Book Description

In Volume 2 of Essential Molecular Biology, procedures for preparing gene libraries and identifying genes are described, together with methods for studying the structure of a cloned gene and the way it is expressed in the cell. ... Read more

Book Description

In this volume of Methods in Enzymology and its companion Volume 244, the chapters on specific methods, enzymes, and inhibitors are organized within the rational framework of the new systems for classificationand nomenclature. A wide variety of specificities of peptide bond hydrolysis are represented in each set of peptidases, together with an equally wide range of biological functions.

Key Features
* Aspartic peptidases
* Metallopeptidases
* New information on classification of proteolytic enzymes
* Medical implications of research in this area
* Biotechnological uses of these enzymes ... Read more

Book Description

Instant Notes in Bioinformatics, provides concise yet comprehensive coverage of bioinformatics at an undergraduate level, with easy access to the fundamentals in this complex field. All the important areas in bioinformatics are covered in a format which is ideal for learning and rapid revision and reference. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Concise primer. Not bad.
If you want a concise primer on bioinformatics, then this book may be of interest. I read this book as a review, but it seems that it may serve well for newcomers alike.

Compared to other primers such as "Developing Bioinformatics Computer Skills", this book contains less unnecessasary figures (e.g., central dogma, etc.), covers wider range of topics, tries to be less verbose.

A drawback is that there is little description at an algorithmic level (e.g., dynamic programming). However, the book does a pretty good job in conveying the main ideas about what such algorithms do and why they are needed. I like this book's concise and accurate presentation style much better than lengthy and confusing style found in many other books (e.g., Bioinformatics - David Mount). Another drawback is that font is small.

Overall, this book is not bad. I think this book's preface tells you what you can expect from this book, so below I excerpted a paragraph.

"We will tell you how to do things, but this is not a software manual for commonly used packages. They have their own manuals that are (mostly) much better than anything we could provide. Many of the methods we describe rely on quite complex mathematical, statistical or computational techniques. Often we choose not to describe these at all, but where we do we have aimed for a simple conceptual understanding." ... Read more

Book Description

Basic and clinical investigators systematically compile a comprehensive but concise summary of essential, up-to-date information about apoptosis. The authors present the concepts, the molecular architecture, the biochemical pathways, and the pathophysiological significance of apoptosis. In addition, standard biochemical and cell biologic approaches to apoptosis research are described as a guideline for bench work, with clinical applications detailed for immune disorders, cancer, ischemia/reperfusion injury, and neuronal degeneration. ... Read more

Book Description

Molecular Principles of Animal Development by Alfonso Martinez-Arias and Alison Stewart is the only textbook in the field that focuses on the molecules and mechanisms that underlie the developmental process. Offering a compellingly modern way of looking at developmental biology, it reflects recent literature and the dramatic advances and changes in the field over the last decade. It works from the molecular and cellular principles up to the organism level, rather than the traditional top-down emphasis on the complete organism. The authors demonstrate that an understanding of animal development requires an understanding of the universal mechanisms that emerge from molecular networks. Designed for advanced undergraduates and early graduate students, this well-organized book can be used to teach courses at different levels. It includes an introduction and three sections that increase in level of complexity while building on previous sections. It shows that development is not programmed into the genome but is an output of the opportunistic use of molecular networks and routines. Written with a rigorous but readable style, Molecular Principles of Animal Development is a stunningly useful addition to the field of developmental biology. ... Read more

Book Description

Easy to read and up-to-date, this guide will help both first-time writers and experienced contributors in authoring research papers. Although the examples are extracted mainly from the medical and biological sciences, the principles described apply to virtually every branch of science. The book provides step-by-step information on how to prepare every aspect of a scientific paper and examples of both good and bad writing illuminate the author's advice in this accessible and informative handbook. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

THE book for in situ methodologies
With the rapid and on-going development of In Situ hybridisation, a new edition of this book was needed. In Professor Darby the publishers found a very capable editor. He has gathered articles which, while conveying allthe protocols you would need to reproduce the techniques in your ownlaboratory, are surprisingly readable.

Even for the experiencedpractitioner, there are methods in here that will catch you by surprise.The wealth of illustrations add to the enjoyment, as you gain a very clearidea of what to expect. It is a shame, however, that most are in black andwhite. The supplement of colour photos (and the page in the professor's ownarticle) demonstrate the results most clearly.

As the summary says, ifyou are interested in hybridisation - whether of protein, chromosomes oreven whole embryos - this is an indispensable manual.

(caveat: probablynot a must-by for the general reader) ... Read more

Book Description

This book describes the roles of various intermolecular and interparticle forces in determining the properties of simple systems such as gases, liquids, and solids, of more complex colloidal, polymeric, and biological systems. The book provides a thorough grounding in theories and concepts of intermolecular forces, allowing students and researchers to recognize which forces are important in any particular system and how to control these forces.

Key Features
* Surface-force measurements
* Solvation and structural forces
* Hydration and hydophobic forces
* Ion-correlation forces
* Thermal fluctuation (steric and undulation) forces
* Particle and surface interactions in polymer melts and polymer solutions
* Contains worked examples, discussion topics, and more than 100 problems ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Forces you know or not????
The above "reviewer" needs to learn the English language! What the hell is that guy trying to tell us? I'm glad the book is useful to the outdoors.

I have not read too far into the book, but it seems to be fairly well written.

Forces you know or not
~~~Engineering and Science are different on the point that people are trying to understand the phenomena with little knowledge of the physical background. Especially recently the interdisciplinary stuff are more and more challenging, so that's why engineers must have solid background on science. From my own experience, I do not need to take care the thermodyamics, kinetics in my former major, solid mechanics. Well, it's hard to survive if you only have knowledge on structures of a bridge~~ or a composite plate (this is just my own view, please forgive my ignorance). Nano- and Meso- scale materials are related to some mechanical problems. So I got this book to start my research on this. It is useful not only to experts but also to the outdoors like me.~~~ ... Read more

Book Description

This ambitious book provides the first unified discussion of the full range of evolutionary transitions. Engagingly written and filled with numerous illustrations, this book can be read with enjoyment by anyone with an undergraduate training in biology.It includes accessible discussions of a wide range of topics, from molecular biology and linguistics to insect societies. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Evolution: the Really Big Picture
In this book, John Maynard Smith and Eoers Szathmary give a discussion of the steps (transitions) involved in the evolution of life, from the very beginning to complex human societies. This they do in a book of only about 300 pages. The detailed explanations of many of these transitions are necessarily speculative: still it is an interesting exercise to try and give a complete description of the history of the world of life.

The world the authors describe is totally, well, Darwinian. Many transitions like the origin of organelles and of meiosis involve some form of cooperation, but cooperation could be the result of wins and losses in evolutionary power struggles. For instance, talking about the origin of the eukaryotic cells the authors speculate: "Proto-metakaryotic host cells may have kept protomytochondria as humans keep pigs [...] Thus we are inclined to think that endosymbiotic organelles are encapsulated slaves."

This quote also illustrates the fact that this book, while easy for somebody with a good understanding of undergraduate biology, is not for everyone. For the target audience, this book is not difficult: the game-theoretic models are simply explained and there is basically no other math.

A Marvellous and Challenging Read
This is arguably John-Maynard Smith's most challenging project in popular science writing. Written along with Eros Szathmary, a chemist, " The Major Transitions in Evolution" is written primarily for biology students, but can be understood by anybody with a solid background in evolutionary theory. How have the ways in which information is transmitted between generations changed through time and what were the crucial transitions that made these changes possible? One early example that illustrates the effect of these transitions is the origin of chromosomes. Nucleic acid strands (genes) capable of independent replication, at some point became linked and thereafter could replicate only as a set of lined genes (chromosomes). A new way of storing information,a new information system had evolved. How was this transition maintained through time? Would'nt unlinked genes which replicate faster be favoured by natural selection over linked genes? In effect, would'nt selection at a lower level disrupt higher level organizatins? This is a common feature of many of the major transitions and forms the fundamental theme of this marvellous book. In a series of chapters the authors discuss the evolutions of various level of complexity. The chapters are arrange in a logical sequence begining with the origin of life and moving on to successive transitions including the origin of the genetic code, the origin of the eucaryotes, the origin of sex, multicellularity, societies and language. The list here is not complete. I read the book from start to finish in a sequence, but readers with a good background in the subject could probably start anywhere depending on their interest. For non-biologist this is not easy reading at all, and I would imagine that even biology students will find portions challenging. An impressive quality of this book is the constant attempt to incorporate the pecularities of a particular system in developing an explanation to explain its origin. A discussion on the origin of the genetic code includes the possibilty that there could be a stero-chemical basis for specific amino acid-codon assigments, rather than it being a 'frozen accident'. Another example is whether there is a causal connection between haplodiploidy and evolution of sociality in eusocial insects. The author warn against making this apparently intuitive connection, and instead seek an explanation in split sex ratios and in some cases the particular features of insect ecology. The highlight of the book for me was the last chapter on the origin of language. From Noam Chomsky's work on the structure of grammer , syntax and language and representation, to an evolutionary explanation for its origin, this was really an informative essay. The ever recurring argument against the evolution of complex adapatations, in this case language, by a series of adaptive intermediate stages, has been dealt with using examples from animal speech, the genetics of language disorders and a section on the transitions from pigdin to creole. The book strikes a good balance between explaining theory and then discussing the experimental evidence available. Wherever possible, new experimental approaches are suggested. Finally, like any really good book on science the authors not only bring you up to date with what has been done, but also stress just how much more needs to be done. It is this feature about the book that leaves a lasting impression.

Excellent. Industrial strength for biological initiates.
John Maynard Smith gets an automatic thumbs-up from me for anything he writes. He is clear, pleasant, creative, unpretentious, authoritative and thoughtful. For this book he has teamed up with what seems to be an up-and-coming molecular biologist cum evolutionist and the team is impressively powerful. The writing is all in Maynard-Smith's style as far as I can tell, so I don't know whether Szathmary is an exceptionally competent anglophone who shares the same style, or whether they split the writing duties to exploit their respective skills. All I can say is that if you want a really rewarding read and you have a sound, not necessarily advanced, understanding of the basics of biochemistry, evolution and cellular physiology, then you cannot do better than this book. It makes no pretence to being comprehensive and gives only the minimum of introductory material to support their views on evolutionary transitions. Even if you are familiar with the field, the book does not lend itself to skimming; it is the distillation of a lot of non-trivial thinking.

An excellent book. Recommended to any professional in the field, to any student of the subject and to laymen with a good background in the subject and who are not intimidated by a challenge and are willing to skip some of the biochemistry. The later chapters are more accessible in that they deal with more difficult subjects, such as speech and culture.

Instead of watering down the content for educated laymen, the authors have published a less technical sequel: "The Origins of Life". This is also available from Amazon and, although it is intended for a wider audience, it is thoroughly rewarding for the professional.

First class
Maynard Smith is one of the world's leading evolutionary biologists (for instance, he was largely responsible for the application of ideas from game theory to biological contests), and here he gives an excellent account of what he considers the most important transitions in evolutionary biology, including the origin of the genetic code, cellularisation, sociality and language. It's an astonishingly wide-ranging book, and highly recommended for anyone with any interest in any of these subjects in particular or in evolution as a whole. The writing is lucid and entertaining, and although some chapters probably require a familiarity with at least basic biology, Maynard Smith, like Richard Dawkins, can be understood by anyone who's prepared to make an effort. ... Read more

Book Description

The recent sequencing of mycoplasma genomes has marked a turning point in the molecular genetic analysis of these microorganisms. Transcriptome and proteome analyses promise to provide the first definition of the total protein complement of a cell. The mycoplasma group includes the smallest known self-replicating organisms carrying the smallest number of genes. No wonder, therefore, that mycoplasmas have a special appeal to those interested in deciphering the minimal set of genes essential for life. Mycoplasma genomics facilitated better understanding of mycoplasma pathogenesis. Most impressive are the findings concerning the interaction of mycoplasmas with the immune system, macrophage activation, cytokine induction, mycoplasma cell components acting as superantigens, and autoimmune manifestations. The molecular definition of mycoplasmal adhesins responsible for mycoplasma attachment to host cells and evasion of the host immune system by antigenic variation of mycoplasmal surface components are other `hot' subjects of research. Demonstration of the ability of mycoplasmas to enter host cells, cause fusogenic, apoptotic and oncogenic effects, as well as the possible association of mycoplasmas with arthritis, had their share in intensifying research on mycoplasma pathogenesis, bringing more researchers into the circle of those interested in this group of organisms. The present book is a comprehensive, up-to-date, multi-authored treatise to be used not only by mycoplasmologists but by molecular biologists, geneticists, and bioinformatics researchers newly attracted to mycoplasmas as excellent research models. ... Read more

Book Description

The fourth edition of The Cytokine Handbook provides an encyclopedic coverage of the molecules that induce and regulate immune responses.
Now expanded to two volumes, co-edited by Michael T Lotze, and written by over 120 international experts, the scope of the book has been broadened to include a major emphasis on the clinical applications of cytokines. The early chapters discuss individual cytokines, chemokines and receptors. Additional chapters discuss the clinical implications and applications of cytokines, including cytokine gene transfer, antisense therapy and assay systems. This book is essential for researchers and clinicians interested in cytokines, including anyone working in cancer biology, transplantation, infectious diseases, autoimmunity or bioinformatics.

Key Features
* Covers all main cytokines and chemokines
* Written by experts
* Up-to-date- includes detailed referencing accessing current, modern literature and reflects the newest findings from the human genome
* The new edition has been thoroughly revised and extended (now 2 volumes) as compared to the last edition, including new co-editor (MTL), new authors, new hot topics and new chapters
* Includes major emphasis on clinical applications
* Extensively illustrated with tables and figures ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Cytokine Handbook
This book covers most of the information for people who is interested in cytokine research. The content is detailed enough for professionals who is actually working in the area of cell signaling or drug discovery. It may not be a good starting point for amateur readers. ... Read more

Book Description

A great introductory book that details reliable approaches to problems met instandard microarray data analyses. It provides examples of establishedapproaches such as cluster analysis, function prediction, and principle component analysis. Discover real examples to illustrate the key concepts of data analysis. Written for those without any advanced background in math, statistics, or computer sciences, this book is essential for anyone interested in harnessing the immense potential of microarrays in biology and medicine. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

an easy read -- a cookbook
True to its stated purpose: best used as a roadmap by mathematically unsophisticated newcomers to analysis of microarray data. Somewhat superficial, and it becomes more so in later chapters. Does not explore harder issues in detail. Does not touch upon future directions of the technology. Its advocacy of the Unix awk program is anachronistic; tellingly, the reference cited for awk is from 1988. Not a groundbreaking book, just solid practical advice.

Useful Book
"...This useful little book .... I'd recommend anyone setting out to use this methodology to buy a copy for the lab." (British Society for Developmental Biology Newsletter)

Recommended Book
"...I'd recommend anyone setting out to use this methodology to buy a copy for the lab." (British Society for Cell Biology Newsletter)

just an introductory
If you just want an general idea of how the microarray and analysis works so you can understand other people's data and method. And you willing to pay 40 bucks for 125 pages(including index) instead of search free resources online. This will be the book for you.
If you want to do array analysis your self. try other books.

"A Fine Introduction to DNA Microarray Analysis"
"...a fine introduction to DNA microarray analysis using good concrete examples, well reasoned descriptions...and much-needed examination of the tools, technologies, and research resources...after reading this book, anyone new to microarray data should understand what can...be measured..." (Nature Genetics, Vol. 33, March 2003) ... Read more

Book Description

Introduction to Bioinformatics: A Theoretical and Practical Approach was written as an introductory text for the undergraduate, graduate, or professional. This text provides scientists with both a biological framework to understand the questions life scientist confront in the context of the computational issues and tools that are currently available for scientific research It also provides the life scientist with a resource to the various computational tools that are available all supported with their underlying mathematical foundations. The book is divided into four main sections. The first two sections provide an overview of the various biological processes that govern an organism and impact health. The first section, Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, describes basic cellular structure and the decoding of the genome. The second section, Molecular Genetics covers the regulation of genomes and the molecular genetic basis of disease as a consequence of genetic replication. Clinical human genetics and the various clinical databases are also reviewed. The third section, the Unix Operating System, demystifies the Unix system used throughout the world to support advanced computation tools. In addition to information on the installation and management of Unix-based software tools, examples of command line sequence analyses are presented that will enable the research to become as comfortable in a command-line environment as they are in the Graphical-User Interface environment. The final section, Computer Applications, provides information on the management and analysis of DNA sequencing projects, along with a review of how DNA can be modeled as a statistical series of patterns. It follows with a discussion of the various genome databases, the representation of genomes, and methods for their large scale analyses. Protein visualization, and transcription profiling including the use of analysis software for systems biology round out the coverage. The volume also includes a bonus CD-ROM containing valuable software programs including BioDiscovery (for microarray analysis), ClustalX (a sequence alignment program) Ensembl, MicroAnalyser (for microarray analysis on the Macintosh), Staden Sequence Analysis Package, Tree View (for displaying phylogenies) an others. Also included is a complete set of color illustrations from each chapter that will prove invaluable for professors preparing their next bioinformatics course or seminar. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the first book to cover the history, structure, and application of atomic force microscopy in cell biology. Presented in the clear, well-illustrated style of the Methods in Cell Biology series, it introduces the atomic force microscope (AFM) to its readers and enables them to tap the power and scope of this technology to further their own research. A practical laboratory guide for use of the atomic force and photonic force microscopes, it provides updated technology and methods in force spectroscopy. It is also a comprehensive and easy-to-follow practical laboratory guide for the use of the AFM and PFM in biological research. ... Read more

Book Description

This timely resource offers up-to-the-minute coverage of basic science and important clinical advances as well as future challenges and opportunities in the application of molecular and cellular biology to cardiovascular diseases. ... Read more