Computational and high-throughput methods, such as genomics, proteomics, and transcriptomics, known collectively as -omics, have been used to study plant biology for well over a decade now. As these technologies mature, plant and crop scientists have started using these methods to improve crop varieties. Omics in Plant Breeding provides a timely introduction to key omicsbased methods and their application in plant breeding. Omics in Plant Breeding is a practical and accessible overview of specific omics-based methods ranging from metabolomics to phenomics. Covering a single methodology within each chapter, this book provides thorough coverage that ensures a strong understanding of each methodology both in its application to, and improvement of, plant breeding. Accessible to advanced students, researchers, and professionals, Omics in Plant Breeding will be an essential entry point into this innovative and exciting field. A valuable overview of high-throughput, genomics-based technologies and their applications to plant breeding Each chapter explores a single methodology, allowing for detailed and thorough coverage Coverage ranges from well-established methodologies, such as genomics and proteomics, to emerging technologies, including phenomics and physionomics Aluizio Borem is a Professor of Plant Breeding at the University of Vicosa in Brazil. Roberto Fritsche-Neto is a Professor of Genetics and Plant Breeding at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil.

This book contains papers, presented at the eighth annual FoodPlas conference held in Orlando, Florida in 1991, on the role of plastics in supermarkets, food processors and food companies, and on the regulations and design for plastics packaging.

Combining myth, biography, and wit, this is a highly original depiction of cutting-edge science and its profound implications, told through the scientists who are rewriting life on earth. Throughout history, the scientists' personalities have astonished us. From Galileo to Jonas Salk, they push and stretch society's boundaries though their great leaps of imagination and originality, providing us with everything from the wheel to rocket ships and penicillin. Today's masterminds in biotechnology promise lifespans up to 400 years, cures for cancer, and an end to pollution. But they are also capable of causing social upheavals with Frankenstein-like nightmare creations, as well as bioweapons. Award-winning writer David Ewing Duncan has written a startling narrative about science and personality, delving into stem cells, cloning, bioengineering, and genetics by telling the stories of the characters at the fulcrum of the science. He uses a unique method of tying in age-old stories and myths - from Prometheus and Eve to Faustus and Frankenstein - to ask the question: can we trust these scientists?

Microarray Image and Data Analysis: Theory and Practice is a compilation of the latest and greatest microarray image and data analysis methods from the multidisciplinary international research community. Delivering a detailed discussion of the biological aspects and applications of microarrays, the book: Describes the key stages of image processing, gridding, segmentation, compression, quantification, and normalization Features cutting-edge approaches to clustering, biclustering, and the reconstruction of regulatory networks Covers different types of microarrays such as DNA, protein, tissue, and low- and high-density oligonucleotide arrays Examines the current state of various microarray technologies, including their availability and affordability Explains how data generated by microarray experiments are analyzed to obtain meaningful biological conclusions An essential reference for academia and industry, Microarray Image and Data Analysis: Theory and Practice provides readers with valuable tools and techniques that extend to a wide range of biological studies and microarray platforms.

Genome Stability: DNA Repair and Recombination describes the various mechanisms of repairing DNA damage by recombination, most notably the repair of chromosomal breaks. The text presents a definitive history of the evolution of molecular models of DNA repair, emphasizing current research. The book introduces the central players in recombination. An overview of the four major pathways of homologous recombinational repair is followed by a description of the several mechanisms of nonhomologous end-joining. Designed as a textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate students with a molecular biology and genetics background, researchers and practitioners, especially in cancer biology, will also appreciate the book as a reference.

'Species' are central to understanding the origin and dynamics of biological diversity; explaining why lineages split into multiple distinct species is one of the main goals of evolutionary biology. However the existence of species is often taken for granted, and precisely what is meant by species and whether they really exist as a pattern of nature has rarely been modelled or critically tested. This novel book presents a synthetic overview of the evolutionary biology of species, describing what species are, how they form, the consequences of species boundaries and diversity for evolution, and patterns of species accumulation over time. The central thesis is that species represent more than just a unit of taxonomy; they are a model of how diversity is structured as well as how groups of related organisms evolve. The author adopts an intentionally broad approach, stepping back from the details to consider what species constitute, both theoretically and empirically, and how we detect them, drawing on a wealth of examples from microbes to multicellular organisms.

Oligonucleotides represent one of the most significant pharmaceutical breakthroughs in recent years, showing great promise as diagnostic and therapeutic agents for malignant tumors, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, viral infections, and many other degenerative disorders. The Handbook of Analysis of Oligonucleotides and Related Products is an essential reference manual on the practical application of modern and emerging analytical techniques for the analysis of this unique class of compounds. A strong collaboration among thirty leading analytical scientists from around the world, the book provides readers with a comprehensive overview of the most commonly used analytical techniques and their advantages and limitations in assuring the identity, purity, quality, and strength of an oligonucleotide intended for therapeutic use. Topics discussed include: Strategies for enzymatic or chemical degradation of chemically modified oligonucleotides toward mass spectrometric sequencing Purity analysis by chromatographic or electrophoretic methods, including RP-HPLC, AX-HPLC, HILIC, SEC, and CGE Characterization of sequence-related impurities in oligonucleotides by mass spectrometry and chromatography Structure elucidation by spectroscopic methods (IR, NMR, MS) as well as base composition and thermal melt analysis (Tm) Approaches for the accurate determination of molar extinction coefficient of oligonucleotides Accurate determination of assay values Assessment of the overall quality of oligonucleotides, including microbial analysis and determination of residual solvents and heavy metals Strategies for determining the chemical stability of oligonucleotides The use of hybridization techniques for supporting pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism studies in preclinical and clinical development Guidance for the presentation of relevant analytical information towards meeting current regulatory expectations for oligonucleotide therapeutics This resource provides a practical guide for applying state-of-the-art analytical techniques in research, development, and manufacturing settings.

Assembling the work of an international panel of researchers, Mass Spectrometry of Nucleosides and Nucleic Acids summarizes and reviews the latest developments in the field and provides a window on the next generation of analysis. Beginning with an overview of recent developments, the book highlights the most popular ionization methods and illustrates the diversity of strategies employed in the characterization and sequencing of DNA and RNA oligomers, nucleosides, nucleotides, and adducts. It describes studies performed on deoxyinosine and its analogues and provides an introduction to tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS).

Next, the contributors examine mass spectrometric application in the study of cyclic nucleotides in biochemical signal transduction. They analyze urinary modified nucleosides and explore DNA adducts. They discuss isotope labeling of DNA-mass spectrometry (ILD-MS) and examine various uses of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The book reviews recent progress in the direct MS characterization of noncovalent nucleic acid-protein complexes, explores the interaction and ionization of guanidine-derived compounds with highly acidic biomolecules, and examines quantitative identification of nucleic acids via signature digestion products detected using mass spectrometry.

The book describes a direct-infusion ESI-MS approach that can serve as a screening technique for the presence of modified nucleosides from small RNAs. Lastly, it discusses the LC-MS/MS method for the in vitro replication studies on damage-containing DNA substrates, and concludes with an examination of the influence of metal ions on the structure and reactivity of nucleic acids.

The exciting developments in mass spectrometry technology have fueled incredible advances in our understanding of nucleic acids and their complexes. The contributions presented in this volume capture the range of these advances, helping to inspire new findings and avenues of research.

Illustrated thoroughly, Biomolecular Archaeology is the first book to clearly guide students through the study of ancient DNA: how to analyze biomolecular evidence (DNA, proteins, lipids and carbohydrates) to address important archaeological questions. * The first book to address the scope and methods of this new cross-disciplinary area of research for archaeologists * Offers a completely up-to-date overview of the latest research in this innovative subject * Guides students who wish to become biomolecular archaeologists through the complexities of both the scientific methods and archaeological goals. * Provides an essential component to undergraduate and graduate archaeological research

One of the world's leading experts on genetics unravels one of the most important breakthroughs in modern science and medicine. If our genes are, to a great extent, our destiny, then what would happen if mankind could engineer and alter the very essence of our DNA coding? Millions might be spared the devastating effects of hereditary disease or the challenges of disability, whether it was the pain of sickle-cell anemia to the ravages of Huntington's disease. But this power to "play God" also raises major ethical questions and poses threats for potential misuse. For decades, these questions have lived exclusively in the realm of science fiction, but as Kevin Davies powerfully reveals in his new book, this is all about to change. Engrossing and page-turning, Editing Humanity takes readers inside the fascinating world of a new gene editing technology called CRISPR, a high-powered genetic toolkit that enables scientists to not only engineer but to edit the DNA of any organism down to the individual building blocks of the genetic code. Davies introduces readers to arguably the most profound scientific breakthrough of our time. He tracks the scientists on the front lines of its research to the patients whose powerful stories bring the narrative movingly to human scale. Though the birth of the "CRISPR babies" in China made international news, there is much more to the story of CRISPR than headlines seemingly ripped from science fiction. In Editing Humanity, Davies sheds light on the implications that this new technology can have on our everyday lives and in the lives of generations to come.

This manual encompasses an integrated series of molecular biology laboratory exercises that involve the cloning and analysis of the bioluminescence "(lux)" genes from the marine bacterium "Vibrio fischeri." The manual is divided into discrete units with each demonstrating one or more aspects of the cloning project. The manual is based on one of nature's most fascinating biological phenomenon: the biological production of light. This results in a recurrent theme of interest and makes the project very relevant to interdisciplinary topics such as fish symbiosis, biochemistry, biophysics, etc. Includes instruction in the basic techniques of modern molecular biology: DNA isolation and analysis, DNA restriction, agarose gel electrophoresis, ligations, transformation of recombinant DNA, preparation and screening a genomic library, restriction mapping, Southern blotting, hybridization, DNA sequencing, pulsed field gel electrophoresis. Designed for a one semester course in Molecular Biology. Also appropriate for a molecular biology component of Microbial Genetics, Genetics, Biochemistry, or Advanced Microbiology courses.

Tag-based approaches were originally designed to increase the throughput of capillary sequencing, where concatemers of short sequences were first used in expression profiling. New Next Generation Sequencing methods largely extended the use of tag-based approaches as the tag lengths perfectly match with the short read length of highly parallel sequencing reactions. Tag-based approaches will maintain their important role in life and biomedical science, because longer read lengths are often not required to obtain meaningful data for many applications. Whereas genome re-sequencing and de novo sequencing will benefit from ever more powerful sequencing methods, analytical applications can be performed by tag-based approaches, where the focus shifts from 'sequencing power' to better means of data analysis and visualization for common users. Today Next Generation Sequence data require powerful bioinformatics expertise that has to be converted into easy-to-use data analysis tools. The book's intention is to give an overview on recently developed tag-based approaches along with means of their data analysis together with introductions to Next-Generation Sequencing Methods, protocols and user guides to be an entry for scientists to tag-based approaches for Next Generation Sequencing.

Unlock the secrets in your DNA!

Discover the answers to your family history mysteries using the most-cutting edge tool available. This plain-English guide is a one-stop resource for how to use DNA testing for genealogy. Inside, you'll find guidance on what DNA tests are available, plus the methodologies and pros and cons of the three major testing companies and advice on choosing the right test to answer your specific genealogy questions. And once you've taken a DNA test, this guide will demystify the often-overwhelming subject and explain how to interpret DNA test results, including how to understand ethnicity estimates and haplogroup designations, navigate suggested cousin matches, and use third-party tools like GEDmatch to further analyze your data. To give you a holistic view of genetic testing for ancestry, the book also discusses the ethics and future of genetic genealogy, as well as how adoptees and others who know little about their ancestry can especially benefit from DNA testing.

The book features:

• Colorful diagrams and expert definitions that explain key DNA terms and concepts such as haplogroups and DNA inheritance patterns
• Detailed guides to each of the major kinds of DNA tests and which tests can solve which family mysteries, with case studies showing how each can be useful
• Information about third-party tools you can use to more thoroughly analyze your test results once you've received them
• Test comparison guides and research forms to help you select the most appropriate DNA test and organize your results and research once you've been tested

This book is intended for non-specialists and students, presenting a unique introduction to the field of DNA nanotechnology. The primary focus is on the extraordinary advantages of specificity and sensitivity obtained by integrating DNA nanostructures in bioanalytical devices.DNA Nanotechnology for Bioanalysis provides a concise and rigorous description for the fabrication of various types of functional nanostructures by optimized software-aided high-yield synthesis. Following this is the explanation of methods to decorate these nanostructures with molecules such as proteins, metal nanoparticles or bioorganic moieties covalently bonded onto DNA via self-assemblage processes. Also provided is a concise review on non-canonical DNA structures (such as G-quadruplexes) and their targeting by small molecules for applications in pharmacology. Finally, it describes the exciting applications of DNA nanostructures in life sciences and nanomedicine, including ultraspecific molecular delivery, control of cell behavior, analysis of cell lysate and DNA-based nano-tools for super-resolution sub-cellular imaging.

Epigenetics can potentially revolutionize our understanding of the structure and behavior of biological life on Earth. It explains why mapping an organism's genetic code is not enough to determine how it develops or acts and shows how nurture combines with nature to engineer biological diversity. Surveying the twenty-year history of the field while also highlighting its latest findings and innovations, this volume provides a readily understandable introduction to the foundations of epigenetics.

Nessa Carey, a leading epigenetics researcher, connects the field's arguments to such diverse phenomena as how ants and queen bees control their colonies; why tortoiseshell cats are always female; why some plants need cold weather before they can flower; and how our bodies age and develop disease. Reaching beyond biology, epigenetics now informs work on drug addiction, the long-term effects of famine, and the physical and psychological consequences of childhood trauma. Carey concludes with a discussion of the future directions for this research and its ability to improve human health and well-being.

Large-scale, interoperable biobanks are an increasingly important asset in today's life science research and, as a result, multiple types of biobanks are being established around the globe with very different financial, organizational and legal set-ups. With interdisciplinary chapters written by lawyers, sociologists, doctors and biobank practitioners, Global Genes, Local Concerns identifies and discusses the most pressing issues in contemporary biobanking. This timely book addresses pressing questions such as: how do national biobanks best contribute to translational research?; What are the opportunities and challenges that current regulations present for translational use of biobanks?; How does inter-biobank coordination and collaboration occur on various levels?; and how could academic and industrial exploitation, ownership and IPR issues be addressed and facilitated? Identifying that biobanks foundational and operational set-ups should be legally and ethically sound, while at the same time reflecting the hopes and concerns of all the involved stakeholders, this book contributes to the continued development of international biobanking by highlighting and analysing the complexities in this important area of research. Academics in the fields of law and ethics, health law and biomedical law, as well as biobank managers and policymakers will find this insightful book a stimulating and engaging read. Contributors include: T. Bossow, T.A. Caulfield, B.J. Clark, A. Hellstadius, J.R. Herrmann, K. Hoyer, M. Jordan, J. Kaye, N.C.H. Kongsholm, K. Liddell, J. Liddicoat, M.J. Madison, T. Minssen, B. Murdoch, W. Nicholson Price II, E. Ortega-Paino, M. Prictor, M.B. Rasmussen, K. Sargsyan, J. Schovsbo, A.M. Tupasela, E. van Zimmeren, F. Vogl, H. Yu, P.K. Yu

This unique introduction to the growing field of microfluidics applied to genomics provides an overview of the latest technologies and emphasizes its potential in answering important biological questions. Written by a physicist and a biologist, it offers a more comprehensive view than the previous literature. The book starts with key ideas in molecular biology, developmental biology and microtechnology before going on to cover the specifics of single cell analysis and microfluidic devices for single cell molecular analysis. Review chapters discuss the state-of-the art and will prove invaluable to all those planning to develop microdevices for molecular analysis of single cells. Methods allowing complete analysis of gene expression in the single cell are stressed - as opposed the more commonly used techniques that allow analysis of only a few genes at a time. As pioneers in the field, the authors understand how critical it is for a physicist to understand the biological issues and questions related to single cell analysis, as well for biologists to understand what microfluidics is all about. Aimed predominantly at graduate students, this book will also be of significant interest to scientists working in or affiliated with this field.

""The DNA Mystique" is a wake-up call to all who would dismiss America's love affair with 'the gene' as a merely eccentric obsession."
--"In These Times"
"Nelkin and Lindee are to be warmly congratulated for opening up this intriguing field [of genetics in popular culture] to further study."
--"Nature"
"The DNA Mystique" suggests that the gene in popular culture draws on scientific ideas but is not constrained by the technical definition of the gene as a section of DNA that codes for a protein. In highlighting DNA as it appears in soap operas, comic books, advertising, and other expressions of mass culture, the authors propose that these domains provide critical insights into science itself.
With a new introduction and conclusion, this edition will continue to be an engaging, accessible, and provocative text for the sociology, anthropology, and bioethics classroom, as well as stimulating reading for those generally interested in science and culture.

Fixing Your Damaged and Incorrect Genes is a book about a well-established biological process called DNA REPAIR. The book describes the multiple and varied biochemical strategies by which damaged or incorrect nucleotides are removed from DNA or are corrected. The book includes multiple figures of notable past and present scientists in the field. The book is uniquely focused on an audience of non-biologists and is written in simple language with minimal use of technical terms. It contains an extensive glossary that provides explanations of key words that readers are encouraged to refer to as they read. Fixing Your Damaged and Incorrect Genes is unique, there being no previously published books for non-biologists on the topic of DNA repair.

This Microbiology Monographs volume covers the current and most recent advances in genomics and genetics, biochemistry, physiology, and molecular biology of C. reinhardtii. Expert international scientists contribute with reviews on the genome, post-genomic techniques, the genetic toolbox development as well as new insights in regulation of photosynthesis and acclimation strategies towards environmental stresses and other structural and genetic aspects, including applicable aspects in biotechnology and biomedicine. Advancement in Chlamydomonas biology allowed new understandings in biotechnological and biomedical related aspects.

Birds catch the public imagination like no other group of animals; in addition, birders are perhaps the largest non-professional naturalist community. Genomics and associated bioinformatics have revolutionised daily life in just a few decades. At the same time, this development has facilitated the application of genomics technology to ecological and evolutionary studies, including biodiversity and conservation at all levels. This book reveals how the exciting toolbox of genomics offers new opportunities in all areas of avian biology. It presents contributions from prominent experts at the intersection of avian biology and genomics, and offers an ideal introduction to the world of genomics for students, biologists and bird enthusiasts alike. The book begins with a historical perspective on how genomic technology was adopted by bird ecology and evolution research groups. This led, as the book explains, to a revised understanding of avian evolution, with exciting consequences for biodiversity research as a whole. Lastly, these impacts are illustrated using seminal examples and the latest discoveries from avian biology laboratories around the world.

This book provides an up-to-date review and analysis of the carrot's nuclear and organellar genome structure and evolution. In addition, it highlights applications of carrot genomic information to elucidate the carrot's natural and agricultural history, reproductive biology, and the genetic basis of traits important in agriculture and human health. The carrot genome was sequenced in 2016, and its relatively small diploid genome, combined with the fact that it is the most complete root crop genome released to date and the first-ever Euasterid II genome to be sequenced, mean the carrot has an important role in the study of plant development and evolution. In addition, the carrot is among the top ten vegetables grown worldwide, and the abundant orange provitamin A carotenoids that account for its familiar orange color make it the richest crop source of vitamin A in the US diet, and in much of the world. This book includes the latest genetic maps, genetic tools and resources, and covers advances in genetic engineering that are relevant for plant breeders and biologists alike.

Population genomics has revolutionized various disciplines of biology including population, evolutionary, ecological and conservation genetics, plant and animal breeding, human health, medicine and pharmacology by allowing to address novel and long-standing questions with unprecedented power and accuracy. It employs large-scale or genome-wide genetic information and bioinformatics to address various fundamental and applied aspects in biology and related disciplines, and provides a comprehensive genome-wide perspective and new insights that were not possible before. These advances have become possible due to the development of new and low-cost sequencing and genotyping technologies and novel statistical approaches and software, bioinformatics tools, and models. Population genomics is tremendously advancing our understanding the roles of evolutionary processes, such as mutation, genetic drift, gene flow, and natural selection, in shaping up genetic variation at individual loci and across the genome and populations; improving the assessment of population genetic parameters or processes such as adaptive evolution, effective population size, gene flow, admixture, inbreeding and outbreeding depression, demography, and biogeography; resolving evolutionary histories and phylogenetic relationships of extant, ancient and extinct species; understanding the genomic basis of fitness, adaptation, speciation, complex ecological and economically important traits, and disease and insect resistance; facilitating forensics, genetic medicine and pharmacology; delineating conservation genetic units; and understanding the genetic effects of resource management practices, and assisting conservation and sustainable management of genetic resources. This Population Genomics book discusses the concepts, approaches, applications and promises of population genomics in addressing most of the above fundamental and applied crucial aspects in a variety of organisms from microorganisms to humans. The book provides insights into a range of emerging population genomics topics including population epigenomics, landscape genomics, seascape genomics, paleogenomics, ecological and evolutionary genomics, biogeography, demography, speciation, admixture, colonization and invasion, genomic selection, and plant and animal domestication. This book fills a vacuum in the field and is expected to become a primary reference in Population Genomics world-wide.

Sociogenomics has rapidly become one of the trendiest sciences of the new millennium. Practitioners view human nature and life outcomes as the result of genetic and social factors. In Social by Nature, Catherine Bliss recognizes the promise of this interdisciplinary young science, but also questions its implications for the future. As she points out, the claim that genetic similarities cause groups of people to behave in similar ways is not new-and a dark history of eugenics warns us of its dangers. Over the last decade, sociogenomics has enjoyed a largely uncritical rise to prominence and acceptance in popular culture. Researchers have published studies showing that things like educational attainment, gang membership, and life satisfaction are encoded in our DNA long before we say our first word. Strangely, unlike the racial debates over IQ scores in the '70s and '90s, sociogenomics has not received any major backlash. By exposing the shocking parallels between sociogenomics and older, long-discredited, sciences, Bliss persuasively argues for a more thoughtful public reception of any study that reduces human nature to a mere sequence of genes. This book is a powerful call for researchers to approach their work in more socially responsible ways, and a must-read for anyone who wants to better understand the scholarship that impacts how we see ourselves and our society.

This book discusses advances in our understanding of the structure and function of the maize genome since publication of the original B73 reference genome in 2009, and the progress in translating this knowledge into basic biology and trait improvement. Maize is an extremely important crop, providing a large proportion of the world's human caloric intake and animal feed, and serving as a model species for basic and applied research. The exceptionally high level of genetic diversity within maize presents opportunities and challenges in all aspects of maize genetics, from sequencing and genotyping to linking genotypes to phenotypes. Topics covered in this timely book range from (i) genome sequencing and genotyping techniques, (ii) genome features such as centromeres and epigenetic regulation, (iii) tools and resources available for trait genomics, to (iv) applications of allele mining and genomics-assisted breeding. This book is a valuable resource for researchers and students interested in maize genetics and genomics.