Skip to main content

Books in Agricultural and biological sciences

The Agricultural and Biological Sciences collection advances science-based knowledge for the improvement of animal and plant life and for secure food systems that produce nutritious, novel, sustainable foods with minimal environmental impact. Food Science titles include not only those products from agriculture but all other aspects from food production to nutrition, health and safety, chemistry to security, policy, law and regulation. Biological Sciences address animal behaviour and biodiversity, organismal and evolutionary biology, entomology, marine biology and aquaculture, plant science and forestry.

  • Insect Proteins as Sustainable Food Ingredients

    Nutrition, Processing and Consumer Acceptance
    • 1st Edition
    • Ronghai He
    • English
    In the quest for sustainable food solutions alternative to traditional proteins, insects are emerging as a compelling option. Insect Proteins as Sustainable Food Ingredients: Nutrition, Processing and Consumer Acceptance, explores the nutritional composition of various insect species from around the world such as the black soldier fly, cricket, mealworm and silkworm, and sheds light on their high protein, low-carbon, low emission, sustainable environmental benefits while providing insight into nutrition and health. With consumers more likely to eat processed insect products rather than whole body insects, Insect Proteins as Sustainable Food Ingredients: Nutrition, Processing and Consumer Acceptance, examines insect protein extract as a raw materials and how it can significantly reduce consumers’ negative perception of insects as a food source. Experts in the filed introduce readers to the production and processing of insect protein flours, concentrates, isolates and hydrolysates and highlight the defatting, grinding, purification, drying and extraction technologies for insect proteins to be used for product innovation. Also addressed are flavor and sensory properties and ways to measure consumer acceptance of insect-based products. The book concludes by reviewing potential safety and allergy concerns and provides suggestions on how to establish a food safety regulatory framework.
  • Bioplastics for Food Packaging

    Materials, Procedures, and Applications
    • 1st Edition
    • Mehran Ghasemlou + 1 more
    • English
    Bioplastics for Food Packaging: Materials, Procedures, and Applications offers a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals and recent developments in the field of bioplastics tailored specifically for food packaging applications. Covering critical topics such as the environmental impact of plastic waste and the regulatory landscape driving the adoption of bioplastics in the food industry, this book discusses the unique benefits and drawbacks associated with different types of bioplastics. It explores practical applications of bioplastic flexible films, containers, coatings, and more, and showcases real-world success stories and industry insights.This is a valuable reference for those looking to understand the application of bioplastics in the food industry and stay updated on the latest trends and innovations in bioplastics for food packaging purposes.
  • Innovations for Sustainable Agriculture

    From Lab to Farm to Table
    • 1st Edition
    • Katarzyna Chojnacka + 1 more
    • English
    Mixed crop-livestock systems offer promising strategies for sustainable farming. Innovations for Sustainable Agriculture: From Lab to Farm to Table details solutions for mitigating agricultural waste, such as carbon emissions and chemical runoff, and creating a circular economy on mixed farms. In addition to covering potential solutions, the book will analyze the effectiveness of each strategy in protecting the environment from harm. Notable topics covered include manure management, agricultural waste valorization, wastewater and resource recovery, and even dairy cow feed for lowering methane production.While the book is based primarily on the climates and farming systems of Europe, the climactic diversity of the continent will make this a useful resource for many other parts of the world with similar climates, including North America and portions of South America, Asia, and Oceana. Innovations for Sustainable Agriculture: From Lab to Farm to Table offers practical strategies and solutions to readers and will benefit audience members ranging from students and researchers to farmers and agricultural stakeholders.
  • Nitric Oxide in Plant Resilience to Abiotic Stress

    • 1st Edition
    • Ravi Gupta + 2 more
    • English
    Nitric Oxide in Plant Resilience to Abiotic Stress offers a detailed examination of this essential gasotransmitter’s pivotal role in bolstering plant defenses against environmental stressors. Part of the Plant Gasotransmitters and Molecules with Hormonal Activity series, the volume investigates the molecular mechanisms of nitric oxide (NO) biosynthesis and signaling, emphasizing how post-translational modifications like S-nitrosylation and tyrosine nitration govern key targets to activate adaptive stress responses. It systematically examines NO’s properties, detection techniques, and its regulation under both optimal and adverse conditions, providing a comprehensive understanding of how it modulates plant functions.Expanding beyond fundamental processes, the volume highlights NO’s crucial involvement across a spectrum of abiotic stresses—drought, salinity, temperature extremes, heavy metals, and UV radiation—unveiling its capacity to mitigate damage and strengthen plant resilience. It also discusses the crosstalk between NO and other signaling molecules, such as phytohormones and emerging growth regulators, revealing synergistic pathways that underpin sustainable agriculture.Designed for researchers, advanced students, and plant scientists worldwide, this work illuminates the potential of NO to drive innovations in breeding strategies, enabling crop improvement to overcome the challenges posed by a changing climate and expanding environmental pressures.
  • Fermented Foods in Health and Disease Prevention

    • 2nd Edition
    • Juana Frías + 2 more
    • English
    Fermented Foods in Health and Disease Prevention, Second Edition examines the significance of fermented foods to public health. The book presents the latest scientific evidence, showing the health-promoting components produced upon fermentation from a diversity of food matrices. The content includes the definition and characterization of traditional and innovative fermented foods, their mechanisms of action, and the evidence for effects on health and disease in humans. Putative health effects associated with direct interactions between the ingested live microorganisms and the host (probiotic effect), or indirectly, through ingestion of microbial metabolites and products of fermentation (biogenic effect) are discussed.This book will provide the food industry with new insights on the development of value-added fermentation, while also presenting nutritionists and dieticians with a useful resource to help them develop strategies to assist in the prevention of disease or to slow its onset and severity.
  • Resource Evaluation and Deep Processing of Edible Insects

    • 1st Edition
    • Jun Wang + 1 more
    • English
    Resource Evaluation and Deep Processing of Edible Insects: Silk peptide and protein for advanced applications presents the latest progress in the processing, analysis, and application of edible insect resources, mainly focusing on the resource evaluation and deep processing methods to retrieve valuable products from the constituents of the by-products of edible insects. The book combines discursive chapters that bring the latest in resource evaluation, with discussions on novel extraction techniques, biological approaches, microbial transformations, green chemistry and microfluidic technologies. It also covers analytical and biological systems, step-by-step and readily reproducible biological and chemical protocols for analyzing edible insect resources.Edible insect resources as raw materials for the food industry for sustainability are also outlined in this book. These techniques support the latest progress in cross-disciplinary research that integrates the different scales of biotechnological and biological complexity. Edited by a team of experts in the field, this book is an excellent resource for researchers with a background in biotechnology, biological and chemical engineering, agriculture, and food chemistry, and covers a broad range of topics in agriculture sustainability and food production.
  • Saving Songbirds

    Imperatives of Conservation in a Changing World
    • 1st Edition
    • Stefania Casagrande + 2 more
    • English
    Saving Songbirds: Imperatives of Conservation in a Changing World is a timely work that delves into the complexities of songbird conservation. Central chapters discuss the physiological and behavioral adaptations of songbirds to modern stressors such as climate-driven threats. The book bridges gaps in current knowledge and introduces fresh perspectives on songbird conservation and scientific research, offering actionable advice and strategies for conservationists, policymakers, and scientists and providing a unique resource for university courses, ranging from ecology to environmental policy. Its structured layout and comprehensive scope make it suitable for diverse academic levels, from undergraduate to postgraduate studies.The book concludes with a look to the future of songbird populations and the landscape of management and conservation opportunities to protect these critical species.
  • Advancing Sustainable Agriculture Through Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi

    • 1st Edition
    • Allah Ditta + 2 more
    • English
    Advancing Sustainable Agriculture Through Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi provides a comprehensive view of AMF-focused approaches that support biodiversity, ecosystem services, and soil health. The book addresses the topic from the basis of symbiosis to the latest research and future directions of AMF use in agriculture. It provides a thorough overview of the role that AM fungi play in promoting agricultural sustainability and synthesizes current knowledge on the biology, ecology, and applications of AM fungi in sustainable agriculture, highlighting best practices for promoting AM fungi in agricultural ecosystems, such as crop selection, soil management, and fertilizer use. In addition, the book identifies research gaps and priorities for the advancement of the understanding of AM fungi in sustainable agriculture. Among the major issues confronting agriculture are soil erosion, water shortages, climate change, and dwindling biodiversity. In response to these issues, the need for sustainable farming methods that support ecosystem services, biodiversity, and soil health is rising. As the soil microbiome is largely composed of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, which are essential for preserving soil health and encouraging plant development, this book is a welcomed resource.
  • Intelligent Gene Editing in Plants

    The Convergence of AI and CRISPR
    • 1st Edition
    • Aftab Ahmad + 3 more
    • English
    Intelligent Gene Editing in Plants analyzes how AI-enabled design and CRISPR-based genome engineering are reshaping plant genetics, with a clear functional focus on delivering durable gains in crop productivity, stress tolerance, and nutritional quality.The work unfolds in three parts: [i] a foundational survey of genome-editing technologies and the evolving role of AI in precise trait modifications and outcome prediction; [ii] a thorough exploration of applications and synergies, including AI-assisted gRNA optimization, off-target mitigation, regulatory-network analysis, and trait enhancement for disease resistance and climate resilience; and [iii] an emerging-horizons section on cis-regulatory edits, omics integration, synthetic biology, and next-generation editing.Throughout, the volume interweaves practical experiences, cutting-edge methodologies, and case studies, alongside discussions of biosafety, ethical concerns, governance, and public perception, providing a holistic, decision-ready resource for students, researchers, practitioners, and regulatory authorities to navigate the opportunities and responsibilities of plant gene editing, with significant implications for sustainable agriculture and global food security.
  • Alternatives to Antibiotics for Sustainable Aquaculture

    • 1st Edition
    • Baskaralingam Vaseeharan + 2 more
    • English
    Alternatives to Antibiotics in Sustainable Aquaculture explores issues associated with antimicrobial use and available alternatives to support aquatic animal health. The book unveils the issues related to antimicrobial use and offers alternative approaches to foster a more sustainable global aquaculture industry. These approaches encompass natural-based antibiotic substitutes, antimicrobial peptides, probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics, as well as immunostimulants and feed additives. Additionally, chemical alternatives, vaccines, bacteriophages, quorum quenching, and antibiofilm approaches are explored. The future of aquatic animal health is covered through the lens of novel technologies, including genomic and metabolomic approaches, nanotechnology, and nanobubble methods.This book provides insightful knowledge for individuals from both academic and private sectors, as well as policymakers and regulators. The knowledge gathered in this book is intended to positively guide aquaculture supply chains toward a sustainable transformation of the industry.