This book provides readers with an overview of the frequent occurrence of asymmetric cell division. Employing a broad range of examples, it highlights how this mode of cell division constitutes the basis of multicellular organism development and how its misregulation can lead to cancer. To underline such developmental correlations, readers will for example gain insights into stem cell fate and tumor growth. In turn, subsequent chapters include descriptions of asymmetric cell division from unicellular organisms to humans in both physiological and pathological conditions. The book also illustrates the importance of this process for evolution and our need to understand the background mechanisms, offering a valuable guide not only for students in the field of developmental biology but also for experienced researchers from neighboring fields.

This detailed book contains chapters using unbiased approaches such as chemical and transposon mutagenesis, as well as a protocol for allelic exchange, to make targeted mutants in Staphylococcus, as generating mutants of this bacteria can be accomplished in many ways, depending on the intended changes. Using these methods, the authors have been successful at making mutants that span individual single-nucleotide changes in the chromosome to whole genome mutant libraries. The latter strategy provides a useful tool for high-throughput screening, while single nucleotide changes are an elegant way of teasing apart the importance of single nucleotides in gene expression or to create specific amino acid substitutions to examine protein function. Written for the Methods in Molecular Biology series, 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. Practical and authoritative, The Genetic Manipulation of Staphylococci: Methods and Protocols serves as a vital resource and guide to scientists in the Staphylococcus community as they pursue their studies on these bacteria.

Fungal pathogens pose an on-going and serious threat for poikilotherms and homeotherms, and can cause a broad spectrum of diseases ranging from innocuous to life-threatening. In addition, long-term exposure to some mycotoxigenic moulds can lead to mycotoxicoses in human and animals. Given the expanding population of immune compromised hosts, the list of fungal opportunists grows longer every year. Moreover, antifungal resistance, drug-related toxicity and our limited arsenal of antifungals have exacerbated the situation. To address these problems, strategies such as the identification of novel targets, use of the structure-activity relationship in rational drug design, development of new formulations, modification of existing antifungals to combat resistance, and bioavailability enhancement are called for. For the reader's convenience, this book has been divided into three sections. The first six chapters of Section I provide a timely review of mycoses, from endemic to cosmopolitan and from generalized to specific, while both chapters of Section II focus on risks associated with mycotoxins. In closing, the two chapters of Section III describe potential antifungal leads and drug candidates based on phytochemicals and coumarin scaffold.

Are you your genes? De-Sequencing: Identity Work with Genes explores this perplexing question, showing how different forms of knowledge must be contextualized to become meaningful. It is generally assumed that the genomic sequence adds up to the identity-forming material life is made of. Yet identity cannot itself adopt the form of a sequence. As the authors in this volume show, the genome must be 'de-sequenced' by human language to render it interpretable and meaningful in a social context. The book unpacks this type of 'sequence-speech' in engaging detail, adopting a personal, social, cultural, and bio-political approach to examine the transformation of human identity and reflexivity in the era of genetic citizenship.

The imbalance between rapidly proliferating tumor cells and inadequate and inefficient tumor vasculature leads to a decrease in oxygen levels (hypoxia and/or anoxia) in tumor tissues. Intra-tumor hypoxia profoundly affects the biological behavior of cancer cells, which become resistant to conventional therapies and acquire a more invasive and metastatic phenotype.Hypoxia is a hallmark of the malignant phenotype and a key feature of the tumor microenvironment. Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1 (HIF-1) is a master regulator of the transcriptional response to oxygen deprivation.HIF triggers the expression of genes whose products induce angiogenesis, decrease oxygen consumption, switch metabolism to glycolysis, maintain a stem cell phenotype and select for more invasive and metastatic cells. Therapeutic approaches targeting HIF, directly or downstream mediators of its transcriptional activity, are being developed. Intra-tumor hypoxia is atopic hasbeen gaining scientific interestover the last few years for its wide involvement in many physiological and pathological processes.
This volume will cover the latest research and translational aspects associated with intra-tumor hypoxia, along with opportunities for drug development offered by this unique feature of the tumor microenvironment. The ongoing efforts to translate our understanding of the biology underlying intra-tumor hypoxia in viable therapeutic options face many challenges, but this book will provide an opportunity for an in-depth analysis of the fundamental mechanisms implicated in the adaption to low oxygen levels and will scrutinize the potential for opportunities that are being pursued in both research and the drug development industry."

There has been no mechanistic explanation for evolutionary change consistent with phylogeny in the 150 years since the publication of 'Origins'. As a result, progress in the field of evolutionary biology has stagnated, relying on descriptive observations and genetic associations rather testable scientific measures. This book illuminates the need for a larger evolutionary-based platform for biology. Like physics and chemistry, biology needs a central theory in order to frame the questions that arise, the way hypotheses are tested, and how to interpret the data in the context of a continuum.The reduction of biology to its self-referential, self-organized properties provides the opportunity to recognize the continuum from the Singularity/Big Bang to Consciousness based on cell-cell communication for homeostasis.

While extremely large datasets describing gene sequences, mRNA transcripts, protein abundance, and metabolite concentrations are increasingly commonplace, these represent only starting 'parts lists' that are usually insufficient to unlock mechanistic insights on their own right. Fortunately, as "Network Biology: Methods and Applications" examines, concepts emerging from the study of biological entities such as networks (e.g. functional interactions linking genes, proteins, metabolites, etc.) suggest that order rather than chaos prevails, with such principles as modular and hierarchical organization, reactive information-driven causal-response behaviours, systems robustness, co-evolution, and self-organization guiding the way. This volume presents detailed, practical descriptions of the experimental and computational approaches currently prevalent in network biology as written by practiced experts in the field. Written in the highly successful "Methods in Molecular Biology " series format, relevant chapters contain introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Comprehensive and accessible, "Network Biology: Methods and Applications" provides an ensemble of procedures that will be of great value to a broad assortment of readers, ranging from graduate students to seasoned professionals looking to polish their skill sets."

Focusing on in vitro and intracellular RNA structure formation, RNA Folding: Methods and Protocols provides a comprehensive collection of experimental protocols which are suitable to dissect RNA folding pathways and to characterize the structure of RNA folding intermediates at nucleotide or even atomic resolution. The presented techniques include powerful tools with a long tradition in RNA research as well as more advanced, novel methods, thus the methods span multiple disciplines, including molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics, and computational biology. 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. Practical and authoritative, RNA Folding: Methods and Protocols serves as a vital reference for researchers attempting to gain insights into the secrets of this astounding macromolecule.

Nonmammalian model organisms have become a cornerstone of systems biology research. Like the Rosetta Stone, which enabled modern scholars to decode ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, model organisms enable biologists to decipher the genetic code underlying the complex physiological processes common to all life. C. elegans provides a particularly striking example of the experimental utility of model organisms. Genetic, molecular and systems biological characterization of this organism is greatly facilitated by its short life cycle and high rate reproduction, and by the ease with which it can be cultured in the laboratory. C. elegans also has a fully sequenced and well-annotated genome, which is assembled in readily accessible public databases along with virtually all other biological data on this organism.
C. elegans: Methods and Applications aims to enhance the readily available methodologies for the study of C. elegans by providing overviews and concise, step-by-step descriptions of the most state-of-the-art methods currently being utilized in the field. Some of the methods presented include forward and reverse genetic analysis, data mining and comparative genomics strategies, electron and fluorescence microscopy methods, automated imaging methods for worm behavioral analysis, functional genomics strategies, and cutting-edge methods for physiological analyses. This comprehensive collection of methods, written by experts in the field, endeavors to serve as a roadmap for researchers, illustrating the type or research that is possible with C. elegans, and illuminating its potential as a vehicle for future discovery.

This book provides a knowledge-based view to the dynamic capabilities in an organization. The author integrates two existing views on gaining competitive advantage: the Knowledge View which suggests that the capability of organizations to learn faster than competitors is the only source of competitiveness; and the Dynamic Capability View which speculates that a fi rm's competitive advantage rests on it's ability to adapt to changes in the business environment. Using the IT sector in India as a case study, this book provides and tests a new framework-Knowledge-Based Dynamic Capabilities-in the prediction of competitive advantage in organizations.

Would it be cool to see woolly mammoth alive one day? Disappeared species have always fascinated the human mind. A new discussion of using genomic technologies to reverse extinction and to help in conservation has been sparked. This volume studies the question philosophically. The collection consists of an introduction, epilogue and nine new articles written by philosophers. The intended readership consists of academic philosophers, ecologists and others interested in conservation biology.

Lactobacillus is a genus of Gram-positive facultative anaerobic or microaerophilic bacteria. In humans, they are symbiotic and are found in the gut flora. Lactobacillus species are used for the production of yogurt, cheese, sauerkraut, pickles, beer, wine, cider, kimchi, chocolate, and other fermented foods, as well as animal feeds such as silage. In recent years, much interest has been shown in the use of lactobacilli as probiotic organisms and their potential for disease prevention in humans and animals. This major new work focuses on recent research on the molecular biology and genomics of Lactobacillus. Written by an international team of scientists, the volume is an essential reference for all dairy technologists, microbiologists, and biotechnologists in the academic and industrial sectors. Topics covered include phylogenetics, taxonomy, comparative genomics, functional genomics, the intestinal microflora, surface proteins, stress responses, interaction with the immune system, probiotics, anti-cancer potential, and much more. This is essential reading for all scientists involved with lactic acid bacteria or probiotic research and is recommended for all microbiology laboratories.

Cosmic Genetic Evolution, Volume 106 in the Advances in Genetics series, highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters on Panspermia, Cometary Panspermia and Origin of Life, The Efficient Lamarckian Spread of Life in the Cosmos, The Sociology of Science and Generality of the DNA/RNA/Protein Paradigm Throughout the Cosmos, The Mutagenic Source and Power of Our Own Evolution, Origin of New Emergent Coronavirus and Candida Fungal Diseases - Terrestrial or Cosmic?, and Future Prospects for Investigation -The Near-Earth Neighborhood and Beyond.

For several decades, Arabidopsis thaliana has been the organism of choice in the laboratories of many plant geneticists, physiologists, developmental biologists, and biochemists around the world. During this time, a huge amount of knowledge has been acquired on the biology of this plant species, which has resulted in the development of molecular tools that account for much more efficient research. The significance that Arabidopsis would attain in biological research may have been difficult to foresee in the 1980s, when its use in the laboratory started. In the meantime, it has become the model plant organism, much the same way as Drosophila, Caenorhabditis, or mouse have for animal systems. Today, it is difficult to envision research at the cutting edge of plant biology without the use of Arabidopsis. Since the first edition of Arabidopsis Protocols appeared, new developments have fostered an impressive advance in plant biology that prompted us to prepare Arabidopsis Protocols, Second Edition. Completion of the Arabidopsis genome sequence offered for the first time the opportunity to have in hand all of the genetic information required for studying plant function. In addition, the development of whole systems approaches that allow global analysis of gene expression and protein and metabolite dynamics has encouraged scientists to explore new scenarios that are extending the limits of our knowledge.

Population genomics is a recently emerged discipline, which aims at understanding how evolutionary processes influence genetic variation across genomes. Today, in the era of cheaper next-generation sequencing, it is no longer as daunting to obtain whole genome data for any species of interest and population genomics is now conceivable in a wide range of fields, from medicine and pharmacology to ecology and evolutionary biology. However, because of the lack of reference genome and of enough "a priori" data on the polymorphism, population genomics analyses of populations will still involve higher constraints for researchers working on non-model organisms, as regards the choice of the genotyping/sequencing technique or that of the analysis methods. Therefore, "Data Production and Analysis in Population Genomics" purposely puts emphasis on protocols and methods that are applicable to species where genomic resources are still scarce. It is divided into three convenient sections, each one tackling one of the main challenges facing scientists setting up a population genomics study. The first section helps devising a sampling and/or experimental design suitable to address the biological question of interest. The second section addresses how to implement the best genotyping or sequencing method to obtain the required data given the time and cost constraints as well as the other genetic resources already available, Finally, the last section is about making the most of the (generally huge) dataset produced by using appropriate analysis methods in order to reach a biologically relevant conclusion. Written in the 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 protocols, advice on methodology and implementation, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Authoritative and easily accessible, "Data Production and Analysis in Population Genomics" serves a wide readership by providing guidelines to help choose and implement the best experimental or analytical strategy for a given purpose.

Immunotherapy of Cancer, Volume 143, the latest release in the Advances in Cancer Research series, provides invaluable information on the exciting and fast-moving field of cancer research. Contributions from leading experts in the field make this a must have update on the topic.

This book puts the ethics, policy and politics of stem cells into context in a way that helps readers understand why past and current issues have developed the way they have and what the implications are for their work going forward. It also addresses emerging issues as the field progresses towards clinical and industrial uses. While there is a superabundance of material on the ethics of embryo use and questions of embryonic "personhood," there is little that covers what practicing scientists and managers need to know in order to plan and execute responsible research. Furthermore, researchers funded by the NIH are required to have ethics training as a condition of the grant. As such, this book is an essential resource to all of these pre-professional students whether they plan to move into industry, government or academia.

In the last few years, significant advances have been made in understanding how a yeast cell responds to the stress of producing a recombinant protein, and how this information can be used to engineer improved host strains. The molecular biology of the expression vector, through the choice of promoter, tag and codon optimization of the target gene, is also a key determinant of a high-yielding protein production experiment. Recombinant Protein Production in Yeast: Methods and Protocols examines the process of preparation of expression vectors, transformation to generate high-yielding clones, optimization of experimental conditions to maximize yields, scale-up to bioreactor formats and disruption of yeast cells to enable the isolation of the recombinant protein prior to purification. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Recombinant Protein Production in Yeast: Methods and Protocols, seeks to aid scientists in adopting yeast as a protein production host.

Blood has long been viewed as a conduit for therapy, stemming from the ancient days of phlebotomy to remove evil humors to the development of successful blood transfusions to replace missing blood components. The identification and characterization of hematopoietic stem cells by Drs. Till and McCulloch revolutionized the field and soon after, non-hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells were characterized from the blood and bone marrow. Some of these cell types and various blood-derived cell lineages are involved in the repair of various types of tissue damage that span the spectrum of medical disorders. The goal of this book is to provide an up-to-date review of the various types of blood-derived cells with regenerative capacity, identify opportunities for intervention by examining specific clinical applications, and recognize the regulatory environment that will encompass future therapies in regenerative medicine.

This comprehensive laboratory manual describes the various protocols involved in Actinobacterial research. The content is divided into fifteen major sections, each of which is further divided into sub-sections describing the respective aim, principles, materials & methods, protocol, expected results and diagrams. Readers will find essential protocols for e.g. sample collection, isolation, characterization, analysis, profiling and evaluation of Actinobacteria for various applications. Gathering all relevant protocols concerning Actinobacteria, and written by a team of experienced Actinobacterial researchers, it is the first book of its kind.

This authoritative reference presents the modern concepts of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and biomaterials as they pertain to the dental field. The book is organized around three main topics: MSCs biology, advanced biomaterials, and clinical applications. The chapters present basic information on stem cell biology and physiology, modern biomaterials that improve bone tissue regeneration, the biomatrices like platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) used to functionalize the biomaterials surface, the strategic and safe intraoral seats of harvesting, the new sources for MSCs, as well as the future perspectives and new challenges in these exciting fields. The contributors are top scientists with a great deal of experience in regenerative dentistry and biomedical research. They offer an international perspective and are richly cross-disciplinary, representing academia, research, and industry. MSCs and Innovative Biomaterials in Dentistry is indispensable reading for students, researchers, and clinicians who need to stay up-to-date on the cutting-edge developments of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applied to dental sciences.

This volume is based on the workshop Modelling in Molecular Biology that tookplacein2002inSingapore. Themaingoaloftheworkshopwastopresent models/methods used in solving some fundamental problems in biosciences. The volume consists of a selection of papers presented at the workshop as well as of some other papers that are included so that the presentation of the theme of the workshop is broader and more balanced. As a matter of fact we feel that the collection of papers comprising this volume represents a wide spectrum of quite diverse ideas and trends. The paper by D. A. Beard et al. explores the common thesis that und- standingthebehaviouroflargeinteractingsystemsofmanyenzymesandre- tants underlies the modelling and simulation of whole-cell systems. Moreover, the models need to represent the basic stoichiometry, with balanced che- cal reactions and the conservation of mass, energy and charge. The authors discuss the stoichiometric and then kinetic details of approaches to modelling and simulation of biochemical systems. P. R. A. Campos et al. are concerned with models of evolution and adaptation (which is essential for precise - derstanding of molecular phylogeny). In particular, their paper is concerned with the rate of adaptation of asexual organisms(which is important because it in?uences the speed of the assumed molecular clock). It is known that for such organisms the rate of adaptation does not steadily increase with the - creasing rate of advantageous mutations, and this paper studies the mutual interference of two advantageous mutants that are each initially present in only a single organism."

The study of Hox genes is crucial not only in exploring the enigma of homeosis but also in understanding normal development at the fundamental molecular level. Hox Gene Expression starts with the amazing discovery of the homeobox twenty-three years ago and follows the exciting path thereafter of a series of breakthroughs in Genetics, Development and Evolution. It deals with homeotic genes- their evolution, structure, normal and abnormal function. Researchers and graduate students in Biology and Medicine will benefit from this integrated overview of Hox gene activities.

In this state-of-the-art exploration of a hugely dynamic and fast-evolving field of research, leading researchers share their collective wisdom on the role that stem cells could play in the context of physiological stress and lung injury. The text focuses on reviewing the most relevant-and recent-ideas on using local, endogenous, and exogenous progenitor/stem cells in preventing and treating injury to the lung. The lungs are one of the most complex organs in the human body, with a mature adult lung boasting at least 40 morphologically differentiated cell lineages. Our entire blood supply passes through the lung's alveolar units during oxygenation. This interaction with the outside world, along with the intricacies of its structure, makes the lung a highly susceptible organ that is vulnerable to numerous types of injury and infection. This means that the mechanisms of lung repair are in themselves correspondingly complex. Because of their multipotentiality, as well as the fact of the lung's relatively rapid cell turnover, stem cells are thought to be an important alternative cell-base therapy in lung injury. Despite the controversial nature of stem cell research, there has been growing interest in both local and endogenous stem cells in the lung. This highly topical book with chapters on everything from using mesenchymal stem cells in lung repair to the effect of physical activity on the mobilization of stem and progenitor cells, represents an exciting body of work by outstanding investigators and will be required reading for those with an interest in the subject.

Goringer 's brilliant new work dedicates a chapter to each of the main types of RNA editing the very first volume to do so. All of the sections here have been written by experts in the various research areas and a specific focus is put on the correlation between RNA structure and function, as well as on the complex cellular machineries that catalyze the different editing reactions. This leads to a "state of the art" compendium of our current knowledge on RNA editing.