This handbook presents how plant in vitro technologies can overcome current limitations in the production of important plant-derived substances. It explains the advantages of plant in vitro technologies, notably the independence from climatic and soil conditions and the ability to synthesize diverse bioactive substances under controlled conditions. Apart from making diverse metabolites, which can be used e.g. as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, flavors, colors, biopesticides or food additives, more easily and more efficiently available, the methods described in this handbook also offer the advantage that rare and threatened plants, which provide access to interesting and desired substances, can be better protected, when the substances are harvested from suitable plant in vitro systems. In times of increasing demand for natural plant-derived products, the described methodologies will be key to ensuring efficient and sustainable access to plant-derived products. They will also help and support in the research and investigation of plant secondary metabolites.
Despite these advantages, still only few substances are being produced at industrial scale by in vitro plant cell cultivation systems to date. This handbook therefore advertises the recent achievements and research in the field, focused on solving limitations in yield and bioprocessing conditions. Leading experts summarize the methodology, which can help overcome drawbacks like low yields of target products or problems associated with the cultivation in bioreactors. Readers will find comprehensive information on fundamentals for using different types of plants in vitro as matrix for sustainable production of valuable secondary metabolites. The handbook summarizes the core information on phytochemistry, bioreactor technology and monitoring of plant cells and tissues in bioprocesses. It also discusses selected applications and safety assessment of food and cosmetic ingredients from plant cell and tissue.

About the Author: Prof. Dr. Atanas Pavlov is Professor for Technology of bioactive substances at the University of Food Technologies, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, and Professor and Head of laboratory of the Laboratory of Applied Biotechnologies at The Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. He has received his MSc in Biotechnology from the University of Food Technologies, Plovdiv, Bulgaria in 1992 and a PhD in Biotechnology from The Stephan Angeloff institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in 1998. Prof. Pavlov worked as post-doctoral researcher at the Laboratoire de Biologie et Physiologie Végétales, University of Reims Champagne (France) and at the Institute of Food Technology and Bioprocess Engineering, TU Dresden, Germany (with support by a Marie Curie Host Fellowship). Afterwards he returned to Bulgaria to become Associate Professor in the Laboratory of Applied Biotechnologies, The Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Since 2010 he is full professor and heading the laboratory, additionally holding a professorship at Plovdiv University of Food Technologies.Prof. Pavlov's scientific interests include plant biotechnologies, bioprocess engineering, plant secondary metabolites-isolation, purification, and elucidation, and food biocativities. He has been and is co-editor, advisory board member and reviewer for numerous high impact scientific journals in the fields of biotechnology, microbiology, biochemistry, food chemistry and plant sciences.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Bley is the Chair of Bioprocess Engineering at the Dresden University of Technology (Germany). He studied mathematics in Dresden, graduating with a Diploma in 1975. After that he became a scientist at the Institute of Biotechnology (IBT) at the Academy of Science of the GDR in Leipzig, and received his PhD from the Academy in 1981. In 1990 Prof. Bley completed a habilitation in biotechnology at the University of Leipzig and subsequently became the head of the division Biosignals at the IBT. From 1994-1996 he was the Head of the division Biotechnology at the Faculty of Biosciences, Pharmacy and Psychology at the University of Leipzig, Germany, before returning to Dresden.Prof. Bley is elected full member of the German and the Saxonian Academies of Sciences and editor-in-chief of the journal "Engineering in Life Sciences". His research focuses on biomonitoring and biosignals, modeling and controlling of bioprocesses, biocatalysis in heterogeneous systems, white biotechnology and plant cells in bioreactors.