Overview
- Provides parameters to obtain antibiotics for resistant diseases
- Includes even more reasons to preserve existing ecosystems
- Shows how economic and societal benefits can be obtained for all
Part of the book series: Topics in Biodiversity and Conservation (TOBC, volume 16)
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About this book
This book considers all aspects of bioprospecting in 14 succinct chapters and a forward by David Hawksworth. The organisms addressed include plants, insects, fungi, bacteria and phages. Bioprospecting has never been more relevant and is of renewed interest, because of the extremely worrying rise in novel, resistant pathogenic microorganisms. The practices in pharmaceutical companies have failed to deliver novel antibiotics to control these infections. We need to look for new sources of drugs from the environment on a massive scale as drug discovery is “too important to fail”. Furthermore, the field can add great value to ecosystems in terms of economics, while providing additional reasons for maintaining associated services, such as food provision, benign climate, effective nutrient cycling and cultural practices. Bioprospecting provides another reason why climate change must be reduced in order to preserve relevant environments. Previous bioprospecting projects should be re-visited and established biodiversity centres have a major role. Many different ecosystems exist which contain unique organisms with the potential to supply novel antibiotics, enzymes, food, and cosmetics, or they may simply have aesthetic value. The book stresses the difficulties in obtaining successful products and yet describes why natural products should be investigated over combinatorial chemistry. Personal experience of bioprospecting projects are given significance. Issues such as how to share the benefits equitably with local communities are described and why pharmaceutical companies can be reluctant to be involved. Legal issues are discussed. Finally, there has never been a better time for a new book on bioprospecting, because of the need to preserve ecosystems, and from the emergence of resistant pathogenic microorganisms.
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Keywords
Table of contents (14 chapters)
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Front Matter
Editors and Affiliations
About the editors
Editors:
Dr. Russell Paterson, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
Dr. Nelson Lima, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
Dr. Russell Paterson, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
Dr. Nelson Lima, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Bioprospecting
Book Subtitle: Success, Potential and Constraints
Editors: Russell Paterson, Nelson Lima
Series Title: Topics in Biodiversity and Conservation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47935-4
Publisher: Springer Cham
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life Sciences, Biomedical and Life Sciences (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer International Publishing AG 2017
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-47933-0Published: 21 December 2016
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-83863-2Published: 30 April 2018
eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-47935-4Published: 12 December 2016
Series ISSN: 1875-1288
Series E-ISSN: 1875-1296
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: X, 303
Number of Illustrations: 25 b/w illustrations, 19 illustrations in colour
Topics: Biodiversity, Environmental Law/Policy/Ecojustice, Sustainable Development, Biotechnology