An Introduction to Metabolic and Cellular Engineering

Metabolic and cellular engineering, as presented in this book, is an alliance of two technologies: genetics-molecular biology and fermentation technology. Both are driven by continuous refinement of the basic understanding of metabolism, physiology and cellular biology (growth, division, differentiation), as well as the development of new mathematical modelling techniques. The authors' approach integrates several disciplines into a co-ordinated scheme: microbial physiology and bioenergetics; thermodynamics and enzyme kinetics; biomathematics and biochemistry; genetics and molecular biology. Thus, it is called a transdisciplinary approach (TDA). The TDA provides the basis for the rational design of micro-organisms or cells. This book should be of interest to undergraduates, graduates and researchers in biomedical engineering, biochemistry and biotechnology.