Volumes are organized topically and provide a comprehensive discussion of developments in the respective field over the past 3-5 years. The series also discusses new discoveries and applications. Special volumes are dedicated to selected topics which focus on new biotechnological products and new processes for their synthesis and purification. In general, special volumes are edited by well-known guest editors. The series editor and publisher will however always be pleased to receive suggestions and supplementary information. Manuscripts are accepted in English.

Today, biosensors are broadly applied in research, clinical diagnosis and monitoring, as well as in pharmaceutical, environmental or food analysis. In this work, the author presents the essentials that advanced students and researchers need to know in order to make full use of this technology. This includes a description of biochemical recognition elements, such as enzymes, antibodies, aptamers or even whole cells. Various signal transducers such as electrochemical and optical transducers, luminescence devices and advanced techniques such as quartz crystal microbalances and MEMS systems are covered as well. Current applications are introduced through various case studies, rounded out by a forward-looking chapter on the prospects for biosensor development offered by nanotechnology, lab-on-a-chip, and biomimetic systems.

In The Aptamer Handbook, leading scientists from academia as well as biotech and pharma companies introduce the revolutionary concept of designing RNA and DNA oligonucleotides with novel functions by in vitro selection. These functions comprise high affinity binding (aptamers), catalytic activity (ribozymes and deoxyribozymes) or combinations of binding and catalytic properties (aptazymes). Basic concepts and technologies describing in detail how these functional oligonucleotides can be identified are presented. Numerous examples demonstrate the versatility of in vitro selected oligonucleotides. Special emphasis has been put on a section that shows the broad applicability of aptamers, e. g. in target validation, for analytics, or as new therapeutics. This first overview in the field is of prime interest for a broad audience of scientists both in academia and in industry who wish to expand their knowledge on the potential of new oligonucleotide functions and their applications.

Electrochemical Biosensors summarizes fundamentals and trends in electrochemical biosensing. It introduces readers to the principles of transducing biological information to measurable electrical signals to identify and quantify organic and inorganic substances in samples. The complexity of devices related to biological matrices makes this challenging, but this measurement and analysis are critically valuable in biotechnology and medicine. Electrochemical biosensors combine the sensitivity of electroanalytical methods with the inherent bioselectivity of the biological component. Some of these sensor devices have reached the commercial stage and are routinely used in clinical, environmental, industrial and agricultural applications. Describes several electrochemical methods used as detection techniques with biosensors Discusses different modifiers, including nanomaterials, for preparing suitable pathways for immobilizing biomaterials at the sensor Explains various types of signal monitoring, along with several recognition systems, including antibodies/antigens, DNA-based biosensors, aptamers (protein-based), and more

This book shows the various sandwich assays that are constructed from recognition molecules, such as antibodies, oligonucleotide sequences and aptamers, developed as a result of nano- and biotechnology advances. It consists of ten chapters presenting interesting examples of these assays, organized according to the type of analytic methods (colorimetric, fluorescence, electrochemical, etc.) and detected objects (protein, nucleic acid, small-molecule, ion, etc.). It also includes a chapter discussing the introduction of sandwich assays as biosensors for the detection of a range of targets. It is an interesting and useful resource for a wide readership in various fields of chemical science and nanotechnology.

Ribozymes Provides comprehensive coverage of a core field in the molecular biosciences, bringing together decades of knowledge from the world’s top professionals in the field Timely and unique in its breadth of content, this all-encompassing and authoritative reference on ribozymes documents the great diversity of nucleic acid-based catalysis. It integrates the knowledge gained over the past 35 years in the field and features contributions from virtually every leading expert on the subject. Ribozymes is organized into six major parts. It starts by describing general principles and strategies of nucleic acid catalysis. It then introduces naturally occurring ribozymes and includes the search for new catalytic motifs or novel genomic locations of known motifs. Next, it covers the development and design of engineered ribozymes, before moving on to DNAzymes as a close relative of ribozymes. The next part examines the use of ribozymes for medicinal and environmental diagnostics, as well as for therapeutic tools. It finishes with a look at the tools and methods in ribozyme research, including the techniques and assays for structural and functional characterization of nucleic acid catalysts. The first reference to tie together all aspects of the multi-faceted field of ribozymes Features more than 30 comprehensive chapters in two volumes Covers the chemical principles of RNA catalysis; naturally occurring ribozymes, engineered ribozymes; DNAzymes; ribozymes as tools in diagnostics and therapy, and tools and methods to study ribozymes Includes first-hand accounts of concepts, techniques, and applications by a team of top international experts from leading academic institutions Dedicates half of its content to methods and practical applications, ranging from bioanalytical tools to medical diagnostics to therapeutics Ribozymes is an unmatched resource for all biochemists, biotechnologists, molecular biologists, and bioengineers interested in the topic.

Volume I provides an in-depth discussion of the most recent developments of crucical biosensor components. It concentrates on the interface between the analyte phase and the detector, namely, the implementation of novel recognition elements, including nucleic acids, and of leading-edge technology in the construction of responsive thin layers. Thus, the reader can obtain a foretaste of achievable future progress in the field.