New Developments in Quorum Sensing Research. Microbial growth affects industries as diverse as agriculture, engineering, and medicine, to name a few. As more precise solutions are needed for modern challenges, researchers must understand the mechanisms of microbial growth. Quorum sensing (QS) is an essential part of microbial growth, and this work contains key areas such as signal molecules; mechanisms of signal transfer, role, and type of signal receptors; quorum quenching; characterization of microbial plasmids in quorum sensing; and novel and underexplored molecules involved in QS, along with therapeutic roles of quorum sensing inhibitors. Researchers in microbiology and biotechnology will find this volume useful.

Biopolymers and Biocatalysis in Sustainable Development. Polymers can play a major role in the pursuit of sustainability and the design of chemical products and processes that are more eco-friendly, biodegradable, and less hazardous. This work explores recent research developments and applications in polymer science and their connections to sustainability and green chemistry. Chapter topics include the use of enzymes for polymers, green sustainable building blocks, and green sustainable films and bioplastics. Scientists, engineers, educators, and students involved or interested in green polymer chemistry and sustainability will find this book useful.

Developing Green Products and Processes. Polymers can play a major role in the pursuit of sustainability and the design of chemical products and processes that are more eco-friendly, biodegradable, and less hazardous. This work explores recent research developments and applications in polymer science and their connections to sustainability and green chemistry. Chapter topics include green sustainable products from plant oils, green processes and materials, green materials for medicine, and green polymer additives. Scientists, engineers, educators, and students involved or interested in green polymer chemistry and sustainability will find this book useful.

Narratives from the Inorganic Laboratory and Community of Scholars. Inorganic chemistry educators are engaged and creative scholars, fervently committed to improving student outcomes. This work provides narratives from practicing inorganic faculty who have developed innovative approaches to teaching at the collegiate level, including broader curriculum issues and connections to the Interactive Online Network of Inorganic Chemists (IONiC) Community of Practice. Chapters in this volume describe creative laboratory experiences and advances in curriculum and faculty community. This work is ideal for faculty and teachers who may not have subscriptions to education journals.

Innovative Perspectives on Teaching Inorganic Chemistry. Inorganic chemistry educators are engaged and creative scholars, fervently committed to improving student outcomes. This work provides narratives from practicing inorganic faculty who have developed original approaches to teaching at the collegiate level, including broader curriculum issues and connections to the Interactive Online Network of Inorganic Chemists (IONiC) Community of Practice. Chapters in this volume emphasize inorganic classrooms, many of which have shifted well beyond the traditional lecture format. This work is ideal for faculty and teachers who may not have subscriptions to education journals.

Case Studies from the Pharmaceutical Industry. Describing the continuum from discovery to development, readers will learn how recent drugs, including grazoprevir, melflufen, relebactam, and tesirine, were developed. This work highlights emerging concepts, new developments, and challenges during the discovery process. Well-known authors from the pharmaceutical industry provide an inside look to traditionally closed-door procedures. Chemists in industry and academia alike will find these accounts valuable.

Nontraditional Careers. Obtaining a degree is the first step of many building blocks that will form your career. In this volume, authors provide engaging and informative perspectives on early career success. Success stories include a number of career paths not normally considered by chemists and chemical engineers of any degree level as they begin their careers. This book is a valuable resource for all first-time job seekers in the chemical sciences, for potential entrepreneurs, and for those who wish to strike out on a new path.

Succeeding in Your First Corporate Job. Obtaining a degree is the first step of many building blocks that will form your career. In this volume, authors provide engaging and informative perspectives on success in industry. Success stories discuss the process of applying for different kinds of positions, common pitfalls for early career chemists, and how to create a plan that will help shape your career development process. This book is a valuable resource for first-time job seekers in chemical sciences and newly hired Ph.D. graduates, as well as new faculty and graduate advisors.

Jump-Start Your Academic Career. Obtaining a degree is the first step of many building blocks that will form your career. In this volume, authors provide engaging and informative perspectives on success in academia and government. Success stories discuss key lessons learned by chemists who have successfully created their own career, including resiliency, networking, leadership, and career advancement. This book is a valuable resource for first-time job seekers in chemical sciences and newly hired Ph.D. graduates, as well as new faculty and graduate advisors.

Developing Professional Chemists. Preparing to enter and navigate the professional world as a chemist or biochemist requires the development of a professional skillset. While many resources exist to help students learn these skills, students are often unaware of their existence or how to use them effectively. This challenge may be more relevant for students from underserved groups, and the lack of resources can be a real disadvantage to their success. In order to increase the accessibility of these services and support students’ development for a productive career, programs should work to integrate and scaffold professional skills experiences within the curriculum. This book explores the current need for professional skills curricula and offers detailed examples, student learning experiences, and assessment methods as well as the resources required for implementation.

New Materials, Techniques, and Technologies. To meet the ever-increasing demands of worldwide energy consumption, new technologies are needed to develop a stable supply of clean and affordable energy. This work explores recent advancements in and applications of materials in energy conversions and fuel utilization, providing the reader with a deeper look into cutting-edge research on energy materials. Chapters provide comprehensive coverage of topics from fundamental research to commercialization, including energy storage and conversion using hydrogen and other carbonaceous fuels, the design, fabrication and mechanistic study of energy materials, and fuel reactor design and reaction processing.

U.S. Patent Law: Twenty Years of Change. As intellectual property plays an increasingly vital role in the modern economy, the Supreme Court has decided issues of patent law at a greater frequency than ever before. In this book, experienced practicing patent lawyers offer an accessible but thorough analysis of the most significant of the Court’s decisions in many key areas of patent law since 2000. In each case, the authors provide a historical narrative and describe the context of the decisions as well as outline or predict their implications for chemists. An introductory chapter provides an overview of the Court’s make-up, function, and role in the U.S. legal system. The book will be of interest to researchers considering careers in patent law, inventors, in-house legal groups, bench scientists looking for a clear summary of a relevant aspect, and expert witnesses in a patent litigation.

Scientific and Legal Perspectives. Engaging in agrochemical research and agribusiness is important and rewarding work, with solutions needed for the global challenges of decreasing agricultural land and increasing demands on the food supplies. Agriculture as we know it is rapidly changing, but the law and regulatory framework have been slow to adapt. New biotechnological advances are constantly emerging, and the resulting agro-products must overcome legal hurdles on their path to the marketplace. This work includes perspectives on intellectual property and the challenges that new agrochemical products face from the marketplace and regulators. Readers will gain an understanding of common challenges, review specific examples, and learn techniques to improve their patents.

New Discoveries and Applications of African Plant Products. African Natural Plant Products, Volume III continues to provide a transdisciplinary approach to connect basic ethnobotanical studies to research that identifies bioactive molecules responsible for the plants’ medicinal and nutritional applications. Section I highlights traditional plant-based medicines from sub-Sahara Africa, section II highlights the natural products’ chemical and biological applications, and section III addresses innovative discoveries, analytical techniques, quality control, adulteration, and health claims. Volume III includes both original research and reviews on ethnobotany, chemistry, biology, and plant products as applies to new applications in foods, health, and nutrition and medicine for those exciting yet under-recognized plants.

Fundamentals and Applications of Single-Atom Catalysts. Over the last five years, tremendous advances have been made in heterogeneous catalysis. In particular, catalysts’ design from the bulk to single-atom scale (0.1 to 0.9 nm), with desirable active sites, has received great attention in current catalysis research with the aim to fill the gap between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. This volume focuses on applications of single-atom catalysts. Articles describe principles of single-atom catalysts as well as applications in biomass conversion, water purification, CO2 upgrading, and other specific reactions. Readers will find examples of catalysts designed to be tunable for specific outcomes, inspiring their research. Scientists and engineers in chemistry, materials science, nanotechnology, and chemical engineering will find this volume useful.

Advances and Applications of Nanosized Catalysts. Over the last five years, tremendous advances have been made in heterogeneous catalysis. In particular, catalysts’ design from the bulk to nano-scale (1 to 100 nm), with desirable active sites, has received great attention in current catalysis research with the aim to fill the gap between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. This volume focuses on applications of nanosized catalysts. Articles describe characterization, synthesis, and applications in biomass conversion, auto-exhaust purification, selective oxidation/hydrogenation, syngas conversion, and other important reactions. Readers will find examples of catalysts designed to be tunable for specific outcomes, inspiring their research. Scientists and engineers in chemistry, materials science, nanotechnology, and chemical engineering will find these volumes useful.

Developments in Nonclassical Crystallization. Crystallization via nonclassical pathways is important during the formation of minerals in nature and has become a popular method to synthesize advanced materials at both lab and industrial scales. Unlike classical crystal growth pathways via monomer-by-monomer addition, crystallization via nonclassical pathways, such as particle-by-particle attachment, can form bigger crystals, faster. Understanding nonclassical crystallization can aid the recognition of geochemical processes in nature and provide new insight into the design and synthesis of novel materials. This book examines topics such as nonclassical nucleation, cluster assembly, particle-based crystallization, crystal formation from amorphous intermedium phases, biomineralization via nonclassical pathways, theoretical developments to simulate nonclassical crystallization, and observation and application of nonclassical crystallization. Experienced researchers can learn more about the development of new techniques, and readers in fields such as energy, catalysis, biomedicine, optics, electrics, and magnetics will find this work useful.

Theoretical, Computational, and Experimental Perspectives. Mechanistic enzymology is the basis of many applications, from drug design to cleaning products. This work offers a timely synopsis of advanced understanding of enzymatic regulation and function. Chapters are authored by both those in traditional protein studies and those challenging paradigms, bridging disconnected fields, and presenting a unified view of enzyme mechanisms. Biochemists, structural biologists, and other researchers working with enzymes will find this work useful. Each chapter is written to maximize accessibility to students and bridge developed theory with current scientific literature. This work serves as a valuable teaching tool to introduce foundational topics to students, bridging distantly connected fields toward the presentation of a unified view of enzyme mechanism.

Implications of a Landmark Work. Paul Flory’s “Statistical Mechanics of Chain Molecules” continues to provide crucial guidance for contemporary efforts to understand, manipulate, and design materials and biomolecular systems. Accurate modeling of polymer conformations has facilitated molecular-level design of materials with specific properties or biological functions. This work presents the history behind Flory’s book and provides examples of establishing realistic polymer structure property relations made possible by its lessons. Researchers in basic and applied polymer research will find these chapters useful.

Self-Assembling Systems and Applications. Molecular assemblies in bulk and at oil–water and air–water interfaces are key phenomena widely employed for many applications. This work presents recent advances in this field relevant to diverse applications such as drug and nucleic acid delivery, rheological control to facilitate oil thickening, stability of emulsions, formation of hydrogels, stability of latex dispersions, topical creams, food emulsifiers, chemical separations and catalysis, and responsive functional materials. Readers will benefit from an overview of the research frontier, gain a fundamental understanding of self-assembly at the molecular scale, and appreciate connections to the diversity of industrial applications.