Beyond the Molecular Frontier


Book Description

Chemistry and chemical engineering have changed significantly in the last decade. They have broadened their scopeâ€"into biology, nanotechnology, materials science, computation, and advanced methods of process systems engineering and controlâ€"so much that the programs in most chemistry and chemical engineering departments now barely resemble the classical notion of chemistry. Beyond the Molecular Frontier brings together research, discovery, and invention across the entire spectrum of the chemical sciencesâ€"from fundamental, molecular-level chemistry to large-scale chemical processing technology. This reflects the way the field has evolved, the synergy at universities between research and education in chemistry and chemical engineering, and the way chemists and chemical engineers work together in industry. The astonishing developments in science and engineering during the 20th century have made it possible to dream of new goals that might previously have been considered unthinkable. This book identifies the key opportunities and challenges for the chemical sciences, from basic research to societal needs and from terrorism defense to environmental protection, and it looks at the ways in which chemists and chemical engineers can work together to contribute to an improved future.




Opportunities in Biology


Book Description

Biology has entered an era in which interdisciplinary cooperation is at an all-time high, practical applications follow basic discoveries more quickly than ever before, and new technologiesâ€"recombinant DNA, scanning tunneling microscopes, and moreâ€"are revolutionizing the way science is conducted. The potential for scientific breakthroughs with significant implications for society has never been greater. Opportunities in Biology reports on the state of the new biology, taking a detailed look at the disciplines of biology; examining the advances made in medicine, agriculture, and other fields; and pointing out promising research opportunities. Authored by an expert panel representing a variety of viewpoints, this volume also offers recommendations on how to meet the infrastructure needsâ€"for funding, effective information systems, and other supportâ€"of future biology research. Exploring what has been accomplished and what is on the horizon, Opportunities in Biology is an indispensable resource for students, teachers, and researchers in all subdisciplines of biology as well as for research administrators and those in funding agencies.




Reading the Story in DNA


Book Description

The story in DNA, or, What kind of information can I get from DNA? -- The immortal germline, or, How do I get DNA samples? -- We are all mutants, or, How do I identify individuals? -- Endless copies, or, How do I amplify DNA? -- Descent with modification, or, How do I detect natural selection? -- Origin of species, or, How do I align DNA sequences? -- Tree of life, or, How do I construct a phylogeny? -- Tempo and mode, or, How do I estimate molecular dates? -- You are a scientist, or, What do I do now?




The Chemistry of Microbiomes


Book Description

The 21st century has witnessed a complete revolution in the understanding and description of bacteria in eco- systems and microbial assemblages, and how they are regulated by complex interactions among microbes, hosts, and environments. The human organism is no longer considered a monolithic assembly of tissues, but is instead a true ecosystem composed of human cells, bacteria, fungi, algae, and viruses. As such, humans are not unlike other complex ecosystems containing microbial assemblages observed in the marine and earth environments. They all share a basic functional principle: Chemical communication is the universal language that allows such groups to properly function together. These chemical networks regulate interactions like metabolic exchange, antibiosis and symbiosis, and communication. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Chemical Sciences Roundtable organized a series of four seminars in the autumn of 2016 to explore the current advances, opportunities, and challenges toward unveiling this "chemical dark matter" and its role in the regulation and function of different ecosystems. The first three focused on specific ecosystemsâ€"earth, marine, and humanâ€"and the last on all microbiome systems. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the seminars.




Molecular Biology


Book Description

Molecular Biology or Molecular Genetics - Biology Department Biochemical Genetics - Biology or Biochemistry Department Microbial Genetics - Genetics Department The book is typically used in a one-semester course that may be taught in the fall or the spring. However, the book contains sufficient information so that it could be used for a full year course. It is appropriate for juniors and seniors or first year graduate students.




Total Chemical Synthesis of Proteins


Book Description

How to synthesize native and modified proteins in the test tube With contributions from a panel of experts representing a range of disciplines, Total Chemical Synthesis of Proteins presents a carefully curated collection of synthetic approaches and strategies for the total synthesis of native and modified proteins. Comprehensive in scope, this important reference explores the three main chemoselective ligation methods for assembling unprotected peptide segments, including native chemical ligation (NCL). It includes information on synthetic strategies for the complex polypeptides that constitute glycoproteins, sulfoproteins, and membrane proteins, as well as their characterization. In addition, important areas of application for total protein synthesis are detailed, such as protein crystallography, protein engineering, and biomedical research. The authors also discuss the synthetic challenges that remain to be addressed. This unmatched resource: Contains valuable insights from the pioneers in the field of chemical protein synthesis Presents proven synthetic approaches for a range of protein families Explores key applications of precisely controlled protein synthesis, including novel diagnostics and therapeutics Written for organic chemists, biochemists, biotechnologists, and molecular biologists, Total Chemical Synthesis of Proteins provides key knowledge for everyone venturing into the burgeoning field of protein design and synthetic biology.




Water in Biological and Chemical Processes


Book Description

A unified overview of the dynamical properties of water and its unique and diverse role in biological and chemical processes.




Molecular Pathology


Book Description

As the molecular basis of human disease becomes better characterized, and the implications for understanding the molecular basis of disease becomes realized through improved diagnostics and treatment, Molecular Pathology, Second Edition stands out as the most comprehensive textbook where molecular mechanisms represent the focus. It is uniquely concerned with the molecular basis of major human diseases and disease processes, presented in the context of traditional pathology, with implications for translational molecular medicine. The Second Edition of Molecular Pathology has been thoroughly updated to reflect seven years of exponential changes in the fields of genetics, molecular, and cell biology which molecular pathology translates in the practice of molecular medicine. The textbook is intended to serve as a multi-use textbook that would be appropriate as a classroom teaching tool for biomedical graduate students, medical students, allied health students, and others (such as advanced undergraduates). Further, this textbook will be valuable for pathology residents and other postdoctoral fellows that desire to advance their understanding of molecular mechanisms of disease beyond what they learned in medical/graduate school. In addition, this textbook is useful as a reference book for practicing basic scientists and physician scientists that perform disease-related basic science and translational research, who require a ready information resource on the molecular basis of various human diseases and disease states. - Explores the principles and practice of molecular pathology: molecular pathogenesis, molecular mechanisms of disease, and how the molecular pathogenesis of disease parallels the evolution of the disease - Explains the practice of "molecular medicine and the translational aspects of molecular pathology - Teaches from the perspective of "integrative systems biology - Enhanced digital version included with purchase




Protein Actions: Principles and Modeling


Book Description

Protein Actions: Principles and Modeling is aimed at graduates, advanced undergraduates, and any professional who seeks an introduction to the biological, chemical, and physical properties of proteins. Broadly accessible to biophysicists and biochemists, it will be particularly useful to student and professional structural biologists and molecular biophysicists, bioinformaticians and computational biologists, biological chemists (particularly drug designers) and molecular bioengineers. The book begins by introducing the basic principles of protein structure and function. Some readers will be familiar with aspects of this, but the authors build up a more quantitative approach than their competitors. Emphasizing concepts and theory rather than experimental techniques, the book shows how proteins can be analyzed using the disciplines of elementary statistical mechanics, energetics, and kinetics. These chapters illuminate how proteins attain biologically active states and the properties of those states. The book ends with a synopsis the roles of computational biology and bioinformatics in protein science.