Advances in Agronomy continues its reputation as a leading reference and first-rate source for the latest research in agronomy. Each volume contains an eclectic group of reviews by leading scientists throughout the world. Five volumes are published yearly, ensuring that the authors' contributions are disseminated to the readership in a timely manner. As always, the subjects covered are varied and exemplary of the myriad of subject matter dealt with by this long-running serial.

Genomics in Aquaculture is a concise, must-have reference that describes current advances within the field of genomics and their applications to aquaculture. Written in an accessible manner for anyone-non-specialists to experts alike-this book provides in-depth coverage of genomics spanning from genome sequencing, to transcriptomics and proteomics. It provides, for ease of learning, examples from key species most relevant to current intensive aquaculture practice. Its coverage of minority species that have a specific biological interest (e.g., Pleuronectiformes) makes this book useful for countries that are developing such species. It is a robust, practical resource that covers foundational, functional, and applied aspects of genomics in aquaculture, presenting the most current information in a field of research that is rapidly growing.

Genetics, Genomics and Fish Phenomics provides the latest information on the rapidly evolving field of genetics, presenting new medical breakthroughs that are occurring as a result of advances in our knowledge of genetics. The book continually publishes important reviews of the broadest interest to geneticists and their colleagues in affiliated disciplines, critically analyzing future directions, with hhis volume focusing on genetics, genomics, and phenomics of fish.

This book aims to comprehensively review the current cell-based strategies under investigation to achieve the regeneration of human hair follicles. The unique capacity of the human hair follicle to self-renew explains why this complex "mini-organ" has always attracted so much interest as a model for researchers to study stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. The hair follicle is considered a main reservoir of cutaneous stem cells, containing several pools of epithelial, melanocyte, and mesenchymal stem cells involved in hair follicle self-regeneration and pigmentation. In addition, while some of the different follicular cell types contribute to hair shaft growth, others participate in very important interfollicular functions such as dermal remodeling, re-epithelialization after wounding, and cutaneous stem cell homeostasis. The idea of human hair follicle regeneration either "de novo" or by activating dormant miniaturized follicles is not new, yet still continues to arouse enormous interest in the pursuit of a definitive cure for baldness. In contrast to hair follicle regeneration in mice, the attempts made with human follicles have been disappointing in terms of efficiency. However, recent advances in stem cell biology-as well as the appearance of new technologies like 3D printing-have revived expectations in this field of research. This book is divided into four sections. The first part includes an overview of the strategies used in hair follicle regeneration and a historical summary of the most important achievements to date. Parts two and three comprise the main body of the book, with detailed descriptions of the cells and tissue structures involved in hair follicle regeneration, followed by an elaboration of the different therapeutic strategies, engineering techniques, and a clinician's perspective of stem cell-based therapies in hair loss treatments. Finally, the fourth part reviews the important contribution of the hair follicle in healing cutaneous wounds through the regeneration and remodeling of the dermis and epidermis after injury, as well as wound induced hair follicle neogenesis that occurs when the skin is injured.

For millennia humanity has simultaneously deplored and waged war. With each conflict the stakes have risen, and we now face global annihilation for the sake of a practice all the world claims to condemn. Is there some seemingly irresistible force that impels us toward our own destruction? To explain this central paradox of human behaviour, Genetic Seeds of Warfare, originally published in 1989, advances a startling new theory. It traces the origins of warfare back to early groups of Homo sapiens in competition for scarce resources, showing that warfare evolved as these groups evolved: kin-group against kin-group; tribe against tribe; nation against nation. Rather than being tied to a specific gene, warfare emerged as one of many behavioural strategies for maximising genetic survival. As social groups became more complex, motivations for warfare developed from simple protection of blood relations to political appeals to shared ethnicity, religion, and national identity. But the ultimate cause of warfare is rooted in the most basic of human drives: the need to ensure that one's genes will survive and reproduce. The authors challenge many assumptions about human behaviour in general, and warfare in particular. They convincingly present the case for an evolutionary understanding of the propensity for warfare, supporting their argument with data from a vast array of social and natural science research. In doing so, they reveal why previous attempts at ending war have failed, and make proactive suggestions toward the development of a new agenda for world peace.

Much research has focused on the basic cellular and molecular biological aspects of stem cells. Much of this research has been fueled by their potential for use in regenerative medicine applications, which has in turn spurred growing numbers of translational and clinical studies. However, more work is needed if the potential is to be realized for improvement of the lives and well-being of patients with numerous diseases and conditions. This book series 'Cell Biology and Translational Medicine (CBTMED)' as part of SpringerNature's longstanding and very successful Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology book series, has the goal to accelerate advances by timely information exchange. Emerging areas of regenerative medicine and translational aspects of stem cells are covered in each volume. Outstanding researchers are recruited to highlight developments and remaining challenges in both the basic research and clinical arenas. This current book is the seventh volume of a continuing series. Chapter "Application of iPSC to Modelling of Respiratory Diseases" is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

This second edition provides updated and comprehensive methods on miRNA biogenesis and their role in the development and progression of various human diseases. Chapters detail miRNA biogenesis, isolating RNA, extracellular vesicles (EVs), circulating miRNAs, analyzing miRNA and miRDeep-P2, protocols for total RNA isolation from cells, cell-derived products, isolation and characterization of exosomes, serum, plasma specimens, and software tools. 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, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, MicroRNA Profiling: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition aims to provide comprehensive and accessible methods to undergraduate, graduate, and established scientist.

A TIMES ENVIRONMENT AND SCIENCE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022 'Brilliant .. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough' - Henry Marsh, New Statesman (about The Idea of the Brain) A new gene editing technology, invented just seven years ago, has turned humanity into gods. Enabling us to manipulate the genes in virtually any organism with exquisite precision, CRISPR has given scientists a degree of control that was undreamt of even in science fiction. But CRISPR is just the latest, giant leap in a long journey to master genetics. The Genetic Age shows the astonishing, world-changing potential of the new genetics and the possible threats it poses, sifting between fantasy and the reality when it comes to both benefits and dangers. By placing each phase of discovery, anticipation and fear in the context of over fifty years of attempts to master the natural world, Matthew Cobb, the Baillie-Gifford-shortlisted author of The Idea of the Brain, weaves the stories of science, history and culture to shed new light on our future. With the powers now at our disposal, it is a future that is almost impossible to imagine - but it is one we will create ourselves.

For the millions who remain curious about the world around them, but gained little from science at school, this book offers a way forward. Based on live discussions with adults from all walks of life, each chapter begins with an everyday experience, like swallowing a pill or watching a bee on a flower. The main scientific ideas underlying each topic are then explored, so that understanding of a set of fundamental concepts builds up gradually throughout the book. In contrast to more traditional approaches to science learning, topics range freely across the subject areas. The story of Covid, for example includes aspects of biology, chemistry, mathematics and social behaviour. Plain English is used throughout and mathematical expressions are avoided. Key points are illustrated with clear diagrams and photographs. By drawing on questions and perspectives of ordinary people, the book offers an introduction to basic ideas in science as a whole, rather than any one particular subject. For the adult wishing to make good a gap in their understanding it provides a starting point for entering the rich world of popular science.

This visually appealing book recounts the history of molecular ecology and evolution as seen through the personal lens of one of its most prolific practitioners, who has studied a panorama of creatures ranging from corals, sponges, and other invertebrates to a wide variety of vertebrate animals including numerous birds, mammals, herps, and fishes. The sketches are of two types: evocative drawings of the animals themselves, and more than 230 written abstracts summarizing the author's eclectic research on ecological-genetic topics spanning the microevolutionary to macroevolutionary. With the abstracts arranged by organismal group and placed in chronological order, the chapters in this book lead readers on a fascinating historical journey into the realm of molecular genetics as applied across the past four decades to intriguing questions in ecology, evolution, animal behavior, and natural history.

Described as the earliest, simplest life forms, with unlimited metabolic versatility, bacteria are ideally suited to answer some very fundamental questions on life and its processes. They have been employed in almost all fields of biological studies, including Genetics. The whole edifice of science of Genetics centers around three processes: the generation, expression, and transmission of biological variation, and bacteria offer immediate advantages in studying all the three aspects of heredity. Being haploid and structurally simple, it becomes easy to isolate mutations of various kinds and relate them to a function. The availability of such mutants and their detailed genetic and biochemical analyses lead to a gamut of information on gene expression and its regulation. While studying the transmission of biological variation, it is clear that unlike their eukaryotic counterpart, a more genetic approach needs to be employed. Transmission of genetic information in most eukaryotic organisms rests on sexual reproduction that allows the generation of genetically variable offspring through the process of gene recombination. Even though bacteria show an apparent preference for asexual reproduction, they too have evolved mechanisms to trade their genetic material. In fact, bacteria not only could acquire many genes from close relatives, but also from entirely distant members through the process of horizontal gene transfer. Their success story of long evolutionary existence will stand testimony to these mechanisms. While teaching a course on Microbial Genetics to the post-graduate students at Delhi University, it was realized that a book devoted to bacterial genetics may be very handy to the students, researchers, and teachers alike. A strong foundation in genetics also helps in comprehending more modern concepts of molecular biology and recombinant DNA technology, always a favorite with the students and researchers. Planning the format of the book, emphasis has been laid on the generation and transmission of biological variability. The omission of expression part is indeed intentional because lots of information is available on this aspect in any modern biology book. The contents are spread over seven chapters and the text is supported with figures/tables wherever possible. The endeavor has been to induce the readers to appreciate the strength of bacterial genetics and realize the contribution of these tiny organisms to the growth of biological sciences as a whole and genetics in particular.

This detailed volume provides a comprehensive collection of protocols for epigenomic research, powering our ability to analyze epigenetic modifications across the entire genome. Beginning with methods used to investigate epigenomic modifications such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and chromatin structure, the book continues with methods for manipulating the epigenome, including platforms for epigenome editing, inducible systems for epigenome editing, and epigenetically modified animals. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters feature 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 practical, Epigenomics: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal resource for researchers looking to further expand the utility and scope of epigenomics research.

Phenotyping Crop Plants for Physiological and Biochemical Traits presents a proven range of methodologies and practices for effective, efficient, and appropriate typing of crop plants. By addressing the basic principles and precautions needed when conducting crop-based experiments, this book guides the reader in selecting the appropriate method based on the growing environment, whether greenhouse, pot, field, or liquid (hydroponic). By addressing the quantification of seed traits related to growth experiments, including their viability and vigor, this book presents methodology options for optimum yield based on potential abiotic stresses.

Collaborative Genomics Projects: A Comprehensive Guide contains operational procedures, policy considerations, and the many lessons learned by The Cancer Genome Atlas Project. This book guides the reader through methods in patient sample acquisition, the establishment of data generation and analysis pipelines, data storage and dissemination, quality control, auditing, and reporting. This book is essential for those looking to set up or collaborate within a large-scale genomics research project. All authors are contributors to The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Program, a NIH- funded effort to generate a comprehensive catalog of genomic alterations in more than 35 cancer types. As the cost of genomic sequencing is decreasing, more and more researchers are leveraging genomic data to inform the biology of disease. The amount of genomic data generated is growing exponentially, and protocols need to be established for the long-term storage, dissemination, and regulation of this data for research. The book's authors create a complete handbook on the management of research projects involving genomic data as learned through the evolution of the TCGA program, a project that was primarily carried out in the US, but whose impact and lessons learned can be applied to international audiences.

This book provides methods and techniques used in construction of global transcriptional regulatory networks in diverse systems, various layers of gene regulation and mathematical as well as computational modeling of transcriptional gene regulation. 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. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Modeling Transcriptional Regulation: Methods and Protocols aims to provide an in depth understanding of new techniques in transcriptional gene regulation for specialized audience.

This book reviews various aspects of papaya genomics, including existing genetic and genomic resources, recent progress on structural and functional genomics, and their applications in papaya improvement. Organized into four sections, the volume explores the origin and domestication of papaya, classic genetics and breeding, recent progress on molecular genetics, and current and future applications of genomic resources for papaya improvement. Bolstered by contributions from authorities in the field, Genetics and Genomics of Papaya is a valuable resource that provides the most up to date information for papaya researchers and plant biologists.

Now updated for its second edition, Population Genetics is the classic, accessible introduction to the concepts of population genetics. Combining traditional conceptual approaches with classical hypotheses and debates, the book equips students to understand a wide array of empirical studies that are based on the first principles of population genetics. Featuring a highly accessible introduction to coalescent theory, as well as covering the major conceptual advances in population genetics of the last two decades, the second edition now also includes end of chapter problem sets and revised coverage of recombination in the coalescent model, metapopulation extinction and recolonization, and the fixation index.

Documents the confused early history of DNA, RNA and proteins - a transformative history of molecular biology like no other. Integrates the influences of biochemistry and genetics on the landscape of molecular biology. Chronicles the important discoveries, preconceptions and misconceptions that retarded or misdirected progress. Highlights major pioneers and contributors to molecular biology, with a focus on RNA and noncoding DNA. Summarizes the mounting evidence for the central roles of non-protein-coding RNA in cell and developmental biology. Provides a thought-provoking retrospective and forward-looking perspective for advanced students and professional researchers.

Documents the confused early history of DNA, RNA and proteins - a transformative history of molecular biology like no other. Integrates the influences of biochemistry and genetics on the landscape of molecular biology. Chronicles the important discoveries, preconceptions and misconceptions that retarded or misdirected progress. Highlights major pioneers and contributors to molecular biology, with a focus on RNA and noncoding DNA. Summarizes the mounting evidence for the central roles of non-protein-coding RNA in cell and developmental biology. Provides a thought-provoking retrospective and forward-looking perspective for advanced students and professional researchers.

This important book traces the history of genetics and genomics policy in Britain. Detailing the scientific, political, and economic factors that have informed policy and the development of new health services, the book highlights the particular importance of the field of Public Health Genomics. Although focused primarily on events in Britain, the book reveals a number of globally applicable lessons. The authors explain how and why Public Health Genomics developed and the ways in which genetics and genomics have come to have a central place in many important health debates. Consideration of their ethical, social, and legal implications and ensuring that new services that are equitable, appropriate, and well-targeted will be central to effective health planning and policymaking in future. The book features: Interviews with leading individuals who were intimately involved in the development of genetics and genomics policy and Public Health Genomics Insights from experts who participated in a pair of 'witness seminars' Historical analysis exploiting a wide range of primary sources Written in a clear and accessible style, this book will be of interest to those involved in the research and practice of genetics, genomics, bioethics, and population health, but also to NHS staff, policymakers, politicians, and the public. It will also be valuable supplementary reading for students of the History of Medicine and Health, Public Health, and Biomedical Sciences.

This book explores the socio-political implications of human heredity from the second half of the nineteenth century to the present postgenomic moment. It addresses three main phases in the politicization of heredity: the peak of radical eugenics (1900-1945), characterized by an aggressive ethos of supporting the transformation of human society via biological knowledge; the repositioning, after 1945, of biological thinking into a liberal-democratic, human rights framework; and the present postgenomic crisis in which the genome can no longer be understood as insulated from environmental signals. In Political Biology, Maurizio Meloni argues that thanks to the ascendancy of epigenetics we may be witnessing a return to soft heredity - the idea that these signals can cause changes in biology that are themselves transferable to succeeding generations. This book will be of great interest to scholars across science and technology studies, the philosophy and history of science, and political and social theory.

The study of emotions has rapidly expanded in recent decades, incorporating interdisciplinary research on the genetic underpinnings and neural mechanisms of emotion. This has involved a wide range of methods from as varied fields as behavioral genetics, molecular biology, and cognitive neuroscience, and has allowed researchers to start addressing complex multi-level questions such as: what is the role of genes in individual differences in emotions and emotional vulnerability to psychopathology, and what are the neural mechanisms through which genes and experience shape these emotion? Genes, Brain, and Emotions: Interdisciplinary and translational perspectives offers a comprehensive account of this interdisciplinary field of research, bridging psychology, genetics, and neuroscience, with rich sections dedicated to methods, cognitive and biological mechanisms, and psychopathology. Written by leading researchers who have each inspired new research directions and innovated methods and concepts, this book will be of interest to anyone working or studying in the field of affective science, whether they be behavioural geneticists, psychologists and psychiatrists, or cognitive neuroscientists.

Differential gene regulation and targeted therapy are the critical aspects of several cancers. This book covers specific gene regulation and targeted therapies in different malignancies. It offers a comprehensive assessment of the transcriptional dysregulation in cancer, and considers some examples of transcriptional regulators as definitive oncogenic drivers in solid tumors, followed by a brief discussion of transcriptional effectors of the programs they drive, and discusses its specific targets. Most targeted therapeutics developed to date have been directed against a limited set of oncogenic drivers, exemplified by those encoding cell surface or cytoplasmic kinases that function in intracellular signaling cascades.

This volume describes the genetic mechanisms that govern the development and evolution of animals and plants. In particular, the book focuses on animal and plant species evolving in isolated habitats and species colonizing new territories. This approach - studying "founder" populations - enables geneticists to more readily identify some of the evolutionary pressures affecting the speciation process. The Founder Principle in population genetics was elucidated in large part by Hampton Carson in classic studies of Hawaiian fruit flies (Drosophilia). The editors of this volume have commissioned seventeen chapters by an internationally recognized group of geneticists who discuss the Founder Principle in relation to plant speciation, chromosomal evolution, molecular evolution and development, sexual selection, and genetic changes in natural populations. The volume was organized as a tribute to Professor Carson on the occasion of his retirement from the University of Hawaii.

Aging is an inevitable part of life, and is becoming a worldwide social, economic and health problem due to the fact that an increasing proportion of individuals in the advanced age category have a higher probability of developing age-related disorders. New therapeutic approaches are still in need to decrease or slow the effects of such diseases in this aging society. Advances in 'omic technologies such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics have significantly advanced our understanding of diseases in multiple medical areas. It is hoped that emerging hits from these analyses might be prioritized for further screening as potential novel drug targets for increasing the human healthspan in line with the lifespan, which will in turn lead to new therapeutic strategies and drug development projects by the pharmaceutical industry. This new book presents a series of reviews describing studies which have resulted in the identification of potential new drug targets for age-related disorders. Much of this information has come from 'omic comparisons of healthy and disease states or from testing the effects of potential new therapeutic approaches. Each chapter will be presented in the context of specific chronic diseases or different therapeutic strategies, providing important information on disease mechanisms related to the aging process. This book will be of interest to researchers in the areas of aging and chronic disease, as well as clinical scientists, physicians, and major drug companies. With contributors from Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Iran, Iraq, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay and Vietnam, this is a timely follow up to Guest's previous book Reviews on New Drug Targets in Age-Related Disorders.