Book Description

Understanding how the body uses specialized immune cells called lymphocytes in fighting both infections and tumors has been central to designing new strategies for vaccines and immunotherapy. This book provides practical advice for scientists embarking on the study of lymphocytes in the laboratory, and introduces several new techniques that have revolutionized this field. ... Read more

Book Description

Knud Nierhaus, who has studied the ribosome for more than 30 years, has assembled here the combined efforts of several scientific disciplines into a uniform picture of the largest enzyme complex found in living cells, finally resolving many decades-old questions in molecular biology.
In so doing he considers virtually all aspects of ribosome structure and function -- from the molecular mechanism of different ribosomal ribozyme activities to their selective inhibition by antibiotics, from assembly of the core particle to the regulation of ribosome component synthesis. The result is a premier resource for anyone with an interest in ribosomal protein synthesis, whether in the context of molecular biology, biotechnology, pharmacology or molecular medicine. ... Read more

Book Description

Insect Molecular Genetics, 2nd edition, is a succinct book that briefly introduces graduate and undergraduate students to molecular genetics and the techniques used in this well established and important discipline.The book is written for two converging audiences: those familiar with insects that need to learn about molecular genetics, and those that are familiar with molecular genetics but not familiar with insects.Thus, this book is intended to fill the gap between two audiences that share a common middle ground.

* Up-to-date references to important review articles, websites, and seminal citations in the disciplines
* Well crafted and instructive illustrations integral to explaining the techniques of molecular genetics
* Glossary of terms to help beginners learn the vocabulary of molecular biology ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A fascinating overview
The genetic engineering of insects is now commonplace, and for those who want to understand the details behind this exciting and practical technology, this book gives an excellent overview. The goal of this reviewer, who is not a professional biologist, was primarily to understand the efficacy of transgenic strategies in the genetic manipulation of insects. For those with similar interests and backgrounds, the book fills the need, and after reading it, such readers will have a better understanding of just what is possible in the technology of genetic transformation of insects, along with obtaining a stronger background in genetics. This technology is improving and getting more powerful as this book went into print, and no doubt many more fascinating discoveries will take place in the near future. The genetic manipulation of insects shows much promise in not only reducing the threat of malaria but also in controlling unwanted insect populations. The risks involved in this technology are thankfully also addressed in the book.

A thorough review of a book of this size and detail would take many thousands of words, and so attention here will be concentrated on the things that this reviewer found particularly interesting and the surprises in the book. One of these involved the discussion of the RNA era and its role in the early evolution of life. The author views this time as one where RNA organisms, which had multiple-copy double-stranded RNA genomes, these genomes later fragmenting into chromosomes. The interactions between the RNA and amino acids evolved into the present DNA world. Another interesting fact brought out is that DNA can form more than twenty different variations of right-handed helices, and can form left-handed helices in some regions.

The author also discusses the role of exons and introns in molecular genetics, and the 'introns-early' and 'introns-late' hypotheses. Their role is still not completely understood, and there are many open questions in their study, as is brought out in the discussion.

Still another interesting discussion concerns the role of telomeres in preventing the loss of DNA during replication and their role in ensuring the stability of linear chromosomes. It turns out that telomerase, an enzyme that is responsible for adding these telomeres to the ends, is, interestingly, a reverse transcriptase, meaning that it can transcribe DNA from an RNA template.

The 'C value paradox' is also discussed by the author, which she describes as a situation where there is more DNA then is needed by the organism. Surprisingly, the genome size is not correlated with the complexity of the organism or the number of genes encoded. The insect genome size varies widely among the insect species, with 250-fold differences in C values being common. The composition of insect DNA is apparently very different for insects than for vertebrates, with the author quoting the guanine and cytosine bases making up only 32-42% of the DNA, as compared to 45% for vertebrates.

The many roles of heterochromatin is discussed in detail by the author, such as in chromosome mechanics, centromere function, and position effect variegation in Drosophila melanogaster. In the latter, this silences the euchromatic genes that have been moved to regions adjacent to heterochromatin by chromosomal rearrangements. This change in the location of the gene within the nucleus modifies significantly the amount of 'gene silencing'. In the context of transgenic strategies, the transgenes inserted into the insect genome can be silenced because they become heterochromatized.

A particularly fascinating discussion is given of the role of transposable elements in the insect genome. These can alter the gene structure and function, and can transfer horizontally between species. The microbial symbiont Wolbachia's role in insect evolution is discussed, and the amazing fact that insects contain three or four genomes, namely the nuclear, mitochondrial, gut symbionts, and Wolbachia, raising the question of just what constitutes a biological individual. Some species of insects can have diploid males and females, or haploid males and diploid females, or only females. In addition, diploid males may undergo chromosome heterochromatimization and loss during development and become haploid.

A very detailed overview of transgenic strategies and their role in pest management is given at the end of the book. Giving examples of what has been accomplished in traditional breeding for beneficial insects and in sterilization techniques for pest insects, the author discusses the justifications for using transgenic methods. Mention is made of using green fluorescent protein as a molecular marker to track sterile insects. The author argues that fluorescent dusts currently used are not satisfactory since they can reduce the fitness of the insects and do not always adhere to the insects, biasing the results of the sterilization program. The author is clearly supportive of transgenic strategies to perform pest management, but she gives many references that take more cautionary stances on this technology. The author also makes the point that insect transgenesis is most appropriate for traits that are determined primarily by a single gene. The manipulation of traits determined by more complex genetic mechanisms are not yet feasible using transgenic strategies. Briefly discussed, but with many references given, are the different methods for transforming the insect germ-line, such as P-element vectors, Hermes, hobo, mariner, Minos, piggyBac, baculoviruses, densonucleosis viruses, pantropic retroviral vectors, polydnaviruses, retrotransposons, and sindbis viruses. Also discussed are paratransgenesis, which involves the genetic transformation of insect symbionts, and FLP-mediated recombination, which involves the introduction of cloned genes into the germ line at a predictable chromosomal site. This latter technique, the author argues, is very desirable for the reason that the likelihood of position effects on gene expression is considerably reduced.

Gene silencing, an evolved mechanism to prevent high-level expression of transposable elements, presents a challenge to transgenic strategies. The author discusses briefly some examples of transgene silencing in D. melanogaster. She points out that gene silencing might however be exploited positively by turning off specific genes in insects. References are given that discuss gene silencing in D. melanogaster. Horizontal gene transfer, hotly debated in the press these days, is discussed briefly. ... Read more

Book Description

Thoroughly updated and in a new two-color format, this well- respected text presents the fundamentals of biochemistry and related topics to students pursuing a one- or two-semester course in pre-med biochemistry or medical programs. The second edition is equally applicable to other health-related fields such as clinical chemistry, medical technology or pharmacology. Medical Biochemistry, Fourth Edition, focuses on the foundations and clinically relevant applications of normal human biochemistry and pathology. Abundantly illustrated with four-color plates.

Revised chapters on molecular biology reflect the latest research in the field
Two color throughout with four color plates
Reference quality appendices include practical information on clinical lab parameters used to diagnose a range of diseases ... Read more

Book Description

One of the most fascinating problems in biology is how a single cell, the fertilised egg, gives rise to a new individual. The fertilised egg divides many times to form an embryo. This volume in the Frontiers in Molecular Biology series discusses the methods by which cells in distinct regions of an embryo become different, a process known as patterning. Patterning is fundamental to establishing the spatial organisation of the developing embryo. It ensures that all the parts of the body are generated and that they form in exactly the right places. The ultimate inpatterning is the formation of precise arrangements of specialised cells and tissues within each organ. Understanding the process of patterning during the embryonic development of vertebrates is a particular challenge for developmental biologists because vertebrates have an intricate and complex anatomy and histology.The first two chapters of Patterning in Vertebrate Development are introductory, explaining to the reader the general principles of vertebrate patterning and early embryology. The subsequent chapters addresspatterning in both nervous system and specific parts of the body. Each chapter provides a detailed review of current research in a specific area of interest. These include topics such as neural specification, antero-posterior patterning of the neural tube, and molecular basis of vertebrate limb development. Throughout the volume, examples are drawn from a number of species, and particular emphasis is placed on recent discoveries about the molecular basis of patterning in vertebrates. The book concludes with a chapter which revisits many of the regions of the embryo previously discussed from an evolutionary perspective. ... Read more

Book Description

Conditional gene targeting is an emerging technique for introducing mutations into the genes of laboratory mice.This collection of protocols comes from one of the world's premiere laboratories for gene targeting--the Institute of Genetics in Cologne--and is written for newcomers and more experienced researchers in the field.Topics include the Cre/loxP recombination system and gene targeting in ES cells; gene targeting vectors; chromosomal translocations; and identification of homologous recombinants. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Theory and Practice of Histotechnology
An excellent book for someone who is starting to learn about histology. It includes basic information that is helpful and may be used as a guideline for personal lab work. In addition, one of the chapters includes the commonly used medical terminology and lab mathematics, so if you're new in business, this is an extremely helpful chapter. ... Read more

Book Description

Fractals and chaos are currently generating excitement across various scientific and medical disciplines. Biomedical investigators, graduate students, and undergraduates are becoming increasingly interested in applying fractals and chaos (nonlinear dynamics) to a variety of problems in biology and medicine. This accessible text lucidly explains these concepts and illustrates their uses with examples from biomedical research. The author presents the material in a very unique, straightforward manner which avoids technical jargon and does not assume a strong background in mathematics. The text uses a step-by-step approach by explaining one concept at a time in a set of facing pages, with text on the left page and graphics on the right page; the graphics pages can be copied directly onto transparencies for teaching. Ideal for courses in biostatistics, fractals, mathematical modeling of biological systems, and related courses in medicine, biology, and applied mathematics, Fractals and Chaos Simplified for the Life Sciences will also serve as a useful resource for scientists in biomedicine, physics, chemistry, and engineering. ... Read more

Book Description

Our Molecular Nature is a richly illustrated guide to the extraordinary diversity of molecules that are responsible for life. David Goodsellscientist, artist and author of the highly-praised book, The Machinery of Lifehas synthesized a vast amount of data in a readable and stimulating manner. He examines topics ranging from the molecules that give cells their shape to the molecules responsible for the immune system, digestion and thought.

Focusing on the extraordinary progress made recently in understanding life at the level of molecules, Goodsell guides us through such discoveries as why cyanide poisons us so quickly, what the single enzyme is that makes some of us lactose intolerant, and how cholesterol can be a double-edged sword: essential in our membranes but harmful in our blood. This is a remarkable journey through a world both familiar and mysteriousour own bodies. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

good illustration, but lack of scientific insights
This book provides many good illustrations for various classes of biomolecules. However, it does not give any scientific insights. The book is descriptive. ... Read more

Book Description

Essentials of Molecular Biology, Fourth Edition focuses on the fundamental aspects of molecular structure and function by reviewing key features and along the way, capsulizing them as a series of concise concepts. Thus, students are encouraged to place the reductionist knowledge of molecular biology into broad contexts and thereby develop both academic and personal meaning for this discipline. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Disappointing Introduction to a Fascinating Subject
Unfortunately, I could not disagree with my fellow reviewer more...

I was introduced to this text while a student in Dr. Malacinski's own molecular biology class at Indiana University. While I learned a great deal from the class itself, I found this book to be utterly disappointing in more ways than one. While he is undoubtedly a great teacher, Dr. Malacinski is a terrible author. His explanations of even the simplest concepts are confusing at best and downright confounding at their worst. Often, the book uses long, languid syntax to explain basic ideas, and in doing so, loses track of the fundamental basis of the concepts it is trying to elucidate. It seems to me as though Dr. Malacinski's purpose in writing an introductory textbook would be better served by offering his readers short, direct, and to-the-point explanations (such as those offered in the "Student Companion.") The trichromatic layout of all the book's diagrams make their interpretation difficult, and do little to provide the reader with relief from the bland nature of the prose. The text's lack of detailed color photographs is equally maddening - more than once when attempting to study one of the book's photographs, I felt as though I were staring at a "magic eye" collage rather than an electron micrograph. Additionally, Dr. Malacinski's attempts of to interject his personal opinions and imbibe his readers with enthusiasm for the subjects being treated feel trite and unnecessary. The text skims over many fundamental issues relevant to the study of molecular biology - most notably in its almost non-existent coverage of proteins and their role in molecular biology. I was equally disappointed in the book's total lack of coverage (or even introduction to) more advanced concepts in the field, particularly eukaryotic molecular biology. Although aptly titled "Essentials of Molecular Biology," students intending to pursue more advanced studies in the fields of biochemistry and molecular/cell biology will be poorly served by the book's complete omission of these advanced concepts. Altogether, while this book is one of the few molecular biology textbooks specifically designed for use in a one-semester undergraduate introductory course, many of the "more advanced" textbooks available provide a more comprehensive and easily understandable treatment of the material covered in this text. To those with a sincere interest in learning about both the concepts and breadth of molecular biology, I recommend "Molecular Biology of the Cell" (4th ed.) by Alberts et al, "Molecular Cell Biology" (4th ed.) by Lodish et al, and "Biochemistry" (5th ed.) by Berg and Stryer as alternatives to this book.

It is to molecular biologists what DNA is to cell.
I read this book at the library and was highly impressed with the mode of explaination and representation. The book is highly informative giving the explaination with the best lucid way and the figures too are at the right places. How so ever the book would have been still more better if the method given at many places would have been clubbed with the major draw backs and precautionary steps.

All in one it is a very useful book to be obtained by the biologists working on the field

Vishal Shah ... Read more

Book Description

From the moment men first began to contemplate their world, three questions have occupied the human mind: Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going? Artists (notably Paul Gauguin), religious thinkers, philosophers and, most recently, scientists have all searched for answers. This book describes molecular evidence for human descent from the first single-celled organisms all the way to the emergence of Homo sapiens. After distinguishing myth from science, the authors introduce molecular evolution and the molecular approach to the study of human origins and draw conclusions about human identity.

Unique features of this book include:

* A concentration on information provided by molecules, first and foremost nucleic acids, unlike most books on evolution, which focus solely on testimony provided by archeology.* Clear explanations of difficult concepts, including mathematical formulas, thus allowing readers to understand without prior knowledge of the subject. * Over 120 detailed figures, illustrations and tables that enhance the text. * A glossary of terms that are highlighted in the text. * Sources for further reading and reference.

The authors describe how scientists decipher human origin from the record encrypted in the DNA and protein molecules, and point out the limitations of ancient DNA analysis. They deal with the concept of race from the point of view of what is now known about human variability, and distinguish between views colored by "political correctness" and views based on objective evaluation of the data. Finally, the book warns the reader that knowledge of man's place on the Tree of Life can change our philosophical and ethical perspective, and considers what the future of the human race may entail ... Read more

Reviews (2)

human evolution explanation at its best
This is simply the best book i've found on human evolution. The subtitle is "The Molecular Evidence for Human Descent", don't be put off if you don't have a degree in biochemistry. Unlike most other technical and scientifically sophisticated books, in this one, the author holds your hand. He does it very well, introducing binominal and poisson distribution analysis both in the text and in appendices, for example. You are aware of his careful setting up the pieces that you need in order to understand the take home message of each chapter, and you are grateful, even if you already know the material, for the 'nice' way he does it. I finished the book wishing he would rewrite many biology and engineering textbooks i have been subjected to over the years by authors who assumed if you didn't know exactly what you were reading, then you shouldn't have bought and tried to read his book in the first place. For this characteristic alone the book is deeply and joyfully to be praised.

I am aware of the divisive character of the debate on human origins, this book will not settle it. But it will be a book that can be recommended to bring your reasonable intelligent but somewhat scientifically ignorant friend up to speed on the issues from a unabashed secular scientific viewpoint. It will, i would hope, set a standard for introductory books in the field. For if it can get a hearing, and even become popular then other authors will be forced to help people understand their arguments by giving them the tools to analyze and understand their positions, not just assume them. Now this doesn't negate the need to do your homework in order to be a serious student in any field, many things will take lots of reading to get the basis for advanced arguments. Something that will never be done in one, or even a set of books. But as the authors prove a reasonable grasp of human evolutionary arguments from a biochemical/genetic point of view is not that sophisticated of a field to require volumes, just this one.

Lest i miss an important issue, i would like to state that the author, like most secular scientific people makes the mistake of drawing metaphysical conclusions from scientific data. This i belief to be the problem of scientism, the unjustified extension of method-science into metaphysics or religion. The authors would certainly disagree with me. In any case, their philosophic position is clearly stated, open and presented in a manner that is not belittling of a religious prespective. So even if you are a theist i believe that there is much to be gained from reading this book, don't let the scientism put you off.

thanks for reading this review, and please get the book, it is certainly a most important topic, whether you agree with evolutionary analysis or not, you must be informed.

richard williams

A splendid book
This is a super-ambitious, yet superbly-done account of life on earth from the first primitive creatures down to you and me. It's quite technical, but as lucid as possible. And the equations, diagrams, and tables are interspersed with fascinating asides, such as full explication of the the Gaugin masterpiece that provides the title and cover picture. It also offers in passing the most interesting interpretation of the Garden of Eden and the serpent's offer from Genesis that I've ever read. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Thorough and Sophisticated Presentation of Pathogenicity
As an undergraduate student studying microbiology, I found the book to be extremely technical. I would have appreciated a more clinical approach to pathogenicity. Bacterial Pathogenesis can, however, serve as an excellent reference text concerning the details of pathogenicity on a molecular level. The book covers virulence factors and antibiotic in detail. 21 bacterial diseases are covered extensively, each having its own chapter. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Organic Representations
This set is the perfect set for any first year organic student.It gives a perfect representation of interatomic distances which is not possible or accounted for with other sets.It also allows for the compostion ofcyclopropane and othe larger cyclic compounds.A great compliment toorganic study ... Read more

Book Description

Emphasis on clustering of data of gene tissues
* Includes new research findings and activities in molecular biology
* Highlights the important general field of bioinformatics and genomics and discusses the impact of microarray analysis on both ... Read more

Book Description

Written and edited by experts in the field, this book provides valuable insight into the remarkable advancement of DNA microarrays. It is essential for researchers investigating patterns of gene expression and useful for all those interested in the use of biochips. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Nice Overview
This book is a good primer on microarrays. ... Read more

Book Description

Introduction to Bioinformatics by Arthur Lesk is a timely and much-needed textbook which provides an accessible and thorough introduction to a subject which is becoming a fundamental part of biological science today. As a pioneer of the use of bioinformatics techniques in research, Dr Lesk brings unrivalled experience and expertise to the study of this field. The aim of the book is to generate an understanding of the biological background of bioinformatics, and to integrate this with an introduction to the use of computational skills. Without describing computer science or sophisticated programming skills in detail, the book supports and encourages the application of the many powerful computational tools of bioinformatics in a way that is both relevant to and stimulating for the reader. The book contains numerous problems and innovative Weblems (for Web-based Problems) to encourage students to engage with the subject and with the accompanying web site and to develop a working understanding and appreciation of the power of bioinformatics as a research tool. ... Read more

Book Description

The yeast two-hybrid system is among the most powerful methods for screening genes that are functional in various physiological processes and systems, and for determining gene interactions.This volume provides a summary of the methods and range of applications of gene screening possible with the system. ... Read more