Molecular Biology Problem Solver: A Laboratory Guide

Front Cover
John Wiley & Sons, Apr 7, 2004 - Science - 596 pages
Most research in the life sciences involves a core set of molecular-based equipment and methods, for which there is no shortage of step-by-step protocols. Nonetheless, there remains an exceedingly high number of inquiries placed to commercial technical support groups, especially regarding problems.

Molecular Biology Problem Solver: A Laboratory Guide asks the reader to consider crucial questions, such as:

  • Have you selected the most appropriate research strategy?
  • Have you identified the issues critical to your successful application of a technique?
  • Are you familiar with the limitations of a given technique?
  • When should common procedural rules of thumb not be applied?
  • What strategies could you apply to resolve a problem?

A unique question-based format reviews common assumptions and laboratory practices, with the aim of offering a firm understanding of how techniques and procedures work, as well as how to avoid problems. Some major issues explored by the book's expert contributors include:

  • Working safely with biological samples and radioactive materials
  • DNA and RNA purification
  • PCR
  • Protein and nucleid acid hybridization
  • Prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression systems
  • Properly using and maintaining laboratory equipment

From inside the book

Contents

Chapter 9 Restriction Endonucleases
225
Chapter 10 Nucleotides Oligonucleotides and Polynucleotides
267
Chapter 11 PCR
291
Chapter 12 Electrophoresis
331
Chapter 13 Western Blotting
373
Chapter 14 Nucleic Acid Hybridization
399
Chapter 15 E coli Expression Systems
461
Chapter 16 Eukaryotic Expression
491

Chapter 7 DNA Purification
167
Chapter 8 RNA Purification
197
Index
543
Copyright

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 324 - Specific enzymatic amplification of DNA in vitro: the polymerase chain reaction.
Page 190 - A technique for radiolabeling DNA restriction endonuclease fragments to high specific activity.
Page 222 - Chomczynski, P. and Sacchi, N. (1987) Single-step method of RNA isolation by acid guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform extraction.
Page 190 - PM, and van der Noordaa, J. (1990) Rapid and simple method for purification of nucleic acids. J. Clin. Microbiol. 28, 495-503.
Page 538 - Berg, P. (1981). Selection for animal cells that express the escherichia coli gene coding for xanthineguanine phosphoribosyltransferase. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 78, 2072-2076.
Page 190 - Birnboim, HC and Doly, J. (1979) A rapid alkaline extraction procedure for screening recombinant plasmid DNA.
Page 321 - Akane, A., Matsubara, K., Nakamura, H., Takahashi, S., and Kimura, K. (1994) Identification of the heme compound copurified with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from bloodstains, a major inhibitor of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification.
Page 322 - Cheng, S., Fockler, C., Barnes, WM, and Higuchi, R (1994) Effective amplification of long targets from cloned inserts and human genomic DNA.

About the author (2004)

ALAN GERSTEIN and his collaborators have been guiding researchers of all levels of expertise through the troubleshooting process over the course of three decades, assuring that Molecular Biology Problem Solver will prove an excellent resource for all life scientists.

Bibliographic information