Pre-clinical medicine: basic sciences

Efforts in gene therapy have grown dramatically in recent years.

This volume looks at the different spectroscopic and biophysical methods used by researchers to study the structure and folding of RNA, and to follow their interactions with proteins.

This fully revised book includes new and improved protocols to analyze toxicity at the DNA, RNA, and protein levels using genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic approaches.

This volume mirrors the holistic feature of whole genome amplification (WGA) technology by combining reviews, detailed basic methods and advanced sample workflows.

Over the course of the last hundred years, the field of endocrinology has received ever-increasing attention.

The study of functional glycomics requires the continuous development of rapid and sensitive methods for the identification of glycan structures and integration to structure-function relationships.

As functional genomics has become one of the major focuses in molecular biology, the need for more sophisticated tools to assist in the identification of the functionality of undefined genes and the correlation of DNA variants with a particular phenotype has increased greatly.

Adenovirus Methods and Protocols, Second Edition, now in two volumes, is an essential resource for adenovirus (Ad) researchers beginning in the field, and an inspirational starting point for researchers looking to branch into new areas of Ad study.

Hepatocytes account for approximately 80% of the liver mass and play a significant role in various aspects of liver physiopathology, exhibiting unrivaled complexity and diversity of functions.

RNA abundance analysis is one of the most important approaches for gene expression studies in the field of molecular biology.

A DNA barcode in its simplest definition is one or more short gene sequences taken from a standardized portion of the genome that is used to identify species through reference to DNA sequence libraries or databases.

The new genetic revolution is fuelled by Deep Sequencing (or Next Generation Sequencing) apparatuses which, in essence, read billions of nucleotides per reaction.

Genomic imprinting is the process by which gene activity is regulated according to parent of origin.

The potential now exists in many experimental systems to transfer a cloned, modified gene back into the genome of the host organism.

Known for flexibility and robustness, PCR techniques continue to improve through numerous developments, including the identification of thermostable DNA polymerases which exhibit a range of properties to suit given applications.

Current knowledge of the mechanisms that regulate DNA repair has grown significantly over the past years with technology advances such as RNA interference, advanced proteomics and microscopy as well as high throughput screens.

This third edition provides in-depth knowledge on the delivery of naked DNA and small-interfering RNA (siRNA) to the targeted microorganism, mammalian single cells, tissues, and animals for prevention and treatment of disease.

Comparative Genomics, Volume 1, provides a collection of robust protocols for molecular biologists beginning to use comparative genomic analysis tools in a variety of areas.

A diverse collection of state-of-the-art methods for the microscopic imaging of cells and molecules.

The completion of a consensus draft sequence for the human genome was the starting point for more thorough investigations of individual genome variation.

After the generation of genome sequence data from a wide variety of plants, databases are filled with sequence information of genes with no known biological function, and while bioinformatics tools can help analyze genome sequences and predict gene structures, experimental approaches to discover gene functions need to be widely implemented.

Metagenomics has proven to be a powerful tool for exploring the ecology, metabolic profiling, and comparison of complex microbial communities as well as its important applications in the mining of metagenomes for genes encoding novel biocatalysts and drug molecules for bioindustries.

RNA interference has become a key method in the suppression of gene expression and the development of therapeutic agents, yet there is still the problem of delivery, stability, and the danger of off-target effects such as the silencing of unwanted genes and activation of innate immunity.

The numerous vital applications of complementary DNA (cDNA) technology have changed dramatically as the technology has advanced over recent years.

Protocols for Nucleic Acid Analysis by Non-radioactive Probes, Second Edition provides a firm background on the basic preparative protocols required for the analysis of nucleic acids by nonradioactive methods.

The discovery of catalytic RNAs in the mid-1980s marked the beginning of a new era in RNA biology and an ever increasing appreciation of the diverse and critical roles played by this fascinating molecule.

Over the past two decades, spectacular advances have been made in our understanding of the molecular genetics of cancer, leading to the pursuit of identifying genes that, when mutated, result in an increased susceptibility to the disease.

Biological Aging: Methods and Protocols investigates the various processes that are affected by the age of an organism.

In DNA Electrophoresis: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers in the field detail many of the methods which are now commonly used to study DNA using electrophoresis as the major approach.

Since the publication of the first edition, the number of unique heritable mtDNA mutations recognized as being associated with bioenergetic dysfunction, cell death and disease has grown.

Biolistic transfection represents a direct physical gene transfer approach in which nucleic acids are precipitated on biologically inert high-density microparticles (usually gold or tungsten) and delivered directly through cell walls and/or membranes into the nucleus of target cells by high-velocity acceleration using a ballistic device such as the gene gun.

Due to the significant contributions of carbohydrates to the functional diversity of the cell, the challenging study of the glycome has expanded beyond the research of carbohydrate experts and into the wider scope of the life sciences.

The rapid pace of microRNA (miRNA) research continues to drive the advances of techniques for miRNA expression profiling, and innovative technologies that are more sensitive, specific, quantitative, and that are compatible with a wide range of biospecimens have been developed during the past few years.

Despite various difficulties, the field of gene therapy, particularly with regard to cancer, has accumulated a tremendous amount of vital pre-clinical and clinical data.

Studies of membrane transporters have had a great impact on our understanding of human diseases and the design of effective drugs.

Arthritis Research: Methods and Protocols is a compendium of data pertinent to the methods and protocols that have contributed to recent advances in molecular medicine in general, but to the molecular basis of rheumatic disease in particular.

Central to the synthesis of proteins, the performance of catalysis, and many other physiological processes, the aberrant expression of which can be linked to human diseases including cancers, RNA has proven to be key target for therapeutics as well as a tool for therapy.

Molecular Toxicology Protocols, Second Edition aims to bring together a series of articles describing validated methods to elucidate specific molecular aspects of toxicology, the emphasis being on the application of molecular methods to genetic toxicology.

In the last few years, significant advances have been made in understanding how a yeast cell responds to the stress of producing a recombinant protein, and how this information can be used to engineer improved host strains.

This detailed volume examines bioinformatic and molecular biological methods useful to identify and to explore the functions of CpG islands, key navigation points to understand gene regulation in fundamental processes such as development and cell differentiation as well as in diseases like cancer.

This volume covers the structures, properties, and functions of G-quadruplexes in a wide range of biological disciplines, including therapeutic intervention and biomaterial application.

This current edition explores new tests for genotoxicity testing, along with other well-known techniques.

This volume details a collection of state-of-art methods including identification of novel ncRNAs and their targets, functional annotation and disease association in different biological contexts.

Despite the best efforts of many and despite landmark discoveries and experimental ingenuity, challenges in the pursuit of research related to olfactory receptors (ORs) continue to exist.

Applying neurophysiological methods to the study of brain-behavior relationships proved to be a major advance in the early days of neuroscience research.

Reflecting developments in genome editing, this third edition volume fully updates a collection of key techniques for the study of functional genomics.

Grown exponentially by the genomic revolution, the use of the rat as a model of choice for physiological studies continues in popularity and at a much greater depth of understanding.

Despite the many milestones in cystic fibrosis (CF) research, progress toward curing the disease has been slow, and it is increasingly difficult to grasp and use the already wide and still growing range of diverse methods currently employed to study CF so as to understand it in its multidisciplinary nature.