IRL Press – förlag

Fermentation is important in the areas of both academic and industrial research. This book is a collection of methods and techniques covering the setting up and use of fermentation units. The emphasis is on the use of small-scale fermenters and the interdisciplinary nature of fermentation itself. As well as being of widespread interest to academic researchers, this technology has many important industrial applications, as evidenced by the affiliations of the authors (Hoechst, ICI, and Beecham Pharmaceuticals).

The most common aim of a biosensor is to produce a signal proportional in strength or frequency to the concentration of chemical or biochemical to which the biological element reacts. This volume describes the design, construction, optimization, and application of the biological component, its attachment to the transducer, and interfacing of the sensing element to appropriate electronic circuitry.

This book is the final part of a trilogy of volumes covering the practical aspects of ligand interactions, biochemistry, and effector mechanisms of signal-transducing receptors. The book focuses on the measurement of receptor binding interactions both at equilibrium and from the kinetic point of view. It includes descriptions of the most important techniques for the performance of ligand binding assays to both membrane-bound and solubilized receptors. In addition to which, a systematic effort has been made to provide insight into the strategy and tactics of receptor binding assays, and the conditions which must be satisfied if artifacts are to be avoided and interpretable data obtained. Since the behaviour of even the simplest receptor systems can be surprisingly complex, an attempt has been made to provide some computational tools which allow complications to be predicted and handled or avoided. Ligand binding assays are very widely used, not least in drug screening and development. This volume will help the practitioner to choose an appropriate ligand, make a suitable receptor preparation, design and perform a well thought out set of assays, and analyse the data obtained correctly.

Advances in the understanding of cellular processes at the molecular level have transformed the biological sciences. Plant pathology is a field which has benefited dramatically from the application of molecular techniques and has become one of the most exciting areas of biology today. Molecular Plant Pathology: A Practical Approach Volume I and its companion Volume II provide the first comprehensive guide to the latest molecular techniques as well as the established approaches to the subject. Detailed protocols are included which address a wide range of investigations from plant pathogen isolation and culture, through physiology and biochemistry, to techniques for localizing genes and their products within the cells of the infected plants. Researchers in plant science, molecular biology, and related areas will find the two volumes of Molecular Plant Pathology to be an invaluable experimental resource, providing a wealth of easy-to-follow protocols supported by expert advice and guidance.

Protein engineering is the rational modification or redesign of proteins using genetic engineering. Thus, it is now possible to modify enzyme specifities, remodel antibodies, and redesign many multi-domain proteins for therapeutic purposes. While the procedures for the introduction of mutations have become routine, predicitng and understanding the effects of these mutations can be complicated. This volume provides a comprehensive guide to the methods used at every stage of the engineering process, from the choice of mutation strategy, through protein stability studies, to critical evaluations of mammalian, yeast, and bacterial host expression systems. Protein Engineering: A Practical Approach is the first practical guide to this fascinating mixture of molecular biology, protein structure analysis, computation, and biochemistry. It combines a thorough theoretical foundation with detailed protocols and will be invaluable to all research workers in the area, from graduate students to senior investigators.

Although most often considered in terms of the generation of action potentials, there are several other electrical, metabolic and ionic correlates of neuronal activity. This book draws together in a single volume, ten different facets of the activity of nerve cells. There are chapters on the monitoring of extracellular unit activity, intracellular voltage and current clamping, patch clamping, video imaging, in vivo voltammetry, intracerebral dialysis, antibody micro- and ion-selective electrodes. The techniques described range from the well-established to the experimental. In each case the chapters include up-to-date information, methodological tips and detailed protocols allowing the reader to follow each method in a stepwise fashion. The wide range of techniques in the book should be of interest to neuroscientists, whether concerned with traditional or novel indices on neuronal function.

Anaerobes are diverse and fascinating organisms. Due to recent advances in equipment and methodology researchers are now able to make increasingly widespread studies of their activities. As a consequence, interest in anaerobes is growing rapidly. This book provides the first ready source of general methods of use to all anaerobic microbiologists, in addition to those which are valuable in the study of specific habitats or groups of organisms. Topics include isolation and culture techniques as well as a range of taxonomic methods, and protocols for biochemical and genetic studies. Several chapters are also devoted specifically to organisms with special culture requirements, such as the methanogens, sulphate-reducing bacteria, and anaerobic eukaryotes (including both protozoa and fungi). This volume will be essential to all those interested in the study of anaerobic micro-organisms, whether in the fields of taxonomy, ecology, physiology or molecular biology.

Acquired chromosome abnormalities are associated with malignancy, exposure to mutagenic agents, and some chromosome instability syndomes. Their study often entails extensive modification of standard cytogenetic techniques as well as a very different approach to analysis. Human Cytogenetics: A Practical Approach Volume II is the first comprehensive manual of techniques for the study of acquired chromosome abnormalities, and as such will be an invaluable source of information for cytogeneticists, haematologists, and oncologists alike.Since the interpretation of chromosome preparations is notoriously difficult in some of these conditions, illustrations, both diagrammatic and photographic, of all chromosome rearrangements discussed are an important feature of this book. In addition to basic techniques, the book takes a futuristic look at new technology which is becoming important in the study of cytogenetics, particularly in the field of cancer research.

This is a concise yet comprehensive practical manual, enabling all those involved in the diagnosis of disease, caused by parasites, to provide both a competent and up-to-date service. There is also sufficient information on the biology of parasites provided to ensure that the book is a valuable resource for educational courses teaching parasitology in both the developed and devloping Worlds.

The topics collected in this volume present classical and molecular techniques currently used in medical virology for the diagnosis of viral infections and for further analysis of virus-specific antibodies and of clinical virus isolates.

Histocompatibility Testing: A Practical Approach describes methods for the investigation of Mhc at the gene and protein levels and their application to the clinical transplanation of human organs and bone marrow. There is currently no other text available covering up-to-date serological and molecular techniques in this area of immunogenetics, despite their importance to fundamental research, clinical practice, and forensic medicine.

Like other volumes in the Frontiers in Molecular Biology series, this book presents an up-to-date picture of current research topics in a key area. The contributors to this book have been carefully chosen to reflect the main thrusts of research effort across a broad range within the rapidly developing field of immunology. Subjects covered include immunoglobulin gene rearrangement, the MHC antigens, B-cell activation, and the complement system.

Plant cell culture techniques are being increasingly used in basic research and for plant exploitation in industry (genetic engineering, micropropagation). In this book, internationally recognized experts describe the techniques in use in their laboratories for isolating and manipulating cell cultures, and their central importance in plant biotechnology.

What makes a cell begin the complicated process of cell division? How does it stop? What happens when things go wrong? The use of developing technologies has revealed the extraordinary degree to which cell cycle control mechanisms have been conserved through eukaryotic evolution. This book presents a detailed overview of current research in cell cycle control.

Neurochemistry is the study of the cellular and subcellular components of the nervous system and the molecules found within it. The nervous system is complex and neurochemistry a diverse field in which there has been much interest recently, for example in the increased awareness of pathological brain conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, depression, and mania. A wide range of techniques are avialable to the neurochemist and this volume contains the core elements of neurochemistry that will be useful to both first time researchers and established investigators in all fields of neuroscience.

This volume provides detailed laboratory protocols, advice, hints and tips, example data, key literature citations, background information, and troubleshooting comments for the steps used in most molecular biology laboratories. It covers transformation, construction of cDNA and genomic libraries, probe preparation, analysis of gene organisation and expression, in vitro mutagenesis, and DNA sequencing. The information provided is a completely up to date account of each topic by established researchers. These two volumes, the first of four, are a thoroughly revised and up dated version of the original ones published in the Practial Approach series. Together they will offer a complete guide to the major techniques required by modern molecular biology laboratories.

Expression systems are in widespread use for cloning specific genes, for synthesising the encoded proteins for structural and functional analysis, and for large-scale preparation of proteins of commercial interest. This book covers all the main expression systems in current use with background information and advice on the merits of each, step-by-step practical protocols, troubleshooting, and details of the latest applications.

The complexity and cellular heterogeneity of the vertebrate nervous system makes it difficult to study neural processes at the cellular and molecular levels. The establishment of cell culture model systems for almost every region and cell type in the nervous system has therefore been crucial in facilitating such studies and in heralding some key breakthroughs in our understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Neural Cell Culture: A Practical Approach brings together methods for preparing cultures from a diverse range of neural tissues and cells, from both the central and peripheral nervous systems of mammalian and avain species. Important features of this volume are the clearly illustrated dissection guides accompanying each chapter, methods for enriching and purifying distinct cell types, and guidance on optimizing cell viability and growth. Each chapter includes valuable step-by-step protocols, hints, and tips for success, advice, and background information.

Many investigations into the structure and function of cells and tissues require the isolation of a particular membrane or subcellular component (organelle). This book covers all the necessary aspects, from breaking up the cells (homogenization), via a variety of separation techniques (the isolation and fractionation chapters), to characterization of the separated organelles.

The three-dimensional structure of proteins is a key factor in their biological activity. There is an increasing need to be able to predict the structure of a protein once its amino-acid sequence is known; this book presents practical methods of achieving that ambitious aim, using the latest computer modelling algorithms. This work is aimed at postgraduates and postdoctoral researchers in protein science and related fields.

Oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes have been the focus of much research because of their role not only in cancer but also in normal cell growth and differentiation. Oncogenes and Tumour Suppressors is a unique volume that brings together a team of leading researchers to present and critically assess our current knowledge. The book covers two major areas of interest: oncogenes and signal transduction, and tumour supressors and cell cycle control. Topics covered include the mechanisms of oncogene perturbation; growth factors and their receptors in cell transformation; oncogenic cytoplasmic protein tyrosine kinases; the RAS/RAP/ERK signal transduction pathway; oncogenic transcription factors; mammalian cell cycle control; the retinoblastoma gene product and its relatives; the tumour suppressor gene p53; tumour suppressors and the inheritance of cancer; the clinical relevance of oncogenes. Oncogenes and Tumour Suppressors is a major review work that provides an unparalleled summary of our current understanding of this field as viewed by some of its leading researchers. It is of interest to all those involved in research on the cell cycle, signal transduction, and cancer biology. The book is also an excellent reference source with over 1800 selected citations to the primary literature.

Parasitic Protozoa cause major infectious diseases of humans and domestic animals. In recent years, new techniques in molecular biology have allowed tremendous advances in our understanding of these parasites. Molecular Biology of Parasitic Protozoa covers this fast-moving field at an advanced level for which there is no other up-to-date book. Topics covered include trypanosomatid and Toxoplasma genetics, structure and replication of kinetoplast DNA, regulation of gene expression in trypanosomes, trans-splicing, RNA editing, the three genomes of Plasmodium, mechanisms of drug resistance, biogenesis of glycosomes and hydrogenosomes, glycosylphosphatidylinositols and the surface architecture of parasitic protozoa. Molecular Biology of Parasitic Protozoa is a unique compendium of current research findings in this important area. It contains over 900 references and provides a comprehensive review of the field as well as valuable insights and predictions of future progress by leading researchers.

New and updated, this second edition of Protein Structure presents electrophoretic, chromatographic, and spectrophotometric techniques as well as including new chapters on the relatively sophisticated methods of mass spectrometry and ultracentrifugation. The emphasis is not on the technical aspects of the instruments, but more on the practical aspects of sample preparation and the possibilities of experimental strategy and design. The companion volume to this book, Protein Function: A Practical Approach, details comparable simple techniques for characterizing protein function. Topics in this second volume include: protein molecular weight determination by SDS-PAGE; protein analysis by mass spectrometry; immunological detection of proteins of known sequence; identification of common post-translational modifications; peptide mapping; counting integral numbers of residues by chemical modification; disulfide bonds between cysteine residues; analysis of protein conformation by gel electrophoresis; hydrodynamic properties of proteins; determining the molar absorbance coefficient of a protein; optical spectroscopy to characterize protein conformation and conformational changes; measuring the conformational stability of a protein; imunochemical analysis of protein conformation; stabilization of protein structure by solvents. Protein Structure: A Practical Approach will prove invaluable to all researchers, from PhD students to experienced group leaders.