Basic biotechnology

Biotechnology is one of the major technologies of the twenty-first century. Its huge, wide-ranging, multidisciplinary activities impinge on everyone's lives in the form of recombinant DNA techniques, cloning and genetics, the application of microbiology to the production of household goods, and antibiotics. It continues to revolutionize treatments of many diseases and is used to provide clean technologies and deal with environmental problems. Basic Biotechnology is a mainstream account of the current state of biotechnology, written to provide the reader with insight, inspiration, and instruction into the skills and arts of the subject. The volume explains the fundamental aspects that underpin all biotechnology and provides examples of how these principles are put into operation, from starting substrate to final product. The book is essential reading for all students and teachers of biotechnology and applied microbiology and for researchers in the many biotechnology industries.

Part I: Fundamentals

1: Public perception of biotechnology

2: Biochemistry and physiology of growth and metabolism

3: Stoichiometry and kinetics of microbial growth from a thermodynamic perspective

4: Genome management and analysis: prokaryotes

5: Genetic engineering: yeasts and filamentous fungi

6: Microbial process kinetics

7: Bioreactor design

8: Mass transfer

9: Downstream processing in biotechnology

10: Measurement and control

11: Process economics

Part II: Applications

12: The business of biotechnology

13: Amino acids

14: Organic acids

15: Microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates, polysaccharides and lipids

16: Antibiotics

17: Baker's yeast

18: Production of enzymes

19: Synthesis of chemicals using enzymes

20: Recombinant proteins of high value

21: Mammalian cell culture

22: Biotransformations

23: Immunochemical applications

24: Environmental applications