Book Description

From the Foreword…
"[A] must read for all of us committed to understanding the interplayof structure and function...[T]he individual chapters outline the suiteof major basic life science questions such as the status of effortsto predict protein structure and how proteins carry out cellularfunctions, and also the applied life science questions such as howstructural bioinformatics can improve health care through acceleratingdrug discovery."

This book provides a basic understanding of the theories, associated algorithms, resources, and tools used in structural bioinformatics. The reader emerges with the ability to make effective use of protein, DNA, RNA, carbohydrate, and complex structures to better understand biological function. Moreover, it draws a clear connection between structural studies and the rational design of new therapies. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Terrific Book
"...a terrific job in this timely creation of a compilation of articles that appropriately addresses this issue." (Briefings in Bioinformatics)

Useful and Timely
"...a useful and timely summary of a rapidly expanding field." (Nature Structural Biology, Vol. 10, No. 8, August 2003)

Recommended Book
"...recommended for anyone who wishes to develop bioinformatics tools for protein structure analysis." (The Biotech Journal, April/May 2003) ... Read more

Book Description

Medeva Pharma Ltd., Liverpool, UK. Review of both conventional and novel isolation techniques used in industrial applications for the downstream processing of protein molecules. Includes primary and secondary separations during the isolation of biomolecules, and laboratory-scale research methods with a potential for scale up. For researchers. ... Read more

Book Description

Since the publication of the second edition of Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine in 1989, the techniques of modern molecular, cellular, and structural biology have provided new data that have transformed scientific thinking about topics within free radical research. New reactive species, such as peroxynitrite, have been discovered to have a role in biological systems. Much of this third edition has been completely re-written and what remains from the second has been thoroughly updated. There are new chapters on antioxidant defence systems in bacteria, plants, and animals; the detection of free radicals; the role of antioxidants in aging, nutrition, disease, and therapy; and a new appendix on molecular biology. The chapter on oxidative stress and its consequences includes the damage and repair of DNA, proteins, and lipids, cytokines, and cell death (both apoptosis and necrosis).

Free radicals and other reactive species are now implicated in a wide range and number of diseases and the third edition covers their role in hypertension, diabetes, lung damage, cystic fibrosis, nervous system disorders, viral infections, and cancer. The toxicology chapter has been updated to include new sections on complex mixtures, nitro- and azo-compounds, and radiation. Erythrocytes, chloroplasts, the eye, the skin, reproduction, and exercise are covered as special cases of oxidative stress and antioxidant protection. Reactive species can act as useful biomolecules and this role is fully discussed. There is also an up-to-date introduction to free radical chemistry (as well as a basic chemistry appendix) and oxygen toxicity. Each major statement in the text is referenced. The authors have maintained the simplicity of approach and readability of the previous editions to make this book an invaluable companion to all those interested in the role of free radicals in life. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Notes from an Oxymoron
Excellent book that provides a thorough grounding to the field. Keep the updated editions coming every few years and it will continue to stay at the top.

An excellent book for scientists
Free radical biology has become a big research area. This text is definitely a helpful tool for students and professionals alike. Halliwell and Gutteridge are both the "authorities" in free radical research. The book contains the basic concepts of metabolism, metal interactions, free radical formation, and antioxidation. The book then relates these processes (that is, oxidative and nitorsative stresses) to pathological events using various disease paradigms. The text contains good illustrations. It is an excellent reference material for everyone who is entering the field of free radical biology and medicine. ... Read more

Book Description

Aside from the usual updating of material, the major change in this edition is an extensive rewriting of the chapter on memory and learning to emphasize that genes that are involved in behavior are not immutable but their expression can be modified by transcription factors.Thus, with respect to learning, that old question about which is more important, nature or nuture, genetics or environment, should be answered with the question, which leg is more important for walking, the left leg or the right? ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Neuropharmacology
This reference is easy to read. As well, unlike most pharmacology texts, this one does not concentrate on drugs, but rather on the underlying physiology. There is an introduction to neurons, synapses and action potentials. There is an introduction to modern molecular methods. It is interesting to note that in describing molecular cloning methods, the work of J. G. Sutcliffe, R.J. Milner, and F.E. Bloom is reported whereby a cDNA library was prepared from mRNAs from whole rat brain, then it was seen what individual cDNAs hybridized with the mRNAs from rat liver and kidney. Approximately 30,000 of the brain's 50,000 mRNAs were not detected in the liver or kidney, showing that much of the rat's DNA is for neuronal purposes. In the introduction to receptors, it is noted that there about a thousand known receptors to neurotransmitters, hormones and odorants. The introduction to neuromodulators includes the neuronal effects of nitric oxide (thought to be involved in both long-term potentiation LTP and long-term depression LTD; nitric oxide synthase inhibitors will block NMDA receptor activation). The chapter on amino acid neurotransmitters includes excitatory glutamate and aspartate, and inhibitory GABA, glycine, alanine, cystathionine and serine. There are chapters on cholinergic (acetylcholine) and catecholaminergic (norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine) neurotransmitters. Serotonin and histamine neurotransmitters are considered in detail in the next chapter. There is an introduction to neuroactive peptides, noting that they must be synthesized on ribosomes, then at the smooth endoplasmic reticulum they are put into vesicles in a prohormonal form, and only then transported to the nerve terminals. The book concludes with introductions to the cellular mechanisms involved in learning, and the involvement of neurotransmitters in neurological and psychiatric illnesses.

Excellent introductory glimpse of neuropharmacology
This book is an excellent introductory text, suitable for undergraduates or "outsiders", outlining the basic principles of neuropharmacology. Reviews of the major concepts involved in neurotransmission are included in the first half of the book, such as cellular and molecular (read DNA) biological basics as well as descriptions of amino acid based neurotransmission. The second half of the book is organized with each chapter devoted to a single molecule. My major criticism is that although the title is "The BIOCHEMICAL Basis of Neuropharmacology", the chemistry in the text is rather simple and incomplete, and the lack of quantitative discussion of pharmacokinetics is a major disappointment. All beginning students of neuropharmacology should purchase this book - in paperback it is truly a bargain. END ... Read more

Book Description

This manual complements Simpson's Proteins and Proteomics manual, with a comprehensive collection of methods for protein purification from a variety of source preparations. The protocols are accompanied by extensive discussion of potential pitfalls and troubleshooting advice. ... Read more

Book Description

This text is intended for the one-semester introductory biochemistry text for sophomore/junior level, non-biochemistry majors. Most students who use this book are biology, agriculture, technology, nursing, physics, geology, or nutrition majors. A beginning biology, general chemistry, and at least one semester of organic chemistry are assumed as preparation.Noted for their ability to demonstrate the connection between biochemistry and students' lives, authors Mary Campbell and Shawn Farrell draw students into the material with stellar coverage of the latest research. The standard-setting illustration program enhances students understanding. The flexible organization of the text can be changed to suit the needs of specific courses and students, depending on the instructor's preference. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A good introduction
I used this text in our 300-level undergrad biochemistry course. It was written quite simply, and most of the diagrams were good (although the professor had to correct many mistakes he had found). It is great for an introductory book, but it stinks for a student intending to pursue graduate study in the subject. I would recommend Stryer's biochem book for a more in-depth look at the topic.

Good, but carbohydrates a mess
It's a good one semester-type of book. It is concise and clear at the same time. I just saw a number of mistakes with carbohydrates, esp. disaccharides, e.g. Fig 12.12 on p.435, problem 14.b on p.452 etc. Please Mary, do not trust your TA-s for these things because you cause a lot of confusion among us, the stupid undergrads! ... Read more

Book Description

The critically acclaimed laboratory standard, Methods in Enzymology, is one of the most highly respected publications in the field of biochemistry. Since 1955, each volume has been eagerly awaited, frequently consulted, and praised by researchers and reviewers alike. The series contains much material still relevant today - truly an essential publication for researchers in all fields of life sciences.

RNA Interference will cover RNAi in non-vertebrates (plants, C. elegans, drosophila, and S. pombe), and Mammalian systems (human and non-human cells).This volume discusses extensive methodology related to delivery methods high throughput strategies andprospects as a human therapy agent.

* One of the most highly respected publications in the field of biochemistry since 1955
* Frequently consulted, and praised by researchers and reviewers alike
* Truly an essential publication for anyone in any field of the life sciences ... Read more

Reviews (1)

"Genomics & Proteomics" BookReview 4(4):40, 2004
With the rise and utility of RNA Interference (RNAi) as a useful tool for silencing and manipulating genes, there has been much interest in the specific applications of this technique to various animal models for disease. Because it is a natural phenomenon, RNAi is more robust than other RNA-based methods. However, RNAi pathways do not follow the same rules in different organisms, and therefore, specific information on RNAi methods is essential for each model organism studied.
The aim of "RNA Interference (RNAi): Nuts & Bolts of RNAi Technology" by David Engelke and published by DNA Press (www.dnapress.net) is to serve as a guide for practical RNAi use in the laboratory. The book is short on general theory behind RNAi, except to furnish the bare minimum of background information for each chapter. However, the book is rich in specific protocols for the various methods that are described, including suppliers of reagents and advice on modifications and customizations of protocols.
Chapters include protocols for RNAi in plants, Drosophila, C. elegans, mammalian systems, mice, and discussions of high-throughput RNAi as well as design, synthesis and preparation of synthetic RNAi. An added bonus each chapter contains an ample list of relevant literature references.

Joshua Marcy, www.genpromag.com ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Beware of the source: Stephen Cherniske
The author boasts both a masters degree from Columbia Pacific University (a non-accredited institution which was ordered to cease operating illegally by the Marin County Superior Court), and membership in The National Academy of Research Biochemists (a group whose membership requirements appear to be no more than a ...payment).

As references, I offer bulletins from www.quackwatch.org, a respected online resource whose mission is to "combat health-related ...myths, fads, and fallacies", and the author's own pages from his MLM companies:

...quackwatch......oasisnetwork...mindbodyhealth...

INFO-PACKED, ENGAGING READ
The author provides all the information one needs to take advantage of and maximize the amazing properties of DHEA in a safe and effective manner. But his DHEA Plan is not only about taking pills, but improving your lifestyle with stress-reduction techniques, an exercise program and dietary advice. Every aspect of DHEA is covered - from the plant in which it is obtained, through the manufacturing process, down to dosage directions. His witty writing style is engaging, and the book concludes with a number of appendices (resources, health support organizations, reasons why it is essential to take vitamin supplements) and a glossary, bibliography and index. I also recommend Ray Sahelian's book on DHEA, Renewal by Timothy J Smith and The Superhormone Promise by William Regelson for a superb overview of ALL the superhormones and other nutrients that can extend and improve human life.

A biochemist's view, not a medical doctor's view
This book is written in the view of a biochemist, instead of a medical doctor. Actually, some information regarding prostate cancer and testosterone is incorrect, other information are not enough if not incorrect.

DHEA made me have explosive rage episodes
After having read all of the hoopla about DHEA, I started taking 25 mg. a day. After a few weeks, I noticed an improvement in my virility, my sense of well being, and my energy level. So far, so good. Then, a curious thing began to occur. I found that I was getting angry at events and people which normally would only annoy me. I didn't think much of it at the time until this problem became worse and worse. After a few more weeks, I was in a nearly constant state of rage. I felt aggressive and angry all of the time. I was dealing with overwhelming feelings of anger several hours a day - even when lying on the beach on my days off! I started on sedatives to calm me down and to let me sleep. Finally, when I could not take it anymore and I was hating the type of man I was turning into, I decided that the few benefits of DEHA were simply not worth the stress, anger, anxiety I was going through and putting others through. I stopped DHEA and began to return to normal within several days. I have no doubt that this hormone caused me all of this trouble - probably by raising my testosterone level to neanderthal levels. Ok, so now I may not have the virility of an 18 year old (although I have since discovered that high exercise levels will improve that area dramatically) and I may not have all of the energy that I would like, but I like myself now and others like me better. I think this is, like melatonin was a few years ago, a big hype with no other purpose except to sell pills and books until we realize that we have all been had - again!

Cherniske's analysis of DHEA is persuasive.
After reading "The DHEA Breakthrough" by Stephen Cherniske, I bought some DHEA and since my age is 57, I now take 50 mg daily and have been for about 10 months. I can't respond to all of the claims Mr. Cherniske makes, but as to improved energy, strength and increased vitality, the results are there---in spades! ... Read more

Book Description

In this book, J. Allan Hobson offers a new understanding of altered states of consciousness based on knowledge of how our brain chemistry is balanced when we are awake and how that balance shifts when we fall asleep and dream. He draws on recent research that enables us to explain how psychedelic drugs work to disturb that balance and how similar imbalances may cause depression and schizophrenia. He also draws on work that expands our understanding of how certain drugs can correct imbalances and restore the brain's natural equilibrium.

Hobson explains the chemical balance concept in terms of what we know about the regulation of normal states of consciousness over the course of the day by brain chemicals called neuromodulators. He presents striking confirmation of the principle that every drug that has transformative effects on consciousness interacts with the brain's own consciousness-altering chemicals. In the section called "The Medical Drugstore," Hobson describes drugs used to counteract anxiety and insomnia, to raise and lower mood, and to eliminate or diminish the hallucinations and delusions of schizophrenia. He discusses the risks involved in their administration, including the possibility of new disorders caused by indiscriminate long-term use. In "The Recreational Drugstore," Hobson discusses psychedelic drugs, narcotic analgesia, and natural drugs. He also considers the distinctions between legitimate and illegitimate drug use. In the concluding "Psychological Drugstore," he discusses the mind as an agent, not just the mediator, of change, and corrects many erroneous assumptions and practices that hinder the progress of psychoanalysis. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Very Big Bite
Having completed my honors thesis on the structure and function of REM sleep, I feel that I know a bit about the subject of dreams. I have read myriad scientific articles by J.A. Hobson and even another of his books, entitled Sleep. I got about 50 pages into this one and realized I still may have bitten off a bit more than I could chew. The audience Hobson was aiming at here must be the scientific community because I found myself skipping paragraphs at a time because of the tedious detail of neuro-pathways and receptor information that Hobson plows through with an expectation that the reader will need little or no introduction or explanation of the complex neuroanatomy and chemistry that he discusses. He is a great writer, but unless you are a neurochemist, I would recommend one of his other books on the topic of dreams and sleep.

Great
Hobson has written yet another very good book on the neurochemical mechanisms of conscious states. Certainly, there is not very much one has not read before on his books like Consciousness, Dream as Delirium or The Chemistry of Consicous States. But still, the book should be read because it cuts into some very deep issues regarding consicousness and neurochemistry, specially with regards to dreaming and sleep research. Now the thing is this book is supposed to be about the action of prescription and recreational drugs, but one gets Hobsons model of conscious states, and only then a little of how it explains the actions of those drugs. THis is not necessarily a bad thing, for models are good foundations for such explorations, but maybe a lot more space should have been given to drugs and their actions in the brain.

Hobsons well known model of conscious states, AIM, standing for activation (high-low), Input output grating (internal or external information sources) and modulation (aminergic or cholinergic) is presented in the book, and is supposed to do the lot of the explanatory work. The model is useful in this sense, but I have doubts about its power to actually explain what consicousness is. Activation seems to determine waking, not consciousness per se, Input determines content, not consicousness per se, and modulation seems to be in the level of processing mode, and not processing itself. IN other words, it is not clear to me neurochemistry is the right level where one can find really interesting causal links, like neural correlates of consciousness. But the reality is that the model is grounded on firm evidence and good science, and does explain many things ABOUT consicousness. It certainly adds important things to the debate.

Another very interesting issue Hobson takes on is on the inadequacy of psychotherapeutic frameworks, of how these are mostly incompatible with modern brain sicence. I must agree almost completely here with him. Hobson also mainly concentrates on nonrephinephrine, serotonin and acetycholine as main players, the first two associated with waking and the last with dreaming. This move seems premature, for there are coutless of neurochemicals that may play also important roles. Nonetheless, these serve as the basis of his dream as delirium hypothesis: that psychosis is similar phenomenally and chemically with normal dreaming states, and thus involves alteration in the aminergic or cholinergic systems of the brain. Dreaming involves chcolinergic activity but in sleep. When such activity is present in waking, psychosis ensues. THis is one of the most plausible and defendable views on psychosis out there. By extension, drugs that cause psychosis, or aleviate it, must affect in some way the aminergic and cholinergic systems of the brain. In this way, Hobson explains the action of drugs, both recreational and clinical. (of course im simplifying. I omit the interactions of the other aspects of the AIM model, I and A. Dreaming and psychosis involve high activation and internal or hallucinatory imputs, for example). So in this ellegant framework Hobson frames the rest of his discussion.

Now if one thing can be said about the style of writing, usually good in HObsons books, is that there seems to be way too small a bibliography. For a book of such lenght and scope, one would expect extensive support in references and evidence coming from various diciplines and labs. In fact, Hobson lists about 10 references and onnly seems to present evidence either compatible with his views and coming from his own lab. This is to me a very bad thing for his book, otherwise a brilliant exposition of a promising thesis. The book is nevertheless a valuable addition to the consicousness litterature, and HObson is one of the main players in the game.

Free your brain-mind
This is an intriguing but ultimately frustrating book from one of the leading luminaries of dream/sleep science. With the central thesis being that altered states of consciousness from psychosis to psychedelic intoxication result from the disintegration of boundaries between normally separate brain-mind states (sleeping and waking), this book itself cannot decide what book-state it wishes to occupy. Too cursory to be a book about the neuro-chemistry of dreaming and consciousness in general, too anecdotal to be an adequate discussion of the multifarious effects of various psycho-active drugs (from Prozac to LSD), and too preliminary to be a manifesto for a neuro-dynamic psychiatry, Hobson would like his book to be all these things. While reading it did inspire me to learn more about the actual mechanics of the brain, I felt again and again that what this book really cried out for was a strong editorial hand. There are too many asides, too little sustained argumentation, and in fact, too many goals for this book to cohere and succeed. Succeed at one, you might ask? Hobson is a standard-bearer for an enlightened, scientific realism, who strives to demystify human experience by demonstrating that all transcendent states (from dreaming to tripping) are grounded in the physical chemistry of the brain and, therefore, do not refer to any metaphysical reality. Although science is a long way from isolating or producing the super-specific consciousness effects that we each experience phenomenologically, Hobson believes, and I concur, that it is only a matter of time. However, while Hobson would like to dissuade people from turning to drugs (either from the pharmacy or from the street) in the pursuit of "personal satisfaction and social success," he fails to make a strong case against psychonautical explorations. The pragmatic utilitarianism that might convince people to avoid risky behaviors like taking cocaine or prozac, itself lacks, by definition, a metaphysical ground that would proscibe such activities absolutely. ... Read more

Book Description

“The bard of biological weapons captures
the drama of the front lines.”
-Richard Danzig, former secretary of the navy


The first major bioterror event in the United States-the anthrax attacks in October 2001-was a clarion call for scientists who work with “hot” agents to find ways of protecting civilian populations against biological weapons. In The Demon in the Freezer, his first nonfiction book since The Hot Zone, a #1 New York Times bestseller, Richard Preston takes us into the heart of Usamriid, the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick, Maryland, once the headquarters of the U.S. biological weapons program and now the epicenter of national biodefense.

Peter Jahrling, the top scientist at Usamriid, a wry virologist who cut his teeth on Ebola, one of the world’s most lethal emerging viruses, has ORCON security clearance that gives him access to top secret information on bioweapons. His most urgent priority is to develop a drug that will take on smallpox-and win. Eradicated from the planet in 1979 in one of the great triumphs of modern science, the smallpox virus now resides, officially, in only two high-security freezers-at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and in Siberia, at a Russian virology institute called Vector. But the demon in the freezer has been set loose. It is almost certain that illegal stocks are in the possession of hostile states, including Iraq and North Korea. Jahrling is haunted by the thought that biologists in secret labs are using genetic engineering to create a new superpox virus, a smallpox resistant to all vaccines.

Usamriid went into a state of Delta Alert on September 11 and activated its emergency response teams when the first anthrax letters were opened in New York and Washington, D.C. Preston reports, in unprecedented detail, on the government’s response to the attacks and takes us into the ongoing FBI investigation. His story is based on interviews with top-level FBI agents and with Dr. Steven Hatfill.

Jahrling is leading a team of scientists doing controversial experiments with live smallpox virus at CDC. Preston takes us into the lab where Jahrling is reawakening smallpox and explains, with cool and devastating precision, what may be at stake if his last bold experiment fails.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Reviews (77)

The Good Outweighs the Bad
The Demon in the Freezer is an excellent book about the eradication of smallpox, and the history of Soviet biowarfare. The information is presented in the context of the October 2001 Anthrax attacks. There are definitely more comprehensive books on those subjects, but Preston's strength has always been his ability to blend the personal and scientific sides of an issue.

The only reason why I cannot give this book 5 stars is because, like The Hot Zone, Preston is alarmist and sensationalist at the end. I understand that creating a feeling of fear helps the lay reader through the material, but Preston's substitution of fear for analysis, especially at the end of the book, just slightly cheapen book as a whole.

Richard Preston is an excellent author and I highly recommend this book. It is a joy to read and it is a very good introduction to smallpox and biowarfare. However, don't feel like you need to go and get vaccinated and fitted for a gas mask.

Frightening
Richard Preston has written a frightening book. Starting and ending with the Anthrax attacks on the United States. Preston has talked to many of the top bioweapons engineers in the world and his research shows in this outstanding book. Full of information from accross the world. The history of Smallpox, the eradication effort by the World Health Organization. The background on Anthrax. Side stories to Ebola. The most dangerous virus's in the world are addressed in this book.

The book examines the threat of Smallpox and explains why most people in the know about infectious disease's still consider it the worst the world has ever seen, even worse than plague. The book touches on Biopreparat (for a more in depth look read Biohazard by Ken Alibek) and the Russian stockpiles of Smallpox that they have weaponized and put into missiles to attack other countries. The CDC, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in Atlanta still holds over 450 different strains of Smallpox.

The book goes on to explain how many countries have Smallpox and this is not a little known fact. How genetic engineering could easily make Smallpox harder to contain than it already is. In today's world travel a Smallpox outbreak would mean hundreds of thousands of deaths and it would shut down international trade. it would bring the world to its knees. With 25 million people living within a couple hours travel of one another an outbreak in a third world county could show up in the United States in a few days. And this is not taking into account the possibility of a direct bioweapons attack on the United States. Before it was diagnosed, it would be spread around the world by air travel.

This book is well written, reads easily, is full of information and very thought provoking. It was so engrossing that I started ready one night and did not want to put it down. I finished it the next afternoon. For a better understanding of what the world is facing today you should read this book. Smallpox is just as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than a nuclear war. Nuclear devastation is confined to the area of the bomb. Smallpox would travel person to person throughout the world. In a word, the information in this book is, frightening.

The Demon⿦
This is the sort of book that you just cannot put down. I started reading it on a long car ride home from Portland and was hooked immediately.

After telling a co-worker that I had enjoyed Preston's “THE HOT ZONE” she recommended this book as a follow-up. While I did enjoy it, I found the chapters about Anthrax boring in comparisson to the terror of smallpox and the fascinating story of its eradication.

“THE HOT ZONE” and Laurie Garrett's “THE COMING PLAGUE” (which I am currently in the middle of) are better, but this is an enjoyable read that is full of facts ot keep biology/pathology buffs hooked but not bogged down with technical jargon.

Smallpox non-fiction thriller!
A fascinating treatise on smallpox, including its history and recent emergence as the virus of choice for bioterrorists.

Smallpox came into existance only as human population densities swelled. In the late 18th century, Edward Jenner made history by performing the first successful smallpox vaccination. In the centuries that followed, humanity waged war against smallpox, and it was ostensibly eradicated from nature in the late seventies. It seems that mankind was too enamored with smallpox to destroy it completely, however, and it lives on in freezers around the world.

"The Hot Zone", by the same author, made me paranoid about the ebola virus. Having finished this book, I know now that ebola is child's play compared to smallpox.

"Demon" is full of loads of details about the biomedical industry, including a survey of modern practices, tools, techniques, and prominent players. The book is all the more terrifying given its non-fiction status.

A must read for anybody interested in infectious diseases, smallpox, or bioweapons programs.

A slight down-grade, but nonetheless incredible
The Demon in the Freezer is the third of Richard Preston's "Black Biology" books. It was his second non-fiction story involving bioterrorism and viruses. Although I have to admit that the Hot Zone was indeed a better book, I applaud Preston for his tremendous effort in writing The Demon in the Freezer. The book has a profusion of information regarding poxviruses and various sub-strains of this sub-microscopic killer. The book effectively intertwined biology, ethics, history, and war. The Demon in the Freezer, in a nutshell, is an interesting piece of work that should be read by all those who are uneducated in the field of global politics regarding bio-warfare. ... Read more

Book Description

How to design, execute, and interpret experiments for protein sequencing using mass spectrometry

The rapid expansion of searchable protein and DNA databases in recent years has triggered an explosive growth in the application of mass spectrometry to protein sequencing. This timely and authoritative book provides professionals and scientists in biotechnology research with complete coverage of procedures for analyzing protein sequences by mass spectrometry, including step-by-step guidelines for sample preparation, analysis, and data interpretation.

Michael Kinter and Nicholas Sherman present their own high-quality, laboratory-tested protocols for the analysis of a wide variety of samples, demonstrating how to carry out specific experiments and obtain fast, reliable results with a 99uccess rate. Readers will get sufficient experimental detail to apply in their own laboratories, learn about the proper selection and operation of instruments, and gain essential insight into the fundamental principles of mass spectrometry and protein sequencing. Coverage includes:

* Peptide fragmentation and interpretation of product ion spectra
* Basic polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
* Preparation of protein digests for sequencing experiments
* Mass spectrometric analysis using capillary liquid chromatography
* Techniques for protein identification by database searches
* Characterization of modified peptides using tandem mass spectrometry

And much more ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Broad, thorough introduction
I'm not a bench chemist, but I needed a quick survey of how mass spectroscopy is used in handling proteins and other big biomolecules. This book was it.

Although brief, it is thorough and well-organized. The first two chapters are mostly an introduction. Chapter 1 mostly just states the problem being solved. The next chapter is a brief introduction to older technologies, inclduding chemical techiques and 60s-80s mass spec technique. The next two chapters summarize modern mass spec hardware, then start to show how proteins behave in the environment inside the instrument. That gives the fundamentals of protein sequencing: how the molecules break down, and how the fragments help recreate the molecule. The authors go through a few examples in detail, starting from a mass spectrogram and moving forward to sequence. I was especially impressed by the examples that fail. Mass spec analysis is not a magic wand for producing sequences, it is a deductive process, and can not complete an analysis when clues are missing or ambiguous.

The next three chapters are not about mass spec directly. Instead, they discuss how samples are prepared for analysis. This includes the clearest, most informative description of gel electrophoresis that I've seen, along with features of gel chemistry that do or do not interfere with mass spec measurements. This includes a discussion of protein digests, enzymatically produced fragments, and their place in analysis. I would have liked a little more discussion about combining information from digests produced by different enzymes, but no book can cover everything.

The last three chapters extend the discussion of analysis, working upwards from fragments to complete protein sequences. The three chapters respectively address three topics: using standard internet databases for recognizing fragments of known proteins, using combinations of strategies to analyze novel protein, and using mass spec to identify post-translational modifications. That last one suffers from brevity; perhaps it was only meant to define a problem that deserves a whole book of its own.

Despite its throughness, the authors resist the urge for boggling detail. They present detail up to the point needed for understanding the mechanism and meaning of their topics, then stop. Lots of other writing would benefit from that kind of restraint.

I came away from this book well-informed, and ready to address specific topics in greater detail. That was exactly what I wanted. I recommend this book very highly.

"Protein Sequencing ......" a must to read
Michael Kinter has presented the topic in a scientific yet enjoyable format. I found the information to be extremely interesting and beneficial in my laboratory. Lets face it folks this isn't the easiest nor most interesting topic to write about. Job well done DR. Kinter. I only have one criticism, there should have been more photos and illustrations. Get your copies quick this will no doubt be on the NewYork times best seller list before long. ... Read more

Book Description

Signal Transduction now in paperback, is a text reference on cellular signalling processes. Starting with the basics, it explains how cells respond to external cues (hormones, cytokines, neurotransmitters, adhesion molecules, extracellular matrix, etc), and shows how these inputs are integrated and co-ordinated. The first half of the book provides the conceptual framework, explaining the formation and action of second messengers, particulary cyclic nucleotides and calcium, and the mediation of signal pathways by GTP-binding proteins. The remaining chapters deal with the formation of complex signalling cascades employed by cytokines and adhesion molecules, starting at the membrane and ending in the nucleus, there to regulate gene transcription. In this context, growth is an important potential outcome and this has relevance to the cellular transformations that underlie cancer. The book ends with a description at the molecular level of how signalling proteins interact with their environment and with each other through their structural domains. Each main topic is introduced with a historical essay, detailing the sources key observations and experiments that set the scence for recent and current work.

* Coherent, precise text providing insight in depth to a subject that is central to cell biology and fundamental to many areas of biomedicine
* Conceptual colour artwork assists with the comprehension of key topics
* Extensive referencing provides an invaluable link to the core and historical literature
* Margin notes highlighting milestones in the evolution of our understanding of signalling mechanisms ... Read more

Reviews (2)

good undergrad text
5 stars - give me a break, that book hasn't been written yet! By comparison with the other [stuff]hat's out there, like the abysmal Hancock book from a few years ago or the equally execrable Helmreich text, this one DOES stand out like a overexpressed GFP-kinase. One thing that is definitely better is the illustrations (not credited remarkably enough) most of which are well done. It is a pretty good undergrad text and I used it in a course to generally good reviews. The format is entirely conventional, however, and follows a predictable sequence. One is not going to learn much new, if already in the field. Old Gomp et al do get nostalgic with their historical sidelines and overdo it in some places - e.g. the abstruse tale of who really discovered insulin - but in general the use of sidebars (very reminiscent of the new Nature review journals in format) is well done.

There are several problems that are difficult to work out in teaching signalling to undergrads these days. One is how to incorporate enough physiology of specific organs such that the tissue-specific signalling that makes them work is comprehensible. Another is how to incorporate the newer structural information so that it actually adds to understanding, as opposed to being just a superficial take on structural biology. I don't think the text solves either of these problems particularly well, but it does make a worthwhile stab at it.

All in all a good buy. One awaits the paperback so that the [money]tag is not such a hurdle to purchase.

At Comprehensive Signal Transduction Textbook at Last!
Anyone who has surveyed the collection of existing textbooks on signal transduction realizes that they come in two basic flavors - those that cover alot of ground in an extremely superficial fashion, and those that delve in depth into a few narrow area while leaving vast tracts of the subject untouched. In addition, most texts are written on a chapter-by-chapter basis by different authors, leaving these texts more a collection of essays than a comprehensive review.
Gomperts, Kramer and Tatham's book has suceeded dramatically where most of the others have failed. The text is strikingly comprehensive, covering nearly all major areas of signal transduction including receptors, G proteins, calcium signaling, protein and lipid kinases and phosphatases, growth factors and cell adhesion. It is the first book I have seen that integrates historical, pharmacological, and physiological findings in these areas with the biochemistry and fine molecular detail of the molecules involved. Written with a single voice, the chapters integrate elegantly with one another, and provide the reader with both broad and comprehensive viewpoints - one sees the forest AND the trees! Remarkably current and up-to-date, the book promises to be a core text for graduate and advanced undergraduate courses in cell signaling and molecular cell biology, and a valuable reference book for all scientists whose work involves mechanisms of cell communication. ... Read more