© 2001 • 2,344 pp., illus., appendices, indexes
Paperback (three-book set) • $259 • ISBN  978-087969577-4

This title also available in: Cloth (three-book set)

The first two editions of this manual have been mainstays of molecular biology for nearly twenty years, with an unrivalled reputation for reliability, accuracy, and clarity.

In this new edition, authors Joseph Sambrook and David Russell have completely updated the book, revising every protocol and adding a mass of new material, to broaden its scope and maintain its unbeatable value for studies in genetics, molecular cell biology, developmental biology, microbiology, neuroscience, and immunology.

Handsomely redesigned and presented in new bindings of proven durability, this three–volume work is essential for everyone using today’s biomolecular techniques.

The opening chapters describe essential techniques, some well–established, some new, that are used every day in the best laboratories for isolating, analyzing and cloning DNA molecules, both large and small.

These are followed by chapters on cDNA cloning and exon trapping, amplification of DNA, generation and use of nucleic acid probes, mutagenesis, and DNA sequencing.

The concluding chapters deal with methods to screen expression libraries, express cloned genes in both prokaryotes and eukaryotic cells, analyze transcripts and proteins, and detect protein–protein interactions.

The Appendix is a compendium of reagents, vectors, media, technical suppliers, kits, electronic resources and other essential information.

  "Any basic research laboratory using molecular biology techniques will benefit from having a copy on hand of the newly published Third Edition of Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, by Joe Sambrook and David Russell. . . . Originally published almost 20 years ago, the first two editions of this book have been staples of molecular biology with a proven reputation for accuracy and thoroughness."
      —The Scientist

  "Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual has always been the laboratory mainstay for protocols and techniques. It has a pure-bred ancestry, and the new addition does not disappoint. Sambrook and Russell have built upon the basic principles that made the first two editions essential reference resources. Protocols that cover everything possible in a molecular biology lab are explained in detail. …The new edition includes information panels at the end of each chapter that describe the principles behind the protocols…. The addition of this information extends Molecular Cloning from an essential laboratory resource into a new realm, one merging the previous prototype with a modern molecular monograph…. It is difficult to find fault with the first two editions of Molecular Cloning. For decades, their superior presentation of laboratory protocols made them the gold standard in the field of molecular biology. However, in many laboratories the old editions are becoming worn out—a testament to their continual use. For most, it is time to retire these workhorses and allow them some peace. They and you will be safe in the knowledge that the next generation of Molecular Cloning not only carries on the proud heritage of the first two editions but also admirably expands on that tradition to provide a truly essential laboratory manual."
      —Trends in Microbiology

  "For the student, this text provides a basic starting point for the essential components of molecular cloning and protein analysis in a lucid format, with tried–and–trusted protocols and a wealth of supplemental information. For the more experienced worker, this text continues to provide an invaluable information source. While more detailed explanations are available for the majority of techniques covered in this book, the third edition of Molecular Cloning continues to be an excellent resource and now includes many of the latest methods of analysis. This book should be the first port of call when establishing a molecular technique new to a laboratory."
      —Trends in Cell Biology

"In every kitchen there is at least one indispensable cookbook. Sambrook and Russell's Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual fills the same niche in the laboratory. Like its kitchen counterparts (e.g. Rombeck's Joy of Cooking) Sambrook's Molecular Cloning (MC) has information to help both the inexperienced and the advanced user.

The analogy is apt, as MC is set up, and reads, very much like a molecular cookbook. Like a good cookbook, it has good logistics. Moreover, like 'Joy', the authors provide a wealth of theoretical (and historical) background for each experimental paradigm. MC is well organized, with a thorough index and detailed table of contents. . . .

MC provides the user with detailed information about the characteristics of reagents, supplies and kits from various manufacturers–all of which is important in our age of 'kit science'. The authors point out the pros and cons involved in using such reagents and kits, and recommend them at times (e.g. for cDNA synthesis and library construction), but stress caution in others (e.g. switching to non–radioactive detection methods). We applaud the inclusion of protocols even when kits are suggested, so users can be aware of the traditional methods that accomplish the same tasks.

Chapter 1.  Plasmids and Their Usefulness in Molecular Cloning

Chapter 2.  Bacteriophage lambda and Its Vectors

Chapter 3.  Working with Bacteriophage M13 Vectors

Chapter 4.  Working with High-capacity Vectors

Chapter 5.  Gel Electrophoresis of DNA and Pulsed-field Agarose Gel Electrophoresis

Chapter 6.  Preparation and Analysis of Eukaryotic Genomic DNA

Chapter 7.  Extraction, Purification, and Analysis of mRNA from Eukaryotic Cells

Chapter 8.  In vitro Amplification of DNA by the Polymerase Chain Reaction

Chapter 9.  Preparation of Radiolabeled DNA and RNA Probes

Chapter 10. Working with Synthetic Oligonucleotide Probes

Chapter 11. Preparation of cDNA Libraries and Gene Identification

Chapter 12. DNA Sequencing

Chapter 13. Mutagenesis

Chapter 14. Screening Expression Libraries

Chapter 15. Expression of Cloned Genes in Escherichia coli

Chapter 16. Introducing Cloned Genes into Cultured Mammalian Cells

Chapter 17. Analysis of Gene Expression in Cultured Mammalian Cells

Chapter 18. Protein Interaction Technologies

Appendices