Probablistic models are becoming increasingly important in analyzing the huge amount of data being produced by large-scale DNA-sequencing efforts such... as the Human Genome Project. For example, hidden Markov models are used for analyzing biological sequences, linguistic-grammar-based probabilistic models for identifying RNA secondary structure, and probabilistic evolutionary models for inferring phylogenies of sequences from different organisms. This book gives a unified, up-to-date and self-contained account, with a Bayesian slant, of such methods, and more generally to probabilistic methods of sequence analysis. Written by an interdisciplinary team of authors, it is accessible to molecular biologists, computer scientists, and mathematicians with no formal knowledge of the other fields, and at the same time presents the state of the art in this new and important field.

This inter-disciplinary guide to the thermodynamics of living organisms has been thoroughly revised and updated to provide a uniquely integrated... overview of the subject. Retaining its highly readable style, it will serve as an introduction to the study of energy transformation in the life sciences and particularly as an accessible means for biology, biochemistry and bioengineering undergraduate students to acquaint themselves with the physical dimension of their subject. The emphasis throughout the text is on understanding basic concepts and developing problem-solving skills. The mathematical difficulty increases gradually by chapter, but no calculus is required. Topics covered include energy and its transformation, the First Law of Thermodynamics, Gibbs free energy, statistical thermodynamics, binding equilibria and reaction kinetics. Each chapter comprises numerous illustrative examples taken from different areas of biochemistry, as well as a broad range of exercises and references for further study.

Following in the footsteps of previous highly successful and useful editions, Biological Wastewater Treatment, Third Edition presents the theoretical... principles and design procedures for biochemical operations used in wastewater treatment processes. It reflects important changes and advancements in the field, such as a revised treatment of the microbiology and kinetics of nutrient removal and an update of the simulation of biological phosphorous removal with a more contemporary model. See what’s new in the Third Edition: A chapter devoted to the description and simulation of anaerobic bioreactors Coverage of applications of submerged attached growth bioreactors Expanded discussion of modeling attached growth systems Increased information on the fate and effects of trace contaminants as they relate to xenobiotic organic chemicals A chapter on applying biochemical unit operations to design systems for greater sustainability The book describes named biochemical operations in terms of treatment objectives, biochemical environment, and reactor configuration; introduces the format and notation used throughout the text; and presents the basic stoichiometry and kinetics of microbial reactions that are key to quantitative descriptions of biochemical operations. It then examines the stoichiometry and kinetics used to investigate the theoretical performance of biological reactors containing microorganisms suspended in the wastewater. The authors apply this theory to the operations introduced, taking care to highlight the practical constraints that ensure system functionality in the real world. The authors focus on further biochemical operations in which microorganisms grow attached to solid surfaces, adding complexity to the analysis, even though the operations are often simpler in application. They conclude with a look to the future, introducing the fate and effects of xenobiotic and trace contaminants in wastewater treatment systems and examining how the application of biochemical operations can lead to a more sustainable world.

Until the events of September 11 and the anthrax attacks of 2001, biological weapons had never been a major public concern in the United States. Today,... the possibility of their use by terrorists against Western states looms large as an international security concern. In Biological Weapons, Jeanne Guillemin provides a highly accessible and compelling account of the circumstances under which scientists, soldiers, and statesmen were able to mobilize resources for extensive biological weapons programs and also analyzes why such weapons, targeted against civilians, were never used in a major conflict. This book is essential for understanding the relevance of the historical restraints placed on the use of biological weapons for today's world. It serves as an excellent introduction to the problems biological weapons pose for contemporary policymakers and public officials, particularly in the United States. How can we best deter the use of such weapons? What are the resulting policies of the Department of Homeland Security? How can we constrain proliferation? Jeanne Guillemin wisely points out that these are vitally important questions for all Americans to consider and investigate -- all the more so because the development of these weapons has been carried out under a veil of secrecy, with their frightening potential open to exploitation by the media and government. Public awareness through education can help calm fears in today's tension-filled climate and promote constructive political action to reduce the risks of a biological weapons catastrophe. Biological Weapons is required reading for every concerned citizen, government policymaker, public health official, and national security analyst who wants to understand this complex and timely issue.

Written by industry experts and officials at the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) and the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research... (CDER), this book provides a comprehensive review of FDA's emerging processes for regulating and approving biological products. An extensive examination of FDA's regulation of biologic products, from preclinical testing to postmarketing regulatory requirements and from user fees to electronic submissions is presented. It also evaluates the consolidation and transfer of specific biologic product reviews from CBER to CDER.