This invaluable resource discusses clinical applications with effects and side-effects of applications of stem cells in diabetes, kidney and wound treatment. All chapters are contributed by pre-eminent scientists in the field and covers such topics as stem cells and cell therapy in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, kidney failure, wound and other skin aging diseases, characteristics of some kinds of stem/progenitor cells for therapy, future directions of the discussed therapies and much more. Pancreas, Kidney and Skin Regeneration and the other books in the Stem Cells in Clinical Applications series will be invaluable to scientists, researchers, advanced students and clinicians working in stem cells, regenerative medicine or tissue engineering.

A concise, clear writing style and a detailed and rich coverage of topics are the reasons that students found the first edition of the book so engaging and useful.Riding on this wave, all chapters within the second edition of this popular book have been thoroughly updated and expanded, especially the human and animal materials. A wider range of animals is covered, including dogs and cats as well as farm animals. The use of cord blood for therapy, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and animal cloning are also explored and dealt with.

In this entertaining account of the origins of modern molecular biology, the lives of pioneering scientists in the field of nucleic acid research, and the discovery of DNA, Ulf Lagerkvist speaks not only to scientists but to all students and general readers with an interest in science. The author, whose career in the nucleic acid field began in the late 1940s, recreates historical episodes from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and introduces for a modern audience the scientists whose discoveries revolutionized the field of biology. Knowledge of these pioneers as professionals and as human beings, Lagerkvist believes, may help us see modern problems in a new light and appreciate the greatness of the researchers who contributed to the foundations of molecular biology and biochemistry. Among these scientific pioneers was nineteenth-century biochemist Friedrich Miescher, discoverer of nuclein, the material now known as DNA. The book also explores early research into general problems of the chemistry of biological materials. Lagerkvist vividly describes the research of such influential scientists as Albrecht Kossel, another early leading figure; Emil Fischer, who received the Nobel Prize in 1902 for his work on carbohydrates and purines and was regarded as the foremost chemist of his time; P. A. Levene, known for his discoveries concerning the structure of nucleotides and the way these nucleic acid building blocks are linked to one another; and Oswald T. Avery, often considered the grandfather of molecular genetics.

Today the name most closely associated with evolutionary theory is Charles Darwin. Given Darwin's immense reputation it is easy to forget that Herbert Spencer, in his time, was just as famous as Darwin. It turns out that Spencer's evolutionary thought was not what necessarily appealed to many of his readers, since they had their own sense of his identity and importance. By focusing on Spencer the evolutionist, scholars have tended to concentrate their attention on a rather narrow view of him that has come out of Anglo-American appropriations of his thought. Spencer was one of the first international, public intellectuals whose views on psychology, religion, sociology, ethics, education, and biology captured the imagination of readers all over the world. The chapters will cover the communication and appropriation of Spencer's ideas in Russia, the Middle East, China, Japan, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, the United States, Italy, Scandinavia, and France. Contributors are: Li Bin, Juan Manuel Rodriguez Caso, Gowan Dawson, Heloisa Maria Bertol Domingues, Marwa Elshakry, Mark Francis, G. Clinton Godart, Michael Gordon, Paola Govoni, Rosaura Ruiz Gutierrez, Hans Henrik Hjermitslev, Ricardo Noguera-Solano, Adriana Novoa, Greg Radick, Nathalie Richard, Ke Zunke.

Recent advances in protein structural biology, coupled with new developments in human genetics, have opened the door to understanding the molecular basis of many metabolic, physiological, and developmental processes in human biology. Medical pathologies, and their chemical therapies, are increasingly being described at the molecular level. For single-gene diseases, and some multi-gene conditions, identification of highly correlated genes immediately leads to identification of covalent structures of the actual chemical agents of the disease, namely the protein gene products. Once the primary sequence of a protein is ascertained, structural biologists work to determine its three-dimensional, biologically active structure, or to predict its probable fold and/or function by comparison to the data base of known protein structures. Similarly, three-dimensional structures of proteins produced by microbiological pathogens are the subject of intense study, for example, the proteins necessary for maturation of the human HIV virus. Once the three-dimensional structure of a protein is known or predicted, its function, as well as potential binding sites for drugs that inhibit its function, become tractable questions. The medical ramifications of the burgeoning results of protein structural biology, from gene replacement therapy to "rational" drug design, are well recognized by researchers in biomedical areas, and by a significant proportion of the general population. The purpose of this book is to introduce biomedical scientists to important areas of protein structural biology, and to provide an insightful orientation to the primary literature that shapes the field in each subject.
The chapters in this volume cover aspects of protein structural biology which have led to the recognition of fundamental relationships between protein structure and function.

This book includes papers presented at the 2017 Joint meeting of Fodder Crops and Amenity Grasses Section and Protein Crops Working Group of EUCARPIA-Oil and Protein Crops Section. The theme of the meeting "Breeding Grasses and Protein Crops in the Era of Genomics" has been divided into six parts: (1) Utilisation of genetic resources and pre-breeding, (2) Genetic improvement of quality and agronomic traits, (3) Breeding for enhanced stress tolerance (4) Implementation of phenomics and biometrics, (5) Development of genomic tools and bioinformatics and (6) Reports of Parallel Sessions.

This book discusses the latest developments in plant-mediated fabrication of metal and metal-oxide nanoparticles, and their characterization by using a variety of modern techniques. It explores in detail the application of nanoparticles in drug delivery, cancer treatment, catalysis, and as antimicrobial agent, antioxidant and the promoter of plant production and protection. Application of these nanoparticles in plant systems has started only recently and information is still scanty about their possible effects on plant growth and development. Accumulation and translocation of nanoparticles in plants, and the consequent growth response and stress modulation are not well understood. Plants exposed to these particles exhibit both positive and negative effects, depending on the concentration, size, and shape of the nanoparticles. The impact on plant growth and yield is often positive at lower concentrations and negative at higher ones. Exposure to some nanoparticles may improve the free-radical scavenging potential and antioxidant enzymatic activities in plants and alter the micro-RNAs expression that regulate the different morphological, physiological and metabolic processes in plant system, leading to improved plant growth and yields. The nanoparticles also carry out genetic reforms by efficient transfer of DNA or complete plastid genome into the respective plant genome due to their miniscule size and improved site-specific penetration. Moreover, controlled application of nanomaterials in the form of nanofertilizer offers a more synchronized nutrient fluidity with the uptake by the plant exposed, ensuring an increased nutrient availability. This book addresses these issues and many more. It covers fabrication of different/specific nanomaterials and their wide-range application in agriculture sector, encompassing the controlled release of nutrients, nutrient-use efficiency, genetic exchange, production of secondary metabolites, defense mechanisms, and the growth and productivity of plants exposed to different manufactured nanomaterials. The role of nanofertilizers and nano-biosensors for improving plant production and protection and the possible toxicities caused by certain nanomaterials, the aspects that are little explored by now, have also been generously elucidated.

This indispensable volume highlights recent studies identifying epigenetic mechanisms as essential regulators of skin development, stem cell activity and regeneration. Chapters are contributed by leading experts and promote the skin as an accessible model system for studying mechanisms that control organ development and regeneration. The timely discussions contained throughout are of broad relevance to other areas of biology and medicine and can help inform the development of novel therapeutics for skin disorders as well as new approaches to skin regeneration that target the epigenome. Part of the highly successful Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine series, Epigenetic Regulation of Skin Development and Regeneration uncovers the fundamental significance of epigenetic mechanisms in skin development and regeneration, and emphasizes the development of new therapies for a number of skin disorders, such as pathological conditions of epidermal differentiation, pigmentation and carcinogenesis. At least six categories of researchers will find this book essential, including stem cell, developmental, hair follicle or molecular biologists, and gerontologists or clinical dermatologists.

Every time a cell divides, a copy of its genomic DNA has to be faithfully copied to generate new genomic DNA for the daughter cells. The process of DNA replication needs to be precisely regulated to ensure that replication of the genome is complete and accurate, but that re-replication does not occur. Errors in DNA replication can lead to genome instability and cancer. The process of replication initiation is of paramount importance, because once the cell is committed to replicate DNA, it must finish this process. A great deal of progress has been made in understanding how DNA replication is initiated in eukaryotic cells in the past ten years, but this is the first one-source book on these findings. The Initiation of DNA Replication in Eukaryotes will focus on how DNA replication is initiated in eukaryotic cells. While the concept of replication initiation is simple, its elaborate regulation and integration with other cell processes results in a high level of complexity. This book will cover how the position of replication initiation is chosen, how replication initiation is integrated with the phases of the cell cycle, and how it is regulated in the case of damage to DNA. It is the cellular protein machinery that enables replication initiation to be activated and regulated. We now have an in-depth understanding of how cellular proteins work together to start DNA replication, and this new resource will reveal a mechanistic description of DNA replication initiation as well.

This book presents a comprehensive discussion on the heterogeneity existing between different types of stem cells within the same tissue, for several types of cancers, e.g. glioblastoma stem cells. Recent developments have revealed completely different roles of distinct stem cells within the same organ. Thus, Stem Cells Heterogeneity in Cancer provides a timely update us on the current information on stem cells heterogeneity in various tissues. 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 - Novel Concepts, and Stem Cells Heterogeneity in Different Organs, 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.

This book provides insights into the current state of sorghum genomics. It particularly focuses on the tools and strategies employed in genome sequencing and analysis, public and private genomic resources and how all this information is leading to direct outcomes for plant breeders. The advent of affordable whole genome sequencing in combination with existing cereal functional genomics data has enabled the leveraging of the significant novel diversity available in sorghum, the genome of which was fully sequenced in 2009, providing an unmatched resource for the genetic improvement of sorghum and other grass species. Cultivated grain sorghum is a food and feed cereal crop adapted to hot and dry climates, and is a staple for 500 million of the world's poorest people. Globally, sorghum is also an important source of animal feed and forage, an emerging biofuel crop and model for C4 grasses, particularly genetically complex sugarcane.

This book is a comprehensive understanding of the evolution of pre-malignant disease, emphasizing common themes in the field, including stem cell biology and histologic modes of cancer progression between the distal esophagus and stomach. Its sixteen chapters discuss metaplastic tissue change in the upper GI, clonalexpansion of early neoplasia, stem cell dynamics in experimental models, pathology of early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, therapeutic modalities for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, pathology of Barrett's esophagus, screening, early detection and novel diagnostic tools for Barrett's esophagus, clonal evolution of Barrett's esophagus, endoscopic therapeutic modalities of early esophageal cancer, pathology of early gastric cancer, and experimental models for gastric cancer. Stem Cells, Pre-neoplasia and Early Cancer of the Upper Gastrointestinal Tract is an integrative text on both the current state of translational research on every cancer development of the upper gastrointestinal tract as well as on novel clinical diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. It highlights a rapidly growing field within cancer research and is essential reading for oncologists, biochemists and advanced graduate students alike. Springer's Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology series presents multidisciplinary and dynamic findings in the broad fields of experimental medicine and biology. The wide variety in topics it presents offers readers multiple perspectives on a variety of disciplines including neuroscience, microbiology, immunology, biochemistry, biomedical engineering and cancer research.

Our genetic markers have come to be regarded as portals to the past. Analysis of these markers is increasingly used to tell the story of human migration; to investigate and judge issues of social membership and kinship; to rewrite history and collective memory; to right past wrongs and to arbitrate legal claims and human rights controversies; and to open new thinking about health and well-being. At the same time, in many societies genetic evidence is being called upon to perform a kind of racially charged cultural work: to repair the racial past and to transform scholarly and popular opinion about the "nature" of identity in the present. Genetics and the Unsettled Past considers the alignment of genetic science with commercial genealogy, with legal and forensic developments, and with pharmaceutical innovation to examine how these trends lend renewed authority to biological understandings of race and history. This unique collection brings together scholars from a wide range of disciplines-biology, history, cultural studies, law, medicine, anthropology, ethnic studies, sociology-to explore the emerging and often contested connections among race, DNA, and history. Written for a general audience, the book's essays touch upon a variety of topics, including the rise and implications of DNA in genealogy, law, and other fields; the cultural and political uses and misuses of genetic information; the way in which DNA testing is reshaping understandings of group identity for French Canadians, Native Americans, South Africans, and many others within and across cultural and national boundaries; and the sweeping implications of genetics for society today.

This detailed volume explores the continuing techniques of studying RNA-protein complexes and interactions as research in these areas expand. After an introductory chapter, the book continues with ways to purify RNA-protein complexes assembled in cells or in isolated cellular extracts, methods for measuring various biochemical activities of RNA-interacting proteins or ribonucleoproteins, biochemical methods for measuring direct RNA-protein contact, as well as various new or innovative methods pertinent to the subject. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters contain brief 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 up-to-date, RNA-Protein Complexes and Interactions: Methods and Protocols provides a set of useful protocols, both basic and advanced, designed to inspire researchers working with RNA and RNA-interacting proteins.

DNA Methylation and Complex Human Disease reviews the possibilities of methyl-group-based epigenetic biomarkers of major diseases, tailored epigenetic therapies, and the future uses of high-throughput methylome technologies. This volume includes many pertinent advances in disease-bearing research, including obesity, type II diabetes, schizophrenia, and autoimmunity. DNA methylation is also discussed as a plasma and serum test for non-invasive screening, diagnostic and prognostic tests, as compared to biopsy-driven gene expression analysis, factors which have led to the use of DNA methylation as a potential tool for determining cancer risk, and diagnosis between benign and malignant disease. Therapies are at the heart of this volume and the possibilities of DNA demethylation. In cancer, unlike genetic mutations, DNA methylation and histone modifications are reversible and thus have shown great potential in the race for effective treatments. In addition, the authors present the importance of high-throughput methylome analysis, not only in cancer, but also in non-neoplastic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

This volume opens by covering two main types of approaches widely used to determine essential genes: single-gene knockouts and transposon mutagenesis, in both prokaryotes and Candida albicans. Given the significant advancement in the computational predictions of microbial essential genes, the second half of the book examines four main types of approaches: comparative genomics, supervised machine learning, constraint-based methods, and corrections of transposon mutagenesis data, as well as databases and servers that are often used in studying gene essentiality. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include an introduction 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 up-to-date, Gene Essentiality: Methods and Protocols will aid researchers who wish to further our knowledge in this vital field of study.

Microbial population genetics is a rapidly advancing field of investigation with relevance to many areas of science. The subject encompasses theoretical issues, such as the origins and evolution of species, sex, and recombination. Population genetics lays the foundations for tracking the origin and evolution of antibiotic resistance and deadly infectious pathogens and is also an essential tool in the utilization of beneficial microbes. This invaluable book, written by leading researchers in the field, details the current major advances in microbial population genetics and genomics. Distinguished international scientists introduce fundamental concepts, describe genetic tools, and comprehensively review recent data from SNP surveys, whole-genome DNA sequences, and microarray hybridizations. The chapters cover broad groups of microorganisms including viruses, bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, and algae. A major focus is the application of molecular tools in the study of genetic variation. Topics covered include microbial systematics, comparative microbial genomics, horizontal gene transfer, pathogenic bacteria, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, cyanobacteria, microalgae, fungi, malaria parasites, viral pathogens, and metagenomics. Microbial Population Genetics is an essential volume for everyone interested in population genetics, and it is highly recommended reading for all microbiologists.

This book provides an overview of the latest advancements in the field of alien introgression in wheat. The discovery and wide application of molecular genetic techniques including molecular markers, in situ hybridization, and genomics has led to a surge in interspecific and intergeneric hybridization in recent decades. The work begins with the taxonomy of cereals, especially of those species which are potential gene sources for wheat improvement. The text then goes on to cover the origin of wheat, breeding in connection with alien introgressions, and the problems of producing intergeneric hybrids and backcross derivatives. These problems can include crossability, sterility, and unequal chromosome transmission. The work then covers alien introgressions according to the related species used, as well as new results in the field of genomics of wild wheat relatives and introgressions.

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

This volume presents protocols for Brachypodium genomics in numerous areas ranging from marker development, trait evolution, functional genomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics, genomics, and tilling. This book also explores techniques to study the widening genetic base of Brachypodium that will help researchers better understand the model plant using NGS technologies. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Cutting-edge and comprehensive, Brachypodium Genomics: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource for bench-oriented molecular biologists and computational biologists working towards further evolving this field.