This book presents deliberations on molecular and genomic mechanisms underlying the interactions of crop plants to the abiotic stresses caused by heat, cold, drought, flooding, submergence, salinity, acidity, etc., important to develop resistant crop varieties. Knowledge on the advanced genetic and genomic crop improvement strategies including molecular breeding, transgenics, genomic-assisted breeding, and the recently emerging genome editing for developing resistant varieties in technical crops is imperative for addressing FHNEE (food, health, nutrition, energy, and environment) security. Whole genome sequencing in many of these crops followed by genotyping-by-sequencing has provided precise information regarding the genes conferring resistance useful for gene discovery, allele mining, and shuttle breeding which in turn opened up the scope for 'designing' crop genomes with resistance to abiotic stresses. The ten chapters each dedicated to a technical crop and one chapter devoted to a crop group in this volume elucidate different types of abiotic stresses and their effects on and interaction with the crops; enumerate the available genetic diversity with regard to abiotic stress resistance among available cultivars; illuminate the potential gene pools for utilization in interspecific gene transfer; present brief on classical genetics of stress resistance and traditional breeding for transferring them to their cultivated counterparts; depict the success stories of genetic engineering for developing abiotic stress-resistant crop varieties; discuss on molecular mapping of genes and QTLs underlying stress resistance and their marker-assisted introgression into elite varieties; enunciate different genomics-aided techniques including genomic selection, allele mining, gene discovery, and gene pyramiding for developing adaptive crop varieties with higher quantity and quality of yields, and also elaborate some case studies on genome editing focusing on specific genes for generating abiotic stress-resistant crops.

This important book explores recent research by experts in the field pertaining to the role played by genetic factors in human pathology. A range of perspectives creates a well-rounded picture, including:

• host-pathogen interactions
• causal relationships between genes and the environment
• the effects of environmental chemicals on gene expression
• DNA methylation

The book also covers the analysis and provides models for understanding the epigenetics-pathology connection.

This book is designed for use by senior undergraduate and graduate students from several disciplines such as general, molecular, cellular biology, genetics, genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics. It will also serve as a reference book for existing researchers and new investigators entering this rather unexplored field.

Genome-editing methods are becoming routine tools for molecular and cell biologists. Such tools include ZFNs, CRISPR, megaTALs and TALENs. These tools are revolutionizing the creation of precisely manipulated genomes to modify the characteristics of organisms or cells. Additionally, gene drives have altered the way we understand inheritance laws. They give us the ability to have total control of the inheritance of traits of choice and importance. This succinct volume summarizes the history, principles and applications - as well as the advantages and disadvantages - of each of these tools and various kinds of gene drives. The book is part of a program to produce books helpful to students and faculties of science at colleges and universities. This volume in the Pocket Guides to Biomedical Sciences series will help demystify these technologies. The book fills the gap between established conventional methods and the novel and exciting newly introduced tools of genome editing and gene drives. It will help young scientists understand the emerging genome-editing tools and gene drives, thereby promoting related research and adoption. Key Features Extensively reviews the current genome-editing tools and gene drives Clarifies the targeting mechanisms and specificity of genome-editing tools Details many different types of natural and synthetic gene drives Highlights concerns with gene drives and genome-editing tools Related Titles Brown, T. A. Genomes 4 (ISBN 978-0-8153-4508-4) Samuelsson, T. The Human Genome in Health and Disease: A Story in Four Letters (ISBN 978-0-8153-4591-6) Soh, J., et al. Genome Annotation (ISBN 978-1-4398-4117-4)

Genome-editing methods are becoming routine tools for molecular and cell biologists. Such tools include ZFNs, CRISPR, megaTALs and TALENs. These tools are revolutionizing the creation of precisely manipulated genomes to modify the characteristics of organisms or cells. Additionally, gene drives have altered the way we understand inheritance laws. They give us the ability to have total control of the inheritance of traits of choice and importance. This succinct volume summarizes the history, principles and applications - as well as the advantages and disadvantages - of each of these tools and various kinds of gene drives. The book is part of a program to produce books helpful to students and faculties of science at colleges and universities. This volume in the Pocket Guides to Biomedical Sciences series will help demystify these technologies. The book fills the gap between established conventional methods and the novel and exciting newly introduced tools of genome editing and gene drives. It will help young scientists understand the emerging genome-editing tools and gene drives, thereby promoting related research and adoption. Key Features Extensively reviews the current genome-editing tools and gene drives Clarifies the targeting mechanisms and specificity of genome-editing tools Details many different types of natural and synthetic gene drives Highlights concerns with gene drives and genome-editing tools Related Titles Brown, T. A. Genomes 4 (ISBN 978-0-8153-4508-4) Samuelsson, T. The Human Genome in Health and Disease: A Story in Four Letters (ISBN 978-0-8153-4591-6) Soh, J., et al. Genome Annotation (ISBN 978-1-4398-4117-4)

Behavior is shaped by both genetics and experience--nature and nurture. This book synthesizes research from behavioral genetics and animal and veterinary science, bridging the gap between these fields. The objective is to show that principles of behavioral genetics have practical applications to agricultural and companion animals.

The continuing domestication of animals is a complex process whose myriad impacts on animal behavior are commonly under-appreciated. Genetic factors play a significant role in both species-specific behaviors and behavioral differences exhibited by individuals in the same species. Leading authorities explore the impact of increased intensities of selection on domestic animal behavior. Rodents, cattle, pigs, sheep, horses, herding and guard dogs, and poultry are all included in these discussions of genetics and behavior, making this book useful to veterinarians, livestock producers, laboratory animal researchers and technicians, animal trainers and breeders, and any researcher interested in animal behavior.
Includes four new chapters on dog and fox behavior, pig behavior, the effects of domestication and horse behaviorSynthesizes research from behavioral genetics, animal science, and veterinary literatureBroaches fields of behavior genetics and behavioral researchIncludes practical applications of principles discovered by behavioral genetics researchersCovers many species ranging from pigs, dogs, foxes, rodents, cattle, horses, and cats

Xenopus, the African clawed frog, is one of the three most widely cited vertebrate animals in the biological literature, until now almost all knowledge has been based on laboratory experience of a single species (Xenopus laevis) from South Africa. This is the first book to describe the biology and natural history of the Xenopus and covers their systematics, ecology, distribution, species interactions, and evolutionary and phylogenetic aspects. Whilst providing a reference work for researchers working in the lab, the book also highlights the potential of Xenopus for future work in evolutionary biology, genetics, behaviour, immunology, parasitology, and ecology.

This edited book covers all aspects of omics approaches used for the varietal improvement of millets in changing climatic conditions. Millets are the collection of small-grained cereal grasses, that are grown for human carbohydrate needs. They are among the oldest crops, mainly divided into two groups - Major and small millets based on seed size. Small millets are earlier considered orphan crops, but recently due to their nutritional values, they are getting importance in cultivation. This book explores the genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, bioinformatics, and other omics tools that are being widely used to get a clear understanding of mechanistic approaches taken by plant genes to tolerate stress. Various reports are published based on field breeding on these crops, and recently the genome of some of the small millets is released, and many omics studies are published related to its application in varietal improvements. This book reviewed all those recent studies and is of interest to research students, plant breeding scientists, teachers that are working in agriculture and plant biotech universities. Along with this, the book serves as reference material for undergraduate and graduate students of agriculture, and biotechnology. National and international agricultural scientists, policymakers will also find this to be a useful read.

Since the heyday of research on aggression in the late 1960s, developments in several varied areas had enabled us to take a new look at this important though difficult topic. Recent findings and sophisticated new techniques in behavior genetic analysis at the time had made it possible not only to enhance our understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying aggressive behavior, but also to provide some reasonable suggestions as to the role of aggression in evolution. Originally published in 1983, there had been significant advances in genetic and neural research and a much more sophisticated and heuristic approach to the measurement and conceptualization of aggressive behavior had developed. The ten chapters in this volume provide a thorough overview of these new approaches and methodologies. There are also suggestions regarding the scope of future research on aggressive behavior, since much of what is presented describes the ongoing research activities of the contributors. This book is divided into four sections: The first provides a systematic foundation for research on aggression, and a description of some of the newer strategies for research in this area; the second concerns quantitative genetic analyses, selection data from both wild and laboratory populations, and situational determinants of aggressive behavior; the third section details new and exciting findings in neurochemical and neuropharmacological effects; and the last section contains a chapter that provides a summary and synthesis of all that has come before.

In this monograph, new combinatorial and computational approaches in the study of RNA structures are presented which enhance both mathematics and computational biology. It begins with an introductory chapter, which motivates and sets the background of this research. In the following chapter, all the concepts are systematically developed. The reader will find * integration of more than forty research papers covering topics like, RSK-algorithm, reflection principle, singularity analysis and random graph theory * systematic presentation of the theory of pseudo-knotted RNA structures including their generating function, uniform generation as well as central and discrete limit theorems * computational biology of pseudo-knotted RNA structures, including dynamic programming paradigms and a new folding algorithm * analysis of neutral networks of pseudo knotted RNA structures and their random graph theory, including neutral paths, giant components and connectivity All algorithms presented are freely available through springer.com and implemented in C. A proofs section at the end contains the necessary technicalities. This book will serve graduate students and researchers in the fields of discrete mathematics, mathematical and computational biology. It is suitable as a textbook for a graduate course in mathematical and computational biology.

This book covers about 20 grape species that are vitally important in breeding programs and provide information on approximately 150 of the most familiar grape rootstocks in the world. Today, grape rootstocks play a fundamental role in resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses and adaptation of grapevine to different environmental conditions, a factor that has opened commercial grape growing up to regions that might otherwise be overlooked. Grape rootstocks can be used for adaptation to a variety of soil conditions, including soil texture, depth, nutrient availability, pH, salinity, lime content, water availability (drought), and water drainage. Rootstocks can also be used to shift scion cultivar; the timing of various key phenological events and indirectly affects vineyard design. There are around 1500 grape rootstocks developed in the world, of which around 50 are commonly used as commercial rootstock. North American species account for around 30 species, and two-third of them have already been used for rootstock breeding at one time or another. However, the most commonly available rootstocks are derived from just three American species (V. berlandieri, V. rupestris, and V. riparia). Therefore, the most common grape rootstocks have a narrow genetic base, and efforts to extend the gene pools for breeding programs by using the other species are of ongoing importance to the industry and scientific community.

Epigenetics refers to DNA and chromatin modifications that play an important role in the regulation of various genomic functions. This important book reviews human and cellular data that underline paradoxical findings with respect to the contribution of heredity and environment to phenotype. The contributors then reinterpret these experiments that incorporate epigenetic factors. Topics include DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin modifications, the role of epigenetic modifications and environment on gene expression, and integrating genomic medicine into clinical practice.

Originally published in 1983, this volume is a collection of papers by research workers active at the time. It includes reviews of special areas within the field and discussions of interactions with other behavioral sciences such as psychology, ethology, and sociobiology. Applications to medicine, psychiatry, and education are also considered. Contributors were encouraged to integrate history, present knowledge, and projections for the future. Although the book is not divided into sections there is some grouping of related chapters.

This book documents and critically analyses the photographs that helped to strengthen as well as bring down the eugenics movement. Using a large body of racial-type images and a variety of historical and archival sources, and concentrating mainly on developments in Britain, the USA and Nazi Germany, this book explains how photography, as the most powerful visual medium of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, was vital to the eugenics movement's success -- not only did it allow eugenicists to identify the people with superior and inferior hereditary traits, but it helped publicise and lend scientific authority to eugenicists' racial theories. The author argues for a strong connection between the racial-type photographs that eugenicists created and the photographic images produced by nineteenth-century anthropologists and prison authorities, and how the photographic works of contemporary liberal anthropologists played a significant role in the eugenics movement's downfall. Besides adding to our knowledge of photography's crucial role in helping to authorise and implement some of the most controversial social policies of modem times, this book makes a major contribution to our understanding of the history of racism. The book looks at eugenics from the standpoint of its most significant cultural data -- racial-type photography, investigating the techniques, media forms, and styles of photography used by eugenicists, and relating these to their racial theories and their social policies and goals. It demonstrates how the visual archive was crucially constitutive of eugenic racial science because it helped make many of its concepts appear both intuitive as well as scientifically legitimate.

This book is the first comprehensive compilation of deliberations on elucidation and augmentation of the genome of Brassica juncea, one of the leading oilseed crops of the world, popularly called as brown mustard, Indian mustard, Chinese mustard, or Oriental mustard. It includes discussions on genepools; genetic diversity and its characterization; classical genetic and traditional breeding; basics and application of heteroploidy; techniques and applications of introgressive hybridization; in vitro culture for micro-propagation, somatic mutation, somatic embryogenesis, and somatic hybridization; genetic engineering including genetic transformation and gene silencing; and molecular genetic mapping and mapping of genes and comprehensive delineations on genome sequencing and comparative genomics; resequencing for elucidation of origin and diversity; large-scale genome analysis; plastid genome sequence; transcriptomics; metabolomics; proteomics; evolutionary genomics; role of regulatory genes in development and adaptation and their utilization in trait improvement; precise breeding for yield, quality, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses; and prospects of genome editing.

Advances in genetics research, largely, though not entirely, spawned by the Human Genome Project, have led to a broad array of new technologies that promise to revolutionize life as we have known it. Medicine and agriculture are already starting to utilize new technologies to greatly improve disease prevention and treatment and food production. Yet, these "improvements" often raise ethical questions that are not easy to untangle. Some have gone as far to as to argue that certain applications, such as embryonic stem cell research, threaten the very fiber of our moral compass. While the application of scientific advances to better mankind has always raised thorny ethical issues, the ethical impact of genetic advances arguably reaches a new height because the applicability of advances is exceptionally broad, deep, and potentially irreversible. To utilize such technologies could mean saving thousands of lives, but where and how do we draw the line? Here, Barash sheds light on the actual ethical concerns surrounding various types of genetic technologies, introducing readers to the competing issues at stake in the arguments about the scientific application of the new technologies available and those on the horizon. She begins by illustrating the history of genetic advances, their societal applications, and the ethical issues that have arisen from those applications. Using case studies and examples throughout, she walks readers through the various considerations involved in a variety of areas related to the application of genetic technologies currently available and possible in the future. Covering topics ranging from stem cell research to genetically modified food, genetic mapping to cloning, this book offers a thoughtful approach to the complex issues at play in the various fields of genetic technologies.

A Two Ribosome Model for Attenuation (G.W. Hatfield). Regulation of Ribosomal Proteins mRNA Translation in Bacteria (C. Portier, M. GrunbergManago). How Elongation Factors Steer the Ribosomal Elongation Cycle (K.H. Nierhaus, F. Triana). Genetics of Translation Initiation Factors in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (L. Feng, T.F. Donahue). Regulation of GCN4 Expression in Yeast (A.G. Hinnebusch et al.). Co and PostTranslational Processes and Mitochondrial Import of Yeast Cytochrome c (F. Sherman et al.). EIF4E Phosphorylation and the Regulation of Protein Synthesis (R.M. Frederickson, N. Sonenberg). InterferonInduced and DoubleStranded RNAActivated Proteins (A.G. Hovanessian). Translational Regulation by Vaccinia Virus (R. Bablanian). Translational Control by AdenovirusAssociated RNA I (B. Thimmapaya et al.). Translational Regulation in Adenovirus Infected Cells (R.J. Schneider, Y. Zhang). 12 additional articles. Index.

Covering theory, algorithms, and methodologies, as well as data mining technologies, Data Mining for Bioinformatics provides a comprehensive discussion of data-intensive computations used in data mining with applications in bioinformatics. It supplies a broad, yet in-depth, overview of the application domains of data mining for bioinformatics to help readers from both biology and computer science backgrounds gain an enhanced understanding of this cross-disciplinary field. The book offers authoritative coverage of data mining techniques, technologies, and frameworks used for storing, analyzing, and extracting knowledge from large databases in the bioinformatics domains, including genomics and proteomics. It begins by describing the evolution of bioinformatics and highlighting the challenges that can be addressed using data mining techniques. Introducing the various data mining techniques that can be employed in biological databases, the text is organized into four sections: Supplies a complete overview of the evolution of the field and its intersection with computational learning Describes the role of data mining in analyzing large biological databases-explaining the breath of the various feature selection and feature extraction techniques that data mining has to offer Focuses on concepts of unsupervised learning using clustering techniques and its application to large biological data Covers supervised learning using classification techniques most commonly used in bioinformatics-addressing the need for validation and benchmarking of inferences derived using either clustering or classification The book describes the various biological databases prominently referred to in bioinformatics and includes a detailed list of the applications of advanced clustering algorithms used in bioinformatics. Highlighting the challenges encountered during the application of classification on biologica

The study of the prehistory of East Asia is developing very rapidly. In uncovering the story of the flows of human migration that constituted the peopling of East Asia there exists widespread debate about the nature of evidence and the tools for correlating results from different disciplines. Drawing upon the latest evidence in genetics, linguistics and archaeology, this exciting new book examines the history of the peopling of East Asia, and investigates the ways in which we can detect migration, and its different markers in these fields of inquiry. Results from different academic disciplines are compared and reinterpreted in the light of evidence from others to attempt to try and generate consensus on methodology. Taking a broad geographical focus, the book also draws attention to the roles of minority peoples - hitherto underplayed in accounts of the region's prehistory - such as the Austronesian, Tai-Kadai and Altaic speakers, whose contribution to the regional culture is now becoming accepted. Past Human Migrations in East Asia presents a full picture of the latest research on the peopling of East Asia, and will be of interest to scholars of all disciplines working on the reconstruction of the peopling of East and North East Asia.

Although numerous studies have been made of the Western educated political elite of colonial Nigeria in particular, and of Africa in general, very few have approached the study from a perspective that analyzes the impacts of indigenous institutions on the lives, values, and ideas of these individuals. This book is about the diachronic impact of indigenous and Western agencies in the upbringing, socialization, and careers of the colonial Igbo political elite of southeastern Nigeria. The thesis argues that the new elite manifests the continuity of traditions and culture and therefore their leadership values and the impact they brought on African society cannot be fully understood without looking closely at their lived experiences in those indigenous institutions where African life coheres. The key has been to explore this question at the level of biography, set in the context of a carefully reconstructed social history of the particular local communities surrounding the elite figures. It starts from an understanding of their family and village life, and moves forward striving to balance the familiar account of these individuals in public life, with an account of the ongoing influences from family, kinship, age grades, marriage and gender roles, secret societies, the church, local leaders and others. The result is not only a model of a new approach to African elite history, but also an argument about how to understand these emergent leaders and their peers as individuals who shared with their fellow Africans a dynamic and complex set of values that evolved over the six decades of colonialism.

Biologist James Watson and physicist Francis Crick's 1953 revelation about the double helix structure of DNA is the foundation of virtually every advance in our modern understanding of genetics and molecular biology. But how did Watson and Crick do it-and why were they the ones who succeeded? In truth, the discovery of DNA's structure is the story of a race among five scientists for advancement, fame and immortality: Watson, Crick, Rosalind Franklin, Maurice Wilkins and Linus Pauling. They were fascinating and brilliant, with strong personalities that often clashed. But it is Rosalind Franklin who becomes a focal point for Howard Markel. The Secret of Life is a story of genius and perseverance but also a saga of cronyism, misogyny, anti-Semitism and misconduct. Markel brilliantly recounts the intense intellectual journey-and the fraught personal relationships-that resulted in the discovery of DNA.

This is the story of a profound revolution in the way biologists explore life's history, understand its evolutionary processes, and reveal its diversity. It is about life's smallest entities, deepest diversity, and greatest cellular biomass: the microbiosphere. Jan Sapp introduces us to a new field of evolutionary biology and a new brand of molecular evolutionists who descend to the foundations of evolution on Earth to explore the origins of the genetic system and the primary life forms from which all others have emerged. In so doing, he examines-from Lamarck to the present-the means of pursuing the evolution of complexity, and of depicting the greatest differences among organisms.
The New Foundations of Evolution takes us into a world that classical evolutionists could never have imagined: a deep phylogeny based on three domains of life and multiple kingdoms, and created by mechanisms very unlike those considered by Darwin and his followers. Evolution by leaps seems to occur regularly in the microbial world where molecular evolutionists have shown the inheritance of acquired genes and genomes are major modes of evolutionary innovation.
Revisiting the history of microbiology for the first time from the perspective of evolutionary biology, Sapp shows why classical Darwinian conceptions centering on questions of the origin of species were forged without a microbial foundation, why classical microbiologists considered it impossible to know the course of evolution, and classical molecular biologists considered the evolution of the molecular genetic system to be beyond understanding. In telling this stirring story of scientific iconoclasm, this book elucidates how the new evolutionary biology arose, what methods and assumptions underpin it, and the fiery controversies that continue to shape biologists' understanding of the foundations of evolution today.

This book discusses 14 model organisms and are used by thousands of researchers, teachers, and students each year in laboratories and classrooms, around the globe. Though acknowledged in innumerable scientific journal articles, little is generally known about the origin of these collections, how the organisms contained within them have been acquired, and how they are maintained and distributed. While some collections such as Drosophila have long histories others, such as the collection of Brachionus, are relatively new. They vary greatly in size. Yet, all have contributed and are continuing to contribute to global research efforts in many areas of scientific research as diverse as tissue regeneration, skin cancer, evolution, water purity, gene function, and hundreds of others. In addition to providing the raw materials for national and international research programs, these collections also provide educational tools used by colleges and high schools. The chapters in this book attempt to provide a brief look at the individual organisms, how they came to be accepted as model organisms, the history of the individual collections, examples of how the organisms have been and are being used in scientific research, and a description of the facilities and procedures used to maintain them. Features: * Provides an in-depth look at the collections of 14 model organisms that have enabled innumerable scientific breakthroughs over decades, and that continue to do so. * Includes detailed descriptions of the operating procedures used for the maintenance of each model organism collection. * Discusses the holdings of the collections of model organisms and its relevance to past, current and future scientific research. * Written by the leaders in the field of the management of model organisms.

A large variety of organisms - from bacteria to man - form minerals. Skeletons, teeth, spicules, spines, shells, darts, and granules are all mineral-containing tissues. Why, where, and how these minerals form are the central questions addressed in this book. These questions have become important in many fields. Preserved fossils are used to interpret ancient climates, changes in chemical composition of the oceans, or to date geological and archaeological deposits and artefacts. Materials scientists investigate mineralized tissues to try to determine the design principles used by organisms to form strong materials, and many medical problems are associated with normal and pathological mineralization. Heinz Lowenstam, the pioneering researcher in biomineralization, and his former student Stephen Weiner discuss the basic principles of mineral formation by organisms, and compare the various mineralization processes. Reference tables list all known cases in which organisms form minerals.

This volume provides readers with a comprehensive collection of methods to guide them on how to generate, characterize, and use naive human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). The chapters in this book cover topics such as three predominant routes to generate naive hPSC lines; methods to differentiate naive hPSCs into specialized cell types; and techniques to characterize naive hPSCs using key molecular landmarks that benchmark and quality control the cell lines. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Cutting-edge and thorough, Human Naive Pluripotent Stem Cells: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource for novice and expert researchers who are looking to learn more or expand their research in this developing field.

Plant improvement has shifted its focus from yield, quality and disease resistance to factors that will enhance commercial export, such as early maturity, shelf life and better processing quality. Conventional plant breeding methods aiming at the improvement of a self-pollinating crop usually take 10-12 years to develop and release of the new variety. During the past 10 years, significant advances have been made and accelerated methods have been developed for precision breeding and early release of crop varieties. This book focuses on the accelerated breeding technologies that have been adopted for major oil crops. It summarizes concepts dealing with germplasm enhancement and development of improved varieties based on innovative methodologies that include doubled haploidy, marker assisted selection, marker assisted background selection, genetic mapping, genomic selection, high-throughput genotyping, high-throughput phenotyping, mutation breeding, reverse breeding, transgenic breeding, shuttle breeding, speed breeding, low cost high-throughput field phenotyping, etc. This edited volume is therefore an excellent reference on accelerated development of improved crop varieties.