Biotechnology of Blood presents research on applications of biotechnology to blood and its components. The book is organized into four parts. Part I begins with an overview of the blood business in order to provide background of the industry, to identify problems, and perhaps some solutions that rely on the scientific advances made possible by biotechnology. This is followed by studies on the storage and preservation of red blood cells; autologous blood salvage procedures; the development procedures to provide a constant supply of blood group O; and the development of blood substitutes. Part II on plasma fractions includes studies on the preparation of plasma fractions, recombinant antihemophilic factors, and fibrinogen. Part III on the regulation of blood cell products includes studies such as hematopoietic stem cell processing and storage; and long-term bone marrow cell cultures. Part IV on blood-borne diseases examines the inactivation of viruses found with plasma proteins and viruses found with cellular components.

This symposium is devoted to Biotechnology in Blood Transfusion; there are 22 experts discussing the state of the art in the application of monoclonal anti bodies, recombinant DNA technologies and heterologous expression systems to the improvement and sometimes replacement of blood products, charac terization of blood constituents, and the effect of these developments on blood transfusion procedures. Ten and maybe five years ago the title of a symposium such as this would have been Biosciences in blood transfusion, informing what basic developments in molecular biology, biochemistry and human physiology might pertain to blood transfusion in the distant future. That future is getting closer, and not only one is interested in basic developments in immunology, recognition and identification of viral and bacterial components and products, tissue and blood bloodgroup blood group typing, typing, but also in the potential application of these developments and their economic perspectives. That is what biotechnology is all alI about: basic science telIs tells us where and how we might look for new technologies, and the development of such tech nologies is only possible if there is a perspective for improvement in quality, safety, acceptance or performance to cost ratio.

This symposium is devoted to Biotechnology in Blood Transfusion; there are 22 experts discussing the state of the art in the application of monoclonal anti bodies, recombinant DNA technologies and heterologous expression systems to the improvement and sometimes replacement of blood products, charac terization of blood constituents, and the effect of these developments on blood transfusion procedures. Ten and maybe five years ago the title of a symposium such as this would have been Biosciences in blood transfusion, informing what basic developments in molecular biology, biochemistry and human physiology might pertain to blood transfusion in the distant future. That future is getting closer, and not only one is interested in basic developments in immunology, recognition and identification of viral and bacterial components and products, tissue and blood bloodgroup blood group typing, typing, but also in the potential application of these developments and their economic perspectives. That is what biotechnology is all alI about: basic science telIs tells us where and how we might look for new technologies, and the development of such tech nologies is only possible if there is a perspective for improvement in quality, safety, acceptance or performance to cost ratio.

Biotechnology of Blood presents research on applications of biotechnology to blood and its components. The book is organized into four parts. Part I begins with an overview of the blood business in order to provide background of the industry, to identify problems, and perhaps some solutions that rely on the scientific advances made possible by biotechnology. This is followed by studies on the storage and preservation of red blood cells; autologous blood salvage procedures; the development procedures to provide a constant supply of blood group O; and the development of blood substitutes. Part II on plasma fractions includes studies on the preparation of plasma fractions, recombinant antihemophilic factors, and fibrinogen. Part III on the regulation of blood cell products includes studies such as hematopoietic stem cell processing and storage; and long-term bone marrow cell cultures. Part IV on blood-borne diseases examines the inactivation of viruses found with plasma proteins and viruses found with cellular components.

Blood-sucking insects are the vectors of many of the most debilitating parasites of man and his domesticated animals. In addition they are of considerable direct cost to the agricultural industry through losses in milk and meat yields, and through damage to hides and wool, etc. So, not surprisingly, many books of medical and veterinary entomology have been written. Most of these texts are organized taxonomically giving the details of the life-cycles, bionomics, relationship to disease and economic importance of each of the insect groups in turn. I have taken a different approach. This book is topic led and aims to discuss the biological themes which are common in the lives of blood-sucking insects. To do this I have concentrated on those aspects of the biology of these fascinating insects which have been clearly modified in some way to suit the blood-sucking habit. For example, I have discussed feeding and digestion in some detail because feeding on blood presents insects with special problems, but I have not discussed respiration because it is not affected in any particular way by haematophagy. Naturally there is a subjective element in the choice of topics for discussion and the weight given to each. I hope that I have not let my enthusiasm for particular subjects get the better of me on too many occasions and that the subject material achieves an overall balance.