This volume covers both the basic concepts and theory of bio-macromolecules under pressure and
the various frontiers in high-pressure bioscience and biotechnology. A century has passed since
Bridgman discovered the irreversible coagulation of egg white by applying pressure at 700
atmospheres in 1914. Today we are able to monitor pressure-dependent changes in protein
structure as a reversible process even at atomic scale with modern spectroscopic techniques. We
can study the fluctuating reality of protein structures as designed by nature which is the
basis for all dynamism of life on earth. We are currently facing a new era of high-pressure
bioscience in which pressure is no longer an odd or foreign variable to life but rather an
integrated part of it. Pressure is used as a crucial variable for disclosing the secrets of
nature and as a powerful new tool for enhancing certain reactions in bio-macromolecules and
even in living cells for our practical and industrial needs. A dramatic advancement of
high-pressure bioscience both in the basic and the applied sciences is thus anticipated in near
future for which sharing the current advanced knowledge on structure and dynamics of
bio-macromolecules under pressure among researchers in both fields is crucial. This book serves
as a valuable resource not only for those working directly in a pressure-related field but
also for those working in many other fields of the biosciences. Particularly the basic part of
it is intended to serve as a classical text book on high-pressure bioscience to a wide audience
including students and researchers in both basic and applied fields in years to come. Readers
can focus on topics of immediate interest first but may wish to go over other chapters if
interest arises in a later occasion.
