Plant cell walls are complex, dynamic cellular structures essential for plant growth, development, physiology and adaptation. Plant Cell Walls provides an in depth and diverse view of the microanatomy, biosynthesis and molecular physiology of these cellular structures, both in the life of the plant and in their use for bioproducts and biofuels.

Plant Cell Walls is a textbook for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students, as well as a professional-level reference book. Over 400 drawings, micrographs, and photographs provide visual insight into the latest research, as well as the uses of plant cell walls in everyday life, and their applications in biotechnology. Illustrated panels concisely review research methods and tools; a list of key terms is given at the end of each chapter; and extensive references organized by concept headings provide readers with guidance for entry into plant cell wall literature.

Cell wall material is of considerable importance to the biofuel, food, timber, and pulp and paper industries as well as being a major focus of research in plant growth and sustainability that are of central interest in present day agriculture and biotechnology. The production and use of plants for biofuel and bioproducts in a time of need for responsible global carbon use requires a deep understanding of the fundamental biology of plants and their cell walls. Such an understanding will lead to improved plant processes and materials, and help provide a sustainable resource for meeting the future bioenergy and bioproduct needs of humankind.

Contents

1: Cell Walls and Plant Anatomy

2: The Structural Polysaccharides of the Cell Wall and How They Are Studied

3: Biochemistry of the Cell Wall Molecules

4: Membrane Systems Involved in Cell Wall Assembly

5: Biosynthesis of Cell Wall Polymers

6: Principles of Cell Wall Architecture and Assembly

7: The Cell Wall in Growth and Development

8: Cell Walls and Plant-Microbe Interact>

9: Plant Cell Walls: A Renewable Material Resource

Author Bio

Peter Albersheim is Emeritus Director of the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center at the University of Georgia. He received his PhD from the California Institute of Technology. He and Dr. Alan Darvill founded the CCRC in September 1985.

Alan Darvill is Director of the CCRC at the University of Georgia, Director of the Department of Energy (DOE)-funded Center for Plant and Microbial Complex Carbohydrates, and is UGA Lead in the DOE-funded BioEnergy Science Center. He received his PhD from the University College of Wales.

Keith Roberts is Emeritus Fellow at the John Innes Centre, Norwich. He received his PhD from the University of Cambridge.

Ron Sederoff is Professor of Forestry and Co-Director of the Forest Biotechnology Group at North Carolina State University. He received his PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Andrew Staehelin is Emeritus Professor at the University of Colorado a...