Analysis of Genes and Genomes

By Richard J. Reece

Book Overview

This beautifully illustrated textbook provides a clear guide to the tools and techniques of genetic engineering, gene cloning and molecular biology. All aspects of genetic engineering in the post-genomic era are covered, beginning with the basics of DNA structure and DNA metabolism. Using an example-driven approach, the fundamentals of creating mutations in DNA, cloning in bacteria, yeast, plants and animals are all clearly presented.

Strong emphasis is placed on the latest, post genomic technologies including DNA macro and microarrays, genome-wide two hybrid analysis, proteomics and bioinformatics.

A modern post-genome era introduction to key techniques used in genetic engineering. An example driven past-to-present approach to allow the experiments of today to be placed in an historical context The book is beautifully illustrated in full-colour throughout. Associated website including updates, additional content and illusions

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0470843802
• ISBN13: 9780470843802
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Wiley
• Length: 496 Pages
• Weight: 2.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.3" x 9.7"

Customer Reviews

Good book and quick arrival

The book arrived in days as they specified. The book is good and easy to follow.

Does its job well

The twenty-first century has rightfully been called the "age of biology", and draws on the laboratory techniques developed in the last half of the twentieth century. The advent of commercial products, medicines, and foodstuffs using the techniques of genetic engineering has resulted in an explosion of books and monographs that attempt, and usually succeed, in explaining these techniques to students and also to those curious about them. Compared to most of these books, this one gives a fairly rapid overview of the subject of genetic analysis and genetic engineering, but one can still gain a deep appreciation of the subject by its study. Many useful diagrams appear in the book, and the author gives useful summaries at the beginning of each chapter. This reviewer only read the last three chapters of the book, so this review will be confined to these. The genetic engineering of plants is covered in chapter 11 of this book. This has become a very contentious topic of late, due to the perceived dangers of genetically modified crops. The author recommends, rightfully, that the potentially adverse side effects of these crops should be studied via careful experimentation. Genetically modified crops have been a contentious issue in the last few years, and the debate concerning their use and consumption has reached a level of vitriol that goes beyond all measurable bounds. This chapter puts the subject on a clear scientific foundation and readers who are interested in genuine scientific understanding of the genetic engineering of plants will benefit greatly from its perusal. Why is it so difficult to get a foreign gene to be expressed in a mammalian cell in which it is inserted? This question is of great interest in biotechnology and is discussed in chapter 12 of the book. Another one of the more interesting topics in this chapter regards the existence of `immortalized' cells, which continue to divide even after being cultured. Two examples are mentioned, the HeLa cells derived from a woman who died of cervical cancer in 1951, and Chinese hamster ovary cells. Programmed cell death or `apoptosis' has been the subject of intense research in recent years, due to its importance in the curing of cancer. The author emphasizes the extreme difficulties involved in obtaining stable transfection in animal cell lines, and discusses several methods to make it more efficient. The author continues the discussion of the genetic engineering of animals in chapter 13, after first reviewing some elementary embryology. This chapter is of particular interest to those readers who are interested in understanding the science behind stem cell research. First discussed is the production of transgenic animals using pronuclear injection. The author points out some of the consequences of this technique brought out by experiments with laboratory mice. One of these is the high concentration of growth hormone mRNA in their livers and growth hormone in their serum, resulting in m