Recent advances in genome analysis and transformation have made rice a model monocot for molecular biologists. This volume covers four areas of rice molecular biology in which exciting progress has been made recently: genome analysis and gene isolation, development, regulation of gene expression, and transformation and rice improvement. It will be of great interest to researchers who work in traditional agricultural sciences using rice, as well as to those who have an interest in using rice as an experimental model for basic research. The book gives an overall view on what has already been done, as well as what will be possible in rice. It presents chapters on development and gene regulation - exciting new research area in the future, and explores potentials in rice improvement using various molecular biological methods.

This book provides an introduction to the latest gene mapping techniques and their applications in biomedical research and evolutionary biology. It especially highlights the advances made in large-scale genomic sequencing. Results of studies that illustrate how the new approaches have improved our understanding of the genetic basis of complex phenotypes including multifactorial diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity), anatomic characteristics (e.g., the craniofacial complex), and neurological and behavioral phenotypes (e.g., human brain structure and nonhuman primate behavior) are presented. Topics covered include linkage and association methods, gene expression, copy number variation, next-generation sequencing, comparative genomics, population structure, and a discussion of the Human Genome Project. Further included are discussions of the use of statistical genetic and genetic epidemiologic techniques to decipher the genetic architecture of normal and disease-related complex phenotypes using data from both humans and non-human primates.

Evolutionary Psychology: The Basics is a jargon-free and accessible introduction to evolutionary psychology, which examines behaviour, thoughts, and emotions in relation to evolutionary theory. Reader and Workman outline how evolutionary thinking can enhance the core areas of psychology: social, developmental, biological, cognitive, and individual differences/abnormal psychology. Covering topics such as genetics and natural selection, mate choice, culture, morality, mental health, and childhood, among others, the book integrates psychology into the biological sciences and explains the different approaches in the field by evaluating current and past evolutionary research and theory. Key studies and theories are explored in an accessible way, with the work of key evolutionary and behavioural scientists from Darwin to Dawkins examined and explained. Including a glossary and further reading, this is the essential introduction to evolutionary psychology for students of psychology and related areas, and academics and researchers, as well as anyone interested in learning more about this fascinating field.

This book describes the development of genetic resources in amaranths, with a major focus on genomics, reverse, and forward genetics tools and strategies that have been developed for crop improvement. Amaranth is an ancient crop native to the New World. Interest in amaranths is being renewed, due to their adaptability, stress tolerance, and nutritional value. There are about 65 species in the genus, including Amaranthus caudatus L., A. cruentus L., and A. hypochondriacus L., which are primarily grown as protein-rich grains or pseudocereals. The genus also includes major noxious weeds (e.g., A. palmeri). The amaranths are within the Caryophyllales order and thus many species (e.g., A. tricolor) produce red (betacyanin) or yellow (betaxanthin) betalain pigments, which are chemically distinct from the anthocyanins responsible for red pigmentation in other plants. A. hypochondriacus, which shows disomic inheritance (2n = 32; n= 466 Mb), has been sequenced and annotated with 23,059 protein-coding genes. Additional members of the genus are now also been sequenced including weedy amaranths, other grain amaranths, and their putative progenitors.

In Tiling Arrays: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers in the field detail many of the methods which are now commonly used to study tiling microarrays in genomic discovery . These include methods and applications for transcriptional regulation, expression, genetic and epigenetic regulation, as well as techniques and skills on tiling microarray data analysis. 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 key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Tiling Arrays: Methods and Protocols seeks to provide scientists with a comprehensive and down to earth approach to maximize results.

Written by one of the leading figures in biosocial criminology and evolutionary psychology, this work explores the tight relationship between criminality and indiscriminate sexuality within the framework of life history theory. The underlying thesis is that traits associated with a strong libido, indiscriminately expressed, are intertwined with traits associated with criminal behavior; that is, excessive interest in sexual adventures pursued in an irresponsible way is undergirded by the same individual short-run hedonistic traits that define criminality. While traditional criminology tends to view sexual and criminal behavior as separate domains, many biosocial criminologists, evolutionary psychologists, neuroscientists, and behavioral and molecular geneticists are not at all surprised that a link exists between criminality and sexuality. Research shows that the statistical relationship between indiscriminate sexuality and criminal behavior is stronger than for most other variables associated with crime, although most studies dealing with this relationship are from outside the dominant environmentalism paradigm of criminology. Using life history theory as the theoretical umbrella for exploring the relationship between indiscriminate sexuality and criminal behavior, the book explores how and why criminal behavior is related to hypersexuality. Life history theory, which has a long and fruitful history of use among evolutionary biologists who use it to investigate the relationship between mating strategies and the environment among various species of animals (including humans) is particularly suited to understanding how an exclusive focus on mating effort is related to criminal behavior. This book will be of interest to scholars and students in criminology, psychology, and sociology, and anyone interested in examining the interconnection between biological, psychological, and socio-environmental factors in relation to criminal behavior.

This book highlights the technicalities of plant breeding in a seed-business environment and explains the crucial aspects of the value chain. It educates the readers on how to initiate, participate, sustain national and international agreements for material transfer, how consortia work to facilitate germplasm accessibility, and how to set visionary goals to develop a superior plant varieties. The book covers the aspects such as how to conduct disease screening trials at hot spots, preparing an operational budget, and how to accelerate product advancement. Plant breeding is broadly defined as manipulation of plant genotypes to create phenotypes that are beneficial to mankind. It helps to achieve food security and sustainability by developing high yielding, climate-resilient, nutritious varieties of crops and hence is able to address unprecedented challenges like rising global population, diminishing genetic biodiversity, and uncertainties of the weather . This book is an extraordinary source of information starting from goal-genesis to market-oriented product-profiling and help readers to accelerate/enhance? their work/professional performance more effectively. This book will be very useful to practicing plant breeders at various levels in the public and private sectors. It is a must-have book for potential plant breeders who enter plant breeding profession just after the completion of their formal plant breeding education.

Genomics in the Clinic: A Practical Guide to Genetic Testing, Evaluation, and Counseling illustrates the current scope of the practice of genetics for healthcare professionals, so they can understand principles applicable to genetic testing and consultation. Written by an authoritative well-balanced team, including experienced clinical geneticists, genetic counselors, and medical subspecialists, this book adopts an accessible, easy-to-follow format. Sections are dedicated to basic genetic principles; clinical genetic and genomic testing; prenatal, clinical and cancer genetic diagnosis and counseling; and ethical and social implications in genomic medicine. Over 100 illustrative cases examine a range of prenatal, pediatric and adult genetic conditions and testing, putting these concepts and approaches into practice. Genomics in the Clinic: A Practical Guide to Genetic Testing, Evaluation, and Counseling is important for primary care providers, as patient care evolves in the current genomic-influenced world of precision medicine.

A behind-the-scenes look at the most lucrative discipline within biotechnology
Bioinformatics represents a new area of opportunity for investors and industry participants. Companies are spending billions on the potentially lucrative products that will come from bioinformatics. This book looks at what companies like Merck, Glaxo SmithKline Beecham, and Celera, and hospitals are doing to maneuver themselves to leadership positions in this area. Filled with in-depth insights and surprising revelations, Digital Code of Life examines the personalities who have brought bioinformatics to life and explores the commercial applications and investment opportunities of the most lucrative discipline within genomics.
Glyn Moody (London, UK) has published numerous articles in Wired magazine. He is the author of the critically acclaimed book Rebel Code.

This book presents and discusses recent scientific progress on Cell and Stem Cell Engineering. It predominantly focuses on Biological, Physical and Technical Basics, and features new trends of research reaching far into the 21st century.

This book provides an overview of methods and experimental protocols that are currently used to analyze the presence and abundance of non-canonical DNA nucleotides in different biological systems. Focusing particularly on the newly discovered and less studied DNA modifications that are enzymatically produced and are likely to play specific roles in various biological processes, the volume explores chromatography- and mass spectrometry-based techniques for the detection and quantification of DNA modifications, antibody-based approaches to study their spatial distribution in different cells and tissues, and methods to analyze their genomic distribution with the help of bioinformatics tools that interrogate the corresponding 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, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and comprehensive, DNA Modifications: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal guide to research scientists and PhD students in this rapidly developing discipline, and, thus, will ultimately contribute to deciphering the roles of non-canonical DNA nucleotides in different biological systems.

This book explores recent advances in the microbial production of xylitol and its applications in food and medical sector. Xylitol is an important biomolecule from lignocellulose biorefinery which is produced from the xylose by chemical reactions or microbial fermentation methods. Currently, the demand of xylitol at commercial scale is being met through chemical methods. However, recent breakthroughs made in plant cell wall destruction, genetic engineering to develop the designer microorganisms, fermentation methods and media formulations and downstream processing have led the ways for sustainable production of xylitol at commercial scale in lignocellulose biorefineries. Microbial production of xylitol is preferred over the chemical processes as it is environmentally friendly, higher process efficiency with the desired product yield, and product recovery with minimum impurities. This book is a unique compilation of 11 book chapters written by experts in their respective fields. These chapters present critical insights and discuss the current progress and future progress in this area into fermentative xylitol production. Chapter 9 is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For further details see license information in the chapter.

This open access book offers the first comprehensive account of the pan-genome concept and its manifold implications. The realization that the genetic repertoire of a biological species always encompasses more than the genome of each individual is one of the earliest examples of big data in biology that opened biology to the unbounded. The study of genetic variation observed within a species challenges existing views and has profound consequences for our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underpinning bacterial biology and evolution. The underlying rationale extends well beyond the initial prokaryotic focus to all kingdoms of life and evolves into similar concepts for metagenomes, phenomes and epigenomes. The book's respective chapters address a range of topics, from the serendipitous emergence of the pan-genome concept and its impacts on the fields of microbiology, vaccinology and antimicrobial resistance, to the study of microbial communities, bioinformatic applications and mathematical models that tie in with complex systems and economic theory. Given its scope, the book will appeal to a broad readership interested in population dynamics, evolutionary biology and genomics.

This detailed volume explores rice molecular biology, genetic engineering, and genome editing technologies. Dividing into three parts, the book covers subjects such as genetic engineering and tissue culture of rice, including efficient methods for rice transformation and regeneration, genome editing, targeted integration, and gene stacking in rice, including multiple methods utilizing CRISPR systems for targeted gene knock-out or genome modification via base editing, and diverse methods describing bioinformatic, molecular, and cellular analyses in rice. 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, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Rice Genome Engineering and Gene Editing: Methods and Protocols serves as a valuable resource for researchers worldwide striving to further their efforts on advancing research and producing genetically improved rice varieties.

This book presents a comprehensive discussion on the novel concepts in stem cell heterogeneity, from pluripotent stem cells to human mesenchymal stem cells, adult and cancer stem cells of the thyroid, sarcoma, and more. Thus, Stem Cell Heterogeneity - Novel Concepts starts from a timely update on the current information on stem cells heterogeneity in various tissues and discusses new concepts and future directions. It also provides a solid foundation of the history of stem cells from specific tissues and the current applications of this knowledge in regenerative medicine. When taken as a whole, alongside its companion volumes Stem Cells Heterogeneity in Different Organs, and Stem Cells Heterogeneity in Cancer, these three books present a comprehensive reference on stem cell heterogeneity in various tissues and current and future applications for regenerative medicine. It is essential reading for advanced cell biology students as well as researchers in stem cells and clinicians.

Codon-based models of evolution are a relatively new addition to the toolkit of computational biologists, and in recent years remarkable progress has been made in this area. The study of evolution at the codon level captures information contained in both amino acid and synonymous DNA substitutions. By combining these two types of information, codon analyses are more powerful than those of either amino acid or DNA evolution alone. This is a clear benefit for most evolutionary analyses, including phylogenetic reconstruction, detection of selection, ancestral sequence reconstruction, and alignment of coding DNA. Despite the theoretical advantages of codon based models, their relative complexity delayed their widespread use. Only in recent years, when large-scale sequencing projects produced sufficient genomic data and computational power increased, did their usage become more common. In Codon Evolution, leading researchers in the field of molecular evolution provide the latest insights from codon-based analyses of genetic sequences. The first part of the book provides comprehensive coverage of the developments of various types of codon substitution models such as parametric and empirical models used in maximum likelihood as well as Bayesian frameworks. Subsequent chapters examine the use of codon models to infer selection and other applications of codon models to biological systems. The second part of the book focuses on codon usage bias. Both the underlying mechanisms as well as current methods to analyse codon usage bias are presented.

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 thirteenth volume of a continuing series.

This book, which is the first volume of Biomedical Translational Research, summarizes emerging technologies in healthcare. The book reviews the advancements in biomedical sciences in genomics, immunology, stem cell, tissue engineering, nanotechnology, computational and structural biology, biomedical engineering, and telemedicine biology. The book highlights the applications of artificial intelligence in the diagnosis of infectious diseases and examines the role of system biology approaches for understanding human complexity, variability, and its influence on health and diseases. It presents the applications of flow cytometry in monitoring the progression and treatment of disease. It covers emerging technologies in cancer research, including CRISPR-Cas9, NGS, and nanotechnology. This book is a useful source of information for clinical researchers, basic scientists, biomedical engineers, and computational biologists.

Major advancements in the field of in situ molecular pathology have occurred since publication of the first edition. In Situ Molecular Pathology and Co-expression Analyses, Second Edition, continues to teach both the molecular basis for the improvements and the actual protocols. This is the unique feature that separates it from the pack of other "cook-book" type approaches. The fields of in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry have expanded rapidly where computer-based analyses systems have greatly expanded the power of these methods. Further, knowledge of the marked improvements in the reagents themselves since the first edition can make the difference of excellent versus misleading data. The automated platforms require that researchers and diagnostic biomedical investigators have a good understanding of the basics of in situ based tests, protocols, and biochemistry for troubleshooting in order to maximize the use of these platforms. This second edition focuses attention on straightforward protocols used to simultaneously detect two or more proteins/nucleic acids within intact tissue by doing co-expression analyses. Practicing molecular pathologists, diagnostic pathologists, laboratory directors, and toxicologists, as well as clinicians and researchers in training, will benefit from this clear presentation of protocols and theoretical framework. Data derived from in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry.

Can Computational Science Keep Up with Evolving Technology for Genome Mapping and Sequencing? (C.R. Cantor). Informatics and Experiments for the Human Genome Project (H. Lehrach et al.). Date Management Tools for Scientific Applications (V.M. Markowitz). The ACEDB Genome Database (R. Durbin, UJ. ThierryMieg). The Integrated Genomic Database (O. Ritter). Genetic Mapping (J. Beckmann). Representing Genomic Maps in a Relational Database (R.J. Robbins). Livermore's Pragmatic Approach to Integrated Mapping for Chromosome 19 (T. Slezak et al.). Searching Protein Sequence Databases (W.R. Pearson). Algorithmic Advances for Searching Biosequence Databases (E.W. Myers). Pattern Recognition in Genomic and Protein Sequences (J.G. Reich). New Algorithms for the Computation of Evolutionary Phylogenetic Trees (G.H. Gonnet). Modelling Protein Structure from Remote Sequence Similarity (W.R. Taylor). Genetic Algorithms in Protein Structure Prediction (F. Herrmann, S. Suhai). Statistical Models of Chromosome Evolution (M.J. Bishop). Deciphering the Genetic Message (C. Frontali). Index.

Learning and Memory provides a balanced review of the core methods and the latest research on animal learning and human memory. Topical coverage ranges from the basic and central processes of learning, including classical and instrumental conditioning and encoding and storage in long-term memory, to topics not traditionally covered, such as spatial learning, motor skills, and implicit memory. The general rules of learning are reviewed along with the exceptions, limitations, and best applications of these rules. Alternative approaches to learning and memory, including cognitive, neuroscientific, functional, and behavioral, are also discussed. Individual differences in age, gender, learning abilities, and social and cultural background are explored throughout the text and presented in a dedicated chapter. The relevance of basic principles is highlighted throughout the text with everyday examples that ignite reader interest in addition to more traditional examples from human and animal laboratory studies. Research examples are drawn from education, neuropsychology, psychiatry, nursing, and ecological (or everyday) memory. Each chapter begins with an outline and concludes with a detailed summary. Applications and extensions are showcased in text boxes as well as in distinct applications sections in every chapter, and review and recapitulation sections are interspersed throughout the chapters.

The aim of molecular diagnostics is preferentially to detect a developing disease before any symptoms appear. There has been a significant increase, fueled by technologies from the human genome project, in the availability of nucleic acid sequence information for all living organisms including bacteria and viruses. When combined with a different type of instrumentation applied, the resulting diagnostics is specific and sensitive. Nucleic acid-based medical diagnosis detects specific DNAs or RNAs from the infecting organism or virus and a specific gene or the expression of a gene associated with a disease. Nucleic acid approaches also stimulate a basic science by opening lines of inquiry that will lead to greater understanding of the molecules at the center of life. One can follow Richard Feynman's famous statement "What I cannot create, I do not understand."

The history of life is a nearly four billion year old story of transformative change. This change ranges from dramatic macroscopic innovations such as the evolution of wings or eyes, to a myriad of molecular changes that form the basis of macroscopic innovations. We are familiar with many examples of innovations (qualitatively new phenotypes that can provide a critical advantage) but have no systematic understanding of the principles that allow organisms to innovate. This book proposes several such principles as the basis of a theory of innovation, integrating recent knowledge about complex molecular phenotypes with more traditional Darwinian thinking. Central to the book are genotype networks: vast sets of connected genotypes that exist in metabolism and regulatory circuitry, as well as in protein and RNA molecules. The theory can successfully unify innovations that occur at different levels of organization. It captures known features of biological innovation, including the fact that many innovations occur multiple times independently, and that they combine existing parts of a system to new purposes. It also argues that environmental change is important to create biological systems that are both complex and robust, and shows how such robustness can facilitate innovation. Beyond that, the theory can reconcile neutralism and selectionism, as well as explain the role of phenotypic plasticity, gene duplication, recombination, and cryptic variation in innovation. Finally, its principles can be applied to technological innovation, and thus open to human engineering endeavours the powerful principles that have allowed life's spectacular success.