Biotechnology of Biopolymers, 2 Vols.

LIGNIN AND COAL
Synthesis of lignin in transgenic and mutant plants (J. Dean, USA)
Biotechnological applications of lignin-degrading fungi (G. Scott, USA; M. Akhtar, USA)
Biotechnological conversion of coals into upgraded products (H. Meyrahn, Germany; A. Steinbüchel, Germany)
POLYISOPRENOIDS
Biochemistry of natural rubber and structure of latex (R. Wititsuwannakul; D. Wititsuwannakul, Thailand)
Biotechnological processes for recycling of rubber products (O. Holst, Sweden)
Biotechnological processes for desulfurization of rubber products (O. Holst, Sweden)
POLYESTERS
Metabolic pathways and engineering of PHA biosynthesis (K. Taguchi et al., Japan)
Metabolic flux analysis on the production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (S.Y. Lee et al. Korea)
Fermentative production of SCL-PHAs (S.Y. Lee, S.J. Park, Korea)
Fermentative production of Medium-chain-length Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (R.A. Weusthuis et al. The Netherlands)
Biosynthesis and fermentative production of SCL-MCL-PHAs (S.Y. Lee, S.J. Park, Korea)
Production of Polyhydroxyalkanoates in transgenic plants (Y. Poirier, Switzerland, K.J. Gruys, USA)
Fermentative production of building blocks for chemical synthesis of polyesters (S.Y. Lee et al. Korea)
POLYSACCHARIDES
Bacterial cellulose (S. Bielecki, et al., Poland)
Bioemulsans: Surface-active polysaccharide-containing complexes (E. Rosenberg, E.Z. Ron, Israel)
Curdlan (I.-Y. Lee, Korea)
Succinoglycan (M. Stredansky, Italy)
Alginates from bacteria (B.H.A. Rehm, Germany)
Xanthan (K. Born et al., France)
Dextran (T.D. Leathers, USA)
Levan (S.-K. Rhee et al., Korea)
Hyaluronan (P. Prehm, Germany)
Exopolysaccharides of lactic acid bacteria (I. Hallemeersch, et al., Belgium)
Scleroglucan (I. Giavasis et al. Glasgow, UK)
Schizophyllan (U. Rau, Germany)
Alginates from algae (K.I. Draget et al., Norway)
POLYAMIDES AND COMPLEX PROTEINACEOUS MATERIALS
Cyanophycin (F.B. Oppermann-Sanio, A. Steinbüchel, Germany)
Poly-gamma-glutamic Acid (M. Ashiuchi,

Since 1994 Alexander Steinbüchel has been Full Professor of Microbiology and Director of the Institute for Microbiology at the University of Münster. He completed his doctoral studies at the University of Göttingen in 1983. In 1985 he spent one year at the Rockefeller University New York and in 1992 he received the Philip Morris Research Award. Alexander Steinbüchel has over 250 publications to his name and has organized several symposia focusing on biopolymers. He is Editor-in-Chief of the journal Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology and member on the editorial boards of Microbiology, FEMS Microbiology, Macromolecular Bioscience, Biomacromolecules and Journal of Environmental Polymer Degradation.

Yoshiharu Doi is Professor at the Department of Innovative and Engineered Materials, Tokyo Institute of Technology and Director of Polymer Chemistry Laboratory, RIKEN Institute, Japan. In 1975 he received his PhD in chemical engineering from the Tokyo Institute of Technology. From 1970 to 1983 he studied the stereospecific polymerization of alpha-olefins with Ziegler-type catalysts. He also discovered the first example of a living coordination polymerization of propene. Since 1984 he has been studying biosynthesis and material properties of biodegradable polyesters and biobased polymers. His group published 400 original research papers, 180 reviews and 35 book chapters. He is an editorial board member of five international journals and has organized five international conferences.

"... this handbook contains the very best from the field of biotechnologically produced biopolymers, with articles taken directly from Alexander Steinbüchel's successful series. "
-- FIZ Karlsruhe, zur Aufnahme in die Datenbank Apollit

"As complements to the other parts of this series, these two books are the best reference for anyone working on this subject and should not be missing from libraries at universities, research institutes and the industry."
-- Engineering in Life Sciences