Ehud Keinan Knihy

Exploiting the inherent combinatorial mechanism in the biosynthesis of antibodies, an almost limitless variety of biocatalysts may be generated. Catalytic antibodies are capable of performing almost any type of reaction with high selectivity and stereospecificity. Here, the pioneers in the use of catalytic antibodies review the entire scope of this interdisciplinary field, covering such topics as: * theoretical aspects of structure, mechanism and kinetics * practical considerations, from immunization techniques to screening methods * in vitro evolution and other modern approaches * applications from organic synthesis to medical uses. Backed by the leading authorities in antibody catalysis, this is the first book to provide such comprehensive coverage and constitutes a prime reference for biochemists, organic chemists, biotechnologists and biomedical researchers.

Which ones are the currently most dynamic areas in the Life Sciences? And where do future challenges lie, as we enter the new millennium? Discover how top-of-the-league scientists view the current state of their discipline and where they expect the next important breakthroughs to occur. In a carefully selected collection of essays, world-class scientists, all of them awardees of the prestigious Nobel, Lasker or Wolf prizes, describe ground-breaking developments in their particular area of expertise.The selection of topics is as diverse and colorful as life itself. Will advances in molecular biology allow us to learn all about the cell's internal workings? What are the prospects of molecular medicine for the treatment of cancer and other diseases? How will agriculture develop in the era of transgenic plants? How will life on our planet be transformed as the human population continues to increase? The present collection of insightful essays provides fascinating reading for everyone with an active interest in the life sciences. Founded on hard facts as well as on scientific intuition, those who should know best explore today's possibilities and set the goals for future research, creating a unique vision of "Life Sciences for the 21st century."

Here, numerous winners of the Wolf prize from all chemical disciplines provide an overview of the new ideas and approaches that will shape this dynamic science over the forthcoming decades and so will have a decisive influence on our living conditions. This glimpse of the future is naturally based on the findings granted us by the rapid increase in chemical research during the 20th century. It may be said that a silent "revolution" took place, the positive results of which are still not fully predicted. For example, chemists in research laboratories nowadays are able to develop drugs in increasingly short times to treat diseases once thought incurable. They can design new materials that withstand extreme conditions, and predict the properties of compounds that no one has even seen yet. In this exceptional book those breakthroughs of modern chemistry are illustrated and explained by leading scientists. It stems from the high-quality papers given at the prestigious ceremony to accompany the presentation of the 20th Wolf Prize. It is an extraordinary source for every chemist in industry and academia to get an overview of the highlights of modern chemistry.