RSC Books Blog

Now Published!

Advanced Renewable Energy Sources

Written by G.N. Tiwari and R.K. Mishra

An adequate and secure supply of energy is essential in almost every aspect of our daily lives, but this needs to be achieved with minimum adverse environmental impact.

Advanced Renewable Energy Sources is an up-to-date and authoritative textbook on new technological and scientific developments in renewable energy sources. The book will be essential reading for senior undergraduates and/or postgraduates on elective energy courses in engineering, chemistry, physics and materials science.

Topics covered include a general introduction to advanced renewable energy sources, solar energy, photovoltaic and photovoltaic thermal systems, biofuels, biopower, hydropower, wind energy, geothermal, ocean thermal, tidal, wave and animal energy, the sustainable environment, energy and exergy analysis and the economics of renewable energy.

http://www.rsc.org/shop/books/2011/9781849733809.asp

Now Published in the Issues in Toxicology Series

Biomarkers and Human Biomonitoring

Edited by Lisbeth E. Knudsen and Domenico Franco Merlo

Human biomonitoring has developed from a research tool in occupational and environmental health to identify and quantify exposure to harmful substances. The analytical methods for detection of substances in biological media have been considerably improved with smaller detection limits and more precise and specific measurements. Human biomonitoring is a valuable tool in exposure estimation of selected populations and is currently used in surveillance programs all over the world.

This two-volume handbook provides an overview of current available biomarkers and human biomonitoring programs in environmental health, which is timely given the present debate on adverse health effects from environmental exposures. The books describe both previous and ongoing studies as well as the newer biomarkers of exposure and effects.

http://www.rsc.org/shop/books/2011/9781849731249.asp

Now Published in the RSC Energy and Environment Series

Molecular Solar Fuels

Edited by Thomas J. Wydrzynski and Warwick Hillier

World demand for energy is rapidly increasing and projections suggest that energy consumption will more than double by the year 2050. The challenge we face today is how to develop carbon-neutral energy sources. Sunlight accounts for the largest energy input into the earth’s surface providing more energy in one hour than all of the energy consumed by the entire planet in one year. If sunlight could be captured and efficiently stored, such as in the chemical bonds of a molecular fuel then potentially a virtually unlimited supply of clean energy would be available.

In the quest for clean, energy-rich fuels we must take advantage of natural photosynthetic and hydrogenase systems, by adapting the energy conserving principles of nature. To achieve this goal cutting-edge photochemical conversion technologies and breakthroughs in the understanding of natural photosynthetic and hydrogen producing systems are essential.

In this exemplary new book on molecular solar fuels the editors present recent progress in this area of research by bringing together researchers working on natural systems with those developing synthetic chemical catalysts with the central aim of creating clean, high energy fuels driven by sunlight.

http://www.rsc.org/shop/books/2011/9781849730341.asp

Now Published in the Issues in Toxicology Series

Hormone-Disruptive Chemical Contaminants in Food

Edited by Ingemar Pongratz and Linda Vikstrom Bergander

Today we are surrounded by a multitude of different chemicals that are essential components of our everyday life. As a consequence there are various hazardous substances like dioxins, phthalates and flame retardants circulating in the environment. These have an impact on ecosystems, wildlife and possibly human health. In recent years the phenomenon called endocrine disruption has raised considerable concern.

In this exemplary new book the authors discuss the scientific basis of this issue using epidemiological and experimental in vitro and in vivo data about chemicals targeting the hormonal systems. It also provides an up-to-date review of international initiatives including (high throughput screening, use of model organisms and in silico applications) aiming to screen, detect and functionally test these chemicals.

The authors are highly experienced academics and acknowledged experts with both multidisciplinary and international expertise. The book provides and in depth review of this current field of food safety research describing many of the ‘hot topics’ currently under debate.

http://www.rsc.org/shop/books/2011/9781849731898.asp

Now Published in the RSC Drug Discovery Series

Pharmaceutical Salts and Co-crystals

Edited by Johan Wouters and Luc Quere

Multi-component crystalline materials have received renewed interest in recent years mainly due to their importance in the pharmaceutical industry. Indeed these multi-component crystalline forms influence relevant physico-chemical parameters such as solubility, dissolution rate, chemical and physical stability, melting point and hygroscopicity, which can result in solids with properties superior to those of the free drug.

Combining both reports of the latest academic research and a comprehensive overview of basic principles with applied contributions from selected experts in industry this book will be essential reading for pharmaceutical development scientists, researchers in crystal engineering and equally useful to the more seasoned expert and graduate student.

Key topics covered include:  fundamental aspects of salts and co-crystals; the role of fluorine in weak interactions in co-crystals; polymorph prediction of small organic molecules, co-crystals and salts; shape and polarity in co-crystal formation; the role of co-crystals in pharmaceutical development; solid forms and pharmacokinetics; the application  of mechanochemistry in the synthesis and discovery of new pharmaceutical forms; co-crystallization in solution and scale-up issues; analytical techniques and strategies for salt/co-crystal characterisation; co-crystal solubility and thermodynamic stability; phase diagrams in co-crystal search and preparation and  commercial opportunities and patent considerations.

http://www.rsc.org/shop/books/2011/9781849731584.asp

Now Published in the New Developments in NMR Series

Contemporary Computer-assisted Approaches to Molecular Structure Elucidation

Written by Mikhail Elyashberg, Antony Williams and Kirill Blinov

Computer-assisted structure elucidation (CASE) systems are a combination of software algorithms and tools to support and enable chemists and spectroscopists engaged in the process of molecular structure elucidation.

This exemplary new book describes the principles on which these expert systems are based and concisely explains the algorithmic concepts behind the programs. The authors use their own personal experiences in the development of the Structure Elucidator (StrucEluc) CASE software system to discuss the present state-of-the-art in computer-assisted structure elucidation.

The authors overall goal in writing this book is to produce the ‘must read’ definitive text that will represent the results of decades of work to develop CASE software systems. These are now powerful software tools commonly outperforming and correcting human interpretations of data. The book will also provide an historical perspective from the founding fathers of the technique and identify the challenges that have been overcome to produce modern CASE systems.

http://www.rsc.org/shop/books/2011/9781849734325.asp

Now Published in the RSC Drug Discovery Series

Neglected Diseases and Drug Discovery

Edited by Michael J. Palmer and Timothy N.C. Wells

There are ~8 million deaths every year from neglected tropical diseases in the underdeveloped world, whilst drug discovery focus and practice is only recently taking on greater urgency and embracing the latest technologies. The aim of this book is to present a state-of-the-art review of drug discovery in respect of neglected tropical diseases and to highlight best practice to guide ongoing drug discovery effort, to raise awareness and promote debate in neglected disease areas that still have unmet medical need.

The book sets out to make a critical appraisal of ongoing research with a focus on the key science that has led to breakthroughs, especially from a medicinal chemistry perspective. It covers in great depth current efforts in the malaria, trypanosomatid, flavivirus and tuberculosis fields. Additionally there is further emphasis on the ‘neglected’ neglected diseases notably diarrhea, helminths, HIV and lower respiratory tract infections.

Written by a team of experienced experts the book will prove to be an invaluable guide to successful practice in neglected tropical diseases highlighting ongoing and new drug discovery efforts. It will aid both researchers and the general reader, by summarising the key learning to date and provide a clear overview of the challenges that still remain.

http://www.rsc.org/shop/books/2011/9781849731928.asp

Now Published in the RSC Drug Discovery Series

Drug Design Strategies: Quantitative Approaches

Edited by David J. Livingstone and Andrew M. Davis

With the rapidly escalating costs of drug discovery and development together with spiralling delivery, quantitative approaches hold the promise of shifting the balance of success, to enable drug discovery to maintain its economic viability.  This exemplary new book will provide a useful summary of the current state-of-the-art in quantitative approaches to drug design and future opportunities. It will provide an inspiration to drug design practitioners to apply careful design, to make best use of the quantitative methods that are currently available, while continuing to improve them.

Key chapters include: the evolution of quantitative drug design; drug-like physicochemical properties; the development of QSAR and molecular modelling programs; the contribution of structure-based drug design; representing chemical structures in databases for drug design; modelling chemical structure-Log P; characterising chemical structure using physicochemical descriptors; assessing quantitative model quality and performance; the application of modelling techniques; the use of expert systems; ligand-based modelling of toxicity; ADMET predictions; the design of chemical libraries; the impact of genomics, systems biology and bioinformatics; scoring drug-receptor interactions and modelling chemicals in the environment.

The book will be essential reading for medicinal and computational chemists, and all those involved in drug discovery and development in the pharmaceutical industries.

http://www.rsc.org/shop/books/2011/9781849731669.asp

Now Published in the RSC Drug Discovery Series

Kinase Drug Discovery

Edited by Richard A. Ward and Frederick W. Goldberg

Kinase drug discovery remains an area of significant interest across the pharmaceutical industry and academia. There are currently 13-FDA approved small molecule drugs and over 500 small molecules in active development targeting kinases. These agents have delivered significant benefits to patients that can be measured in life extension or improvement in the quality of life in diseases such as cancer and inflammation.

This exemplary new book will cover a broad range of themes on current ‘hot topics’ in kinase drug discovery. There will be discussion on how medicinal chemistry has been able to exploit this unique new target class, as well as reflections on the varied mechanisms of kinase inhibitors. Also addressed is resistance to kinase inhibition caused by amino acid mutations, non-protein kinases and applications beyond the human kinome into parasitic diseases. Modern approaches to finding kinase leads and reflections on how the field might progress over the coming years is also discussed.

The book will be essential reading for pharmaceutical scientists, biologists and medicinal chemists working in drug discovery and drug development.

http://www.rsc.org/shop/books/2011/9781849731744.asp

Now Published in the RSC Drug Discovery Series

New Horizons in Predictive Toxicology: Current Status and Application

Edited by Alan G.E. Wilson

The sophistication of modelling and simulation technologies have improved dramatically over the past decade and their application in toxicity prediction and risk assessment are of critical importance. The integration of predictive toxicology approaches will become increasingly important as industrial chemicals advance and change and as new pharmaceuticals enter the market.

In this comprehensive discussion of predictive toxicology and its applications, leading experts express their views on the technologies currently available and the potential for future developments. The book covers a wide range of topics including in silico, in vitro andin vivo approaches that are currently being used in the safety assessment of chemical substances. It reflects the growing and urgent need to strengthen and improve our ability to predict the safety and risks posed by industrial and pharmaceutical chemicals in humans. The reader will find extensive information on the use of current animal models, including genetically-modified ones and target-mediated toxicities, for various toxicities. Also discussed are the recent regulatory initiatives, to improve safety assessment of pharmaceutical and industrial chemicals.

The book provides an expert and comprehensive discussion on the current status and future directions of predictive toxicology and its application in the life science industries.

http://www.rsc.org/shop/books/2011/9781849730518.asp