters cover the typical mechanisms associated with aluminium neurotoxicity such as synaptic impairment as well as recent topics of interest such as the role of aluminum in impairing blood-brain barrier functions. Separate chapters which cover clinical evidence of aluminium toxicity and its management are also included in the book. Biochemical Mechanisms of Aluminium Induced Neurological Disorders is a concise, yet informative reference on the subject of aluminium neurotoxicity for all readers, whether they are students of biochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology, clinical neurologists, environmentalists interested in metal pollution or general readers who want to learn about the toxic effects of aluminium in humans.

The advent of large-scale production and clinical trials of drugs developed through diverse production routes - involving viruses, microbes, plants, and animals - has increased the demand for an expanded capacity for pharmaceutical manufacturing. The production and purification of expressed proteins accounts for the bulk of the manufacturing costs for new therapeutics. Several pharmaceutical proteins have been synthesized by exploiting plant genetics allowing producers to override conventional approaches used to manufacture pharmaceuticals. The process of inserting a gene into a host organism for the purpose of harvesting a bioactive molecule for therapeutic use is known as molecular pharming. Frontiers in Molecular Pharming covers an array of topics relevant to understanding the structure, function, regulation, and mechanisms of action, biochemical significance, and usage of proteins and peptides as biomarkers, therapeutics, and vaccines for animals and humans. The contributions aim to highlight current progress in three areas, including system biology (in vivo characterization of proteins and peptides), molecular pharming for animals and molecular pharming for humans. The book gives special attention to computational biology tools, production platforms and fields (such as immunoinformatics) and applications of molecular pharming (such as veterinary therapeutics). A balance of theoretical concepts and practical applications is provided through 13 chapters. Frontiers in Molecular Pharming is an invaluable resource for students and researchers of biochemistry, molecular biology, and biotechnology. The book also serves as a springboard for understanding the process of how discoveries in protein and peptide research and its applications are coming to fruition.