Bentham Science Publishers

Naturally-derived biomaterials invite immense interest from diverse segments of science and engineering. Recent decades have witnessed a leap in knowledge and efforts in ongoing research with biomaterials as synthons, yet biomaterial research never fails to create surprises. This book summarizes modern knowledge of bioderived materials for beginners in research and advanced readers in materials science.

The book lays the foundations of understanding the design and development of mimetic peptides and enzyme mimetic bioinorganic catalysts, including the toolsets used in the process. Next, the book demonstrates different approaches for obtaining task-specific designer hydrogels. Additional topics covered in the book are tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. From this point, the book presents information on complex biomaterials systems: bacterial cellulose, cell membrane architecture for nanocomposite material design, and whole cellular microorganisms. Chapters provide applied knowledge with information on the strategies used to design novel biomaterials for applications such as drug delivery, therapy and controlled chemical synthesis.

In summary, this book brings together a wealth of information on bioderived materials with versatile applications, derived from different sources, such as plant derivatives and microorganisms (in part or whole as synthons), benefitting readers from multidisciplinary backgrounds.

Explore the fascinating interplay between chemical elements and biological life with Biological and Medical Significance of Chemical Elements. This comprehensive handbook delves into the pivotal role that various chemical elements from the periodic table play in the intricate web of life processes. Discover how these elements impact human health, influence drug development, and contribute to essential biological pathways.

Key Features:

- Provides information on the occurrence and classification of chemical elements in nature

- Explains the biological functions of elements from different main groups (including s-, p-, d- and f-block elements)

- Includes information about the biomedical significance of platinum metals, lanthanides, and actinides

- Includes a list of references for further reading This book serves as an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the medical biochemistry of chemical elements.

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.

This reference is a guide to biomaterial fabrication techniques. The book comprises ten chapters introducing the reader to a range of biomaterial synthesis while highlighting biomedical applications. Each chapter presents a review of the topic followed by updated information about relevant core and applied concepts in an easy to understand format. The first two chapters present vital information about biomaterial components, such as polymer nanocomposites and scaffolds, and the strategies used for their fabrication. The proceeding chapters explain the principles of the most widely used fabrication techniques, and their application in detail. These include freeze drying, electrospinning, 3D printing, multiphoton lithography, particulate leaching, supramolecular self assembly, solvent casting and melt molding. The book is an essential primer on biomaterial synthesis for students and early career researchers in the field of biomedical engineering, applied chemistry and tissue engineering.

Nanoscale technologies are crucial for the characterization and fabrication of biomaterials that are useful in targeted drug delivery systems. New materials enable the delivery of therapeutic agents to specific tissues and cells in order to treat a range of diseases.

Bionanotechnology: Next-Generation Therapeutic Tools provides a quick overview of the use of nanomaterials in modern drug delivery and targeted drug therapy systems. The book starts with an overview of nanomaterial toxicity with subsequent chapters detailing their applications in nanomedicine. Concepts such as immunotherapy, cancer theranostics, molecular imaging, aptamers and viral nanoparticles are highlighted in specific chapters. The simplified presentation along with scientific references makes this book ideal for pharmacology and biomedical engineering scholars and life science readers.

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.

Biotechnology and Drug Development for Targeting Human Diseases is an insightful compendium on drug development technologies for professionals and students in biotechnology and pharmacology. This book meticulously explores the intersection of biotechnology with drug development, emphasizing its crucial role in creating new therapies for human disease.

Central to the book is the innovative use of biotechnology in understanding and treating diseases. It begins with an exploration of multi-omics profiles, shedding light on disease mechanisms and drug development. Subsequent chapters explain in silico methods for drug design, the role of natural products in antimicrobial applications and wound healing, and the use of viruses as carriers in biotechnology.

Key features of this reference include a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical insights, detailed analyses of molecular docking in drug discovery, the repurposing of drugs for various diseases, and the emerging field of omics technologies in drug interaction studies. Each chapter is comprehensive, offering current information backed by extensive references, making the book both a foundational and advanced resource.

This volume reviews cutting-edge innovations in blockchain technology that are propelling the healthcare industry into a new era of efficiency and security. It brings 14 reviews contributed by experts in blockchain and Web3 technologies into a single volume. Each contribution includes a summary for easy understanding and scientific references for advanced readers.

Key Themes:

Empowering Decentralized Healthcare: Learn about the future of decentralized healthcare, powered by blockchain, ensuring a seamless and patient-centric experience.

Clinical Trials: Discover how blockchain is reshaping clinical trials, offering a glimpse into a future of optimized medical research.

Data Security: Uncover the strategic use of blockchain in securing vital clinical trials data, ensuring confidentiality and integrity at every step.

Blockchain-based Healthcare delivery: Delve into a comprehensive review of blockchain technology in the health sector, revealing its potential to transform healthcare systems with

Predict, Prevent, and Protect: Understand how blockchain technology serves as a predictive tool, aiding in the prevention and control of the spread of COVID-19.

This volume is a must-read for healthcare practitioners and administrators seeking to harness the power of blockchain in medicine and healthcare. It also provides information for researchers and business professionals who want to understand the innovative role of blockchain technology in the healthcare sector.

Blood Oxidant Ties: The Evolving Concepts in Myocardial Injury and Cardiovascular Disease is an update on the recent advances in the development of antioxidant-based therapies. It starts with an overview of the mechanisms underlying the genesis of oxidative stress, summarizing the link between oxidative stress and a number of cardiovascular conditions. This is followed by an explanation of how oxidative stress interacts with lipid metabolism and the placental environment. Three chapters on the role of antioxidant-based therapy for cardiovascular diseases round up the book.

Key Features

- Outlines several cell-signaling pathways that are modulated by the interplay between reducing and oxidizing agents (redox status) and gene expression in the cardiovascular disease process

Brings information about maternal programming environment in the placenta

- Covers development of novel nanotechnology-based antioxidant delivery systems for effective drug delivery

- Includes references for further reading

The book is aimed at a broad readership of scientific and medical professionals involved in research on cardiovascular diseases, pathophysiology, pharmacy, pharmaceutical science and life sciences. It also serves as a reference for scholars who want to understand the complex biochemical mechanisms of antioxidant agents.

Bentham Briefs in Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy showcases the latest developments and techniques in the fields of pharmacology and healthcare, presenting them in distinctive volumes. Each volume offers a concise, focused overview of subjects, authored by experts in the field. The book series serves as an anthology for graduate students and researchers in pharmacology and life sciences, as well as medical professionals seeking specialization for research-related projects.

The second volume, Botanicals and Natural Bioactives: Prevention and Treatment of Diseases, discusses the medicinal applications of natural bioactives in the treatment of a variety of physiological disorders, including cardiovascular diseases, neurological dysfunctions, infectious diseases, age-related diseases, and cancer. The volume has eight chapters on disease treatment and preventative measures, with contributions from more than twenty experts. Readers will comprehend the niche utilization of botanicals and natural bioactives as medicinal agents for a variety of ailments. Overall, the chapters dwell on the chemosensory features of nutritious foods to avoid non-communicable diseases and the role of immunomodulating natural products and botanicals in the prevention and treatment of skin diseases, aging, inflammation, cancer, parasitic infections in the bloodstream, neurodegenerative diseases, osteoporosis, coronary heart disease, and autoimmune disorders. The variety of topics covered in this book makes it an excellent resource for a wide audience interested in phytomedicine.