Genetics (non-medical) Books

Book SynopsisIn this paradigm-shifting book from acclaimed Harvard Medical School doctor and one of TIME magazine's 100 most influential people on earth, Dr. David Sinclair reveals that everything we think we know about ageing is wrong, and shares the surprising, scientifically-proven methods that can help readers live younger, longer.For decades, the medical community has looked to a variety of reasons for why we age, and the consensus is that no one dies of old age; they die of age-related diseases. That''s because ageing is not a disease it is inevitable.But what if everything you think you know about ageing is wrong?What if ageing is a disease? And that disease is curable.In LIFESPAN, Dr. David Sinclair, one of the world's foremost authorities on genetics and ageing, argues just that. He has dedicated his life's work to chasing more than a longer lifespan he wants to enable people to live longer, healthier, and disease-free well into our hundreds. In this book, he reveals a bold new theory ofTrade Review‘If you ever wondered how we age, if we can slow or even reverse aging, and if we can live a healthy 100 plus years, then David Sinclair’s new book Lifespan, which reads like a detective novel, will guide you through the science and the practical strategies to make your health span equal your lifespan, and make your lifespan long and vibrant.’– Mark Hyman, MD Director, Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine and #1 New York Times bestselling author ‘This is the most visionary book about aging I have ever read. Seize the day–and seize this book!’– Dean Ornish, MD, founder & president, Preventive Medicine Research Institute, and New York Times bestselling author of UnDo It! "In this insightful and provocative book that asks questions about how we age, and whether humans can overcome decay and degeneration, Sinclair grapples with some of the most fundamental questions around the science of aging. The result is an elegant and exciting book that deserves to be read broadly and deeply." Author: Siddhartha Mukherjee, Pulitzer Prize–winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author “There are few books that have ever made me think about science in a fundamentally new way. David Sinclair’s book did that for me on aging. This is a book that anyone who ages must read.” Author: Leroy Hood, PhD, professor at the California Institute of Technology, inventor, entrepreneur, member of all three US National Academies, and co-author of Code of Codes

Read more less

Book SynopsisExploring the revolutionary science behind the power of thought, this book will forever change how you think about your own thinking.This new updated and expanded 10th anniversary edition of The Biology of Belief contains stunning new scientific discoveries about the biochemical effects of the brain's functioning that show all the cells of your body are affected by your thoughts. Bruce H. Lipton PhD, a renowned cell biologist, describes the precise molecular pathways through which this occurs. Using simple language, illustrations, humour and everyday examples, he demonstrates how the new science of epigenetics is revolutionizing our understanding of the link between mind and matter, and the profound effects it has on our personal lives and the collective life of our species.It has been 10 years since the publication of The Biology of Belief, Bruce Lipton's seminal book on the relationship between mind and body that changed the way we think about our lives, our health and our planet. During that time, research in this field has grown exponentially - Lipton's ground-breaking experiments have now been endorsed by more than a decade of rigorous scientific study.In this greatly expanded edition, Lipton explores his own experiments and those of other leading-edge scientists that have unravelled in ever greater detail how truly connected the mind, body and spirit are. It is now widely recognized that genes and DNA do not control our biology. Instead, they are controlled by signals from outside the cell, including energetic messages emanating from our thoughts.This profoundly hopeful synthesis of the latest and best research in cell biology and quantum physics puts the power to create a healthy, joyous life back in our own hands. When we transform our conscious and subconscious thoughts, we transform our lives, and in the process help humanity evolve to a new level of understanding and peace.Trade ReviewBruce Lipton offers nothing less than the long sought-after 'missing link' between life and consciousness. [...] I have no doubt that The Biology of Belief will become a cornerstone for the science of the new millennium. -- Gregg Braden, bestselling author of The God Code and The Divine Matrix The Biology of Belief is a milestone for evolving humanity. [...] A definite must read for those dedicated to the mind/body movement and to the true essence of healing. -- Dr John F. Demartini, bestselling author of Count Your Blessings and The Breakthrough Experience Finally, a compelling and easy-to-understand explanation of how your emotions regulate your genetic expression! You need to read this book to truly appreciate that you are not a victim of your genes but instead have unlimited capacity to live a life overflowing with peace, happiness and love. -- Dr Joseph Mercola, bestselling author of Effortless Healing

Read more less

Book SynopsisGenetics: From Genes to Genomes represents a new approach to an undergraduate course in genetics. It reflects the way the authors currently view the molecular basis of life. The eighth edition emphasizes both the core concepts of genetics and the cutting-edge discoveries, modern tools, and analytical methods that will keep the science of genetics moving forward.Table of ContentsPART I Basic Principles: How Traits Are Transmitted1 Mendel’s Principles of Heredity2 Extensions to Mendel’s Laws3 Chromosomes and Inheritance4 Sex Chromosomes5 Linkage, Recombination, and Gene MappingPART II What Genes Are and What They Do6 DNA Structure, Replication, and Recombination7 Mutation8 Using Mutations to Study Genes9 Gene Expression: The Flow of Information from DNA to RNA to ProteinPART III Analysis of Genetic Information10 Digital Analysis of DNA11 Genome Annotation12 Analyzing Genomic VariationPART IV How Genes Travel on Chromosomes13 The Eukaryotic Chromosome14 Chromosomal Rearrangements15 Ploidy16 Bacterial Genetics17 Organellar InheritancePART V How Genes Are Regulated18 Gene Regulation in Prokaryotes19 Gene Regulation in Eukaryotes20 EpigeneticsPART VI Using Genetics21 Manipulating the Genomes of Eukaryotes22 Genetic Analysis of Development23 The Genetics of CancerPART VII Beyond the Individual Gene and Genome24 Variation and Selection in Populations25 Genetic Analysis of Complex Traits

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe past few years have seen a revolution in our ability to map whole genome DNA from ancient humans. With the ancient DNA revolution, combined with rapid genome mapping of present human populations, has come remarkable insights into our past. This important new data has clarified and added to our knowledge from archaeology and anthropology, helped resolve long-existing controversies, challenged long-held views, and thrown up some remarkable surprises.The emerging picture is one of many waves of ancient human migrations, so that all populations existing today are mixes of ancient ones, as well as in many cases carrying a genetic component from Neanderthals, and, in some populations, Denisovans. David Reich, whose team has been at the forefront of these discoveries, explains what the genetics is telling us about ourselves and our complex and often surprising ancestry. Gone are old ideas of any kind of racial ''purity'', or even deep and ancient divides between peoples. Instead, we are finding a rich variety of mixtures. Reich describes the cutting-edge findings from the past few years, and also considers the sensitivities involved in tracing ancestry, with science sometimes jostling with politics and tradition. He brings an important wider message: that we should celebrate our rich diversity, and recognize that every one of us is the result of a long history of migration and intermixing of ancient peoples, which we carry as ghosts in our DNA.What will we discover next?Trade ReviewA wonderfully illuminating exposition of how advances in reading ancient DNA have upended our ideas about past population movements and human interaction. * Paul Collier, Books of the Year 2018, The Times Literary Supplement *Hugely impressive. * Robin McKie, Books of the Year 2018: Science, The Observer *Remarkable ... Spectacular ... In making constant new discoveries about humanity, Reich and his Harvard team are now plunging into uncharted academic waters ... Reich's influence in this field has been immense and the output of his department monumental ... Thrilling in its clarity and its scope. * Peter Forbes, The Guardian *This is a compendious book ... its importance cannot be overstated and neither can some of its best stories. * Bryan Appleyard, The Sunday Times *A thrilling account of mapping humans through time and place ... Reich gives us a window into what ancient DNA can tell us about human evolution, the peopling of the world, continent by continent, and the population mixing that makes us who we are today. * Turi King, Nature *Few subjects fascinate us as much as human origins ... If you want to understand our origins over the course of the last 100,000 years, this book will be the best up-to-date account for you. * Jared Diamond, New York Times Book Review *The conclusions of this book are reassuringly complex and nuanced. But they are no less approachable, no less captivating for that. Indeed, the result is to bring prehistory almost disarmingly close. He brings whole societies from that past vividly to life. * Harry de Quetteville, The Daily Telegraph *Gives the first comprehensive account of this newly revealed prehistory ... an astonishing book. * Juliet Sam, The Daily Telegraph *Reich has produced an invaluable resource that is likely to become an enduring intellectual touchstone. * Tom Booth, British Archaeology *Who We Are and How We Got Here provides a marvellous synthesis of the field. * Clive Cookson, The Financial Times *Geneticists such as Reich have shown [...] that the human world has been made by people who move. This is an important lesson in a time when migration and mobility, in both reality and perception, play such a significant role. * Robert Foley, The Times Literary Supplement *In this comprehensive and provocative book, David Reich exhumes and examines fundamental questions about our origin and future using powerful evidence from human genetics. What does "race" mean in 2018? How alike and how unlike are we? What does identity mean? Reich's book is sobering and clear-eyed, and, in equal part, thrilling and thought provoking. There were times that I had to stand up and clear my thoughts to continue reading this astonishing and important book. * Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of The Emperor of All Maladies *The breakthrough that all archaeologists have been waiting for; a truly exciting account of the way in which ancient DNA is making us rethink prehistory. Essential reading for everyone interested in the past. * Barry Cunliffe, author of The Ancient Celts^ *David Reich uses the power of modern genome analysis to show the fascinating complexity of human migration and history. By letting the data lead him, he treads a narrow path between racists and xenophobes on one side and left-wing ideologues on the other. Although many of his conclusions will be controversial, he starts a necessary conversation about what modern genome analysis can tell us about the variability of human populations. * Sir Venki Ramakrishnan, Nobel Laureate and President of the Royal Society, London *This riveting book will blow you away with its rich and astounding account of where we came from and why that matters. Reich tells the surprising story of how humans got to every corner of the planet, which was revealed only after he and other scientists unlocked the secrets of ancient DNA. The courageous, compassionate and highly personal climax will transform how you think about the meaning of ancestry and race. * Daniel E. Lieberman, Professor of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University and author of The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health and Disease *Who We Are and How We Got Here dramatically revises our understanding of the deep history of our species in our African homeland and beyond. Reich's beautifully written book reads like a detective novel and demonstrates a hard truth that often makes many of us uncomfortable: not only are all human beings mixed, but our intuitive understanding of the evolution of the population structure of the world around us is not to be trusted. * Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Professor of Literature at Harvard University and Executive Producer of "Finding Your Roots" *In just five years the study of ancient DNA has transformed our understanding of world prehistory. The geneticist David Reich, one of the pioneers in this field, here gives the brilliantly lucid first account of the resulting new view of human origins and of the later dispersals which went on to shape the modern world. * Colin Renfrew, Emeritus Disney Professor of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge *This book will revolutionize our understanding of human prehistory. David Reich sheds new light on our past from the vantage of a sparkling new discipline-the analysis of ancient DNA. He places migration in the limelight, demonstrating that humans did not just evolve, they spread, often on dramatic scales. * Peter Bellwood, Professor of Archaeology at Australian National University *Reich's book isn't just a collection of stories about the histories of human populations. It is a fascinating case study of scientific revolution ... Reich also has interesting things to say about the way his discipline has over the years been caught up in politics. * Steven Mithen, The London Review of Books *Whole genome mapping hasn't just revolutionised our world, it has helped us rethink our past. * Simon Ings & Liz Else, New Scientist *A hugely important book and essential reading. * Edward Biddulph, Current Archaeology *The Harvard professor [Reich], who is 43, was recently highlighted by the journal Nature as one of 10 people who mattered in all of science for his role in transforming the field of ancient DNA from "niche pursuit to industrial process". * Paul Rincon, BBC News *The work in [Reich's] lab has reshaped our understanding of human prehistory ... He and his colleagues have shed light on the peopling of the planet and the spread of agriculture, among other momentous events. * Carl Zimmer, The New York Times *Reich's intellectual curiosity and passion for research shine through every page of his book ... This book is required reading for everyone interested in an up-to-date account of the spellbinding story of human prehistory. * Debbie Kennett, Who Do You Think You Are? *I learned a good deal from this book, and I encourage others to do the same. * Bernard Wood, Current Biology *It is an incredibly exciting overview of a revolution in the making. * Leon Vlieger, The Inquisitive Biologist *Who We Are and How We Got Here is both comprehensive and exceptionally well-written ... [a] vast global scope as well as its myriad of fascinating details. * Richard Milner, Minerva *Introduces us to the 21st-century Rosetta Stone: ancient DNA, which will do more for our understanding of prehistory than radiocarbon dating did ... Who We Are and How We Got Here is less than 300 pages of text, but it is packed with startling facts and novel revelations that overturn the conventional expectations of both science and common sense. * The National Review *Professor David Reich of Harvard Medical School [...] is not a disinterested observer of a fast-developing field; he is a participant and, in fact, a driver, of the ancient DNA revolution and it is his and his team's research that has accomplished much of the reshaping of human history. So this book has the feel of a first-hand account from the trenches that also carries with it a high-level perspective of what is going on where and why. * Tony Joseph, The Hindu *David Reich's magisterial book is a riveting account of human pre-history and history, through the new lens provided by ancient DNA data. The story of human populations, as he shows, is ever one of widespread, repeated mixing, debunking the fiction of a "pure" population. * Molly Przeworski, Professor of Biological Sciences at Columbia University *Powerful writing and extraordinary insights animate this endlessly fascinating account, by a world scientific leader, of who we modern humans are and how our ancestors arrived in the diverse corners of the world. I could not put the book down. * Robert Weinberg, Professor of Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology *Reich's book reads like notes from the frontline of the 'Ancient DNA Revolution' with all the spellbinding drama and intrigue that comes with such a huge transformation in our understanding of human history. * Anne Wojcicki, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of 23andMe *Table of ContentsIntroductionPart I - The Deep History of Our Species1: How the Genome Explains Who We Are2: Interbreeding with Neanderthals3: Ancient DNA Opens the FloodgatesPart II - How We Got to Where We Are Today4: Humanity's Ghosts5: The Making of Modern Europe6: The Collision that Formed India7: In Search of American Ancestors8: The Genomic Origins of East Asians9: Rejoining Africa to the Human StoryPart III -The Disruptive Genome10: The Genomics of Inequality11: The Genomics of Race and Identity12: The Future of Ancient DNA

Read more less

Book Synopsis'A book that would have had Darwin swooning - anyone seriously interested in who we are and how we function should read this.' Guardian At the beginning of this century enormous progress had been made in genetics. The Human Genome Project finished sequencing human DNA. It seemed it was only a matter of time until we had all the answers to the secrets of life on this planet.The cutting-edge of biology, however, is telling us that we still don't even know all of the questions.How is it that, despite each cell in your body carrying exactly the same DNA, you don't have teeth growing out of your eyeballs or toenails on your liver? How is it that identical twins share exactly the same DNA and yet can exhibit dramatic differences in the way that they live and grow?It turns out that cells read the genetic code in DNA more like a script to be interpreted than a mould that replicates the same result each time. This is epigenetics and it's the fastest-moving field in biology today.The Epigenetics Revolution traces the thrilling path this discipline has taken over the last twenty years. Biologist Nessa Carey deftly explains such diverse phenomena as how queen bees and ants control their colonies, why tortoiseshell cats are always female, why some plants need a period of cold before they can flower, why we age, develop disease and become addicted to drugs, and much more. Most excitingly, Carey reveals the amazing possibilities for humankind that epigenetics offers for us all - and in the surprisingly near future.Trade ReviewNessa Carey takes us on a lively and up-to-date tour of what's known about epigenetic mechanisms and their implications for ageing and cancer. -- BBC FocusA book that would have had Darwin swooning - anyone seriously interested in who we are and how we function should read this book. -- Guardian[A] splendidly clear explanation -- Colin Berry * The Oldie *Fascinating stuff. -- BooksellerA hugely compelling explanation of the very latest from the frontline of modern biology ... The Epigenetics Revolution traces the thrilling path this discipline has taken over the last twenty years. -- WaterstonesThis is a readable book that applies scientific theory to the everyday world. -- BooksellerHer book combines an easy style with a textbook's thoroughness. -- NatureSees DNA as a film script, with plenty of room for interpretation and retakes. Carey's experience of the biotechnology industry shows in her concluding remarks on the pros and cons of our growing understanding of epigenetics for drug discovery, and on understanding the impact of diet and environment on disease. -- NatureAn exhilarating exploration of an exciting new field, and a good gift for a bright biology student looking for a career choice. -- Kirkus Review

Read more less

Book Synopsis'A brilliant, authoritative, surprising, captivating introduction to human genetics. You'll be spellbound' Brian CoxThis is a story about you. It is the history of who you are and how you came to be. It is unique to you, as it is to each of the 100 billion modern humans who have ever drawn breath. But it is also our collective story, because in every one of our genomes we each carry the history of our species - births, deaths, disease, war, famine, migration and a lot of sex. In this captivating journey through the expanding landscape of genetics, Adam Rutherford reveals what our genes now tell us about human history, and what history can now tell us about our genes. From Neanderthals to murder, from redheads to race, dead kings to plague, evolution to epigenetics, this is a demystifying and illuminating new portrait of who we are and how we came to be.***'A thoroughly entertaining history of Homo sapiens and its DNA in a manner that displays popular science writing at its best' Observer 'Magisterial, informative and delightful' Peter Frankopan'An extraordinary adventure...From the Neanderthals to the Vikings, from the Queen of Sheba to Richard III, Rutherford goes in search of our ancestors, tracing the genetic clues deep into the past' Alice RobertsTrade ReviewI very much enjoyed and admired . . . A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived -- Bill Bryson * OBSERVER Books of the Year 2016 *An effervescent work, brimming with tales and confounding ideas carried in the "epic poem in our cells". The myriad storylines will leave you swooning . . . Rutherford, a trained geneticist, is an enthusiastic guide -- Colin Grant * GUARDIAN *A thoroughly entertaining history of Homo sapiens and its DNA in a manner that displays popular science writing at its best -- Robin McKie * OBSERVER *A brilliant, authoritative, surprising, captivating introduction to human genetics. If you know little about the human story, you will be spellbound. If you know a lot about the human story, you'll be spellbound. It's that good -- Brian CoxAdam Rutherford's book is well-written, stimulating and entertaining. What's more important, he consistently gets it right -- Richard DawkinsIf you are ethnically British, one thing is certain: your ancestors definitely had sex with Neanderthals. On the other hand, they probably didn't have sex with Vikings, who, it turns out, did a fair bit more pillaging than raping. And, depending on the flakiness of your earwax, it is just conceivable that your relatives' unattractiveness to hairy and horned invaders was related to their body odour. DNA is fragile, confusing and contains a lot of pointless data. But unlike other accounts of human history it doesn't lie. Adam Rutherford's soaring book is an exposition of what this new science really tells us about who we are -- Tom Whipple * THE TIMES *One of the most extraordinary things about this book is its sheer breadth. Rutherford, a writer and geneticist, weaves from our genes a fascinating tapestry of human history from its most primitive origins to its sophisticated present, and beyond ... The writing is concise and often funny, and Rutherford never takes himself or his subject too seriously ... It is one of those rare books that you'll finish thinking you haven't wasted a single second -- Brad Davies * INDEPENDENT *Magisterial, informative and delightful -- Peter FrankopanRutherford takes off on an extraordinary adventure, following the wandering trail of DNA across the globe and back in time. And on the way, he reveals what DNA can - and can't - tell us about ourselves, our history and our deep evolutionary heritage. From the Neanderthals to the Vikings, from the Queen of Sheba to Richard III, Rutherford goes in search of our ancestors, tracing the genetic clues deep into the past . . . Wide-ranging, witty, full of surprises and studded with sparkling insights - Rutherford uncovers the epic history of the human species, written in DNA -- Alice RobertsA captivating delight. With witty, authoritative and profound prose, Adam Rutherford tackles the biggest of issues - where we came from, and what makes us who we are. He does more than any author to cut through the confusion around genetics, and to reveal what modern genetics has to say about our identity, history and future -- Ed YongGenetics is opening up the past as never before - Adam Rutherford puts the genes in genealogy brilliantly -- Matt Ridley

Read more less

Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2018 BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTIONShe Has Her Mother’s Laugh presents a profoundly original perspective on what we pass along from generation to generation. Charles Darwin played a crucial part in turning heredity into a scientific question, and yet he failed spectacularly to answer it. The birth of genetics in the early 1900s seemed to do precisely that. Gradually, people translated their old notions about heredity into a language of genes. As the technology for studying genes became cheaper, millions of people ordered genetic tests to link themselves to missing parents, to distant ancestors, to ethnic identities . . .But, award-winning science writer Carl Zimmer argues, heredity isn’t just about genes that pass from parent to child. Heredity continues within our own bodies, as a single cell gives rise to trillions of cells that make up our bodies. We say we inherit genes from our ancestors but we inherit other things that matter as much or more to our lives, from microbes to technologies we use to make life more comfortable. We need a new definition of what heredity is and, through Carl Zimmer’s lucid exposition and storytelling, this resounding tour de force delivers it.Weaving together historical and current scientific research, his own experience with his two daughters, and the kind of original reporting expected of one of the world’s best science journalists, Zimmer ultimately unpacks urgent bioethical quandaries arising from new biomedical technologies, but also long-standing presumptions about who we really are and what we can pass on to future generations.Trade ReviewBeautifully written . . . [A] grand and sweeping book. * The Times *Nuanced, entertaining and balances eloquent story-telling with well-researched science . . . Anyone interested in their path through history, and what they may hand on, will find much to excite them. -- Book of the Week * New Scientist *Fascinating . . . Absorbing . . . Deftly persuasive. * Observer *She Has Her Mother’s Laugh is packed full of learning, and years of work . . . The book offers clear insights into a fast-moving area, and asks big questions. Scientists can eradicate diseases, alter DNA and change human heredity. Should they? What could be at stake if they get it wrong? * Guardian *This is cutting-edge stuff that could be heavy-going except that it is written by Carl Zimmer, one of our best science journalists . . . He makes complex topics accessible with his sparkling storytelling and beautiful writing . . . If you want to . . . know where the DNA revolution is headed, you can’t do better than this book, which is a joy to read. * Evening Standard *She Has Her Mother's Laugh is a masterpiece – a career-best work from one of the world's premier science writers, on a topic that literally touches every person on the planet. -- Ed Yong, author of I Contain MultitudesZimmer is a born story-teller. Or is he an inherited story-teller? The inspiring and heartbreaking stories in She Has Her Mother's Laugh build a fundamentally new perspective on what previous generations have delivered to us, and what we can pass along. An outstanding book and great accomplishment. -- Daniel Levitin, author of This is Your Brain on Music and The Organized MindExtraordinary . . . This book is Zimmer at his best: obliterating misconceptions about science with gentle prose. * New York Review of Books *Expansive, engrossing, and often enlightening. * Wired *Why do children look like their parents and siblings, but still differ from one another? . . . Engrossing . . . Zimmer’s book is an excellent way to get up to speed. * Washington Post *She Has Her Mother’s Laugh is at once far-ranging, imaginative, and totally relevant. Carl Zimmer makes the complex science of heredity read like a novel, and explains why the subject has been–and always will be–so vexed. -- Elizabeth Kolbert, author of Pulitzer Prize winner The Sixth ExtinctionShe Has Her Mother’s Laugh is a superb guide to a subject that is only becoming more important. Along the way, it explains some remarkably complicated science with equally remarkable clarity–a totally impressive job all around. -- Charles C. Mann, author of New York Times bestseller 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before ColumbusNo one unravels the mysteries of science as brilliantly and compellingly as Carl Zimmer, and he has proven it again with She Has Her Mother’s Laugh—a sweeping, magisterial book that illuminates the very nature of who we are. -- David Grann, #1 New York Times bestselling author, award-winning staff writer at The New Yorker, and author of The Lost City of ZA thoroughly enchanting tour of big questions, oddball ideas, and dazzling accomplishments of researchers searching to explain, manipulate, and alter inheritance. * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *A magnificent work . . . Journalist Zimmer masterfully blends exciting storytelling with first-rate science reporting. His book is as engrossing as it is enlightening. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *11 Fantastic Science Books to Binge Over the Holidays -- The Year in Review, 2018 * Wired *Table of ContentsUnit - Part I: A Stroke on the Cheek Chapter - 1: The Light Trifle of His Substance Chapter - 2: Traveling Across the Face of Time Chapter - 3: This Race Should End with Them Chapter - 4: Attagirl Unit - Part II: Wayward DNA Chapter - 5: An Evening’s Revelry Chapter - 6: The Sleeping Branches Chapter - 7: Individual Z Chapter - 8: Mongrels Chapter - 9: Nine Foot High Complete Chapter - 10: Ed and Fred Unit - Part III: Other Channels Chapter - 11: Ex Ovo Omnia Chapter - 12: Witches’- Broom Chapter - 13: Chimeras Unit - Part IV: Other Channels Chapter - 14: You, My Friend, Are a Wonderland Chapter - 15: Flowering Monsters Chapter - 16: The Teachable Ape Unit - Part V: The Sun Chariot Chapter - 17: Yet Did He Greatly Dare Chapter - 18: Orphaned at Conception Chapter - 19: The Planet’s Heirs

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe latest edition of this highly successful textbook introduces the key techniques and concepts involved in cloning genes and in studying their expression and variation. The new edition features: * Increased coverage of whole-genome sequencing technologies and enhanced treatment of bioinformatics.Trade Review“This third edition is absolutely necessary to incorporate the recent advances, such as genome sequencing, polymerase chain reaction, and microarray technology, in this field.” (Doody’s, 19 October 2012)Table of ContentsPreface xiii 1 From Genes to Genomes 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Basic molecular biology 4 1.2.1 The DNA backbone 4 1.2.2 The base pairs 6 1.2.3 RNA structure 10 1.2.4 Nucleic acid synthesis 11 1.2.5 Coiling and supercoilin 11 1.3 What is a gene? 13 1.4 Information flow: gene expression 15 1.4.1 Transcription 16 1.4.2 Translation 19 1.5 Gene structure and organisation 20 1.5.1 Operons 20 1.5.2 Exons and introns 21 1.6 Refinements of the model 22 2 How to Clone a Gene 25 2.1 What is cloning? 25 2.2 Overview of the procedures 26 2.3 Extraction and purification of nucleic acids 29 2.3.1 Breaking up cells and tissues 29 2.3.2 Alkaline denaturation 31 2.3.3 Column purification 31 2.4 Detection and quantitation of nucleic acids 32 2.5 Gel electrophoresis 33 2.5.1 Analytical gel electrophoresis 33 2.5.2 Preparative gel electrophoresis 36 2.6 Restriction endonucleases 36 2.6.1 Specificity 37 2.6.2 Sticky and blunt ends 40 2.7 Ligation 42 2.7.1 Optimising ligation conditions 44 2.7.2 Preventing unwanted ligation: alkaline phosphatase and double digests 46 2.7.3 Other ways of joining DNA fragments 48 2.8 Modification of restriction fragment ends 49 2.8.1 Linkers and adaptors 50 2.8.2 Homopolymer tailing 52 2.9 Plasmid vectors 53 2.9.1 Plasmid replication 54 2.9.2 Cloning sites 55 2.9.3 Selectable markers 57 2.9.4 Insertional inactivation 58 2.9.5 Transformation 59 2.10 Vectors based on the lambda bacteriophage 61 2.10.1 Lambda biology 61 2.10.2 In vitro packaging 65 2.10.3 Insertion vectors 66 2.10.4 Replacement vectors 68 2.11 Cosmids 71 2.12 Supervectors: YACs and BACs 72 2.13 Summary 73 3 Genomic and cDNA Libraries 75 3.1 Genomic libraries 77 3.1.1 Partial digests 77 3.1.2 Choice of vectors 80 3.1.3 Construction and evaluation of a genomic library 83 3.2 Growing and storing libraries 86 3.3 cDNA libraries 87 3.3.1 Isolation of mRNA 88 3.3.2 cDNA synthesis 89 3.3.3 Bacterial cDNA 93 3.4 Screening libraries with gene probes 94 3.4.1 Hybridization 94 3.4.2 Labelling probes 98 3.4.3 Steps in a hybridization experiment 99 3.4.4 Screening procedure 100 3.4.5 Probe selection and generation 101 3.5 Screening expression libraries with antibodies 103 3.6 Characterization of plasmid clones 106 3.6.1 Southern blots 107 3.6.2 PCR and sequence analysis 108 4 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) 109 4.1 The PCR reaction 110 4.2 PCR in practice 114 4.2.1 Optimisation of the PCR reaction 114 4.2.2 Primer design 115 4.2.3 Analysis of PCR products 117 4.2.4 Contamination 118 4.3 Cloning PCR products 119 4.4 Long-range PCR 121 4.5 Reverse-transcription PCR 123 4.6 Quantitative and real-time PCR 123 4.6.1 SYBR Green 123 4.6.2 TaqMan 125 4.6.3 Molecular beacons 125 4.7 Applications of PCR 127 4.7.1 Probes and other modified products 127 4.7.2 PCR cloning strategies 128 4.7.3 Analysis of recombinant clones and rare events 129 4.7.4 Diagnostic applications 130 5 Sequencing a Cloned Gene 131 5.1 DNA sequencing 131 5.1.1 Principles of DNA sequencing 131 5.1.2 Automated sequencing 136 5.1.3 Extending the sequence 137 5.1.4 Shotgun sequencing; contig assembly 138 5.2 Databank entries and annotation 140 5.3 Sequence analysis 146 5.3.1 Identification of coding region 146 5.3.2 Expression signals 147 5.4 Sequence comparisons 148 5.4.1 DNA sequences 148 5.4.2 Protein sequence comparisons 151 5.4.3 Sequence alignments: Clustal 157 5.5 Protein structure 160 5.5.1 Structure predictions 160 5.5.2 Protein motifs and domains 162 5.6 Confirming gene function 165 5.6.1 Allelic replacement and gene knockouts 166 5.6.2 Complementation 168 6 Analysis of Gene Expression 169 6.1 Analysing transcription 169 6.1.1 Northern blots 170 6.1.2 Reverse transcription-PCR 171 6.1.3 In situ hybridization 174 6.2 Methods for studying the promoter 174 6.2.1 Locating the promoter 175 6.2.2 Reporter genes 177 6.3 Regulatory elements and DNA-binding proteins 179 6.3.1 Yeast one-hybrid assays 179 6.3.2 DNase I footprinting 181 6.3.3 Gel retardation assays 181 6.3.4 Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) 183 6.4 Translational analysis 185 6.4.1 Western blots 185 6.4.2 Immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry 187 7 Products from Native and Manipulated Cloned Genes 189 7.1 Factors affecting expression of cloned genes 190 7.1.1 Transcription 190 7.1.2 Translation initiation 192 7.1.3 Codon usage 193 7.1.4 Nature of the protein product 194 7.2 Expression of cloned genes in bacteria 195 7.2.1 Transcriptional fusions 195 7.2.2 Stability: conditional expression 198 7.2.3 Expression of lethal genes 201 7.2.4 Translational fusions 201 7.3 Yeast systems 204 7.3.1 Cloning vectors for yeasts 204 7.3.2 Yeast expression systems 206 7.4 Expression in insect cells: baculovirus systems 208 7.5 Mammalian cells 209 7.5.1 Cloning vectors for mammalian cells 210 7.5.2 Expression in mammalian cells 213 7.6 Adding tags and signals 215 7.6.1 Tagged proteins 215 7.6.2 Secretion signals 217 7.7 In vitro mutagenesis 218 7.7.1 Site-directed mutagenesis 218 7.7.2 Synthetic genes 223 7.7.3 Assembly PCR 223 7.7.4 Synthetic genomes 224 7.7.5 Protein engineering 224 7.8 Vaccines 225 7.8.1 Subunit vaccines 225 7.8.2 DNA vaccines 226 8 Genomic Analysis 229 8.1 Overview of genome sequencing 229 8.1.1 Strategies 230 8.2 Next generation sequencing (NGS) 231 8.2.1 Pyrosequencing (454) 232 8.2.2 SOLiD sequencing (Applied Biosystems) 235 8.2.3 Bridge amplification sequencing (Solexa/Ilumina) 237 8.2.4 Other technologies 239 8.3 De novo sequence assembly 239 8.3.1 Repetitive elements and gaps 240 8.4 Analysis and annotation 242 8.4.1 Identification of ORFs 243 8.4.2 Identification of the function of genes and their products 250 8.4.3 Other features of nucleic acid sequences 251 8.5 Comparing genomes 256 8.5.1 BLAST 256 8.5.2 Synteny 257 8.6 Genome browsers 258 8.7 Relating genes and functions: genetic and physical maps 260 8.7.1 Linkage analysis 261 8.7.2 Ordered libraries and chromosome walking 262 8.8 Transposon mutagenesis and other screening techniques 263 8.8.1 Transposition in bacteria 263 8.8.2 Transposition in Drosophila 266 8.8.3 Transposition in other organisms 268 8.8.4 Signature-tagged mutagenesis 269 8.9 Gene knockouts, gene knockdowns and gene silencing 271 8.10 Metagenomics 273 8.11 Conclusion 274 9 Analysis of Genetic Variation 275 9.1 Single nucleotide polymorphisms 276 9.1.1 Direct sequencing 278 9.1.2 SNP arrays 279 9.2 Larger scale variations 280 9.2.1 Microarrays and indels 281 9.3 Other methods for studying variation 282 9.3.1 Genomic Southern blot analysis: restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) 282 9.3.2 VNTR and microsatellites 285 9.3.3 Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis 287 9.4 Human genetic variation: relating phenotype to genotype 289 9.4.1 Linkage analysis 289 9.4.2 Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) 292 9.4.3 Database resources 294 9.4.4 Genetic diagnosis 294 9.5 Molecular phylogeny 295 9.5.1 Methods for constructing trees 298 10 Post-Genomic Analysis 305 10.1 Analysing transcription: transcriptomes 305 10.1.1 Differential screening 306 10.1.2 Other methods: transposons and reporters 308 10.2 Array-based methods 308 10.2.1 Expressed sequence tag (EST) arrays 309 10.2.2 PCR product arrays 310 10.2.3 Synthetic oligonucleotide arrays 312 10.2.4 Important factors in array hybridization 313 10.3 Transcriptome sequencing 315 10.4 Translational analysis: proteomics 316 10.4.1 Two-dimensional electrophoresis 317 10.4.2 Mass spectrometry 318 10.5 Post-translational analysis: protein interactions 320 10.5.1 Two-hybrid screening 320 10.5.2 Phage display libraries 321 10.6 Epigenetics 323 10.7 Integrative studies: systems biology 324 10.7.1 Metabolomic analysis 324 10.7.2 Pathway analysis and systems biology 325 11 Modifying Organisms: Transgenics 327 11.1 Transgenesis and cloning 327 11.1.1 Common species used for transgenesis 328 11.1.2 Control of transgene expression 330 11.2 Animal transgenesis 333 11.2.1 Basic methods 333 11.2.2 Direct injection 333 11.2.3 Retroviral vectors 335 11.2.4 Embryonic stem cell technology 336 11.2.5 Gene knockouts 339 11.2.6 Gene knock-down technology: RNA interference 340 11.2.7 Gene knock-in technology 341 11.3 Applications of transgenic animals 342 11.4 Disease prevention and treatment 343 11.4.1 Live vaccine production: modification of bacteria and viruses 343 11.4.2 Gene therapy 346 11.4.3 Viral vectors for gene therapy 347 11.5 Transgenic plants and their applications 349 11.5.1 Introducing foreign genes 349 11.5.2 Gene subtraction 351 11.5.3 Applications 352 11.6 Transgenics: a coda 353 Glossary 355 Bibliography 375 Index 379

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe story of the search for p53--the most important gene in medicine.All of us have lurking in our DNA a most remarkable gene: it is known simply as p53 and its job is to protect us from cancer. p53: The Gene that Cracked the Cancer Code tells the story of the discovery of the gene and of medical science''s mission to unravel its mysteries and get to the heart of what happens in our cells when they turn cancerous. When all is well, this gene constantly scans our cells to ensure that when they grow and divide as part of the routine maintenance of our bodies, they do so without mishap. If a cell makes a mistake in copying its DNA during the process of division, p53 stops it in its tracks, sending in the repair team before allowing the cell to carry on dividing. Cancer cannot develop unless p53 itself is damaged or handicapped by some other fault in the system. Not surprisingly, p53 is the most studied single gene in history. Through the personal acTrade ReviewMore than any textbook, article, or lecture could, this book offers a sip of contagious enthusiasm and a conviction that scientists will eventually “crack the cancer code" * Science *Armstrong’s book is genuinely engrossing on many levels, and the story is very well told. It has considerable depth, yet sufficient clarity to be able to reach a wide audience ... a highly readable, well-written and crafted book. * Cell *A succinct, accessible study of humanity's genetic bulwark against cancer. * Nature *One of the best accounts I’ve read of how science is actually performed. -- Peter Forbes * The Guardian *Armstrong paints a very human picture ... Not only does Armstrong make p53 understandable but she also sheds light on the scientific method. In an age of government austerity, highlighting the importance of scientific research is also a gift. * The Lancet *Ms. Armstrong¹s book comes alive in the sections where she explores cancer¹s human toll, including the devastating experience of families with rare genetic mutations, such as Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which leaves children of parents with a faulty gene vulnerable to cancer at almost any age. She also captures the excitement of researchers as they come upon eureka moments. * Wall Street Journal *Table of ContentsPreface Chapter 1: Flesh of our Own Flesh Chapter 2: The Enemy Within Chapter 3: Discovery Chapter 4: Unseeable Biology Chapter 5: Cloning the Gene Chapter 6: A Case of Mistaken Identity Chapter 7: A New Angle on Cancer Chapter 8: p53 Reveals its True Colours Chapter 9: Master Switch Chapter 10: ‘Guardian of the Genome’ Chapter 11: Of Autumn Leaves and Cell Death Chapter 12: Of Mice and Men Chapter 13: The Guardian’s Gatekeeper Chapter 14: The Smoking Gun Chapter 15: Following the Fingerprints Chapter 16: Cancer in the Family Chapter 17: The Tropeiro Connection? Chapter 18: Jekyll and Hyde Chapter 19: Cancer and Ageing: A Balancing Act Chapter 20: The Treatment Revolution Dramatis Personae Glossary Notes on Sources Acknowledgements Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis'An essential primer on humanity’s ongoing quest to understand the secrets of life . . . Excellent . . . Ball is a terrific writer.' – Adam Rutherford, The Guardian'Ball is a ferociously gifted science writer . . . There is so much [here] that is amazing . . . urgent . . . astonishing.' – The Sunday TimesA cutting-edge new vision of biology that proposes to revise our concept of what life is – from Science Book Prize winner Philip Ball.Biology is undergoing a quiet but profound transformation. Several aspects of the standard picture of how life works have been exposed as incomplete, misleading, or wrong.In How Life Works, Philip Ball explores the new biology, revealing life to be a far richer, more ingenious affair than we had guessed. With this knowledge come new possibilities. Today we can redesign and reconfigure living systems, tissues, and organisms. We can reprogram cells, for instance, to carry out new tasks and grow into structures not seen in the natural world. Some researchers believe that ultimately we will be able to regenerate limbs and organs, and perhaps even create new life forms that evolution has never imagined.Incorporating the latest research and insights, How Life Works is a sweeping journey into this new frontier of the nature of life, a realm that will reshape our understanding of life as we know it.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsisis Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Oxford, has had a remarkable scientific career in genetics. After undertaking medical research into the causes of inherited bone disease, he set out to discover if DNA, the genetic material, could possibly survive in ancient bones. It did and he was the first to report on the recovery of ancient DNA from archaeological bone in the journal "Nature" in 1989. Since then Professor Sykes has been called in as the leading international authority to examine several high profile cases, such as the Ice Man, Cheddar Man and the many individuals claiming to be surviving members of the Russian Royal Family.Alongside this, he and his research team have over the last ten years compiled by far the most complete DNA family tree of our species yet seen.He has always emphasised the importance of the individual in shaping our genetic world. The website www.oxfordancestors.com offers people the chance to find out for themselves, from a DNA samTrade ReviewA terrific book, written with humour and humanity * The Sunday Times *An engrossing, bubbly read, a boy's own adventure in scientific story-telling that fairly bounces along... a thumping good read * Observer *Sykes's wonderfully clear book should be compulsory reading for politicians... an eye-opening guide to the new branch of science that is changing the human race's view of itself * Literary Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisLonglisted for the National Book Award for Nonfiction and A New York Times Notable Book of 2018.Our understanding of the tree of life', with powerful implications for human genetics, human health and our own human nature, has recently completely changed.This book is about a new method of telling the story of life on earth through molecular phylogenetics. It involves a fairly simple method the reading of the deep history of life by looking at the variation in protein molecules found in living organisms. For instance, we now know that roughly eight per cent of the human genome arrived not through traditional inheritance from directly ancestral forms, but sideways by viral infection.In The Tangled Tree, acclaimed science writer David Quammen chronicles these discoveries through the lives of the researchers who made them such as Carl Woese, the most important little-known biologist of the twentieth century; Lynn Margulis, the notorious maverick whose wild ideas about mosaic' creatures pTrade ReviewPraise for Tangled Tree: ‘[Quammen] is our greatest living chronicler of the natural world … There are vivacious descriptions on almost every page.’ New York Times ‘In The Tangled Tree, celebrated science writer David Quammen tells perhaps the grandest tale in biology … He presents the science – and the scientists involved – with patience, candour and flair.’ Nature ‘Quammen adds some intriguing new discoveries’ New Scientist Praise for David Quammen: ‘One of that rare breed of science journalists who blends exploration with a talent for synthesis and storytelling’ Nature ‘Mr. Quammen is, by trade, neither professional environmentalist nor scientist. He is a writer. And the book he has worked on for 10 years is intelligent, playful and refreshingly free of cant … In Mr. Quammen’s hands, the bad news of species extinction unaccountably uplifts. For it reminds us of nature’s sheer, ornery diversity, and why it needs to be preserved. We share in the excitement of a new scientific discipline aborning. By book’s end, we glean hints of hope that the future may not be entirely bleak … Here is what a book can be’The New York Times Book Review ‘Quammen is no ordinary writer. He is simply astonishing, one of that rare class of writer gifted with verve, ingenuity, humour, guts, and great heart’ Elle

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Indo-European dispersal has puzzled scholars for centuries. When in prehistory did this dramatic linguistic shift take place and from where? What were the main driving forces? This books provides the newest insights from linguistics, archaeology and genetics on the prehistoric spread of one of the world's largest language families.Table of ContentsIntroduction: re-theorizing interdisciplinarity, and the relation between Archaeology, Linguistics, and Genetics Kristian Kristiansen and Guus Kroonen ; Part I. Early Indo-European and the Origin of Pastoralism: 1. The Yamnaya Culture and the invention of Nomadic pastoralism in the Eurasian steppes David W. Anthony; 2. Yamnaya pastoralists in the Eurasian desert steppe zone: new perspectives on mobility Natalia I. Shishlina; 3. Proto-Indo-Anatolian, the 'Anatolian Split' and the 'Anatolian Trek': a comparative linguistic perspective Alwin Kloekhorst; Part II. Migratory Processes and Linguistic Dispersals between Yamnaya and the Corded Ware: 4. The corded ware complex in Europe in light of current archeogenetic and environmental evidence Wolfgang Haak, Martin Furholt, Martin Sikora, Adam Ben Rohrlach, Luka Papa, Karl-Goran Siogren, Volker Heyd, Morten Fischer Mortensen, Anne Brigitte Nielsen, Johannes Muller, Ingo Feeser, Guss Kroonen and Kristian Kristiansen; 5. Emergent properties of the corded ware culture: an information approach Quentin Burgeois and Erik Kroon; 6. Linguistic phylogenetics and words for metals in Indo European Thomas Olander; 7. Word mining: metal names and the Indo-European dispersal Rasmus Thorso, Andrew Wigman, Anthony Jakob, Axel I. Palmer, Paulus Van Sluis and Guus Kroonen; Part III. The Cultural and Linguistic Significance of Bell Beakers Along the Atlantic Fringe: 8. From the steppe to Ireland: the Impact of a DNA research James P. Mallory; 9. Beaker culture metal and mobility in Atlantic Europe: some implications for genetic and language origins William O' Brien; 10. 'From the ends of the earth': a cross-disciplinary approach to long-distance contact in bronze age Atlantic Europe John T. Koch and Johan Ling; 11. With the back to the ocean: the Celtic maritime vocabulary David Stifter; 12. European prehistory between Celtic and Germanic: the Celto-Germanic isoglosses revisited Paulus Van Sluis, Anders Richardt Jorgensen and Guus Kroonen; Part IV. The Bronze Age Chariot and Wool Horizons: 13. Relative and absolute chronologies of the chariot complex in Northern Eurasia and early Indo-European migrations Igor V. Chechushkov and Andrey V. Epimakhov; 14. Indo-European and Indo-Iranian wagon terminology and the date of the Indo-Iranian split Alexander M. Lubotsky; 15. Fire and Water: archaeology and linguistics (The bronze age of the Southern Urals and the Rigveda) Andrey V. Epimakhov and Alexander M. Lubotsky; 16. Wool fibers of the Northern Eurasian bronze age: the cultural and geographical contexts Natalia I. Shishlina, Polina S. Medvedeva; Olga V. Orfinskaya and Daria V. Kiseleva; 17. An archaeolinguistic approach to Indo-European wool terminology Birgit A. Olsen; Part V. Kinship Systems, Marriage, Fosterage, Free and Unfree: 18. Mobility, kinship, and marriage in Indo-European society Tijmen Pronk; 19. Marriage strategies and fosterage among the Indo-Europeans- a linguistic perspective Birgit A. Olsen; 20. Fostering women and mobile children in final neolithic and early bronze age Central Europe Philipp W. Stockhammer; 21. Hiding in plain sight? The enigma of the linguistic remains of prehistoric slavery Benedicte Nielsen Whitehead; Part VI. Concluding Reflections: 22. New directions in archaeogenetics and archaeolinguistics: recapitulation and outlook Guss Kroonen and Kristian Kristiansen.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe most important investigation of genetic science since The Selfish Gene, from the author of the critically acclaimed and best-selling The Red Queen and The Origins of Virtue. The genome is our 100,000 or so genes. The genome is the collective recipe for the building and running of the human body. These 100,000 genes are sited across 23 pairs of chromosomes. Genome, a book of about 100,000 words, is divided into 23 chapters, a chapter for each chromosome. The first chromosome, for example, contains our oldest genes, genes which we have in common with plants. By looking at our genes we can see the story of our evolution, what makes us individual, how our sexuality is determined, how we acquire language, why we are vunerable to certain diseases, how mind has arisen. Genome also argues for the genetic foundations of free will. While many believe that genetics proves biological determinism, Ridley will show that in fact free will is itself in the genes. Everything that makes us human can be read in our genes. Early in the next century we will have determined the function of every one of these 100,000 genes.

Read more less

Book SynopsisCovering a range of metaphors from a diverse field of sciences, from cell and molecular biology to evolution, ecology, and biomedicine, Understanding Metaphors in the Life Sciences explores the positive and negative implications of the widespread use of metaphors in the biological and life sciences. From genetic codes, programs, and blueprints, to cell factories, survival of the fittest, the tree of life, selfish genes, and ecological niches, to genome editing with CRISPR''s molecular scissors, metaphors are ubiquitous and vital components of the modern life sciences. But how exactly do metaphors help scientists to understand the objects they study? How can they mislead both scientists and laypeople alike? And what should we all understand about the implications of science''s reliance on metaphorical speech and thought for objective knowledge and adequate public policy informed by science? This book will literally help you to better understand the metaphorical dimensions of science.Trade Review'What a timely book this is! It is precisely because biology has made such striking advances in recent years that its stock of metaphors is due for a clinical check-up. Reynolds offers a reliable and perceptive diagnosis of the framing narratives of the life sciences, sympathetically examining their strengths and weaknesses. This book should be an essential accompaniment to any study course in the biological sciences.' Philip Ball, science writer and author of How to Grow a Human'In this beautifully written, highly accessible, and captivating work, Reynolds reveals the incredible extent to which scientific methods and descriptions in biology, the life sciences, and medicine are infused with metaphors. Interweaving the rich history and philosophy of the uses of these metaphors over time, their many implications for scientific reasoning, understanding, and the ethical and political dimensions of science itself are perceptively explored, with wonderful clarity and across an encyclopedic range of examples. Metaphors afford telling insight, opening doors to further inquiry and closing others. Is your genome software? Are enzymes molecular machines? Does nature select some traits over others, thereby constructing the tree of life? The fascinating world of metaphors in science comes to life on every page.' Anjan Chakravartty, University of Miami, USA'I read Lakoff and Johnson's book Metaphors We Live By in the 1980s, and it was eye opening. Andrew Reynolds' book, which should be called Metaphors Science Lives By, is equally eye opening. Metaphors shape the way we live in the world. In science, they shape the way we understand the world. This can have huge implications for our lives, for better or for worse. How does this process of understanding work, especially in the life sciences? This book deals with the essential role of metaphors in this process. Written in an admirably clear style, Reynolds makes us aware of the power of metaphor, but also its dangers and pitfalls. It is an essential read for everybody interested in understanding how science and science communication work with and through metaphors. Importantly, it also dispels some common misunderstandings about the role of metaphors in science.' Brigitte Nerlich, University of Nottingham, UK'Understanding Metaphors in the Life Sciences takes us from genes to cells, and up to the vast evolutionary tree of life, showing how science depends overwhelmingly on metaphor for understanding, for advance, for communication. A very important book.' Michael Ruse, Florida State University, USA'Philosophically illuminating and richly informative on genetics, evolution and ecology, it should be obligatory reading for students in both the humanities and the sciences.' Jane O'Grady, Literary Review'Clear and concise, the book has an immense didactic value and will serve as a precious teaching aid in history and philosophy classes. However, despite being intended as an entry-level text, the book is more than a synthetic introduction to the subject. Beyond the analysis and evaluation of some of the most iconic metaphors in the life sciences, Reynolds provides a unique perspective on their function and use.' Bartlomiej Swiatczak, Metascience'Philosophically illuminating and richly informative on genetics, evolution and ecology, it should be obligatory reading for students in both the humanities and the sciences.' Jane O'Grady, Literary ReviewTable of Contents1. Metaphors and science; 2. Background metaphors: agents, machines, and information; 3. Genes and genomes: agents, codes, programs, blueprints, and books; 4. Proteins: machines, messengers, and team players; 5. Cells: factories, computers, and social organisms; 6. Evolution: natural selection, the tree of life, and selfish genes; 7. Ecology: the balance of nature, niches, ecosystem health, and gaia; 8. Biomedicine: genetic engineering, genome editing, and cell reprogramming.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAwaken your DNA for personal healing and spiritual transformation

Read more less

Book Synopsis“Ridley leaps from chromosome to chromosome in a handy summation of our ever increasing understanding of the roles that genes play in disease, behavior, sexual differences, and even intelligence. . . . . He addresses not only the ethical quandaries faced by contemporary scientists but the reductionist danger in equating inheritability with inevitability.” — The New YorkerThe genome''s been mapped. But what does it mean? Matt Ridley’s Genome is the book that explains it all: what it is, how it works, and what it portends for the futureArguably the most significant scientific discovery of the new century, the mapping of the twenty-three pairs of chromosomes that make up the human genome raises almost as many questions as it answers. Questions that will profoundly impact the way we think about disease, about longevity, and about free will. Questions that will affect the rest

Read more less

Book SynopsisSince their discovery by Barbara McClintock in the mid-20th century, the importance of transposable elements in shaping the architecture, function and evolution of genomes has gradually been unveiled. These DNA sequences populate nearly all genomes and are viewed as genomic parasites. They are mobile, capable of proliferating within genomes and also commonly travel between species. These elements are mutagenic and are responsible for several human genetic disorders, but they also constitute a major source of genetic diversity. Some insertions have beneficial effects for the host and are selected for, giving rise to significant evolutionary innovations. Their dynamics within genomes are intricate, as are their interactions with other genome components. To limit their proliferation, the genome has evolved sophisticated defense mechanisms. While researchers commonly use these elements as genetic tools, their identification in newly sequenced genomes remains a chall

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor a century, social scientists have avoided genetics like the plague. But the nature-nurture wars are over. In the past decade, a small but intrepid group of economists, political scientists, and sociologists have harnessed the genomics revolution to paint a more complete picture of human social life than ever before. The Genome Factor describesTrade Review"Too often, the debate over the ethics of genomics takes place behind closed doors--among scientists, doctors and government officials. Members of the general public are left out or treated as an afterthought rather than placed at the center of the conversation. Scientific research is crucial, but the moral dilemmas raised by The Genome Factor belong to us all."--Amy Dockser Marcus, Wall Street Journal "A fresh look at the nature vs. nurture debate... Illuminating."--KirkusTable of Contents1 Molecular Me: Welcome to the Coming Social Genomics Revolution 1 2 The Durability of Heritability: Genes and Inequality 12 3 If Heritability Is So High, Why Can't We Find It? 35 4 Genetic Sorting and Cavorting in American Society 60 5 Is Race Genetic? A New Take on the Most Fraught, Distracting, and Nonsensical Question in the World 84 6 The Wealth of Nations: Something in Our Genes? 113 7 The Environment Strikes Back: The Promise and Perils of Personalized Policy 136 CONCLUSION: Whither Genotocracy? 170 EPILOGUE: Genotocracy Rising, 2117 188 APPENDIX 1 196 APPENDIX 2 200 APPENDIX 3 204 APPENDIX 4 209 APPENDIX 5 219 APPENDIX 6 225 NOTES 233 INDEX 277

Read more less

Book SynopsisCole excavates the forgotten global history of criminal identificationfrom photography to exotic anthropometric systems based on measuring body parts, from fingerprinting to DNA typing. He reveals how fingerprinting ultimately won the trust of the public and the law after a long battle against rival identification systems.Trade ReviewFor most of the century since it made its courtroom debut, fingerprinting has enjoyed an impeccable reputation for identifying criminals. What jury would acquit a suspect if his prints matched those found at the scene of a crime? …Simon Cole…is one of a small group of people that has started looking at the technique which, above all others, gave forensic ‘science’ its scientific status. And, surprisingly, he has found it is scientifically and statistically wanting. * The Economist *For almost a century, fingerprinting remained one of the most respected tools of forensic science. Only in the early nineties did faith in its reliability begin to erode. In [Suspect Identities], Simon A. Cole recounts how a number of cases involving the New York State Police revealed tampering with fingerprint evidence, as well as the incompetence of many police labs. -- William Cohen * New Yorker *[A] fascinating, thought-provoking book. * Science *Simon A. Cole's well-written and interesting book is a cultural, social, and scientific history of fingerprint identification. It makes the intriguing argument that scientific merit had nothing to do with the acceptance of fingerprints as uniquely good identification evidence. -- Adina Schwartz * New York Law Journal *Cole's treatment of fingerprinting is...commendable...[He] shows that...court cases...were not quite as singular in ascendancy of fingerprinting over the Bertillon system, but rather added weights that finally tipped the scales in favor of fingerprinting; he is also cautionary about its claim to absolute reliability. * Booklist *Cole weaves the intriguing tale of how and why people were identified as who they claimed to be. This history begins in the era where identification was largely unnecessary because people did not travel very far and were known in their own communities. As both travel and criminal behavior increased, the need to identify people grew...Cole describes the ancient use of fingerprints up through time until they became commonplace for use in identifying criminals. He presents an excellent account of the problems and controversies surrounding the use of fingerprints for identification, ending with the current issues of using DNA for identification. The illustrative stories are excellent, making this a fascinating trip through identification history. -- J. A. Brown * Choice *Cole's comprehensive...book investigates the tangled intersections of scientific identification and law enforcement...[with] rigorous detail and attention to historical ambiguities...This well-wrought history will be admired by scholars and serious lay readers. * Publishers Weekly *Cole's Suspect Identities is far more than a masterly and detailed chronicle of the journey from the anonymous mobile stranger in the seventeenth century to today's DNA-fingerprinted sex offender whose moves are tracked via the Internet. It is also an astute analysis of the social, political, and economic forces that explain why the journey took certain paths. This book sets the high benchmark for scholarship in this area. -- Troy Duster, New York UniversitySuspect Identities is a fascinating account of an important subject. In his history of identification techniques from fingerprints to DNA, Simon Cole tells the story of our recurring attempts to forge reliable links between bodies, persons, and crimes. As Cole shows in these pages, the aim of these techniques, from Martin Guerre to O. J. Simpson, is not just to link persons with criminal acts. It is to link persons to themselves, to establish their identities with the certainty of science, and to use these identifiers for bureaucratic and diagnostic purposes. And therein lies their danger, as well as their usefulness, as critics of 'DNA fingerprinting' are beginning to discover. Written with intelligence, wit, and insight, this book will stand as the definitive account for a long time to come. -- David Garland, author of The Culture of Control: Crime and Social Order in Late ModernitySuspect Identities shows that a fascinating journey through the history of science can illuminate current controversies. This well-written book teaches us as much about the problems facing forensic scientists today as it does the history of fingerprinting. -- Barry Scheck, Co-Director, The Innocence ProjectTable of ContentsPrologue: Jekylls and Hydes 1. Impostors and Incorrigible Rogues 2. Measuring the Criminal Body 3. Native Prints 4. Degenerate Fingerprints 5. Fingerprinting Foreigners 6. From Anthropometry to Dactyloscopy 7. Bloody Fingerprints and Brazen Experts 8. Dazzling Demonstrations and Easy Assumptions 9. Identification at a Distance 10. Digital Digits 11. Fraud, Fabrication, and False Positives 12. The Genetic Age Epilogue: Bodily Identities Notes Credits Acknowledgments Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisAcclaimed author Matt Ridley's thrilling follow-up to his bestseller 'Genome'. Armed with the extraordinary new discoveries about our genes, Ridley turns his attention to the nature versus nurture debate to bring the first popular account of the roots of human behaviour.Trade Review‘“Nature via Nurture” sets the modern terms for an ancient debate, and at the same time delivers a superb tutorial on contemporary genetics; the feedback loop that embraces genes and environment is generally not well understood. And yet this plasticity, this elegant mutuality, seems crucial if our new understanding of human nature is to inform public policy. These times need a book like this.’ Ian McEwan ‘Lucidly explains the most recent discoveries on what makes us what we are, and how we should think about these discoveries as we ponder who we want to be…A treat, written with insight, wisdom, and style.’ Steven Pinker, author of ‘The Blank Slate’ ‘Bracingly intelligent, lucid, balanced – witty, too. “Nature via Nurture” is a scrupulous and charming look at our modern understanding of genes and experience.’ Oliver Sacks ‘A real page-turner. What a superb writer he is, and he seems to get better and better.’ Richard Dawkins, author of ‘The Selfish Gene’

Read more less

Book SynopsisGenetics is the newest of all sciences - nothing useful was known about inheritance until just over a century ago. Now genetics is exploding, and before long we will have the complete code, written in three thousand million letters of DNA, of what makes a human being. Introducing Genetics takes us from the early work of Mendel to the discovery of DNA, the human gene map and the treatment of inborn disease. No one can afford to be ignorant of genetics. This book is the perfect introduction.

Read more less

Book SynopsisRecognizing the significant advances made in the field of animal genetics in the ten years since the first edition of Genetics of the Dog, this new edition of the successful 2001 book provides a comprehensive update on the subject, along with new material on topics of current and growing interest. Existing chapters on essential topics such as immunogenetics, genetics of diseases, developmental genetics and the genetics of behaviour have been fully updated, while new authors report on the latest advances in areas such as genetic diversity of dog breeds, canine genomics, olfactory genetics and cancer genetics.Table of Contents1: Canid phylogeny and origin of the domestic dog. 2: Experimental studies of early canid domestication 3: Genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of dog breeds. 4: Molecular genetics of coat colour, texture and length 5: Mendelian traits in the dog 6: Immunogenetics 7: Genetic aspects of orthopaedic disorders in the dog 8: Genetics of cancer in dogs 9: Genetics of neurological disease in the dog 10: Genetics of eye disorders in the dog 11: Cytogenetics and chromosome maps 12: Canine genomics 13: Genetics of canine behavioural disorders 14: Biology of reproduction and modern reproductive technology 15: Developmental genetics 16: Genetics of morphological traits 17: Olfactory genetics 18: Pedigree analysis, genotype testing and genetic counselling 19: Genetics of quantitative traits and improvement of the dog breeds 20: Complex traits. 21: Canine model in medical genetics 22: Genetic aspects of performance in working dogs 23: Genetic nomenclature

Read more less

Book Synopsis*Contemporary, Broad Coverage covers every aspect of the rapidly changing field of proteomics from *Coherent and Student friendly based on the highly successful course developed by the author at Manchester University.Table of ContentsPreface ix Acknowledgements xi 1 Introduction 1 1.1 What Are the Tasks in Proteomics? 1 1.2 Challenges in Proteomics 5 1.3 Proteomics in Relation to Other -omics and System Biology 10 1.4 Some General Applications of Proteomics 12 1.5 Structure of the Book 18 References 18 2 Separation and Detection Technologies 21 2.1 Introduction to Experimental Strategies in Proteomics 21 2.2 Gel-Based Separation 31 2.3 Visualization and Analysis of Proteins/Peptides in Gels 40 2.4 Gel-Free Separation Technologies 54 2.5 Visualization of Proteins/Peptides from Hyphenated Methods 74 2.6 Chips in Proteomic Applications 81 References 81 3 Analysis of Peptides/Proteins by Mass Spectrometry 83 3.1 Basic Principles of Mass Spectrometry for Proteomics 83 3.2 Ionization Methods for Small Amounts of Biomolecules 101 3.3 Mass Analyzers and Mass Spectrometers 116 3.4 Concluding Remarks on Mass Analyzers for Proteomics 170 References 170 4 Analysis and Interpretation of Mass Spectrometric and Proteomic Data 173 4.1 Introduction 173 4.2 Analysis of MS Data 174 4.3 Analysis of MS/MS Data 192 4.4 Quantification of LC MS and MS/MS Data from Complex Samples 209 4.5 Bioinformatic Approaches for Mass Spectrometric Proteome Data Analysis 213 References 218 5 Strategies in Proteomics 221 5.1 Imaging Mass Spectrometry 221 5.2 Qualitative Proteomics 223 5.3 Differential and Quantitative Proteomics 234 5.4 Analysis of Posttranslational Modifications 257 5.5 Interaction Proteomics 261 5.6 Proteomics as Part of Integrated Approaches 266 References 271 Index 275

Read more less

Book SynopsisSince Dawkins popularized the notion of the selfish gene, the question of how these selfish genes work together to construct an organism remained a mystery. Now, standing atop a wealth of new research, Itai Yanai and Martin Lercher—pioneers in the field of systems biology—provide a vision of how genes cooperate and compete in the struggle for life.Trade ReviewYanai and Lercher invite the reader to step back and observe how genes assemble together to make a global genetic system, or genome… [It] largely succeeds in translating the findings of an esoteric science into something that is easily understood… The Society of Genes represents a timely and welcome handbook for navigating this postgenomic era. -- Joseph Swift * Science *Using findings from the molecular revolution that only really got going in the 1980s, the authors build up a picture of networks of genes forming guilds in order to preserve their DNA dynasties… [This] lively text contain[s] a panorama of examples illustrating how genes do better by combining forces in networks. -- Charalambos P. Kyriacou * Times Higher Education *Yanai and Lercher use the idea of a society of genes as a vantage point from which to reintroduce the entire field of evolutionary genetics… Even experienced readers are likely to encounter perspectives that are unexpected enough to make the book worth their effort… Readers meeting biology for the first time will be well served by this richer, more nuanced, way of viewing genetics, while those with a deeper background will find plenty of interest, notably in the vivid clarity of the explanations. -- Bob Holmes * New Scientist *If you’re looking for a ‘what’s hot in genetics in 2016,’ this book wouldn’t be a bad place to start. It covers a huge number of topics—from the basics of genetics to genome editing, antimicrobial resistance and the functions of junk DNA… We need books like this. -- Simon Hazelwood-Smith * BioNews *The writing is engaging and clear, providing ample introductory material to ensure that the interested lay reader will be swept along by both the science and the evolutionary story…For the general reader, Yanai and Lercher’s discussions of cancer, immunology, sexual reproduction, and population genetics are well worth exploring. * Publishers Weekly *Written by two of the smartest young thinkers in their fields, The Society of Genes is an absorbing, thought-provoking exploration of the intersection of genetics, evolutionary biology, and society. -- Eric Lander, Professor of Biology at MIT and founding director of the Broad Institute of MIT and HarvardThe Society of Genes is punchy, provocative, and timely and a must-read for us all. -- Michael Levitt, Professor of Structural Biology at Stanford University and Recipient of the 2013 Nobel Prize in ChemistryWell worth the interested reader’s attention. -- M. Taylor * Choice *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Glencoe Biology Student Edition is print book. It is written in a student friendly narrative that will equip students to â Meet science standards Performance Expectations (PEâs).â Integrate Science and Engineering Practices into your science classroomâ Supply the Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIâs)â Correlate your lessons to NGSSâ Encounter STEM projects

Read more less

Book SynopsisYou can change your genes - and this revelatory, cutting-edge popular science book will explain how.Trade ReviewFascinating and Highly accessible. * Sunday Times *Sharon Moalem peels away at the complex discussion of nature and nurture. * Dan Ariely, bestselling author of Predictably Irrational *In his new book, Moalem describes riveting dramas emerging from both defective genes and reparative epigenetics...fascinating. * The New York Times Book Review *Dr. Moalem is an eloquent guide through the astonishing new world of genetic discovery - with all its implications for both personal health and public policy. If you've wondered about the impact of genetics on your life- read this book! * Kinney Zalesne, New York Times bestselling author of Microtrends *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA Copernican revolution for the life sciences.—Medical TribuneUnlock the mysteries of biology, anthropology, and ancient civilizations in this thought-provoking read where science and spirituality intersect. Through Jeremy Narby′s travels and research in the Amazon, he discovered that shamans were able to use hallucinogens to tap into knowledge and insights that rival our discoveries using modern scientific methods, particularly with regards to DNA and molecular biology. Drawing on visionary experiences, indigenous knowledge, and pharmacology, Narby challenges conventional understanding, unraveling the connections between consciousness, serpent symbolism, and the origins of life itself. This enlightening book blends science, anthropology, and mysticism into a captivating narrative that will expand your mind.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWe are becoming less intelligent. This is the shocking yet fascinating message of At Our Wits'' End. The authors take us on a journey through the growing body of evidence that we are significantly less intelligent now than we were a hundred years ago. The research proving this is, at once, profoundly thought-provoking, highly controversial, and it's currently only read by academics. But the authors are passionate that it cannot remain ensconced in the ivory tower any longer. With At Our Wits' End, they present the first ever popular scientific book on this crucially important issue. They prove that intelligence which is strongly genetic was increasing up until the breakthrough of the Industrial Revolution, because we were subject to the rigors of Darwinian Selection, meaning that lots of surviving children was the preserve of the cleverest. But since then, they show, intelligence has gone into rapid decline, because large families are increasingly the preserve of the least intelligent. The book explores how this change has occurred and, crucially, what its consequences will be for the future. Can we find a way of reversing the decline of our IQ? Or will we witness the collapse of civilization and the rise of a new Dark Age?

Read more less

Book SynopsisElaborates on author's pioneering work on developmental systems by spelling out that work's implications for the fields of evolutionary theory, developmental and social psychology, feminism, and epistemology.Trade Review“Oyama writes elegantly and from a deep intellectual base. This alternative view to the dominant genetic determinism will be of interest to all who seek a more complex view of human nature. It is an excellent book, beautifully composed.”—Katherine Nelson, City University of New York“Susan Oyama's Ontogeny of Information provided a navigational chart for researchers seeking to avoid the shoals of the nature-nurture dichotomy. Here, in Evolution's Eye, she good-humoredly unmasks the rhetorical stratagems of reflexive genecentrism, while continuing to strengthen the case for the integrative, multifocal approach of developmental systems theory.”—Helen E. Longino, University of Minnesota“To think of nature and nurture as two distinct categories is not only wrong, Susan Oyama convincingly argues, but doing so hobbles our attempts to understand the nature of development and evolution at every level. Hers is a voice that needs to be heard.”—Evelyn Fox Keller, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Part 1: Looking at Development and EvolutionTransmission and Construction: Levels and the Problem of Heredity What Does the Phenocopy Copy? Originals and Fakes in Biology Ontogeny and the Central Dogma: Do We Need the Concept of GeneticProgramming in Order to Have an Evolutionary Perspective? Stasis, Development, and Heredity: Models of Stability and Change The Accidental Chordate: Contingency in Developmental Systems Part 2: Looking at Ourselves Essentialism, Women, and War: Protesting Too Much, Protesting TooLittle The Conceptualization of Nature: Nature as Design Bodies and Minds: Dualism in Evolutionary Theory How Shall I Name Thee? The Construction of Natural Selves Evolutionary and Developmental Formation: Politics of the Boundary Notes References Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisA 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.Trade ReviewFascinating, occasionally chilling and very readable -- Rhys Blakely * The Times *An excellent primer for anyone seeking a well-informed discussion of the moral implications of this enduringly controversial science * Economist *Detailed and deeply researched ... striking ... complex -- Henry Marsh * New Statesman *Disturbing and readable * New Scientist *Comprehensive ... you can sense Cobb's excitement and enthusiasm * TLS *[A] deeply researched and often deeply troubling history of gene science ... [in search of] decency and honor in a morally complex field. -- Deborah Blum * New York Times *Masterfully written and deeply researched ... Cobb catapults us into a world full of the joys of discovery, the intense rivalries and friendships between scientists, and the many moral and scientific uncertainties about genetics that await us -- Siddhartha Mukherjee, author * The Gene: An Intimate History *The ideal guide to what is not just a fiendishly complex area of science but also an ethical minefield * Mail on Sunday *There are serious questions about the safety of genetic engineering, but also profound social and ethical questions about its use. Matthew Cobb, in his detailed and deeply researched book ... is concerned as much about these questions as he is about the technical details ... but the book is not a primer for understanding the field; it is much more than that. -- Henry Marsh * New Statesman *Wonderful ... a thoughtful, lively and evocative exposition of the history of genetic engineering. -- Adrian Woolfson * Wall Street Journal *Excellent and occasionally harrowing ... masterfully told history ... offers a clear-eyed, well-researched view of the promises and pitfalls of a necessary new technology * Forbes *[An] indefatigable exploration of the genesis of biology ... beautifully lays out the sheer improbability of our biosphere. * The Atlantic *A look at genetic engineering that provides valuable background for rethinking the appropriate uses for these technologies. * Kirkus *A truly valuable book ... most of us get very big picture ideas of what's going on with gene editing and other genetic modifications from the media. Now we've got the real story -- Brain Clegg * Popular Science *An engaging, intriguing book about the history of genetic engineering and where it might lead society ... Excellent. * Library Journal *[A] remarkable jaunt through the twists and turns of the genetic engineering revolution ... a valuable new go-to source. -- Luis A. Campos * Science *Cobb does an excellent job describing the history and the nuts and bolts of genetic engineering. But his real focus, as the title of his book implies, is on the sociological, psychological, and philosophical questions surrounding the genetic age. * GEN Biotechnology *His evenhanded critique balances caution about emergent technologies with tart scepticism of overreaching claims ... The result is an eye-opening - and occasionally hair-raising - indictment of scientific hubris and recklessness. * Publishers Weekly *The book provides such rich description that even the most knowledgeable readers ... will learn something new ... fascinating. * Journal of Medical Humanities *Powerful gene technologies, long foreseen, are finally with us. Taking the measure of this daunting prospect calls for historical acumen, technical appreciation, and a clear-eyed view of human foibles. As this book attests, Matthew Cobb has all three -- Jon TurneyA superb account of genetic engineering in life and culture, in all its myriad anxieties and exhilarations. Should we be scared? Read this book and you'll have a sense of the answer -- Adam Roberts, author * It's the End of the World *The essential, engrossing and disturbing story of a science that enabled us to create new forms of life -- Victoria GillMatthew Cobb is a great storyteller of science, a tapestry of intriguing and enlightening ideas thoughtfully and entertainingly told -- Robin InceProfound and important ... Written with astute, calm and clear-sighted judgement, The Genetic Age is likely to be the definitive account of the rise of gene biotechnologies. Neither a credulous booster nor a doom-mongering catastrophist, Matthew Cobb steers a prudent path through the promise and perils of genetic engineering -- Philip Ball, author * Critical Mass *Faced with a new round of genetic dreams and nightmares, Matthew Cobb skilfully sifts the truth from the hype in this thrilling and alarming account of our most dangerous and exciting technology -- Paul Mason, author * How to Stop Fascism *The promise of genetic engineering is limitless, the stuff of dreams and nightmares, and that is also the problem, as Matthew Cobb shows us in this elegant and meticulously researched history. Packed with human stories and fascinating detail, this is the journey of discovery that changed how we view life itself. -- Gaia Vince, author * Transcendence, Adventures in the Anthropocene *A lucid and vigorously insightful account of the pitfalls and triumphs of the twenty-first century's most ethically challenging and potentially world-changing technology -- Paul McAuley, author * Fairyland *A superb guide to the global history of the dreams, fears and science of genetic engineering, and why it matters for tomorrow -- Jon Agar, author * Turing and the Universal Machine *A gripping, bawdy tale of science fiction morphing into business history ... Exhaustively researched and beautifully written ... the histories of recombinant DNA, biotech, GMOs, gene therapy, and cloning in a single lively, accessible account -- Nathaniel Comfort, Professor of the History of Medicine, John Hopkins University, and author * The Tangled Field: How Genetics Became the Heart of American Medicine *A riveting guide to the new age of genome engineering, revealing how ideas and technology that until recently existed only in science fiction are now a stunning clinical reality ... Required reading for anyone who cares about the future of humanity and our planet -- Kevin Davies, author * Editing Humanity *The genetic advances of the past half-century have raised the possibility that we can not only read the instructions that make living things, including ourselves, but also edit them at will. As a geneticist, Matthew Cobb celebrates the potential of these advances for medicine, agriculture and biodiversity. As a historian, however, he sets them against a complex social, political and cultural backdrop, arguing that everyone should have a voice in deciding what is necessary and right, not just what is possible. His riveting analysis warns that in a world beset by poverty, inequality and climate catastrophe, chasing apparently dazzling technofixes is rarely cost effective or morally justified. -- Georgina Ferry, scientist and broadcaster

Read more less

Book SynopsisA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Brilliant and enthralling.”​ —The Wall Street Journal A paradigm-shifting book from an acclaimed Harvard Medical School scientist and one of Time’s most influential people.It’s a seemingly undeniable truth that aging is inevitable. But what if everything we’ve been taught to believe about aging is wrong? What if we could choose our lifespan? In this groundbreaking book, Dr. David Sinclair, leading world authority on genetics and longevity, reveals a bold new theory for why we age. As he writes: “Aging is a disease, and that disease is treatable.” This eye-opening and provocative work takes us to the frontlines of research that is pushing the boundaries on our perceived scientific limitations, revealing incredible breakthroughs—many from Dr. David Sinclair’s own lab at Harvard—that demonstrate how we can slow

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe DNA sequence that comprises the human genome--the genetic blueprint found in each of our cells--is undoubtedly the greatest code ever to be broken. Completed at the dawn of a new millennium, the feat electrified both the scientific community and the general public with its tantalizing promise of new and better treatments for countless diseases, including Alzheimer's, cancer, diabetes, and Parkinson's.Yet what is arguably the most important discovery of our time has also opened a Pandora's box of questions about who we are as humans and how the unique information stored in our genomes can and might be used, making it all the more important for everyone to understand the new science of genomics. In the CURIOSITY GUIDE TO THE HUMAN GENOME, Dr. John Quackenbush, a renowned scientist and professor, conducts a fascinating tour of the history and science behind the Human Genome Project and the technologies that are revolutionizing the practice of medicine today. With a clear and engaging narrative style, he demystifies the fundamental principles of genetics and molecular biology, including the astounding ways in which genes function, alone or together with other genes and the environment, to either sustain life or trigger disease.In addition, Dr. Quackenbush goes beyond medicine to examine how DNA-sequencing technology is changing how we think of ourselves as a species by providing new insights about our earliest ancestors and reconfirming our inextricable link to all life on earth.Finally, he explores the legal and ethical questions surrounding such controversial topics as stem cell research, prenatal testing, forensics, and cloning, making this volume of the Curiosity Guides series an indispensable resource for navigating our brave new genomic world.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisEpigenetics is the most exciting field in biology today, developing our understanding of how and why we inherit certain traits, develop diseases and age, and evolve as a species. This non-fiction comic book introduces us to genetics, cell biology and the fascinating science of epigenetics, which is rapidly filling in the gaps in our knowledge, allowing us to make huge advances in medicine. We'll look at what identical twins can teach us about the epigenetic effects of our environment and experiences, why certain genes are 'switched on' or off at various stages of embryonic development, and how scientists have reversed the specialization of cells to clone frogs from a single gut cell. In Introducing Epigenetics, Cath Ennis and Oliver Pugh pull apart the double helix, examining how the epigenetic building blocks and messengers that interpret and edit our genes help to make us, well, us.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe fourth edition of this popular textbook retains its focus on the fundamental principles of gene manipulation, providing an accessible and broad-based introduction to the subject for beginning undergraduate students. It has been brought thoroughly up to date with new chapters on the story of DNA and genome editing, and new sections on bioethics, significant developments in sequencing technology and structural, functional and comparative genomics and proteomics, and the impact of transgenic plants. In addition to chapter summaries, learning objectives, concept maps, glossary and key word lists the book now also features new concluding sections, further reading lists and web-search activities for each chapter to provide a comprehensive suite of learning resources to help students develop a flexible and critical approach to the study of genetic engineering.Trade Review'Genetic engineering represents a toolbox that all students within the basic and applied biology fields must get acquainted with. The fourth edition of An Introduction to Genetic Engineering is an excellent up-to-date version of a classic textbook. This ambitious book excellently balances the molecular biology knowledge required to grasp the comprehensive gene technology toolbox with a discussion of its impact on society.' Per Amstrup Pedersen, University of Copenhagen'As a biomedical engineering professor teaching an undergraduate Genetic Engineering course for close to 10 years, I use Dr Nicholl's An Introduction to Genetic Engineering as my go-to textbook. It is not one of those overly thick textbooks that overwhelm students. Its comprehensiveness captures readers' attention with succinct fundamental concepts that truly promote one's interest in exploring the wonder of many genetic engineering techniques and applications. To facilitate that further, the material provided at the end of each chapter encourages readers to expand their learning with relevant resources … Many of my students become so interested that they pursue graduate degrees and have a career in this field. Dr Nicholl's textbook has a long-term influence on its readers.' M. Ete Chan, State University of New York at Stony Brook'Dr Nicholl's book covers all the basic material that one would expect from its title, but what particularly impressed me was how it isn't afraid to move into political and socio-economic arenas. In Chapter 16, for example, balanced arguments are presented for and against the development of transgenic organisms, and these don't always come out in favour of the science.' Neil Crickmore, University of SussexTable of ContentsPreface; Part I. Genetic Engineering in Context: 1. Introduction; 2. The story of DNA; 3. Brave new world or genetic nightmare?; Part II. The Basis of Genetic Engineering: 4. Introducing molecular biology; 5. The tools of the trade; 6. Working with nucleic acids; Part III. The Methodology of Gene Manipulation: 7. Host cells and vectors; 8. Cloning strategies; 9. The polymerase chain reaction; 10. Selection, screening and analysis of recombinants; 11. Bioinformatics; 12. Genome editing; Part IV. Genetic Engineering in Action: 13. Investigating genes, genomes and 'otheromes'; 14. Genetic engineering and biotechnology; 15. Medical and forensic applications of gene manipulation; 16. Transgenic plants and animals; 17. The other sort of cloning; Glossary; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe second book in Kereen Getten's action-packed mystery series for younger readers! Fayson has been dreaming of going back to the island ever since she left. But no sooner is she reunited with Di Island Crew than a mysterious case comes their way - a haunted wardrobe that keeps making a spine-chilling sound! And to make matters worse, the crew have all received a letter threatening to reveal their deepest secrets. With the clock ticking, Fayson must rally her friends and take charge of the detective agency to solve the eerie mystery. But with tensions rising and friendship squabbles getting in the way, can they work together to crack the case and keep their secrets safe? __________ READERS ARE LOVING Di ISLAND CREW: 'So much fun' 'I really enjoyed this mystery story and read it from start to finish in one sitting' 'A fun adventure with just the right amount of fear and peril... I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for the rest of the series' 'Great characters, brilliantly paced and a big fat recommendation from my daughter'Trade Review'- - Praise for Di Island Crew Investigates series:' - -'Like Enid Blyton with a social conscience, this marks the start of an addictive new series for 8+' - Guardian'A charming plot... ideal for confident younger readers' - Booktrust'Exploring themes of family and friendship, this is great for fans of mystery adventure stories' - The Week Junior, Book of the Week''Absolutely excellent' - Fleur Hitchcock

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"A New Statesman Best Book of the Academic Presses""A highly original and very persuasive book. . . .Carefully argued and fair-minded but forceful in its conclusions, Free Agents is interdisciplinary research at its best."---Joe Humphreys, Irish Times"Mitchell's compelling and absorbing book acts both as a synthesizing primer about evolution and a powerful argument for free will. Its importance and quality are undeniable. A bold, brilliant must-read that should reach a large audience." * Kirkus Reviews, starred review *"An eloquent defense of our common-sense understanding of the mind. . . . [E]xcellent."---Andrew Crumey, Wall Street Journal"[Mitchell] makes a powerful case that history of life, in all its complex grandeur, cannot be appreciated until we understand the evolution of agency—and then, in creatures of sufficient complexity, the evolution of conscious free will. . . . [Free Agents] builds an argument that is methodical and crisp, and cuts through years of disputation like a knife through cotton candy."---James Gleick, New York Review of Books"Provocative." * Publishers Weekly *"Mitchell’s naturalization of free will shows that it need not be some mysterious non-physical force, but instead a cognitive phenomenon in which all manner of influences. . .are integrated into decisions to act, formulated with varying degrees of conscious awareness (of genuine will, you might say). “You” don’t generate free will; rather, the mental processes of deliberation are a part of what makes you."---Philip Ball, Times Literary Supplement"Humans are not, says Kevin Mitchell, the playthings of predestination. Millennia of evolution means that our nervous systems have given us the wherewithal both to imagine and to predict. Mitchell explains how this power came about and why it matters." * New Statesman *"Two popular books. . . have breathed new life into the ancient debate over whether we have free will. In Free Agents, Kevin Mitchell argues that we do, and in Determined, Robert Sapolsky argues that we don’t. To be blunt, on the big issue at hand – Mitchell is right and Sapolsky is wrong. . . . [H]ow can the information in our brains come together to form a coherent and causally potent self? Mitchell offers a strikingly lucid evolutionary story of how such a self emerged. "---Oliver Waters, Three Quarks Daily"Mitchell persuasively develops a more modest conception of free will that entails the evolved ability to make real choices in the service of our goals—that is, to act for our own reasons. This carefully argued, information-dense book will put a dent in any intellectual predilection toward determinism that some readers may have. It certainly did mine."---Ronald Bailey, Reason"A challenge to neuro-reductionism. . . . As Mitchell explains the growth of agency across 12 penetrating and fluent chapters, they read not like a series of academic lectures but rather a stimulating conversation where a reader’s next question is anticipated and answered."---Peter Sterling, Current Biology"A sophisticated, scientific response to determinism. . . . [A] provocative and special contribution to the discourse on free will."---Stetson Thacker, Holodoxa"Ground-breaking. . . .A significant contribution to the free will debate." * Paradigm Explorer *"Mitchell’s retelling of life’s history turns out to be a fascinating exercise with relevance far beyond the free will debate. . . . Free Agents is a tightly argued and compelling case in favour of free will. Mitchell proves himself an able wordsmith who crams profound ideas in short sentences that benefit from reading and unpacking slowly. . . . [A] spectacular read."---Leon Vlieger, Inquisitive Biologist

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisSince the time of domestication more than 10,000 years ago, cattle have played an increasingly crucial role in the development of human civilizations. Progress has been quite remarkable since the turn of the century; the sequencing of the bovine genome in 2009 launched new avenues for furthering our understanding of theoretical and practical aspects of cattle genetics. Covering a vast array of questions, this book reviews major topics from molecular and developmental genetics, disease resistance and immunogenetics to genetic improvement of dairy and beef breeds, addressing all current problems in the field. This second edition includes a new team of authors and completely new chapters on the genetics of fat production, nutrition, feed intake and efficiency, growth and body composition. Fully updated throughout, it provides a valuable resource on cattle genetics for researchers, breeders, veterinarians and postgraduate students.Table of Contentsa: Preface Chapter 1: Systematics and phylogeny of cattle Chapter 2: Genetic aspects of domestication Chapter 3: Breeds of cattle Chapter 4: Molecular genetics of colour variation Chapter 5: Genetics of morphological traits and inherited disorders Chapter 6: Cytogenetics and chromosome maps Chapter 7: Bovine genomics Chapter 8: Bovine immunogenetics Chapter 9: Genetics of disease resistance Chapter 10: Molecular biology and genetics of bovine spongiform encephalopathy Chapter 11: Genetics of behaviour in cattle Chapter 12: Genetics of reproduction in cattle Chapter 13: Modern reproductive technologies and breed improvement Chapter 14: Developmental genetics Chapter 15: Genetic improvement of dairy cattle Chapter 16: Molecular genetics of milk protein production Chapter 17: Genetics fatty acids composition in bovine milk and beef Chapter 18: Genetic improvement in beef cattle Chapter 19: Genomic prediction and genome-wide association studies in beef and dairy cattle Chapter 20: Genetics of feed intake and efficiency. Chapter 21: Genetics of growth and body composition Chapter 22: Genetics of meat quality Chapter 23: Genetic aspects of cattle adaptation in the tropics Chapter 24: Standard genetic nomenclature b: Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe most up-to-date and complete textbook for first time genomics students, Introduction to Genomics offers a fascinating insight into how organisms differ or match; how different organisms evolved; how the genome is constructed and how it operates; and what our understanding of genomics means in terms of our future health and wellbeing.

Read more less