Winner of a 2009 Outstanding Academic Title (OAT) award Trees continue to maintain a unique significance in the social, ecological and economic systems of the world - as large, long-lived perennials covering 30% of land on Earth; their very nature dictates their importance. An understanding of forest genetics is essential for providing insight into the evolution, conservation, management and sustainability of both natural and managed forests. Providing a comprehensive introduction to the principles of genetics as important to forest trees, this text integrates the varied sub-disciplines of genetics and their applications in gene conservation, tree improvement and biotechnology. Topics discussed include genetic variation in natural forest trees, the application of genetics in tree improvement and breeding programs, and genomic sciences and molecular technologies.

Cancer glycobiology is a blazing hot area of cancer research with aberrant post-translational glycosylations on lipids and proteins considered critical for cancer development and metastasis. The NIH/NCI Alliance of Glycobiologists for Cancer Research is a consortium of (10) tumor glycobiology laboratories funded to investigate how cancer-associated glycans (CAG) impact the development and metastasis of cancer. The hope of this momentous effort is to discover CAGs for use as novel biomarkers to detect early-stage cancer or its aggressive behavior or, alternatively, as novel molecular targets with the promise of a curative approach to cancer therapy. The mission of the 'Alliance' is to study structure and function of CAGs in cancer development and to provide clinically useful biomarkers for detecting cancer early or the potential of metastasis. This charge has stimulated extensive collaborations across US and International institutions to accelerate discovery of glycan-based biomarkers to the forefront of NCI's efforts to diagnose early-stage cancer and provide curative anti-cancer therapies. The main goals of these research efforts are: 1. To identify and study how cancer-associated glycans functionally impact cancer growth and metastasis 2. To identify cancer-associated glycans that can serve as biomarkers for the detection or progression of cancer 3. To develop cancer-associated glycans as novel therapeutic targets for the treatment and cure of cancer This volume consists of (9) chapters, one from each funded laboratory, that reviews new methods and mechanisms highlighting glycoconjugates and their roles as cancer biomarkers and/or anti-cancer therapeutic targets.

This comprehensive reference delivers key information on all aspects of sunflower. With over 20 chapters, this book provides an extensive review of the latest developments in sunflower genetics, breeding, processing, quality, and utilization; including food, energy and industrial bioproduct applications. World-renowned experts in this field review U.S. and international practices, production, and processing aspects of sunflower.

The fascinating area of Nutrigenomics describes this daily communication between our diet and our genome. This book describes how nutrition shapes human evolution and demonstrates its consequences for our susceptibility to diseases, such as diabetes and atherosclerosis. Inappropriate diet can yield stress for our cells, tissues and organs and then it is often associated with low-grade chronic inflammation. Overnutrition paired with physical inactivity leads to overweight and obesity and results in increased burden for a body that originally was adapted for a life in the savannahs of East Africa. Therefore, this textbook does not discuss a theoretical topic in science, but it talks about real life and our life-long "chat" with diet. We are all food consumers, thus each of us is concerned by the topic of this book and should be aware of its mechanisms. The purpose of this book is to provide an overview on the principles of nutrigenomics and their relation to health or disease. The content of this book is based on the lecture course "Nutrigenomics", which is held since 2003 once per year by Prof. Carlberg at the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio. The book represents an updated but simplified version of our textbook "Nutrigenomics" (ISBN 978-3-319-30413-7). Besides its value as a textbook, "Nutrigenomics: how science works" will be a useful reference for individuals working in biomedicine

This volume provides protocols on evidence for polyploidy and how it can be unveiled. Chapters guide readers through evolutionary experiments, measure effects of polyploidy, evidence for (remnants of) ancient WGDs, models of chromosome number evolution, population genomics approaches to study polyploidy, analysing genetic data from polyploid populations, Phylogenetic and phylogenomic methods, gene expression, gene regulation, unicellular alga (Chlamydomonas), and a fast-growing duckweed (Spirodela). Written in the format of the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, each chapter includes an introduction to the topic, lists necessary materials and reagents, includes tips on troubleshooting and known pitfalls, and step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Polyploidy: Method and Protocols aims to be of interest to experimental and computational (evolutionary) biologists, molecular biologists, and biotechnologists.

Developing Sustainable and Health Promoting Cereals and Pseudocereals: Conventional and Molecular Breeding reviews the most recent developments in the fields of cereal and pseudocereal breeding, with particular emphasis on the latest biotechnological techniques likely to lead to breakthrough changes in plant breeding. The book provides comprehensive information on the use of genetic resources or pre-breeding activities to improve health-related properties of cereals and pseudocereals. The text also explores targeted field-management practices and the latest in biotechnological methodologies, and offers a cohesive overview necessary for understanding the potential impacts and benefits of improved production of cereals and pseudocereals with high-nutritional value.

Epigenetic Technological Applications is a compilation of state-of-the-art technologies involved in epigenetic research. Epigenetics is an exciting new field of biology research, and many technologies are invented and developed specifically for epigenetics study. With chapters covering the latest developments in crystallography, computational modeling, the uses of histones, and more, Epigenetic Technological Applications addresses the question of how these new ideas, procedures, and innovations can be applied to current epigenetics research, and how they can keep pushing discovery forward and beyond the epigenetic realm.

All of us have lurking in our DNA a most remarkable gene. Its job is straightforward - to protect us from cancer. This gene - known simply as p53 - constantly scans our cells to ensure that they grow and divide without mishap, as part of the routine maintenance of our bodies. If a cell makes a mistake in copying its DNA as part of its process of division, p53 stops it in its tracks, sending in the repair team before allowing the cell to carry on dividing. If the mistake is irreparable and the rogue cell threatens to grow out of control (as happens in cancer), p53 commands the cell to commit suicide. Cancer cannot develop unless p53 itself is damaged and malfunctioning. Not surprisingly, p53 is the most studied gene in history. This enormously important gene has teased the minds of some of the most colourful and ambitious scientists around the world. These characters populate Sue Armstrong's book p53: The Gene that Cracked the Cancer Code, the story of medical science's mission to unravel the mysteries of this gene and to get to the heart of what happens in our cells when they turn cancerous. p53: The Gene that Cracked the Cancer Code reveals the tale of the search for this gene, as well as the excitement of the hunt for new cures - the hype, the lost opportunities, the blind alleys and the thrilling breakthroughs.As the long-anticipated revolution in cancer treatment tailored to each individual patient's symptoms starts to take off at last, p53 is still at the forefront of the game. This is a timely tale of scientific discovery and advances in our understanding of a disease that still affects more than one in three of us at some point in our lives.

This book presents up-to-date information on the origins of the Ashkenazic Jewish people from central and eastern Europe based on genetic research on modern and pre-modern populations. It focuses on the 129 maternal haplogroups that the author confirmed that Ashkenazim have acquired from distinct female ancestors who were indigenous to diverse lands that include Israel, Italy, Poland, Germany, North Africa, and China, revealing both their Israelite inheritance and the lasting legacy of conversions to Judaism. Genetic connections between Ashkenazic Jews and other Jewish populations, including Turkish Jews, Moroccan Jews, Tunisian Jews, Iranian Jews, and Cochin Jews, are indicated wherever they are known.

This volume looks at the latest technologies and methods--combined with new genetic tools available in animal models--used in this constantly evolving field. The chapters in this book are organized into three sections: Section one covers muscle stem cells and progenitor cells; Section Two discusses animal models for muscle stem cells and regeneration; and Section Three explores bioinformatics and imaging analysis for muscle stem cells. 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 comprehensive, Skeletal Muscle Stem Cells and Regeneration: Methods and Protocols is a valuable tool for all researchers looking to expand their knowledge on skeletal muscle growth, repair, degeneration, aging, and regenerative medicine.

In "The Logic of Life" Francois Jacob looks at the way our understanding of biology has changed since the sixteenth century. He describes four fundamental turning points in the perception of the structure of living things: the discoveries of the functions of organs, cells, chromosomes and genes, and DNA."

This volume provides a collection of protocols from researchers in the statistical genomics field. Chapters focus on integrating genomics with other “omics� data, such as transcriptomics, epigenomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and metagenomics. 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, Statistical Genomics hopes that by covering these diverse and timely topics researchers are provided insights into future directions and priorities of pan-omics and the precision medicine era.

First published in 1990, this is a compilation of several important papers that have contributed to the foundation of population genetics, evolutionary biology and human genetics. The collection includes Haldane's first paper in genetics, which was published in 1915, reporting the first case of linkage in a mammal, and - fifty years later, in 1965 - his last paper in genetics on selection for a single pair of allelomorphs with complete replacement. Haldane's Rule, the only idea named after him, was published in 1922 and is still valid today. Other papers, which include many Haldane firsts, such as the first estimation of a human mutation rate, first human gene map, first papers in population genetics, first estimate of the probability of fixation of a new mutation, and first measurement of mutation impact on a population, leading to the "genetic load" concept, are included. The volume also includes a paper presenting an ancient logical system for interpreting scientific results.

'A brilliant, authoritative, surprising, captivating introduction to human genetics. You'll be spellbound' Brian Cox This is a story about you. It is the history of who you are and how you came to be. It is unique to you, as it is to each of the 100 billion modern humans who have ever drawn breath. But it is also our collective story, because in every one of our genomes we each carry the history of our species - births, deaths, disease, war, famine, migration and a lot of sex. In this captivating journey through the expanding landscape of genetics, Adam Rutherford reveals what our genes now tell us about human history, and what history can now tell us about our genes. From Neanderthals to murder, from redheads to race, dead kings to plague, evolution to epigenetics, this is a demystifying and illuminating new portrait of who we are and how we came to be. *** 'A thoroughly entertaining history of Homo sapiens and its DNA in a manner that displays popular science writing at its best' Observer 'Magisterial, informative and delightful' Peter Frankopan 'An extraordinary adventure...From the Neanderthals to the Vikings, from the Queen of Sheba to Richard III, Rutherford goes in search of our ancestors, tracing the genetic clues deep into the past' Alice Roberts

This open-access textbook provides a comprehensive, up-to-date guide for students and practitioners wishing to access in a single volume the key disciplines and principles of wheat breeding. Wheat is a cornerstone of food security: it is the most widely grown of any crop and provides 20% of all human calories and protein. The authorship of this book includes world class researchers and breeders whose expertise spans cutting-edge academic science all the way to impacts in farmers' fields. The book's themes and authors were selected to provide a didactic work that considers the background to wheat improvement, current mainstream breeding approaches, and translational research and avant garde technologies that enable new breakthroughs in science to impact productivity. While the volume provides an overview for professionals interested in wheat, many of the ideas and methods presented are equally relevant to small grain cereals and crop improvement in general. The book is affordable, and because it is open access, can be readily shared and translated -- in whole or in part -- to university classes, members of breeding teams (from directors to technicians), conference participants, extension agents and farmers. Given the challenges currently faced by academia, industry and national wheat programs to produce higher crop yields --- often with less inputs and under increasingly harsher climates -- this volume is a timely addition to their toolkit.

Sustainable Plant Nutrition: Molecular Interventions and Advancements for Crop Improvement explores the significant opportunities for sustainable, eco-friendly approaches in plant nutrition and agricultural crop production. The book highlights the various prospects involved in optimizing plant nutrient uptake agriculture and includes chapters representing diverse areas dealing with biotechnology, nanotechnology, molecular biology, proteomics, genomics and metabolomics. This book is an ideal resource for those seeking to ensure a sustainable plant production future. While plants have evolved a set of elaborate mechanisms to cope with nutrient limitations, the traditional supplementation by the application of fertilizers to plant productivity may then lead to overfertilization which can actually reduce plant growth and have adverse effects on the environment. To tackle these issues, a detailed understanding of the responses of plants to nutrients and nutrient deficiency at the physiological, metabolic, transcriptome and epigenetic level is essential.

The Flax Genome is a comprehensive compilation of most recent studies focused on reference genome, genetic resources and molecular diversity, breeding, QTL mapping, gene editing tools, functional genomics and metabolomics, molecular breeding via genomic selection, and genomic resources. The flax genome reference sequences and the new genome assemblies are presented. A list of flax QTL and candidate genes associated with more than 35 traits, including yield and agronomic, seed quality and fatty acid composition, fibre quality and yield, abiotic stress, and disease resistance traits, are summarized. A QTL- based genomic selection strategy and genome-editing tools are systematically introduced. In addition, huge amounts of flax genomic resources generated in the last decade are summarized. The book contains 13 chapters with about 390 pages authored by globally reputed researchers in the relevant fields to this crop The book is intended to be useful to students, teachers, and researchers interested in traditional and molecular breeding, pathology, molecular genetics and breeding, bioinformatics and computational biology, and functional genomics

"Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering in Dental Sciences" bridges the gap left by many tissue engineering and stem cell biology titles to highlight the importance of research in this field in the dental sciences.It compiles basic embryology and developmental biology with keen focus on stem cells, basic cell and matrix biology with relevance to tissue regeneration and repair, biomaterials (including nanotechnology) and current applications in various disciplines of dental science.Tissue engineering is an interdisciplinary field of biomedical research which combines life, engineering, and materials sciences to further the maintenance, repair, and replacement of diseased and damaged tissues. This emerging area of research applies an understanding of normal tissue physiology to develop novel biomaterial, acellular, and cell-based therapies for clinical application. These strategies are being developed and evaluated as potential treatments of dental conditions, particularly periodontology, endodontics, dental implantology, and oral-maxillofacial surgery.
Covers all aspects related to stem cell biology and tissue engineering in dental sciences: basic science, research, clinical application and commercializationDescribes stem cell biology with details focused on dental stem cells and their potential research application throughout medicine Describes new technologies and fabrication techniques in the fields of stem cells and biomaterial and tissue engineering research, including the latest advances in nanotechnology"

In recent years, new areas of biology, especially epigenetics and neuroscience, have enthralled the public imagination. They have been used as powerful arguments for developing social policy in a particular direction, from early intervention in the lives of disadvantaged children to seeking 'biomarkers' as identifiers of criminality. This timely book, written by leading commentators, critically examines the capabilities and limitations of these biotechnologies, exploring their implications for policy and practice. The book will enable social scientists, policy makers, practitioners and interested general readers to understand how the new biologies of epigenetics and neuroscience have increasingly influenced the fields of family policy, mental health, child development and criminal justice. The book will facilitate much needed debate about what makes a good society and how best to build one. It also draws attention to the ways that the uncertainties of the original science are lost in their translation into the everyday world of practice and policy.

The Plant Hormone Ethylene: Stress Acclimation and Agricultural Applications presents current knowledge on our understanding of ethylene perception and signaling, its role in the regulation of plant physiological processes, and its contribution to acclimation in stressful environments. Plants regularly face environmental constraints due to their immobile nature. In persistently changing environmental conditions, several stress factors influence cellular metabolism, ultimately causing reduced plant growth and development with a significant loss in agricultural productivity. Sustainable agriculture depends on the acclimation of plant processes to the changing environment through altered physiological and molecular responses, which are controlled by plant hormones, including ethylene. Ethylene interacts with other plant hormones and signaling molecules to regulate several cellular processes, plant growth and development, and, ultimately, crop productivity. This book begins with an introduction to ethylene before providing a detailed study of the latest findings on the role of ethylene in plants, including its role in photosynthetic processes, flower development, leaf senescence, nutrients acquisition, and regulation of abiotic stress responses as well as its application in agriculture. The book is an ideal guide for researchers exploring plant physiology and biochemistry as well as for those investigating the use of ethylene knowledge in agriculture in persistently changing environmental conditions.

This updated volume reflects new and evolved techniques to study detection, profiling, and manipulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) in plants and animals. After overviews of how best to detect, identify, and validate microRNAs, the book continues by exploring state-of-the-art protocols for microRNA detection, approaches to profile the expression level of microRNAs, spatial expression analysis, describe in silico analysis of microRNAs and their targets, as well as protocols for functional analysis of microRNAs and their targets by CRISPR/Cas. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step and readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and up-to-date, MicroRNA Detection and Target Identification: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital field.

This detailed volume focuses on genotyping and validation in addition to information on how to produce gene edited cells and animals for research. Future advances in biomedical research will benefit greatly from the use of precise gene targeting of transgenes in the genome as CRISPR technology supersedes earlier methods that relied on random transgene integration, which this collection reflects. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step and readily reproducible laboratory protocols, as well as tips for troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Transgenesis: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal guide for researchers working with or working on genetically modified models.

This volume details technologies on recombinant DNA and nucleic acid manipulation that underpin much of the biological sciences and instructions on how to conduct them successfully. Chapters guide the reader through the basics of oligonucleotide synthesis and DNA sequencing; recombinant DNA plasmid work; cell-free experiments and the latest developments in CRISPR approaches to genome modification. Written in the format of the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, each chapter includes an introduction to the topic, lists necessary materials and methods, includes tips on troubleshooting and known pitfalls, and step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols.   Authoritative and cutting-edge, Gene Modification and Nucleic Acid Technologies aims to be the comprehensive guide for life scientists moving into the field of recombinant DNA and nucleic acid manipulation.

This detailed volume provides a comprehensive resource covering the existing and state-of-the-art tools in the field of profiling chromatin accessibility and its dynamics. Beginning with a section on bulk-cell methods for profiling chromatin accessibility and nucleosome positioning that rely on enzymatic cleavage of accessible DNA and produce information about relative accessibility, the book continues with methods that use single-molecule and enzymatic approaches to solving the problem of mapping absolute occupancy/accessibility, emerging tools for mapping DNA accessibility and nucleosome positioning in single cells, imaging-based methods for visualizing accessible chromatin in its nuclear context, as well as computational methods for the processing and analysis of chromatin accessibility datasets. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step and readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and up-to-date, Chromatin Accessibility: Methods and Protocols serves as an extensive and useful reference for researchers studying different facets of chromatin accessibility in a wide variety of biological contexts. Chapter 6 is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

This volume compiles a comprehensive range of methods to study key aspects of mitochondrial DNA including nucleoid structure and packaging, replication, genome integrity, and disease. Chapters are organized into eight methodological sections that cover in vitro and in vivo methods, including for mtDNA isolation, visualization, deep sequencing, gene editing, and diagnostic aspects of mtDNA disease. Written in the format of the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, each chapter includes an introduction to the topic, lists necessary materials and methods, includes tips on troubleshooting and known pitfalls, and step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Mitochondrial DNA: Methods and Protocols aims to be useful and informative for researchers and clinicians with an interest in mitochondrial DNA.