Description: In contrast to the phenomenal growth in genetic engineering, relatively little progress has been made in the analysis of metabolic pathways for the directed modification and improvement of cellular properties and metabolite production. Effective pathway modification requires analytical methods to quantify metabolic fluxes and their control, and precise molecular biological techniques to implement changes at the genetic level. This book is an attempt to bridge this gap by presenting the methods and goals of the emerging interdisciplinary field of metabolic engineering.

The first part of Metabolic Engineering is a comprehensive review of cellular metabolism, including metabolic pathway regulation, stoichiometries, material balances, and models of cellular reactions. The result is a quantitative picture of metabolic biochemistry. The next part deals with pathway construction, stoichiometry, kinetics and thermodynamics. The key topics of pathway fluxes and flux control are examined in terms of metabolic flux analysis and metabolic control analysis. Pathway thermodynamics begins with an application of classical thermodynamics to sequences of reactions and concludes with the use of thermokinetics and irreversible thermodynamics to the description of pathway control. A glossary of biological terms and a minimum of mathematical complexity will facilitate use of the book by a broad spectrum of biochemists, molecular biologists, microbiologists, and biochemical/biomedical engineers.

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