A comprehensive account of genomic rearrangement, focusing on the mechanisms of inversion, translocation, gene and genome duplication and gene transfer and on the patterns that result from them in comparative maps. Includes analyses of genomic sequences in organelles, prokaryotes and eukaryotes as well as comparative maps of the nuclear genomes in higher plants and animals. The book showcases a variety of algorithmic and statistical approaches to rearrangement and map data.

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

In 1957 two young scientists, Matthew Meselson and Frank Stahl, produced a landmark experiment confirming that DNA replicates as predicted by the double helix structure Watson and Crick had recently proposed. It also gained immediate renown as a "most beautiful" experiment whose beauty was tied to its simplicity. Yet the investigative path that led to the experiment was anything but simple, Frederic L. Holmes shows in this masterful account of Meselson and Stahl's quest. This book vividly reconstructs the complex route that led to the Meselson-Stahl experiment and provides an inside view of day-to-day scientific research--its unpredictability, excitement, intellectual challenge, and serendipitous windfalls, as well as its frustrations, unexpected diversions away from original plans, and chronic uncertainty. Holmes uses research logs, experimental films, correspondence, and interviews with the participants to record the history of Meselson and Stahl's research, from their first thinking about the problem through the publication of their dramatic results. Holmes also reviews the scientific community's reception of the experiment, the experiment's influence on later investigations, and the reasons for its reputation as an exceptionally beautiful experiment.

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.

Etwa 3 Milliarden Genbausteine umfaAt das Erbgut des Menschen, an dessen EntschlA1/4sselung Forscher in aller Welt arbeiten. VerstAndlich und aktuell informiert dieses Buch A1/4ber die wichtigsten Forschungsprojekte und ihre Ergebnisse. Es zeigt, welche Hoffnungen in die medizinische Anwendung der Genforschung sich bislang erfA1/4llt haben, wo Gentests und Gentherapien heute mAglich sind oder wo sie in naher Zukunft entwickelt werden kAnnen. Eine kritische Diskussion gilt der Frage nach der Patentierung von Genen und der mAglichen Diskriminierung von Personen und Volksgruppen durch Gentests. An ausgewAhlten Beispielen wird schlieAlich gezeigt, wie sich mit Hilfe der Gene ein Blick zurA1/4ck in die Evolution tun lAAt. Ein ausfA1/4hrliches Glossar mit der ErklArung wichtiger Fachbegriffe schlieAt das Buch ab.

The Ontogeny of Human Bonding Systems takes an interdisciplinary look at the phenomena of human bonding. The authors draw upon behavioral genetics, molecular genetics of behavior, cognitive and affective neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, human ethology, behavioral ecology, and the study of attachment processes within developmental psychology. The topics will emphasize human reproduction, and fertility-related behavior in particular, and the evolutionary origins and neural underpinnings of such behavior. This book is for anyone interested in the evolutionary origins, neural underpinnings, and psychological structure involved in human relationships.

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.

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."

Since the advent of the Human Genome Project, an increasing number of disease-causing genes have been discovered and, in some cases, genetic tests developed. However, this is only the first step. The second, much larger phase is the analysis of the total sequence. What does the rest of the DNA do? The answer to this question will be determined by computer prediction, expression profiling, and comparative genome analysis. Comparative Genomics covers such topics as identifying novel genes, determining gene function, control sequences, and developmental switches. The book aims to demonstrate how different approaches taken with model organisms, such as mutation studies, expression profiling of cDNAs, in situ localization of message and comparative genome analysis (both at the gene and nucleotide level) will aid in our understanding of the results coming out of the Human Genome Project and contribute significantly to our understanding of how genes function.

A Beginner's Guide to Microarrays addresses two audiences - the core facility manager who produces, hybridizes, and scans arrays, and the basic research scientist who will be performing the analysis and interpreting the results. User friendly coverage and detailed protocols are provided for the technical steps and procedures involved in many facets of microarray technology, including:

-Cleaning and coating glass slides,
-Designing oligonucleotide probes,
-Constructing arrays for the detection and quantification of different bacterial species,
-Preparing spotting solutions,
-Troubleshooting spotting problems,
-Setting up and running a core facility,
-Normalizing background signal and controlling for systematic variance,
-Designing experiments for maximum effect,
-Analyzing data with statistical procedures,
-Clustering data with machine-learning protocols.

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)."

With the detailed genomic information that is now becoming available, we have a plethora of data that allows researchers to address questions in a variety of areas. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have become a vital approach to identify candidate regions associated with complex diseases in human medicine, production traits in agriculture, and variation in wild populations. Genomic prediction goes a step further, attempting to predict phenotypic variation in these traits from genomic information. Genome-Wide Association Studies and Genomic Prediction pulls together expert contributions to address this important area of study. The volume begins with a section covering the phenotypes of interest as well as design issues for GWAS, then moves on to discuss efficient computational methods to store and handle large datasets, quality control measures, phasing, haplotype inference, and imputation. Later chapters deal with statistical approaches to data analysis where the experimental objective is either to confirm the biology by identifying genomic regions associated to a trait or to use the data to make genomic predictions about a future phenotypic outcome (e.g. predict onset of disease). As part of the Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters provide helpful, real-world implementation advice.

The fungus fusarium is a major plant pathogen that causes disease in nearly every agriculturally important plant. In addition, some strains produce mycotoxins that can cause serious illness in humans and livestock. The enormous economic importance of and health hazards posed by fusarium have fuelled research into its biochemistry, genetics, genomics, proteomics and metabolomics by scientists worldwide. In this book, an international group of researchers critically review the most important research on the genomics and molecular and cellular biology of fusarium.

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.

An outstanding panel of hands-on experts and developers of CE equipment describe in step-by-step fashion their best cutting-edge methods for the detection and analysis of DNA mutations and modifications, ranging from precise DNA loci to entire genomes of organisms. This first volume of the set, Introduction to the Capillary Electrophoresis of Nucleic Acids, covers the practical and theoretical considerations behind the use of capillary electrophoresis for the analysis of small oligonucleotides and modified nucleotides. Along with detailed instructions ensuring ready reproducibility, these protocols offer time-tested advice on instrumentation, signal detection, the capillary environment, and the integration of mass spectrometry with CE. Several chapters are devoted to the analysis of small therapeutic oligonucleotides, nucleosides, and ribonucleotides by CE. The companion volume, Practical Applications of Capillary Electrophoresis, addresses techniques for high-throughput analysis of DNA fragments using SNP detection, mutation detection, DNA sequencing methods, and DNA-ligand interactions. Comprehensive and up-to-date, the paired volumes of Capillary Electrophoresis of Nucleic Acids offer an authoritative guide with easy access to fast, versatile, reliable, and powerful technologies for all those basic and clinical investigators analyzing DNA variation today.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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