Biotechnology for Beginners
- 3rd Edition - January 16, 2023
- Imprint: Academic Press
- Author: Reinhard Renneberg
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 8 5 5 6 9 - 3
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 8 5 5 7 0 - 9
Biotechnology for Beginners, Third Edition presents the latest developments in the evolving field of biotechnology which has grown to such an extent over the past few years tha… Read more
Purchase options
Institutional subscription on ScienceDirect
Request a sales quoteBiotechnology for Beginners, Third Edition presents the latest developments in the evolving field of biotechnology which has grown to such an extent over the past few years that increasing numbers of professional’s work in areas that are directly impacted by the science. This book offers an exciting and colorful overview of biotechnology for professionals and students in a wide array of the life sciences, including genetics, immunology, biochemistry, agronomy and animal science. This book will also appeals to lay readers who do not have a scientific background but are interested in an entertaining and informative introduction to the key aspects of biotechnology.
Authors Renneberg and Loroch discuss the opportunities and risks of individual technologies and provide historical data in easy-to-reference boxes, highlighting key topics. The book covers all major aspects of the field, from food biotechnology to enzymes, genetic engineering, viruses, antibodies, and vaccines, to environmental biotechnology, transgenic animals, analytical biotechnology, and the human genome.
- Covers the whole of biotechnology
- Presents an extremely accessible style, including lavish and humorous illustrations throughout
- Includes new chapters on CRISPR cas-9, COVID-19, the biotechnology of cancer, and more
Professionals, Students and Instructors in biotechnology and regenerative medicine
- Cover image
- Title page
- Table of Contents
- Front Matter
- Copyright
- Quotes
- Letter from the Editor
- A Letter from Cambridge
- Contributors
- Boxes
- Foreword by Former US Editor, Arnold Demain
- A Personal Foreword by Tom Rapoport
- Preface
- Some Opening Thoughts by Ernst Peter Fischer: Enchanting the World
- Chapter 1: Beer, Bread, and Cheese: The Tasty Side of Biotechnology
- Abstract
- 1.1: In the Beginning, There Was Beer and Wine—Nurturing Civilization
- 1.2: Yeasts—The Secret Behind Alcoholic Fermentation
- 1.3: Now as Ever, Beer Is Brewed From Yeast, Water, Malt, and Hops
- 1.4: Cells Work on Solar Energy
- 1.5: For Yeast, Alcohol Has Nothing to Do With Enjoyment, But All With Survival
- 1.6: Highly Concentrated Alcohol Is Obtained by Distillation
- 1.7: Bacterially Produced Acidic Preservatives
- 1.8: Coffee, Cocoa, Vanilla, Tobacco—Fermentation for Enhanced Pleasure
- 1.9: An Alliance of Molds and Bacteria in Cheese Production
- 1.10: Sake and Soy Sauce
- 1.11: What Exactly Is Fermentation?
- Cited and Recommended Literature
- Useful Weblinks
- Chapter 2: Enzymes: Molecular Supercatalysts for Use at Home and in Industry
- Abstract
- 2.1: Enzymes Are High-Performing and Highly Specific Biocatalysts
- 2.2: Lysozyme—The First Enzyme to be Understood in Structure and Function Down to Minute Molecular Detail
- 2.3: The Role of Cofactors in Complex Enzymes
- 2.4: Animals, Plants, and Microorganisms as Enzyme Sources
- 2.5: Extracellular Hydrolases Degrade Biopolymers Into Smaller Manageable Units
- 2.6: Amylases Are Used for Brewing, Baking, and Desizing
- 2.7: Pectinases Increase Fruit and Vegetable Juice Production
- 2.8: Biological Detergents—The Most Important Application Area of Hydrolytic Enzymes
- 2.9: Proteases for Tenderizing Meat and Bating Leather
- 2.10: Immobilization—Reusing Valuable Enzymes
- 2.11: Glucose Isomerase and Fructose Syrup—Boosting the Sweetness of Sugar
- 2.12: Immobilized Enzymes in Human and Animal Food Production
- 2.13: Making Use of Cofactor Regeneration—Enzyme Membrane Reactors
- 2.14: Immobilized Cells
- Cited and Recommended Literature
- Useful Weblinks
- Chapter 3: The Wonders of Gene Technology
- Abstract
- 3.1: DNA—The Double Helix Is a Physical Carrier of Genetic Material
- 3.2: DNA Polymerases Catalyze the Replication of the DNA Double Strand
- 3.3: Not All Genes Are Encrypted in DNA: RNA Viruses Use Single-Stranded RNA
- 3.4: Deciphering the Genetic Code
- 3.5: The Human Genome— A Giant 23-Volume Encyclopedia
- 3.6: The DNA Code Deciphered—Artificial RNA Decodes the Codons
- 3.7: DNA Sites Around the Structural Genes Control the Expression of Genes
- 3.8: Ribosomes—Protein Production Plants Inside the Cell: Giant RNA and Protein Molecules
- 3.9: Recombination—A Genetic Reshuffling of Cards
- 3.10: Plasmids—Ideal Vectors for Genetic Material
- 3.11: Scissors and Glue at a Molecular Level—Restriction Endonucleases and DNA Ligases
- 3.12: First Experiments in Gene Technology—Croaking Bacteria?
- 3.13: How to Obtain Genes
- 3.14: Human Insulin From Bacteria?
- 3.15: Insulin Synthesis in Humans
- 3.16: Rat Proinsulin—The Beginnings of Genetic Engineering
- 3.17: DNA-Hybridization—How to Find Bacteria Using DNA Probes
- 3.18: A Slight Diversion: Somatostatin—The First Human Protein Obtained From Bacteria
- 3.19: How Enzymes Turn Porcine Insulin Into Human Insulin
- 3.20: Eureka! The First Genetically Engineered Insulin Is Produced
- 3.21: Asilomar—How Dangerous Is Modern Gene Technology?
- 3.22: Human Proinsulin Obtained From a Single E. coli Strain
- 3.23: Baker’s Yeast for Proinsulin Production
- 3.24: Artificial Insulin Variants (Muteins) Obtained by Protein Engineering
- 3.25: Genetically Modified Mammalian Cells for the Production of Modified Complex Proteins
- Cited and Recommended Literature
- Useful Weblinks
- Chapter 4: White Biotechnology: Cells as Synthetic Factories
- Abstract
- 4.1: The Overview Problem
- 4.2: Tactical Adaptation
- 4.3: Strategic Adaptation: Enzyme Production on Demand
- 4.4: An Allosteric Molecular Computer—Glutamine Synthetase
- 4.5: Catabolite Repression or Fishing for Polymerase
- 4.6: Mold Replacing Lemons
- 4.7: Overproduction of Lysine—How Mutants Outwit the Feedback Inhibition of Aspartate Kinase
- 4.8: l-Glutamate—“Levorotatory” Soup Seasoning in Abundance
- 4.9: Chemical Synthesis Versus Microbial Production
- 4.10: l-Ascorbic Acid
- 4.11: Aspartame—Sweet Success of a Dipeptide Ester
- 4.12: Immobilized Cells Producing Amino Acids and Organic Acids
- 4.13: Mutations as a Way of Targeting Microbial Programming
- 4.14: Penicillium notatum—Alexander Fleming’s Miraculous Fungus
- 4.15: Screening—Biotechnologists in Search of Molds
- 4.16: What’s on the Microbial Menu?
- 4.17: A Modern Biofactory
- 4.18: Heat, Cold, and Dry Conditions Keep Microbes at Bay
- 4.19: Downstream Processing
- 4.20: Streptomycin and Cephalosporins—The Next Generation of Antibiotics
- 4.21: The Race Against Microbial Resistance
- 4.22: Cyclosporin—A Microbial Product Used in Transplants
- 4.23: Steroid Hormones—Cortisone and the Contraceptive Pill
- Cited and Recommended Literature
- Useful Weblinks
- Chapter 5: Viruses, Antibodies, Vaccines, and Cancer Therapy
- Abstract
- 5.1: Viruses—Borrowed Life
- 5.2: How Viruses Attack Cells
- 5.3: How the Body Defends Itself Against Infections—Humoral Immune Response Through Antibodies
- 5.4: Cellular Immune Response: Killer T-Cells
- 5.5: The First Vaccination: Cowpox Against Smallpox
- 5.6: Contemporary Vaccination
- 5.7: Live Vaccines
- 5.8: Monoclonal Antibodies
- 5.9: Catalytic Antibodies
- 5.10: Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies: Today’s Magic Bullets
- 5.11: Recombinant Antibodies
- 5.12: Recombinant Antibody Libraries
- 5.13: Antibodies With Their Gene in a Backpack—Phage Display
- 5.14: Phage Display for Proteins and Antibodies
- 5.15: Ongoing Hope for Cancer Patients—From Targeted Therapies to Precision Oncology
- Cited and Recommended Literature
- Useful Weblinks
- Chapter 6: Environmental Biotechnology: From One-Way Streets to Merry-Go-Round
- Abstract
- 6.1: Clean Water—A Bioproduct
- 6.2: Aerobic Water Purification—Sewage Farms, Trickling Filters, and Activated Sludge
- 6.3: Biogas
- 6.4: Biogas Could Save Forests!
- 6.5: Biogas in Industrial Countries—Using Liquid Manure
- 6.6: Fuel Growing in the Fields
- 6.7: Ananda Chakrabarty’s Oil-Guzzlers
- 6.8: Sugar and Alcohol From Wood
- 6.9: Basic Chemicals From Biomass?
- 6.10: Silent Mining
- 6.11: A New Life for Tired Oil Wells?
- 6.12: Bioplastics—From Dead End to Merry-Go-Round
- Cited and Recommended Literature
- Useful Weblinks
- Chapter 7: Green Biotechnology
- Abstract
- 7.1: Microbes Are Edible
- 7.2: Algae and Cyanobacteria
- 7.3: Single-Cell Protein: The Hope for Cheap Sources of Protein
- 7.4: Mycoprotein Is a Success With Consumers as a Plant Protein
- 7.5: “Green” Biotechnology at the Doorstep
- 7.6: Fields in a Test Tube: In Vitro Plant Breeding
- 7.7: Meristem Culture
- 7.8: Haploid Cultures: Anthers and Ovaries
- 7.9: Callus and Suspension Cultures
- 7.10: Plant Cells in a Bioreactor Produce Active Substances
- 7.11: What Are the Active Substances From Plants That Will Follow Shikonin?
- 7.12: Agrobacterium—A Pest as Genetic Engineer
- 7.13: Biolistic Gene Transfer: DNA Shot From a Gun
- 7.14: Transgenic Plants: Herbicide Resistance
- 7.15: Biological Insecticides
- 7.16: Blue Carnations and Antimush Tomatoes
- 7.17: Danger From Genetically Modified Food?
- 7.18: Should Genetically Modified Food Be Labeled?
- 7.19: Gene Pharming
- 7.20: Transgenic Plants—A Heated Debate
- 7.21: Tropical Palms in Snow and Ice?
- 7.22: Dead Bacteria in Snow Guns Safeguard Skiing Holidays
- Cited and Recommended Literature
- Useful Weblinks
- Chapter 8: Embryos, Clones, and Transgenic Animals
- Abstract
- 8.1: Artificial Insemination
- 8.2: Embryo Transfer and In Vitro Fertilization
- 8.3: Animals Threatened With Extinction Could Be Saved by Embryo Transfer
- 8.4: Chimeric Animals Have At Least Four Genetic Parents
- 8.5: Transgenic Animals—From Giant Mouse to Giant Cow?
- 8.6: Growth Hormones for Cows and Pigs
- 8.7: Gene “Pharming”—Valuable Human Proteins in Milk and Eggs
- 8.8: Transgenic Fish—From GloFish to Giant Trout
- 8.9: Knockout Mice
- 8.10: Xenotransplantation
- 8.11: Cloning—Mass Production of Twins
- 8.12: Clones of Frogs and Newts
- 8.13: Dolly—The Breakthrough in Animal Cloning
- 8.14: Difficulties in the Cloning Process
- 8.15: Cloning Cats—Parental Variations
- 8.16: What About Humans? Cloning, IVF, and PGD
- 8.17: The Embryo Yielding Its Secret
- Cited and Recommended Literature
- Useful Weblinks
- Chapter 9: Myocardial Infarction, Cancer, and Stem Cells: Biotechnology Is a Life Saver
- Abstract
- 9.1: Myocardial Infarction and Anticoagulants
- 9.2: Fibrinolysis Following Coronary Infarction: Using Enzymes to Dissolve Thrombi
- 9.3: Stroke: Help From the Vampire Enzyme
- 9.4: Genetically Engineered Factor VIII—Safe Help for Hemophiliacs
- 9.5: EPO for Kidney Patients and in Sports
- 9.6: Interferons for Fighting Viruses and Cancer
- 9.7: Interleukins
- 9.8: Cancer: Abnormal, Uncontrolled Cell Growth
- 9.9: New Cancer Treatments
- 9.10: Paclitaxel Against Cancer
- 9.11: Human Growth Hormone
- 9.12: Epidermal Growth Hormone—Wrinkles Disappear and Diabetic Feet Heal
- 9.13: Stem Cells, the Ultimate Fountain of Youth?
- 9.14: Gene Therapy
- 9.15: The Junk Yields Its Treasures: RNAi, RNA Interference
- Cited and Recommended Literature
- Useful Weblinks
- Chapter 10: Analytical Biotechnology and the Human Genome
- Abstract
- 10.1: Enzyme Tests for Millions of Diabetics
- 10.2: Biosensors
- 10.3: Microbial Sensors—Yeasts Measuring Water Pollution in 5 Minutes
- 10.4: Immunological Pregnancy Tests
- 10.5: AIDS Tests
- 10.6: Myocardial Infarction Tests
- 10.7: Point of Care (POC) Tests
- 10.8: How DNA Is Analyzed—Gel Electrophoresis Separates DNA Fragments According to Size
- 10.9: Life and Death—Genetic Fingerprinting in Establishing Paternity and Investigating Murders
- 10.10: DNA Markers—Short Tandem Repeats and SNPs
- 10.11: Polymerase Chain Reaction—Copying DNA on a Mega Scale
- 10.12: A New Lease of Life for Dinosaurs and Mammoths?
- 10.13: The Sequencing of Genes
- 10.14: Southern Blotting
- 10.15: Automatic DNA Sequencing
- 10.16: FISH—Identifying the Location on a Chromosome and the Number of Gene Copies
- 10.17: The Ultimate Biotechnological Achievement—The Human Genome Project
- 10.18: Genetic Genome Maps
- 10.19: Physical Genome Mapping
- 10.20: Which Method—Contig Versus Shot Gun?
- 10.21: The Human Genome Project—Where Do We Go From Here?
- 10.22: . . . And How Can the Sequence of the Genome Be Understood?
- 10.23: Pharmacogenomics
- 10.24: DNA Chips
- 10.25: Identifying the Causes of Disease—Gene Expression Profiles
- 10.26: Proteomics
- 10.27: MALDI TOF—A Gas From Protein Ions
- 10.28: Aptamers and Protein Chips
- 10.29: Quo vadis, Biotech?
- Cited and Recommended Literature
- Useful Weblinks
- Glossary
- Credits
- Abbreviations for Frequently Used Sources of Pictures/Cartoons
- Table Antibodies
- Name Index
- Subject Index
- IBC
- Edition: 3
- Published: January 16, 2023
- Imprint: Academic Press
- No. of pages: 474
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN: 9780323855693
- eBook ISBN: 9780323855709
RR
Reinhard Renneberg
Reinhard Renneberg received his PhD at Central Institute of Molecular Biology, Berlin, German Democratic Republic in 1979. Since 1995 Professor Renneberg has been heading the Biosensor group at the Department of Chemistry of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He is an expert in biotests, biosensors and signal amplification technologies. Dr. Renneberg is also the inventor of Cardiodetect, a rapid fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) immunotest which allows diagnosis or exclusion of acute myocardial infarction within half an hour after the onset of symptom and of InfectCheck, a barcode-style lateral flow assay for semi-quantitative detection of C-reactive protein (CRP) in distinguishing between bacterial and viral infections.
Dr. Renneberg is the author of several books on biotechnology, including the award-winning textbook Biotechnology for Beginners which the university includes in many of its training packages. He advises a wide range of biotechnology companies as expert content provider, pedagogical expert and top-level academic relay for biotechnology education.
Affiliations and expertise
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, ChinaRead Biotechnology for Beginners on ScienceDirect