Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Bioresources

This book brings together chapters related to sustainable utilization of biological resources, including in situ and ex situ conservation of rare, endangered, and threatened plants. The title also gives a special emphasis on marine sponges and mangrove ecosystems, which are two important untapped potential resources of the marine ecosystem and play a key role in maintaining the marine ecosystem. There is an urgent need for the conservation, exploration and utilization of bioresources for the growth and survival of human beings. Due to the significant reduction in biological resources, many countries are developing strategic action plans for the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources. That is where this book fills the gap by discussing the significant development of new products and methodologies for sustainable utilization of these resources. This book also unveils a world of novel bioactive molecules from medicinal plants and the marine ecosystem and explains how drug design pipelines can advance modern drug development. The target audiences for this book include biodiversity researchers who are working on technology and bioresource management issues and faculty and students in the environment research areas and Biodiversity conservation.

Dr. Swapna Thacheril Sukumaran is currently officiating as Professor and Head of the Department of Botany, University of Kerala. She completed her doctoral research in the Department of Biotechnology, Cochin University of Science and Technology, India. She has twenty-six years of teaching and research experience and published 13 books and over 120 research papers in reputed journals. Her research areas include in vitro secondary metabolite production, medicinal plant conservation, phytochemistry. Dr. Swapna is a recipient of research grants from the Department of Environment and Climate change, Western Ghats Cell, & State Medicinal Plant Board, Government of Kerala, University Grants Commission, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. She is also serving as a Member of the Kerala State Biodiversity Board. She is a Life Member of Biotech Research Society of India and Society for Biotechnologists.

Dr. Keerthi TR currently served as Professor in Biotechnology, School of  Biosciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India. She has awarded her PhD from Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin, Kerala, India. She has more than twenty years of experience in teaching and 25years in research. Her area of interests are Probiotics, Prebiotic, Microbiome and Bioprospecting of Marine microbe. She has published more than 35 papers in reputed peer reviewed journals and 6 Book Chapters. She is member of number of academic and administrative bodies in her university and other universities. She serves as reviewer of more than 10 international journals as well as editorial member of few journals. She has Membership in International Probiotics Association, Asian Federation of Biotechnology, Korea; Indian Dairy Association), New Delhi and Microbiosociety, Kerala.