Biological Systems under Extreme Conditions: Structure and Function / Edition 1

by Y. Taniguchi, H.E. Stanley, H. Ludwig

Overview

Biological systems are regulated by the thermodynamic parameters of pressure and temperature. With the help of new spectroscopic methods it is now possible to study the structure and function of such systems under extreme pressures and temperatures. This book described the resulting theory and applications of these pressure and temperature effects. The subjects covered include the use of high pressure in food processing and even the theory of the origin and evolution of life. Readers exploring the world of biology in extreme environments will find this book particularly useful.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783540659921
Publisher:	Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Publication date:	12/06/2001
Series:	Biological and Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering
Edition description:	2002
Pages:	283
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.03(d)

Table of Contents

1 Liquid Water at Low Temperature: Clues for Biology?.- 2 Ab Initio Theoretical Study of Water: Extension to Extreme Conditions.- 3 The Behavior of Proteins Under Extreme Conditions: Physical Concepts and Experimental Approaches.- 4 High-Pressure NMR Spectroscopy of Proteins.- 5 Pressure-Induced Secondary Structure Changes of Proteins Studied by FTIR Spectroscopy.- 6 The Small Angle X-Ray Scattering from Proteins Under Pressure.- 7 Accurate Calculations of Relative Melting Temperatures of Mutant Proteins by Molecular Dynamics/Free Energy Perturbation Methods.- 8 Enzyme Kinetics: Stopped-Flow Under Extreme Conditions.- 9 Pressure Effects on the Intramolecular Electron Transfer Reactions in Hemoproteins.- 10 Marine Microbiology: Deep Sea Adaptations.- 11 Submarine Hydrothermal Vents as Possible Sites of the Origin of Life.- 12 The Effect of Hydrostatic Pressure on the Survival of Microorganisms.- 13 Dynamics of Cell Structure by Pressure Stress in the Fission Yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Editorial Reviews

From the reviews of the first edition:

"The book is a collection of review articles and of highly specialised studies which … will provide useful information and reference lists to those interested in discovering the vast and growing field of biological systems under extreme conditions." (Jean-Pierre Gaspard, Physicalia, Vol. 26 (1), 2004)

"I would perhaps most recommend this book to microbiologists interested in the response of microbes to high pressures and the biochemical basis for this response. Nevertheless it may also be a very useful reference for anyone working on the biology of extreme environments who at some point might need to understand how high pressure affects organisms." (C. S. Cockell, International Journal of Astrobiology, Vol. 2 (1), 2002)

"I found this a most interesting and informative volume. It encompasses the physics of water at low temperature, the behaviour of proteins under extreme pressure as studied by NMR and FTIR spectroscopy and X-ray scattering, melting temperature determination and stopped-flow enzyme kinetics. … Most of the contributors are not microbiologists but physical scientists. As a consequence we learn more about problems … . highly recommended." (David Lloyd, Microbiology Today, Vol. 29, August 2002)

From the Publisher