This book introduces the lay reader to the ecological risks associated with transgenic organisms. Genetic engineering could make a valuable contribution within agriculture, although the initial promise of more abundant food, produced in an environmentally friendly manner, is not being fulfilled. Instead the technology is being promoted at the expense of sustainable alternatives that have fewer environmental and social costs.
Food safety scares such as salmonella in eggs or BSE in beef continue to cause public concern, but far more unnoticed is the way that genetically engineered food is entering our diet. This book looks at how this situation came about, revealing those responsible for driving genetically modified foods so rapidly on to the market. Stephen Nottingham argues that consumer pressure could decide whether these new products succeed or fail. His book gives us the facts: what these new foods are, how they are produced, why they remain unlabelled and how they are arriving on our plates unannounced. Never before has science been likely to have quite such a huge impact on our lives - after all, we are what we eat. Here is an issue every thinking person needs to apply their mind to. This is the book to help you do it.
This archival volume is an invaluable collection of rigorously reviewed articles by experts in the fields of gene families, DNA, RNA and proteins, to commemorate the passing of a giant of science -- Professor Clement L Market (1917-1999.) In 1959, Clement Market and Freddy Moller developed the concept of the isozyme, which paved the way for extensive studies of enzyme, protein and gene multiplicity across all living organisms. This important scientific discovery has had a profound influence on the biological sciences for more than 40 years, and has provided the basis for regular international meetings to discuss the biological and biomedical implications of enzyme multiplicity. More recently, this concept has been extended to a wide range of gene families of DNA, RNA, proteins and enzymes.
Cancer kills one man out of every two, and one woman out of three, in the industrialized countries today. And its incidence, despite all efforts to the contrary, is increasing at one per cent a year. The fact is that some 80 per cent of cancers are likely to be due to environmental factors that could be reduced or even eradicated. This book explains how our genes work, and how they are adversely affected by the modern environment in which we live, whether in the North or the South. The factors include toxic industrial and agricultural chemicals, excessive sunlight ( a result of the hole in the ozone layer), nuclear radiation from power plants and the military, other forms of radiation (mobile phones, electricity transmission systems), food contaminants, atmospheric pollutants (tobacco smoke, car exhaust fumes), and the potential impact of genetic engineering. It explains how the body defends itself from external attack, what happens when these defences are overwhelmed, and the need for much more careful development of new technologies, industrial processes, products and foodstuffs.
The second edition of Horizontal Gene Transfer has been organized to provide a concise and up-to-date coverage of the most important discoveries in this fascinating field. Written by the most prominent gene transfer and genome analytical scientists, this book details experimental evidence for the phenomenon of horizontal gene transfer and discusses further evidence provided by the recent completion of genomic sequences from Archea, Bacteria, and Eucarya members. The relevance of horizontal gene transfer to plant and metazoan taxonomy, GM foods, antibiotic resistance, paleontology, and phylogenetic reconstruction is also explored. Horizontal Gene Transfer is essential for microbiologists, geneticists, biochemists, evolutionary biologists, infectious disease specialists, paleontologists, ecologists, and researchers working in plant/animal systematics and agriculture with an interest in gene transfer. This includes scientific researchers from government and industry concerned with the release of genetically modified organisms. - Up-to-the-minute reviews, maps, conclusions, urls to relevant websites and colour figures - Unique chapters, for example one written by paleontologists presents data for horizontal gene transfer from fingerprints form the fossil record
With the advent of high-throughput technologies following completion of the human genome project and similar projects, the number of genes of interest has expanded and the traditional methods for gene function analysis cannot achieve the throughput necessary for large-scale exploration. This book brings together a number of recently developed techniques for looking at gene function, including computational, biochemical and biological methods and protocols.
The 1,150 pages contain more information than any other comparable book. It is not a glossary or dictionary or review because all concepts are explained, not just defined or mentioned.Covers the latest developments, usually missed in textbooks and monographs.The broad range of modern genetics, of cell and molecular biology, biometry, etc. are included without glossing over the classical foundations.The hundreds of simple and clear illustrations are vey useful for classroom purposes because they can be drawn on the blackboard or projected on a screen without taking much time to make the crucial points.The cross-references among the entries tie the contents into an extremely useful comprehensive textbook.The concise style leads the reader to the point without verbiage.The etymology of the terms is explained.The text is not intimidating and it is very easy to read because all the terms are explained within the book. Most of the biometrical procedures are presented by worked-out examples in a plain form, rarely or not found at all in other books.It effectively reaches out to non-geneticists without compromising high scientific standards. Usually the most essential features of a concept are presented at the beginning of the entry, and the reader can go as far as she/he feels needed about the logic.The WEB and e-mail addresses of databases and other sources of detailed information are very helpful.A well selected list of about 1000 references, published mainly in the last couple of years, completes the volume.The moderate price makes it a best buy, and an excellent choice to own for students, teachers, scientists, physicians, lawyers and all educated persons who cannot afford an entire library yet wish to be well informed.
Several years have passed since the sequencing of the human genome and what might be called "the post-genomic era" has begun. Of course, there are many different genomes and the term "post-genomic" does not necessarily imply the human genome. However, it is the data encoded in the human genome that hold the promise to be of practical importance in a wide range of biomedical applications. The sequencing and preliminary annotations of the human genome provided an incredible amount of the raw, largely unprocessed information. Coupled with the millions of publications on human physiology already available in public databases, it is clear that certain informational strategies should be adopted for the retrieval, analysis and representation of these data. Among biological sciences, bioinformatics is a specific branch that deals with managing complexities in the biological information. However, the bioinformatics is in no way restricted to the compilation of large databases or elaboration of sophisticated software. The methods of bioinformatics can greatly assist the generation of productive hypotheses that allow subsequent experimental testing followed by confirmation or disapproval. The main idea behind the present volume is not worrying about the steadily growing amounts of biomedical information or about the relative quality of it. This volume, as well as the entire book series, is based on the purpose-oriented attitude: how to make a good use of this information in particular research projects.
This new third edition updates a best-selling encyclopedia. It includes about 56% more words than the 1,392-page second edition of 2003. The number of illustrations increased to almost 2,000 and their quality has improved by design and four colors. It includes approximately 1,800 current databases and web servers. This encyclopedia covers the basics and the latest in genomics, proteomics, genetic engineering, small RNAs, transcription factories, chromosome territories, stem cells, genetic networks, epigenetics, prions, hereditary diseases, and patents. Similar integrated information is not available in textbooks or on the Internet.
