From beer and botanical gardens to pandas and polar bears, Biology at Work examines the social, environmental, technological and economic aspects of applied biology. A wide variety of topical subjects are discussed in 32 short, informative and self-contained chapters. The book is divided into four parts. Part 1 discusses aspects of food and food production: the control of weeds, the growing of wheat, the farming of pigs, fish and even bees. Part II deals with the use of molecular biology and microbiology for purposes as diverse as yoghurt and cheese making and DNA fingerprinting. Part III is concerned with human health and hygiene, containing chapters not only on diseases such as cancer and cystic fibrosis but also on nutrition and organ transplantation. The final part of the book deals with the environment, containing chapters on zoos and botanical gardens as well as on acid rain and the greenhouse effect. At the end of each chapter there are suggestions for further reading.

Suggestions for practical activities are also given at the end of some chapters; so, for example, a reader can put into practice what they have learnt about yoghurt making.