Genetic Algorithms in Molecular Modeling is the first book available on the use of genetic algorithms in molecular design. This volume marks the beginning of an ew series of books, Principles in Qsar and Drug Design, which will be an indispensible reference for students and professionals involved in medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, (eco)toxicology, and agrochemistry. Each comprehensive chapter is written by a distinguished researcher in the field.
Through its up to the minute content, extensive bibliography, and essential information on software availability, this book leads the reader from the theoretical aspects to the practical applications. It enables the uninitiated reader to apply genetic algorithms for modeling the biological activities and properties of chemicals, and provides the trained scientist with the most up to date information on the topic.
. Extremely topical and timely
. Sets the foundations for the development of
computer-aided tools for solving numerous
problems in QSAR and drug design
. Written to be accessible without prior direct
experience in genetic algorithms

The use of molecular biology and biochemistry to study the regulation of gene expression has become a major feature of research in the biological sciences. Many excellent books and reviews exist that examine the experimental methodology employed in specific areas of molecular biology and regulation of gene expression. However, we have noticed a lack of books, especially textbooks, that provide an overview of the rationale and general experimental approaches used to examine chemically or disease-mediated alterations in gene expression in mammalian systems. For example, it has been difficult to find appropriate texts that examine specific experimental goals, such as proving that an increased level of mRNA for a given gene is attributable to an increase in transcription rates. Regulation of Gene Expression: Molecular Mechanisms is intended to serve as either a textbook for graduate students or as a basic reference for laboratory personnel. Indeed, we are using this book to teach a graduate-level class at The Pennsylvania State University. For more details about this class, please visit http: //moltox. cas. psu. edu and select "Courses. " The goal for our work is to provide an overview of the various methods and approaches to characterize possible mechanisms of gene regulation. Further, we have attempted to provide a framework for students to develop an understanding of how to determine the various mechanisms that lead to altered activity of a specific protein within a cell.

Human pluripotent stem cells such as human embryonic stem cells (hESC) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) with their unique developmental plasticity hold immense potential as cellular models for drug discovery and in regenerative medicine as a source for cell replacement. While hESC are derived from a developing embryo, iPSC are generated with forced expression of key transcription factors to convert adult somatic cells to ESC-like cells, a process termed reprogramming. Using iPSC overcomes ethical issues concerning the use of developing embryos and it can be generated from patient-specific or disease-specific cells for downstream applications. Pluripotent Stem Cells: Methods and Protocols highlights the best methods and systems for the entire work flow. Divided into four convenient sections, topics include a focus on producing iPSC from diverse somatic sources, media systems for expanding ESC and iPSC with detailed protocols for directed differentiation into specific lineages, commonly used cellular and molecular characterization methods , and the potential application of labeled stem cells with specific methods for cloning, gene delivery and cell engineering. Written in the 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 protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and easily accessible, Pluripotent Stem Cells: Methods and Protocols seeks to serve both professionals and novices with its well-honed methodologies in an effort to further our knowledge of this essential cellular feature.

A prime reference volume for geneticists, food technologists and biotechnologists in the academic and industrial sectors. Fermentations with lactic acid bacteria determine important qualities such as taste, shelf-life, and food values. New methods of food production require fast and reliable manufacture, which has led to a dramatic surge of interest in the genetic, microbiological and biochemical properties of lactic acid bacteria.

Nearly half of the known species of mammals alive today (more than 1600) are rodents or "gnawing mammals" (Nowak and Paradiso, 1983). The diversity of rodents is greater than that of any other order of mammals. Thus, it is not surprising that the fossil record of this order is extensive and fossil material of rodents from the Tertiary is known from all continents except Antarctica and Australia. The purpose of this book is to compile the published knowledge on fossil rodents from North America and present it in a way that is accessible to paleontologists and mammalogists interested in evolutionary studies of ro dents. The literature on fossil rodents is widely scattered between journals on paleontology and mammalogy and in-house publications of museums and universities. Currently, there is no single source that offers ready access to the literature on a specific family of rodents and its fossil history. This work is presented as a reference text that can be useful to specialists in rodents (fossil or recent) as weIl as mammalian paleontologists working on whole faunas. Because the diversity of rodents in the world is essentially limitless, any monograph that included all fossil rodents would similarly be limitless. Hence, this book is limited to the re cord of Tertiary rodents of North America. The several species of South American (caviomorph) rodents that invaded North America near the end of the Tertiary are also not included in this text."

In eukaryotic cells, the nuclear genome and its transcriptional apparatus is separated from the site of protein synthesis by the nuclear envelope. Thus, a constant flow of proteins and nucleic acids has to cross the nuclear envelope in both directions. This transport in and out of the nucleus is mediated by nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) and occurs in an energy and signal-dependent manner. Thus, nucleocytoplasmic translocation of macro molecules across the nuclear envelope appears to be a highly specific and regulated process. Viruses that replicate their genome in the cell nucleus are therefore forced to develop efficient ways to deal with the intracellulZlr host cell transport machinery. Historically, investigation of Polyomavirus replication allowed identification ofsequences that mediate nuclear import, which led subsequently to our detailed understanding of the cellular factors that are involved in nuclear import. Transport ofmacromolecules in the opposite direction, however, is less well understood. The investigation of retroviral gene expression in recent years pro vided the first insights into the cellular mechanisms that regulate nuclear export. In particular, the detailed dissection of the function of the human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-I) Rev trans-activator protein identified CRMI, as a hona fide nuclear export receptor. CRM I appears to be involved in the nucleocytoplasmic translocation of the vast majority of viral and cellular proteins that have subsequently been found to contain a Rev-type leucine-rich nuclear export signal (NES)."

QTL Mapping in Crop Improvement: Present Progress and Future Perspectives presents advancements in QTL breeding for biotic and abiotic stresses and nutritional improvement in a range of crop plants. The book presents a roadmap for future breeding for resilience to various stresses and improvement in nutritional quality. Crops such as rice, wheat, maize, soybeans, common bean, and pigeon pea are the major staple crops consumed globally, hence fulfilling the nutritional requirements of global populations, particularly in the under-developed world, is extremely important. Sections cover the challenges facing maximized production of these crops, including diseases, insect damage, drought, heat, salinity and mineral toxicity. Covering globally important crops including maize, wheat, rice, barley, soybean, common bean and pigeon pea, this book will be an important reference for those working in agriculture and crop improvement.

This book provides a review of imaging techniques and applications in stem cell transplantation and other cell-based therapies. The basis of different molecular imaging techniques is explained in detail, as is the current state of interventional radiology techniques. While the whole is a comprehensive discussion, each chapter is self-sufficient enough so that each can be reviewed independently. The contributors represent years of international and cross-disciplinary expertise and perspective and are all well known in their fields. comprehensive information on the role of clinical and molecular imaging in stem cell therapy from this book reviewed in detail. Essential reading for radiologists and physicians who are interested in developing a basic understanding of stem cell imaging and applications of stem cells and cell based therapies. However, it will also be of interest to clinical scientists and researchers alike, including those involved in stem cell labeling, tracking & imaging, cancer therapy, angiogenesis and cardiac regeneration.

This book defines the field of systems biology, one of the newest and fastest developing fields in science today. It discusses the most effective experimental and computational strategies and highlights new and emerging applications. Cell biologists and other readers will discover many benefits for industry, such as the new network-based drug-target design validation. The authors also thoroughly explore testing.

This volume reflects on the effects of recent discoveries in genetics on a broad range of scientific fields. In addition to neuroscience, evolutionary biology, anthropology and medicine, contributors analyze the effects of genetics on theories of health, law, epistemology and philosophy of biology. Social and moral concerns about the relationship between genetics, society and the individual also figure prominently. Genetic discoveries fuel central contemporary public policy debates concerning, for example, human cloning, equitable access to healthcare or the role of genetics in medicine. Perhaps more fundamentally, advances in genetics are altering our perception of human life and death.

The field of DNA vaccines has undergone explosive growth in the last few years. As usual, some historical precursors of this approach can be d- cerned in the scientific literature of the last decades. However, the present state of affairs appears to date from observations made discreetly in 1988 by Wolff, Malone, Felgner, and colleagues, which were described in a 1989 patent and published in 1990. Quite surprisingly, they showed that genes carried by pure plasmid DNA and injected in a saline solution, hence the epithet "naked DNA," could be taken up and expressed by skeletal muscle cells with a low but reproducible frequency. Such a simple methodology was sure to spawn many applications. In a separate and important line of experimentation, Tang, De Vit, and Johnston announced in 1992 that it was indeed possible to obtain humoral immune responses against proteins encoded by DNA delivered to the skin by a biolistic device, which has colloquially become known as the "gene gun. " The year 1993 saw the publication of further improvements in the me- ods of naked DNA delivery and, above all, the first demonstrations by several groups of the induction of humoral and cytotoxic immune responses to viral antigens expressed from injected plasmid DNA. In some cases, protection against challenge with the pathogen was obtained. The latter result was - questionably the touchstone of a method of vaccination worthy of the name.

Nano-enabled Sustainable and Precision Agriculture is the first single-volume resource to cover this important field using a whole systems approach that considers both opportunities and challenges. The book provides a comprehensive understanding of the role of nanotechnology in agriculture from broad aspects, but also includes a comprehensive view of the interaction of nanomaterials with soil-plant systems. It highlights aspects not described in previous books, including the application of nanoinformatics and artificial intelligence in nano-enabled sustainable agriculture, the application of nanotechnology in alternative forms of agriculture such as hydroponics, and regulatory frameworks for this research field. The book addresses all these aspects by including sections on enhanced sustainability, reduced pollution and enhanced ecosystems' health, and the role of nanoinformatics and machine learning.

A timely book for DNA researchers, Automated DNA Sequencing and Analysis reviews and assesses the state of the art of automated DNA sequence analysis-from the construction of clone libraries to the developmentof laboratory and community databases. It presents the methodologies and strategies of automated DNA sequence analysis in a way that allows them to be compared and contrasted. By taking a broad view of the process of automated sequence analysis, the present volume bridges the gap between the protocols supplied with instrument and reaction kits and the finalized data presented in the research literature. It will be an invaluable aid to both small laboratories that are interested in taking maximum advantageof automated sequence resources and to groups pursuing large-scale cDNA and genomic sequencing projects.
* The field of automation in DAN sequencing and analysis is rapidly moving. Hovever, as the technology becomes commonplace, those applying the techniques involved to their research fields need a text which both expands on the protocols supplied by manufacturers with their instruments and explains how to utilise the data produced. This book fulfils those needs, reviews the history of the art and provides pointers to future development.

After decades of systematic collection of data describing age-related changes in organisms, organs, tissues, cells and macromolecules, biogerontologists are now in a position to construct general principles of ageing and explore various possibilities of intervention using rational approaches. While not giving serious consideration to the claims made by charlatans, it cannot be ignored that several researchers are making genuine attempts to test and develop various means of intervention for the prevention and treatment of age-related diseases, for regaining the functional abilities and for prolonging the lifespan of experimental organisms. This book provides the most up-to-date information and a critical evaluation of a variety of approaches being tried for modulating aging and longevity, including dietary supplementation with antioxidants, vitamins and hormones, genetic engineering, life-style alterations, and hormesis through mild stress. The goal of research on ageing is not to increase human longevity regardless of the consequences, but to increase active longevity free from disability and functional dependence.

This timely book critically examines the capabilities and limitations of the new areas of biology that are used as powerful arguments for developing social policy in a particular direction, exploring their implications for policy and practice. It 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

Statistics is strongly tied to applications in different scientific disciplines, and the most challenging statistical problems arise from problems in the sciences. In fact, the most innovative statistical research flows from the needs of applications in diverse settings. This volume is a testimony to the crucial role that statistics plays in scientific disciplines such as genetics and environmental sciences, among others. The articles in this volume range from human and agricultural genetic DNA research to carcinogens and chemical concentrations in the environment and to space debris and atmospheric chemistry. Also included are some articles on statistical methods which are sufficiently general and flexible to be applied to many practical situations. The papers were refereed by a panel of experts and the editors of the volume. The contributions are based on the talks presented at the Workshop on Statistics and the Sciences, held at the Centro Stefano Franscini in Ascona, Switzerland, during the week of May 23 to 28, 1999. The meeting was jointly organized by the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology in Lausanne and Zurich, with the financial support of the Minerva Research Foundation. As the presentations at the workshop helped the participants recognize the po tential role that statistics can play in the sciences, we hope that this volume will help the reader to focus on the central role of statistics in the specific areas presented here and to extrapolate the results to further applications."

Proceedings of a NATO ASI held in Erice, Italy, April 27-May 1, 1995.

Cell culture based research is important for our understanding of biological processes at the cellular and molecular level. Using this approach, the previous decades have produced a wealth of mechanistic information in all areas of biomedical research. Such in vitro research, however, lacks the complexity of in vivo investigations, where many different cell types interact with each other in a normal, three-dimensional environment, with normal levels of cytokines and growth factors. Furthermore, complex human diseases, such as cancer, diabetes or chronic inflammation, can only be modeled in vivo. Due to its small size, its short reproduction time, and the possibility to introduce specific gene mutations, the mouse has become the favourite mammalian model organism to study in vivo function of genes during development and in disease. This book combines review articles on selected subjects presented at the symposium "Mouse as a Model Organism - From Animals to Cells", held in Rovaniemi, Finland, 2009. Among other topics, high-throughput phenotyping of mouse mutants, mouse phenotypes dependent on nature and nuture, and a spectrum of in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro methods to study cancer in mice are described. This book will give an excellent introduction to scientists interested in the use of mice as a model to understand complex biological questions in the post-genomic era. It will highlight the possibilities, but also discuss the current problems and shortcomings, to give a realistic view of the current state-of-art in this fascinating field of biomedical research.

The present volume is a continuation of the EL.B.A. Forum Series, which was initiated in the spring of 1995 with the first volume, entitled From Neural Network and Biomolecular Engineering to Bioelectronics, in which a brief outline of modem bioelectron ics given as "the use of biological materials and biological architectures for information processing and sensing systems and devices down to molecular level. " The present volume highlights the aspects of advanced biotechnology and electronics originating from molecular manufacturing, which has been emerging as an independent branch of research. This volume appears in a crucial moment, when significant progress has already been made in this strategic field and when technologies derived from it are recognized as critical for the welfare of our society. In addition, acknowledging to the Italian Ministry of University and Scientific and Technological Research for launching the National Research Program "Technologies for Bioelectronics" in 1992 and for continuation of support of this advanced multidisciplinary research, we would like to acknowledge the support of the National Research Council of Italy through the "Molecular Manufacturing" CNR Strategic Project since 1994. The significant unique role of Technobiochip in the organization of the EL.B.A. Forums and in bringing to light the enormous industrial potential of bioelectronics is duly acknowledged, as well as its attraction and support of top level scientists to the series of EL.B.A. Forums of which this volume is part. Dr. Sergey Vakula of the EL.B.A."

Over the past 10 years great progress has been made in the development of efficient techniques for both gene isolation and mapping. The identifica- tion and isolation of transcribed sequences from large chromosomal regions are central to the human genome mapping project. Techniques for isolating novel cDNAs have applications both in the overall construction and integra- tion of long-range physical and transcription maps and in the identification of disease genes. A number of different techniques for the isolation of cDNAs from mam- malian genomes have been developed, including screening "zoo" blots, the use of large genomic clones (YACs or cosmids) for hybridization against cDNA libraries, and CpG island mapping. More recently two highly efficient tech- niques have been introduced: exon trapping, based on the presence of exon splice sites, and direct selection, based on the enrichment of selected cDNAs using immobilized YACs or cosmids. Leading researchers in the field have contributed chapters detailing the practical procedures for these and other widely used methods. The most rapid progress presently being made in the field of gene isolation concerns the partial sequencing of cDNA clones from one or both ends to produce expressed sequence tags (ESTs). Indeed, by Octo- ber 1995, the EST division of Genbank (dbEST) contained a total of approxi- mately 270,000 human EST sequences accounting for almost half the number of sequence entries in Genbank.