The series "Cell Engineering" is the first and only major reference work on the development of cellular systems for the production of recombinant glycoproteins, gene and cell therapies, drug screening and tissue engineering. This volume on "Apoptosis" is intended to review the state-of-the-art with in-depth assessments of this type of programmed cell death. The aim of the volume is to make the recent developments in apoptotic research readily accessible to biologists, biotechnologists and cellular engineers. The implication of apoptosis in the suppression of diseases and prolonging survival of cells in culture is presented to indicate the great potential of apoptotic research for drug production and the development of human therapies. All chapters are written as self-contained treatments of the important topics in apoptosis that are presented on an essential information basis. Topics covered range from understanding the role of signalling and effector molecules, mathematical modelling of cell death, RNAi tools in apoptosis research, to monitoring and imaging of apoptosis. This volume will be an invaluable resource for biotechnologists and researchers in apoptosis, cell biology, cell culture and molecular medicine.