The importance of renewable based materials has lead to a renaissance in the chemistry of biomacromolecules and their expansive functional properties. This book covers the source, production, structures and properties of some of the most important biomacromolecules with applications in the fields of biotechnology and medicine. Particular attention is given to polysaccharides obtained from botanical, algal, animal and microbial sources; microbial polyesters; the glycoproteins fibronectin and laminin as well as an introduction to nucleic acid polymers and genetic engineering.

Aimed at both the biomedical and wider materials science communities, the overview of biopolymers at the graduate and post graduate level will appeal to both academic and industrial scientists who are involved in research and development activities.

Peter A Williams is Professor of Polymer and Colloid Chemistry and Director of the Centre for Water Soluble Polymers at the North East Wales Institute. Has published over 170 scientific papers and edited over 30 books. He is Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Food Hydrocolloids.
His research is in the area of physicochemical characterisation, solution properties and interfacial behaviour of both natural and synthetic polymers. Recent work has been involved with the determination of molecular mass distribution using flow field flow fractionation coupled to light scattering, rheological behaviour of polymer solutions and gels, associative and segregative interaction of polysaccharides, development of polysaccharide-protein complexes as novel emulsifiers.

Natural Polymers: Introduction and Overview; Analysis and Characterization of Natural Polymers; Cellulose and its Derivatives and Applications; Starch and Starch Derived Products: Biotech and Medical Applications; Pectins: Production, Properties and Applications; Gum Arabic and Other Exudate Gums: Sources, Properties and Applications; Alginates: Biotechnology and Medical Applications; Chitin and Chitosan: Sources, Production and Medical Applications;Hemicellulose: A New Source of Functional Biopolymers; Hyaluronan: Resources, Biology and Medical Applications; Nucleic Acid Polymers, Genes and Applications of Recombinant DNA Technology; Glycoproteins and Adhesion Ligands: Properties and Biomedical Applications; Industrial Milk and Plant Proteins: Sources, Production and Medical Applications; Microbial Polyesters: Biosynthesis, Properties, Biodegradation and Applications;