Genetics (non-medical) Books

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.

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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

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Book SynopsisA new human species will soon come to co-exist with us. This new species, 'Homo nouveau,' will be created using artificial intelligence and genetic engineering; both important tools which are in their infancy. Not only are the science and technology relatively new, but their implications in the mind of the general public are also only just beginning to enter our collective consciousness. This book expands on the research done for the author's previous book, What Comes After Homo Sapiens? Written by a medical professional and independent consultant to healthcare IT companies, The Fourth Great Transformation explores the questions of what this new species will look like, how we as humans will get along with them, and the potential threats and opportunities that will come along with genetically modified humans.

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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

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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

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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

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Book SynopsisGenes were unknowingly discovered in the 19th century by Gregor Mendel, a Czechoslovakian monk. It was later established that genes are made of DNA, a biological compound found in tiny thread-like structures called chromosomes that are located in the nuclei of all cells in our bodies. DNA consists of chains of entities called bases of which there are four in nature. DNA consists of long chains of bases (sometimes referred to as DNA sequences) that are joined in any order, but the precise order and length of which constitute different genes.Many (but not all) genes carry a code called the genetic code, a code that instructs the synthesis (manufacture) of the many hundreds of proteins that we require to survive and execute the many functions of life. The genetic code was deciphered in relatively recent years and is considered one of the most significant discoveries in the history of biology.Genes that encode instructions for the synthesis of proteins and those that regulate the manufacture of proteins comprise a mere two percent of our DNA. Despite our extensive knowledge of biology and the sub-discipline of molecular biology (the study of biology at the molecular level), the function (if any) of the rest of the DNA in our cells is unknown.Research about genes and DNA has in recent years spawned an endeavor referred to as the Human Genome Project, an international collaboration that has successfully determined, stored, and rendered publicly available the sequences of almost all the genetic content of the chromosomes of the human organism, otherwise known as the human genome.DNA sequences that are unique to every person on earth have been discovered (DNA fingherprints) and are now used for identifying criminals. The book relates a specific example of identifying a criminal who murdered two women.This is the first and only book that we are aware of that educates non-biologists about genes. It is written in a style and uses a vocabulary that can be comprehended by the average reader who knows very little if anything about genes.

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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

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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

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Book SynopsisDNA Microarrays introduces all up-to-date microarray platforms and their various applications.  It is written for scientists who are entering the field of DNA microarrays as well as those already familiar with the technology, but interested in new applications and methods.Table of Contents1. Introduction: DNA Microarrays – Ten Years Old, But No Old Hat 2. cDNA Microarray Analysis and Its Role in Toxicology - A Case Study 3. Gene Expression Profiling in Plants Using cDNA Microarrays 4. Identification of Gene Expression Patterns for a Molecular Diagnosis of Kidney Tumors 5. Gene Expression Analysis of Differentiating Neural Progenitor Cells – A Time Course Study 6. A Microarray-Based Screening Method for Known and Novel SNPs 7. From Gene Chips to Disease Chips – New Approach in Molecular Diagnosis of Eye Diseases 8. Multiplexed SNP Genotyping Using an Allele-Specific Primer Extension 9. Profiling the Arabidopsis Transcriptome 10. Affymetrix GeneChip Analyses – The Impact of RNA Quality 11. Molecular Karyotyping by Means of Array CGH: Linking Gene Dosage Alterations to Disease Phenotypes 12. DNA Microarrays: Analysis of Chromosomes and Their Aberrations 13. Mapping Transcription Factor Binding Sites Using ChIP Chip - General Considerations 14. ChIP-on-Chip: Searching for Novel Transcription Factor Targets 15. Turning Photons into Results: Principles of Fluorescent Microarray Scanning 16. Microarray Detection with Laser Scanning Device 17. Normalization Strategies for Microarray Data Analysis 18. Microarray Data Analysis: Differential Gene Expression 19. Clustering and Classification Methods for Gene Expression Data Analysis 20. Statistical Analysis of Microarray Time Course Data 21. Array CGH Data Analysis 22. MIAME

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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 *

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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.

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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

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Book SynopsisA TIMES ENVIRONMENT AND SCIENCE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022 'The ideal guide to what is not just a fiendishly complex area of science but also an ethical minefield' Mail on Sunday 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 *Detailed and deeply researched ... striking ... complex -- Henry Marsh * New Statesman *[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 *Disturbing and readable * New Scientist *Comprehensive ... you can sense Cobb's excitement and enthusiasm * TLS *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 *Matthew 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

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Book SynopsisCarolyn’s parents did not, after all, make genomics history by synthesizing her genome in a lab. She has known she is the "Human Hoax" ever since a high school genetics exercise revealed she has trisomy X—a chromosomal abnormality—yet no synthetically constructed genome would have such clear traces of natural conception. Many years later, as molecular biologist, she hopes her colleagues never learn of her embarrassing origins. But when someone ransacks her office and lab, she finds professional embarrassment is the least of her worries. Someone believes she has the results of her parents’ last, secret experiments, and is willing to kill to get them. But all she has from her parents are their genes—can she find what else they may have left her before somebody else does? In a not-so-distant society, where corporations wield as much power as nations and the line between corporate employee and state authority is blurred, the chase is on. Carolyn may have just too little time at hand to unravel the mystery of her parents’ final days and to realize the deep consequences for the future of mankind. This fast-paced novel is followed by an extensive science chapter where the author provides a non-technical primer on modern genetics and on the speculative biology behind Carolyn’s code. Table of ContentsPart I The Scientific Novel - A Code for Carolyn: A Genomic Thriller.- Part II The Science behind the Fiction - The Biology Behind Carolyn’s Code

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Book SynopsisWritten with biologists, biochemists and other molecular scientists in mind, this volume meets the long-felt need for a textbook dedicated to the topic and recreates the excitement surrounding the scientific revolution sparked by the discovery of RNA interference in 1998. Students and instructors alike will profit from the author's exclusive first-hand knowledge, drawing on his breakthrough discoveries at the Tuschl lab at Rockefeller University. Gunter Meister abandons the traditionalist treatment of nucleic acids found in most biochemistry and molecular biology texts, adopting instead a modern approach in both concept and scope. The text is divided into three parts, on mRNA, non-coding RNA, and RNomics, and the author addresses the traditional roles of RNA in the transmission and regulation of genetic information, as well as the recently discovered functions of small RNA species in pathogen defense, cell differentiation and higher-level genomic regulation. All set to become the standard for teaching molecular science to biologists and biochemists.Trade Review"In summary, Gunter Meister has compiled a most timely textbook that gives an excellent overview of the fundamental biological role of RNA molecules. The book is a valuable resource of information for anyone interested in RNA biology. Its content goes well beyond the scope of standard molecular biology or biochemistry textbooks." (ChemMedChem, 2011) "Meister (biochemistry, U. of Regensburg, Germany) covers RNA biology comprehensively without getting into mechanistic detail, to provide an introduction for undergraduate students of all life sciences. Chapter-end references point to fuller treatments for students who are interested." (Book News, 1 October 2011) Table of ContentsPreface xv Part One mRNA Biology 1 1 Introduction 3 1.1 RNA Building Blocks 4 1.2 RNA Folding 6 1.3 The RNA World Hypothesis 10 1.4 Functions of RNA 11 1.5 Protein Classes that are Required for RNA Function 12 1.5.1 RNA Binding Proteins 12 1.5.1.1 Proteins that Interact with Single Stranded RNAs 12 1.5.1.2 Proteins that Interact with Double Stranded RNAs 14 1.5.2 RNA Helicases 14 References 15 2 Transcription of Pre-mRNAs 17 2.1 Structure and Organization of Protein Coding Genes 18 2.2 Transcription of Mrnas by Rna Polymerase II 20 2.2.1 Transcriptional Initiation of Protein Coding Genes 23 2.2.2 Regulation of Transcriptional Initiation of Rna Polymerase II 27 2.2.3 Transition from Preinitiation to Initiation and Promoter Clearance 27 2.2.4 Productive Elongation of mRNA Transcripts 29 2.2.4.1 The Nucleotide Addition Cycle (NAC) 29 2.2.4.2 Protein Factors that Influence Pol II Elongation 30 2.3 Transcriptional Termination of Pre-mRNAs 31 2.4 Transcription is Coupled to Other mRNA Maturation Steps 32 2.5 Summary 34 References 35 3 Capping of the Pre-mRNA 5 0 End 37 3.1 m 7 G-cap Structure 37 3.2 mRNA Capping Enzymes 39 3.2.1 RNA Triphosphatase 39 3.2.2 Guanylyltransferase 39 3.2.3 Guanine-N7-Methyltransferase 40 3.3 5 0 Capping is Coupled to Transcription 41 3.4 5 0 Cap Binding Proteins 41 3.5 Summary 42 References 43 4 3 0 End Processing of Pre-mRNAs 45 4.1 Polyadenylation Signals 46 4.2 Proteins Involved in 3 0 End Processing of Pre-mRNAs 47 4.2.1 Cleavage and Polyadenylation Specific Factor (CPSF) 47 4.2.2 Cleavage Stimulation Factor (CstF) 47 4.2.3 Mammalian Cleavage Factor I (CFI m) and II (CFII m) 48 4.2.4 The Poly(A) Polymerase (PAP) 49 4.2.5 Poly(A)-Binding Protein (PABP) 50 4.2.6 Symplekin 51 4.3 3 0 End Processing is Tightly Linked to Transcriptional Termination 51 4.4 Alternative Polyadenylation 51 4.5 Cytoplasmic Polyadenylation 53 4.6 3 0 End Processing of Histone mRNAs 54 4.7 Summary 56 References 57 5 Splicing of Eukaryotic Pre-mRNAs 59 5.1 Group I, II and III Introns 59 5.1.1 Group I Introns 59 5.1.2 Group II Introns 61 5.1.3 Group III Introns 61 5.2 The Mechanism of pre-mRNA Splicing 61 5.3 The Spliceosome 62 5.4 The U12-Dependent Minor Spliceosome 66 5.5 Coupling of Splicing with Transcription and 5 0 Capping 67 5.6 Alternative Splicing and the Complexity of Genomes 68 5.6.1 Mechanisms of Exon Inclusion into the Mature mRNA 69 5.6.2 Mechanism of Exon Exclusion from the Mature mRNA 70 5.7 Summary 70 5.8 Questions 71 References 72 6 mRNA Export from the Nucleus to the Cytoplasm 73 6.1 Nuclear Import and Nuclear Export 73 6.2 mRNA Export Receptors 75 6.3 Adaptors that Bridge mRNAs with Export Receptors 78 6.4 Mechanism of mRNA Export 78 6.5 Coupling of mRNP Export to Other Steps of mRNA Maturation 80 6.6 Summary 80 6.7 Questions 81 References 81 7 Translation 83 7.1 Amino Acids, mRNAs, tRNAs 83 7.1.1 mRNA 83 7.1.2 Amino Acids 84 7.1.3 Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) 86 7.1.4 Loading Amino Acids onto tRNAs 87 7.2 The Ribosome 89 7.3 The Mechanisms of Translation 90 7.3.1 Translation Initiation 90 7.3.1.1 Eukaryotes 90 7.3.1.2 Bacteria 93 7.3.1.3 Archaea 96 7.3.1.4 Internal Ribosome Entry Sites (IRESs) 96 7.3.2 Elongation 97 7.3.2.1 Polyribosomes 97 7.3.3 Termination 99 7.3.4 Recycling of the Ribosome 100 7.4 Translational Regulation 100 7.4.1 Regulation of Translation Initiation 100 7.4.2 Regulation of Translation Elongation and Termination 103 7.5 Coupling Translation with Other mRNA Maturation and Quality Control Steps 103 7.6 Summary 104 7.7 Questions 105 References 106 8 Deadenylation of mRNA 107 8.1 Deadenylating Enzymes 107 8.1.1 Poly(A) Nuclease 107 8.1.2 CCR4-NOT Complex 108 8.1.3 Poly(A) Ribonuclease 108 8.1.4 Other Deadenylases 110 8.2 Summary 111 8.3 Questions 111 References 112 9 mRNA Decapping 113 9.1 Decapping Enzymes are the Core of the mRNA Decapping Machinery 113 9.2 Scavenger Decapping Enzyme DcpS 115 9.3 Regulation of mRNA Decapping 115 9.3.1 Inhibitors of Decapping 115 9.3.2 Enhancers of Decapping 116 9.4 Intracellular Localization of mRNA Decapping 117 9.5 Summary 118 9.6 Questions 119 References 119 10 mRNA Decay Pathways 121 10.1 Deadenylation-Dependent mRNA Decay 122 10.1.1 The 5 0 to 3 0 Exoribonuclease Xrn 1 122 10.1.2 The Exosome 122 10.1.2.1 Structural Organization of the Exosome 125 10.1.2.2 Mechanism of Exosome-Mediated RNA Degradation 125 10.1.2.3 Regulation of Exosome Activity 126 10.2 Deadenylation-Independent mRNA Decay 127 10.3 Endoribonuclease-Mediated mRNA Decay 128 10.3.1 Eukaryotic Endoribonucleases 129 10.4 Regulation of mRNA Decay 131 10.5 RNA Degradation in Bacteria 131 10.6 Summary 133 10.7 Questions 134 References 135 11 mRNA Quality Control 137 11.1 Nuclear mRNA Quality Control Mechanisms 137 11.1.1 MRNP Retention at the Transcription Site 138 11.1.2 MRNP Quality Control at the Nuclear Pore Complex 138 11.2 Nonsense-Mediated mRNA Decay (NMD) 138 11.2.1 Protein Factors Required for NMD 139 11.2.1.1 UPF Proteins 139 11.2.1.2 The Exon–Exon–Junction Complex (EJC) and Nmd 140 11.2.1.3 SMG Proteins and the Phosphorylation of UPF 1 141 11.2.2 Mechanism of NMD in Mammals 142 11.2.3 Cytoplasmic Processing Bodies and NMD 143 11.2.4 Mechanism of NMD in Yeast and Flies 144 11.2.5 mRNA Degradation Pathways in NMD 146 11.3 Other mRNA Quality Control Pathways 146 11.3.1 Non-Stop mRNA Degradation 146 11.3.2 No-Go mRNA Decay (NGD) 148 11.4 Summary 148 11.5 Questions 149 References 149 Part Two Non-Coding RNA Biology 151 12 Ribosomal RNAs and the Biogenesis of Ribosomes 153 12.1 Genomic Organization of Ribosomal RNA Genes 153 12.1.1 Bacteria and Archaea 153 12.1.2 Eukaryotes 155 12.1.2.1 28S, 18S and 5.8S rRNAs 155 12.1.2.2 5S rRNA 156 12.2 Transcription of Ribosomal RNA Genes 157 12.2.1 RNA Polymerase I 157 12.2.1.1 Initiation of Pol I Transcription 158 12.2.1.2 Promoter Clearance, Transcript Elongation and Termination of Pol I Transcription 160 12.2.1.3 Regulation of RNA Polymerase I Transcription 161 12.2.2 RNA Polymerase III and the Transcription of the 5S rRNA 162 12.2.2.1 Pol III Promoters 163 12.2.2.2 Transcription Initiation and Elongation of Rna Polymerase III 165 12.2.2.3 Initiation of Type 3 Promoters 167 12.2.2.4 Termination and Re-Initiation 168 12.3 Maturation of rRNAs 169 12.3.1 Small Nucleolar RNAs are Required for Pre-rRNA Processing 170 12.4 Assembly of Ribosomal Subunits 172 12.5 Nuclear Export of Ribosomal Subunits 174 12.6 Modification, Structure and Function of rRNAs 175 12.7 Summary 178 12.8 Questions 179 References 180 13 Transfer RNAs 183 13.1 Genomic Organization and Transcription of tRNA Genes 183 13.2 Processing to Mature tRNAs 184 13.2.1 5 0 Maturation of tRNAs by the RNase P Enzyme Complex 184 13.2.2 3 0 End Maturation of tRNAs 186 13.2.3 tRNA Splicing 188 13.3 tRNA Modifications 191 13.4 Nuclear Export of tRNAs 193 13.5 Tertiary Structure of tRNAs 194 13.6 Summary 196 References 197 14 The 7SL RNA and the Signal Recognition Particle 199 14.1 Architecture of the SRP 199 14.1.1 The SRP RNA 199 14.1.2 Protein Components of the SRP 201 14.1.2.1 Eukaryotes 201 14.1.2.2 Archaea and Bacteria 203 14.2 SRP-Mediated Protein Translocation 204 14.3 Summary 206 References 208 15 Regulation of Transcription: the 7SK Small Nuclear RNA 209 15.1 Architecture of the 7SK snRNA 209 15.1.1 The 7SK snRNA 209 15.1.2 Protein Components of the 7SK snRNP 210 15.2 The 7SK snRNP Functions as Transcriptional Regulator 212 15.2.1 P-TEFb Function in Transcription 212 15.2.2 Repression of P-TEFb by the 7SK snRNP 214 15.3 Other Small Non-Coding RNAs that Interfere with Transcription 214 15.3.1 The 6S RNA in Bacteria 214 15.3.2 Alu, B1 and B2 Non-Coding RNAs in Mammals 215 15.4 Summary 215 References 216 16 Small Nucleolar RNAs 217 16.1 Genomic Organization and snoRNA Transcription 217 16.2 Box H/ACA snoRNAs 218 16.3 Box C/D snoRNAs 221 16.4 Maturation of Functional snoRNPs 223 16.5 Orphan snoRNAs 224 16.6 The Telomerase RNP 226 16.7 Summary 227 References 228 17 Spliceosomal Small Nuclear RNAs 229 17.1 Transcription and Maturation of Spliceosomal snRNAs 229 17.1.1 Transcription of Spliceosomal snRNAs 229 17.1.2 snRNA Maturation 230 17.1.3 SnRNA Export to the Cytoplasm 231 17.2 The Structure of UsnRNPs 232 17.2.1 Secondary Structure of Spliceosomal snRNAs 232 17.2.2 Protein Composition of UsnRNPs 233 17.2.2.1 The Sm/LSm Core Structure 233 17.2.2.2 UsnRNP-Specific Proteins 235 17.3 Assembly of Spliceosomal snRNPs 237 17.3.1 Cytoplasmic Assembly of the Sm Core Domain 237 17.3.2 Formation of the Tri-Methyl Guanine Cap 240 17.3.3 Import of Assembled UsnRNPs into the Nucleus 241 17.4 Summary 242 17.5 Questions 243 References 244 18 Small Non-Coding RNAs and the Mechanism of Gene Silencing 245 18.1 Short Interfering RNAs and the Mechanism of RNA Interference 245 18.2 Dicer 248 18.3 RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerases 248 18.4 Argonaute Proteins 251 18.5 microRNAs and the Regulation of Gene Expression 251 18.5.1 MiRNA Biogenesis 251 18.5.2 Non-Canonical miRNA Biogenesis Pathways 253 18.5.3 miRNA Functions 255 18.5.3.1 miRNAs Can Act as siRNAs 255 18.5.3.2 miRNAs Inhibit Translation 255 18.5.3.3 miRNAs Induce Deadenylation and mRNA Decay 256 18.6 PiRNAs and the Regulation of Mobile Genetic Elements in the Germ Line 257 18.6.1 Transposons as Driving Force Behind Evolution 258 18.6.2 PiRNAs Control Transposon Expression 259 18.7 Small RNAs with Functions in Chromatin Regulation 261 18.8 The CRISPR System – A Bacterial and Archaeal Defense Mechanism 263 18.8.1 The CRISPR Locus 263 18.8.2 Acquisition of CRISPR-Mediated Resistance 264 18.8.3 Mechanism of CRISPR Activity 265 18.9 Summary 266 References 269 19 Long Non-Coding RNAs 271 19.1 The XIST Non-Coding RNA and X Chromosome Inactivation 271 19.1.1 The X-Chromosome Inactivation Center (XIC) 272 19.1.2 the Xist Non-coding Rna and the Mechanism of X Inactivation 272 19.1.3 Regulation of XIST Function 274 19.2 Dosage Compensation in Flies 275 19.3 Non-Coding RNAs and the Regulation of Imprinting 276 19.4 The Regulation of HOX Genes by Long Non-Coding RNAs 278 19.5 Long non-Coding RNAs are Common in Complex Genomes 278 19.6 Summary 278 References 280 20 RNA Editing 281 20.1 RNA Editing by U Insertions or Deletions 281 20.1.1 Mechanisms of U Insertions or Deletions 282 20.2 RNA Editing by Base Modification 283 20.2.1 c to U conversion 284 20.2.2 Adenine to Inosine Editing 286 20.2.2.1 Adenosine Deaminase Acting on RNA 287 20.2.2.2 Editing Site Selectivity 288 20.2.2.3 Biological Consequences of A to I Conversions 288 20.3 Summary 290 References 291 21 Ribozymes – Catalytic RNA Molecules 293 21.1 Identification of Catalytic RNAs 293 21.2 Mechanisms and Secondary Structures of Different Ribozymes 294 21.2.1 Group I Introns 294 21.2.2 RNase P 295 21.2.3 The Diels–Alderase Ribozyme 296 21.2.4 Hammerhead Ribozymes 298 21.2.5 The glmS Ribozyme 298 21.3 Summary 300 References 301 22 Riboswitches and RNA Sensors 303 22.1 Mechanisms of Riboswitch Function 303 22.2 Riboswitch Structures 305 22.3 RNA Thermometers 305 22.4 Summary 307 References 308 23 RNomics 309 23.1 ‘‘Omics’’ Approaches 309 23.2 Experimental RNA Profiling Strategies 310 23.2.1 Northern Blotting 310 23.2.2 Microarray 311 23.2.3 Quantitative PCR 313 23.2.4 RNA Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization 314 23.2.5 Next Generation Sequencing 314 23.3 RNA Biology and the Complexity of Genomes 315 23.4 Summary 315 References 318 Appendix: Answers to Questions 319 Index 355

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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

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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

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Book SynopsisAwaken your DNA for personal healing and spiritual transformation

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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Book SynopsisTable of Contents 1. Introduction to Genetics 2. Mitosis and Meiosis 3. Mendelian Genetics 4. Modification of Mendelian Ratios 5. Sex Determination and Sex Chromosomes 6. Chromosome Mutations: Variation in Number and Arrangement 7. Linkage and Chromosome Mapping in Eukaryotes 8. Genetic Analysis and Mapping in Bacteria and Bacteriophages 9. DNA Structure and Analysis 10. DNA Replication 11. Chromosome Structure and DNA Sequence Organization 12. The Genetic Code and Transcription 13. Translation and Proteins 14. Gene Mutation, DNA Repair, and Transposition 15. Regulation of Gene Expression in Bacteria 16. Regulation of Gene Expression in Eukaryotes 17. Recombinant DNA Technology 18. Genomics, Bioinformatics, and Proteomics 19. The Genetics of Cancer 20. Quantitative Genetics and Multifactorial Traits 21. Population and Evolutionary Genetics

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Book SynopsisAn engaging and original history of the first hundred years of DNA, one of the greatest triumphs of modern science.Trade ReviewGareth Williams, the former dean of medicine at Bristol University, has woven a truly superb narrative from short biographies of all the scientists who contributed to, and in some cases just missed out on, the epochal discovery that the secret of life is a digital linear code written on DNA ... By choosing to fill in the gaps in conventional accounts, Williams has done a good job of telling the whole story of science's greatest discovery. He has done it with fluency and a real feel for narrative -- Matt Ridley * The Times *This is a FANTASTIC book -- Professor Alice Roberts via Twitter (@theAliceRoberts)...a riveting good read...Not only did I find it hard to put down, I'm now moved to seek out other science histories by Williams. Highly recommended. * CHEMISTRY WORLD *

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Book SynopsisThis comprehensive book highlights the importance of Cyanidioschyzon merolae (C. merolae), an ultrasmall unicellular red alga, as a model eukaryote organism. The chapters introduce recent studies on C. merolae, from culture, synchronization and isolation methods of nucleic acids, proteins and organelles for molecular biological and cytological analyses, as well as its application in genetic engineering of environmental-stress-tolerant crops and oil production. In addition to discussing recent advances based on the complete genome information and molecular biological techniques such as genetic modifications and bioinformatics, the book includes visualization aids demonstrating that both classical and recent imaging techniques of fluorescent and electron microscopy can be applied to analyses of C. merolae. This publication offers a definitive resource for both beginners and professionals studying C. merolae, particularly in the field of molecular biology, evolutionary biology, morphology, biochemistry and cell biology, as well as those interested in its applications in medical sciences and agriculture.Table of Contents

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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

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Book SynopsisA cutting-edge examination of what it means to be human and to have a ''self'' in the face of new scientific developments in genetic editing, cloning and neural downloading.After seeing his own cells used to grow clumps of new neurons essentially mini-brains Philip Ball begins to examine the concepts of identity and consciousness. Delving into humanity''s deep evolutionary past to look at how complex creatures like us emerged from single-celled life, he offers a new perspective on how humans think about ourselves.In an age when we are increasingly encouraged to regard the ''self'' as an abstract sequence of genetic information, or as a pattern of neural activity that might be ''downloaded'' to a computer, he return us to the body to flesh and blood and anchors a conception of personhood in this unique and ephemeral mortal coil. How to Build a Human brings us back to ourselves but in doing so, it challenges old preconceptions and values. It asks us to rethink how we exist in the woTrade ReviewPraise for How to Grow a Human‘This is a deeply engaging crash course. Ball’s description of cellular organelles and their functions, in particular, is an impressive feat. And his sense of wonder at biological processes is palpable: passages on the intricacies of cell plasticity had me (with my doctorate in molecular biology) exclaiming, “That is incredible!”’Nature ‘Philip Ball weaves a compelling story of bodily creation … Highly readable and impeccably informed by research, How to Grow a Human revels in scientific possibility and confronts the social and ethical implications, while intelligently acknowledging what is as yet unknown’ The Lancet ‘[This] winding romp through advances in cell biology pushes readers to ponder the boundaries of life … The book offers a provocative, meandering take on the progression of groundbreaking biotechnological capabilities … absorbing ambitious and expansive … Ball’s look at the state of human-facing cutting edge bioscience is a thought-provoking read’ Science Praise for Philip Ball'Ball's book towers above the competition with its erudition, balance, and attention to detail… This is the most accessible, comprehensive, and provocative investigation of the science of music – and its limits – yet to be written.'Globe and Mail 'Excellent, smartly written'Financial Times ‘Ball is an exceptionally talented writer who manages to combine accessibility and thoroughness in razor-sharp prose’ Physics World 'Lucid and impressive'Prospect

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Book SynopsisDunbar takes readers through the theory of evolution and provides readers with answers to popular questions surrounding Darwin's original theory and how it has impacted science today.Trade ReviewThis is an enjoyable, well-written book packed with interesting facts and theories about evolutionary processes and history. * Richard A. Richards, The Quarterly Review of Biology *Table of ContentsChapter 1: Evolution by Natural Selection Chapter 2: Adaptation and Speciation Chapter 3: Genetics and the Mechanisms of Transmission Chapter 4: Viruses, Slime Moulds, and the Origins of Life and Sex Chapter 5: Individuals and Species Chapter 6: Human Evolution Chapter 7: Evolution and Human Behavior Chapter 8: Cultural Evolution

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Book SynopsisA new history of mankind's evolutionTrade Review"'Fizzing with recent research and new theories.' Sunday Times A wonderfully readable, up-to-the-minute account of human evolution that has completely superseded The Naked Ape, by 'one of the most respected evolutionary psychologists in Britain.' Guardian 'Deserves its place at the high table [of popular science]... This important, accessible book also leaves us with a sobering message: we might be different, but that doesn't make us better.' Jack magazine 'Punchy and provocative... This isn't a book of facts and figures; it is one of ideas. Dunbar certainly delivers, whether it is about why we have religion, how evolving language went through a musical phase, or how we avoid having sex with people by making them laugh.' New Scientist 'Should be required reading for all humans' Herald"

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Book SynopsisMarianne Taylor has a BSc in Psychology from Sheffield University and worked in publishing for several years before following her passion for natural history and starting to write about it. Today she is a naturalist, photographer and illustrator, and the author of more than 30 books on natural history, including The Story of Life in 101/2 Chapters, The Way of the Hare, Tracking the Highland Tiger, RSPB British Birds of Prey. For Arcturus her other books include Discovering the Animal Kingdom, Discovering the Prehistoric World and Discovering the Microscopic World.

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Book SynopsisGenetics in Minutes is your compact and accessible guide to the central concepts of the science of genetics, revealing how our genes shape our bodies and our lives, and how in turn we are beginning to shape them. Covering the basics of DNA, inheritance and evolution in animals, plants and humans alike - from the origins and development of life to the Human Genome and designer babies - this is the fastest, fullest path to understanding genetics. Contents include Genes, DNA, Natural selection, Darwinism, Stem cell and gene therapies, Evo-devo, Epigenetics, Cloning, Genetic engineering and Artificial life, as well as biology basics such as the Processes of life, Cells, Sex, Classification and Ecology.

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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. What makes us who we are? In February 2001 it was announced that the genome contains not 100,000 genes as originally expected but only 30,000. This startling revision led some scientists to conclude that there are simply not enough human genes to account for all the different ways people behave: we must be made by nurture, not nature. Matt Ridley argues that the emerging truth is far more interesting than this myth. Nurture depends on genes, too, and genes need nurture. Genes not only predetermine the broad structure of the brain; they also absorb formative experiences, react to social cues and even run memory. They are consequences as well as causes of the will. Published fifty years after the discovery of the double helix of DNA, Nature via Nurture chronicles a new revolution in our understanding of genes. Ridley recounts the hundred years' war between the partisans of nature and nurture to explain how this paradoxical creature, the human being, can be simultaneously free-willed and motivated by instinct and culture. Nature via Nurture is an enthralling, up-to-the-minute account of how genes build brains to absorb experience.Trade Review‘This clever and ambitious book is full of novel insights and reflections.’ James Le Fanu, Sunday Telegraph ‘Ridley belongs to the coterie that truly pushes science forward and brings it within the broader purlieus of “culture”. Nature via Nurture is another fine contribution to an already outstanding oeuvre.’ Colin Tudge, Independent Magazine ‘An unrivalled view of cutting-edge research into the roots of human behaviour.’ Clive Cookson, Financial Times ‘A balanced, entertaining gallop through the world of environmental influences and genetic impulses.’ Robin McKie, Observer ‘Eminently readable.’ Dylan Evans, Evening Standard ‘Profoundly intelligent and persuasive.’ John Cornwell, Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisFull of fascinating and bizarre cases of genetic mutation and irregularity, ‘Mutants’ is an amazing exploration of the human form in all its beautiful and unique guises.Trade Review‘Armand Leroi combines meticulous historical research, brand-new genetic understanding and consummate skill with words to tell an absorbing tale.’ Matt Ridley, author of ‘Genome’ and ‘Nature Via Nurture’ ‘Erudite, gracefully crafted…Enriching his observations and insights with examples drawn from science, medicine, history, philosophy and the arts, Leroi lifts us to a profound sense of wonder.’ Sunday Times ‘Poetic, philosophical, profound, witty and challenging.’ Guardian ‘“Mutants” thrills and repels and informs us of the delicacy and wonder of growth and development. It is written with great grace.’ Richard Fortey, author of ‘The Earth’ ‘Leroi writes beautifully, charging his case histories with drama and pathos.’ Time Out ‘Dr Leroi’s book is genuinely instructive and enlightening, a brilliant admixture of curious historical anecdote and up-to-date science, written in excellent and often elegant prose.’ Spectator

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Book SynopsisThe third edition of this established textbook provides an updated and comprehensive overview of the essential background, concepts, and tools required to understand how genetics can be used to conserve species, reduce threat of extinction, and manage species of ecological or commercial importance.Trade ReviewThis textbook is foremost a great reference for upper level undergraduate or graduate courses, as well as a good go-to reference for conservation genetic professionals. As a teaching resource, the plentiful boxes and guest boxes that present recent literature and contextual examples provide great platforms for student discussion and improved comprehension. * S.J. Galla et al., Conservation Genetics *The book nicely complements the theory with real-world examples and provides important background reading, which I would recommend to each student starting a conservation genomics project. Informed conservationists will also benefit from the overview on what is possible with today's technologies. The authors did an excellent job in summarizing the recent developments and included the most recent discussion in the literature. * G. Segelbacher, Evolutionary Applications *This book provides a solid background on theory and concepts and demonstrates how they underpin the interpretation of genomic data. This is a strength that will see this book stay as one of the few key textbooks in conservation genetics in the future. It is straight to the point and ideal for those coming to grips with the world of conservation genomics. * L.E. Neaves, Biodiversity and Conservation *This book provides conservation biologists with an ideal way to get acquainted with evolutionary genetics and the use of genomics in conservation science. It will help readers gain insightful understanding of the theory of population genetics that underpins conservation genetics. The study of conservation genetics and genomics is assisted by a comprehensive glossary, which even sheds light on such unusual terms as gnomics! If you are using or planning to use a genomic approach in conservation, go for this edition; it will be invaluable. * G. Sramkó, Conservation Biology *Table of ContentsPreface PART I: INTRODUCTION 1: Introduction 2: Phenotypic Variation in Natural Populations 3: Genetic Variation in Natural Populations 4: Population Genomics PART II: MECHANISMS OF EVOLUTIONARY CHANGE 5: Random Mating Populations: Hardy-Weinberg Principle 6: Small Populations and Genetic Drift 7: Effective Population Size 8: Natural Selection 9: Population Subdivision 10: Beyond Individual Loci 11: Quantitative Genetics 12: Mutation PART III: EVOLUTIONARY RESPONSE TO ANTHROPOGENIC CHANGES 13: Hybridization 14: Invasive Species 15: Exploited Populations 16: Climate Change PART IV: CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT 17: Inbreeding Depression 18: Demography and Extinction 19: Population Connectivity 20: Units of Conservation 21: Conservation Breeding and Restoration 22: Genetic Identification 23: Genetic Monitoring 24: guest chapter author Helen R. Taylor: Conservation Genetics in Practice Glossary COMPANION WEBSITE MATERIALS (Available at www.oup.com/companion/AllendorfCGP3e ) Appendix: Probability, Statistics, and Coding References

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisThis classic text continues to provide the basis for understanding genetic principles behind quantitative differences, and extends these concepts to the segregation of genes that cause genetic variation in quantitative traits.Table of Contents Genetics Constitution of a Population Changes of Gene Frequency Small Populations: I Changes of Gene Frequency Under Simplified Conditions Small Populations: II Less Simplified Conditions Small Populations: III Pedigreed Populations and Close Inbreeding Continuous Variation Values and Means Variance Resemblance Between Relatives Heritability Selection: I The Results of Experiments Selection: III Information from Relatives Inbreeding and Crossbreeding: I Changes of Mean Value Inbreeding and Crossbreeding: II Changes of Variance Inbreeding and Crossbreeding: III Applications Scale Threshold Characters Correlated Characters Metric Characters under Natural Selection Quantitative Trait Loci

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisLearning and Behavior reviews how people and animals learn and how their behaviors are changed because of learning. It describes the most important principles, theories, controversies, and experiments that pertain to learning and behavior that are applicable to diverse species and different learning situations. Both classic studies and recent trends and developments are explored, providing a comprehensive survey of the field. Although the behavioral approach is emphasized, many cognitive theories are covered as well, along with a chapter on comparative cognition. Real-world examples and analogies make the concepts and theories more concrete and relevant to students. In addition, most chapters provide examples of how the principles covered have been employed in applied and clinical behavior analysis. The text proceeds from the simple to the complex. The initial chapters introduce the behavioral, cognitive, and neurophysiological approaches to learning. Later chapters give extensive coveTable of Contents1. History, Background, and Basic Concepts 2. Innate Behavior Patterns and Habituation 3. Basic Principles of Classical Conditioning 4. Theories and Research on Classical Conditioning 5. Basic Principles of Operant Conditioning 6. Reinforcement Schedules: Experimental Analyses and Applications 7. Avoidance and Punishment 8. Theories and Research on Operant Conditioning 9. Stimulus Control and Concept Learning 10. Comparative Cognition 11. Observational Learning and Motor Skills 12. Choice

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Book Synopsis''An epic travelogue, brimming with the excitement of discovery. With characteristic panache, Venter unveils the teeming array of bacteria, viruses, and eukaryotes that crowd our planet''s oceans'' - Siddhartha Mukherjee''This page-turner gives . . . the thrill of seeing our planet''s largest universe through the brilliant, intrepid eyes of the scientist who has done more than anyone to unlock the secrets of life'' - Martine Rothblatt''A tour de force . . . Venter has expanded biology''s horizons. This book explores microbial life on a global scale, providing cutting-edge solutions to problems of environmental change'' - Aristides Patrinos''A ripping tale . . . to revolutionize our understanding of our bodies, the oceans, and the planet'' - Jack Gilbert''An exhilarating account of how creative science is accomplished'' - Sir Richard J. Roberts''[A] fascinating tour of Planet Microbe'' - Bill McKibbenTrade ReviewWriting with award-winning science journalist Duncan, Venter presents a lively account of a groundbreaking exploration of the microbiome of the Earth's waters...Important and adventurous science on the high seas. * Kirkus Reviews *An epic travelogue, brimming with the excitement of discovery. With characteristic panache, Venter unveils the teeming array of bacteria, viruses, and eukaryotes that crowd our planet's oceans. His research will undoubtedly shape our understanding of the global ecosystem for decades to come. -- Siddhartha Mukherjee, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of * The Emperor of All Maladies *An exhilarating account of how creative science is accomplished. Few would guess just how many microbes live with us and how much they contribute to human health, both directly in our bodies and by making sure the air we breathe supports life. I have always loved bacteria, but after reading this I have an enhanced appreciation of their value to life on this planet. I highly recommend it. -- Sir Richard J. Roberts, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or MedicineThe Voyage of Sorcerer II combines panoramic linguistic imagery with trenchant scientific insights to provide the reader a virtual seat aboard the most important ship of discovery since Darwin's Beagle. Venter reveals to us why Earth should be called 'Water' and why the ocean's microscopic life is our deepest and most magical reservoir of genetic diversity. This page-turner gives each of us the thrill of seeing our planet's largest universe through the brilliant, intrepid eyes of the scientist who has done more than anyone to unlock the secrets of life. -- Martine Rothblatt, founder and CEO, United TherapeuticsA tour de force. Following in the paths of the Beagle and the Challenger, Venter has expanded biology's horizons. This book explores microbial life on a global scale, providing cutting-edge solutions to problems of environmental change. -- Aristides Patrinos, Chief Scientist and Director of Research, NOVIMA fascinating inside look at Venter's historic expeditions that makes the experiences, the analysis, and the transformative discoveries come alive. -- Margaret Leinen, Director, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San DiegoWe humans may think we are the most important species on Earth, but we're actually just bit players in a far broader and more complex microbial world. In this exciting journey into that deeper world, Venter and Duncan expand our scope of what it means to be alive. -- Jamie Metzl, author of * Hacking Darwin: Genetic Engineering and the Future of Humanity *A ripping tale of how a sailing adventure and science can be combined to revolutionize our understanding of our bodies, the oceans, and the planet. -- Jack Gilbert, Associate Vice Chancellor for Marine Science and Director of the Microbiome and Metagenomics Center, UC San Diego School of Medicine

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Book SynopsisThis popular textbook, now in its third edition, provides a theoretical framework for understanding why cancers arise, how they develop and how they can be treated.Particular attention is devoted to the origins of cancer and the application of evolutionary theory to explain how mutant cell populations tend to expand and spread. Focused on the genes and signaling pathways involved in the most common tumors, Principles of Cancer Genetics is a highly readable account that will be of interest to anyone who would like to attain a basic understanding of cancer biology. Students who have completed introductory coursework in genetics, biology and biochemistry, medical students and medical house staff will find this book to be a useful starting point toward mastery of this complex but fascinating topic. This updated edition delves into the critical interactions between growing tumors and the immune system, and introduces the concepts of T cell activation, immunoediting and immune evasion. Novel strategies for cancer diagnosis and prognosis, including new roles for next-generation sequencing and liquid biopsies, as well as established and emerging therapeutic modalities are now described in detail.For laypersons, students and researchers in other fields with a general interest in cancer, this book provides an accessible overview, enriched with many easy-to-understand illustrations. For advanced students considering future study in the field of oncology and cancer research, this concise book is a useful guide to the basic principles that underlie our understanding of cancer.Table of Contentssee attachment

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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 *

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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.

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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

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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

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