Biotechnology is a multi-disciplinary course, having its foundations in many fields including biology, microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, chemistry and chemical engineering. It has been considered as a series of enabling technologies involving the practical applications of organisms or their cellular components to manufacturing and service industries and environmental management. Initially, biotechnology was an art, involved in the production of wines, beers and cheese. Now it involves series of advance technologies spanning biology, chemistry and process engineering. In recent years innovations involving genetic engineering have had a major impact on biotechnology. Its applications are diverse, including the production of new drugs, transgenic organisms and biological fuels, genetherapy and clearing up pollution. It is also about providing cleaning technology for a new millennium; of providing means of waste disposal, of dealing with environmental problems. It is in short, one of the major technology of twenty-first century that will sustain growth and development in countries throughout the world for several decades to come. It will continue to improve the standard of our lives, from the improved medical treatments through its effects on foods and food supply and to the environment. No aspect of our lives will be unaffected by biotechnology. This textbook on biotechnology has been written to provide an overview of many of fundamental aspects that underpin all biotechnology and to provide examples of how these principles are put into operation, i.e. from the starting substrate or feed stock through the final product. The textbook also caters to the requirement of the syllabus prescribed by various Indian universities for undergraduate students pursuing biotechnology, applied microbiology, biochemistry and biochemical engineering.

Table of Contents:
1. An Introduction to Biotechnology Introduction Biotechnology—An Interdisciplinary Pursuit Biotechnology—A Three-Component Central Core Product Safety Public Perception of Biotechnology Biotechnology and the Developing World 2. Substrates for Biotechnology Introduction Natural Raw Materials Availability of By-products Chemical and Petrochemical Feedstocks Raw Materials and the Future of Biotechnology 3. Genetics and Biotechnology Introduction Manipulation of the Genetic Material Organismal Cellular Molecular Industrial Genetics Protoplast and Cell Fusion Technologies Genetic Engineering Vector or Carrier System Splicing Genes Introduction of Vector DNA Recombinants Assaying Foreign Gene Products Potential Laboratory Biohazards of Genetic Engineering Polymerase Chain Reaction 4. Fermentation Technology and Industrial Microbiology Introduction Principles of Microbial Growth Bioreactor/Fermenter Scale-up Design for Fermentation Processes Solid Substrate Fermentation Small-Scale Liquid Fermentations Fermentation Vessels Shakers Liquid Media Composition Gas Exchange in Small Liquid Fermentations Foam Control Fermentation Sampling and Analyses 5. Downstream Processing in Biotechnology Introduction Downstream Processing: A Multistage Operation Solid-liquid Separation Filtration Centrifugation Pretreatment of Broth to Facilitate Clarification Flotation Release of Intracellular Components Disruption of Microbial Cells Homogenisation of Animal/Plant Tissue Concentration of Biological Products Evaporation Liquid-Liquid Extraction Membrane Filtration Precipitation Adsorption to Chromatographic Particles Purification by Chromatography Size-exclusion Chromatography Adsorption Chromatography Product Formulation Monitoring of Downstream Processing Process Integration 6. Production of Enzymes Introduction Enzymes from Animal and Plant Sources Enzymes from Microbial Sources Species-Specific Enzymes Large-Scale Production Recombinant E. coli Fermentation Fungal Fermentation Microbial Enzymes Replacing Plant Enzymes Biochemical Fundamentals Feedback Repression Nutrient Repression Genetic Engineering Site-Directed Mutagenesis Recovery of Enzymes Recovery of Extracellular Enzymes Recovery of Intracellular Enzymes Isolation of Soluble Enzymes Enzyme Purification Enzyme Precipitation Separation by Chromatography Immobilised Enzymes Immobilisation Techniques Immobilisation Supports Legislative and Safety Aspects 7. Biological Fuel Generation Introduction Photosynthesis—The Ultimate Energy Resource Sources of Biomass Ethanol from Biomass Methane from Biomass Hydrogen Postscript Microbial Recovery of Petroleum 8. Single Cell Protein and Recombinant Proteins of High Value Introduction Need for Protein Acceptability and Toxicology of SCP SCP Derived from High Energy Sources SCP from Wastes SCP from Agricultural Crops SCP from Algae Economic Implications of SCP Recombinant Proteins of High Value Applications of High-value Proteins Analytical Enzymes Therapeutic Proteins Regulatory Aspects of Therapeutic Proteins Outlook to the Future of Protein Therapies Purification and Characterisation of Proteins Preparation of the Source Properties of Proteins Assay Initial Isolation High-Resolution Purification Characterisation Emerging Trends 9. Biotechnology and Medicine Introduction Pharmaceuticals and Biopharmaceuticals Antibiotics Vaccines and Monoclonal Antibodies Biopharmaceuticals Important Therapeutic Proteins, Cloned into Micro-organisms Gene Therapy 10. Biotechnology in the Agricultural and Forestry Industries Introduction Plant Cell Culture Culture Media Medium Preparation Facilities Culture Initiation Growth Quantitation Secondary-Metabolite Production Regeneration Micropropagation Transformation Plant Biotechnology Application of Genetic Engineering to Plant Agriculture Forestry Biological Control 11. Biotechnology of Animals Introduction Advantages and Disadvantages of Tissue Culture Laboratory Facilities for Tissue Culture Organ Culture Technique Advantages Disadvantages Applications Cell Cultures Substrate on Which Cells Grow Modification of Substrate Surface Serum Media with Serum Serum free Media Initiation of Cell Cultures Preparation and Sterilisation of Substrate Preparation and Sterilisation of Medium Isolation of Explants Disaggregation of Explants Subculture Evolution of Continuous Cell Lines Maintenance of Cell Lines Large Scale Culture of Cell Lines Monolayer Cultures Suspension Cultures Immobilised Cultures Genetic Engineering for Transgenic Animals Genetically Engineered Hormones and Vaccines Diagnostics in Agriculture 12. Food and Beverage Biotechnology Introduction Food and Beverage Fermentations Alcoholic Beverages Coffee, Tea and Cocoa Dairy Products Vegetable Fermentations Cereal Products Legume Fermentations Enzymes and Food Processing Sweeteners Food Wastes Miscellaneous Microbially Derived Food Products Vinegar Organic Acids Amino Acids and Vitamins Polysaccharides Flavours/Flavour Enhancers Rapid diagnostics 13. Biotransformations Introduction Biocatalyst Selection Screening for Novel Biocatalysts Use of Existing Biocatalysts Genetic Modification of Existing Biocatalysts Biocatalyst Immobilisation and Performance Biocatalyst Immobilisation Methods for Biocatalyst Immobilisation Adsorption and Ionic Binding Covalent Coupling of Enzymes Lattice Entrapment Immobilised Soluble Enzyme and Suspended Cell Methods Immobilisation of Multi-Enzyme Systems and Cells Effect of Immobilisation on the Enzyme Kinetics and Properties Immobilised Enzyme Reactors Classification of Enzyme Reactors Batch Reactors Continuous Reactors Biocatalysis in Non-Conventional Media Biocatalysis in Organic Media Gas-Phase Reaction Media Supercritical Fluids as Bioreaction Media 14. Quality Assurance and Quality Control Introduction Chemical and Pharmaceutical Production Five Variables Raw Materials Types of Raw Materials Method of Manufacture Controls In-Process Items Types of In-Process Items Method of Manufacture Controls Finished Products Types of Finished Products Method of Packaging Controls Labels and Labeling Types of Labels and Labeling Method of Printing Control of Labeling Quality Packaging Materials Types of Packaging Materials Methods of Manufacture Controls of Packaging Quality Documentation 15. Safety and Ethics in Biotechnology Introduction Problems of Organism Pathogenicity Problems of Biologically Active Biotechnology Products Hazards Types of Hazardous Emission Practical Applications Bioethics Intrinsic Value in Nature Humanity’s Position in the Natural World Sustainability and Environmentalism Need for a New Bioethic Health Benefits for Humans Risk Regulation 16. Patenting in Biotechnology Introduction Fundamental Requirements of Patent Issue of Patenting in Biotechnology Important Issues in Patenting Status Today Common Categories of Patents Patenting of Genes and DNA Sequences Uncertainty of Patent Law Advantages of Patenting Arguments Against Patenting in Biotechnological Inventions Biotechnological Patents in the US Biotech Patents Spawn Biopiracy of Genetic Resource of Third World Biotechnology Patents and India Unique Aspects of Biotechnology Patent Law and Procedures Fulfilling the Utility Requirement Fulfilling the Novelty Requirement Fulfilling the Nonobviousness Requirement Fulfilling the Sufficiency of Disclosure Requirements 17. Environmental Biotechnolgy Introduction Methods for Achieving Cleaner Production Biotechnology in Meeting Environmental Problems Point Source Reduction By-Product Utilisation Biological Treatment of Waste-Water Conventional Waste-Water Treatment Processes Natural Biological Treatment Systems Site Characteristic and Design Features for Overland Flow Treatment of Waste-water Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Process (UASB) Special Feature of UASB Compartments in the ‘Hydro Methane Reactor’ Significance of Microbes in UASB System Oxidation Reactions Environmental Factors of Importance for UASB System Nutrients Economics and Cost Consideration Enzymatic Pre-treatment to Enhance the Biodegradability of Industrial Waste-Water Enzymatic Treatment Enzyme Reactors Applications of Immobilised Enzymes Bioenergy Bioenergy from Food Industry Wastes Bioenergy Production from Paper and Pulp Industry Wastes Biogas Production from Rubber Industry Effluents Hydrogen Gas Production from Industrial Wastes Microbial Production of Energy from Industrial Waste—New and Innovative Methods Bioremediation Bioaugmentation to Enhance Microbial Bioremediation Usefulness of Micro-organisms in Bioremediation Lignin and Cellulose Biodegradation Enzymology of Lignin and Cellulose Degradation Biodegradation of Xenobiotic Compounds Biomethanation: A New Technique for Production of Electric Power Glossary References Index