Biotechnology and Green Chemistry

Call for Papers

White biotechnology can be regarded as applied biocatalysis, with enzymes and microorganisms, aiming at industrial production of bulk and fine chemicals to food and animal feed additives. In your turn, biocatalysis has many attractive features in the context of green chemistry: mild reaction conditions (physiological pH and temperature), environmentally compatible catalysts and solvent (often water) combined with high activities, and chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectivities in multifunctional molecules. This affords processes which are shorter, generate less waste, and are, therefore, both environmentally and economically more attractive than conventional routes.

This special issue includes aspects involving the use of white biotechnology (enzymes, microorganisms, and plant tissues) within the green chemistry concept. We invite investigators to contribute with original research papers as well as review papers in this subject. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Use of alternative solvents (supercritical fluids, pressurized gases, ionic liquids, and micellar systems) and energies (microwaves and ultrasound)
• Sustainable approaches for production of fine and bulk chemicals (aromas, polymers, pharmaceuticals, and enzymes)
• Use of renewable resources or agroindustrial residues
• Biocatalysts recycling
• Waste minimization

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/submit/journals/bmri/biotechnology/bgc/ according to the following timetable:

Lead Guest Editor

• Maria Alice Zarur Coelho, Escola de Química, Universidade Federal Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

Guest Editors

• Bernardo Dias Ribeiro, Escola de Química, Universidade Federal Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
• Isabel Marrucho, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
• Luciana Rocha Barros Gonçalves, Departamento de Engenharia Química, Universidade Federal do Ceará, 60455-760 Fortaleza, CE, Brazil