© 2003 • 275 pp., illus.
Concealed wire binding • $59 • ISBN  978-087969634-4

Work at the biology bench requires an ever-increasing knowledge of mathematical methods and formulae. In Lab Math, Dany Spencer Adams has compiled the most common mathematical concepts and methods in molecular biology, and provided clear, straightforward guidance on their application to research investigations. Subjects range from basics such as scientific notation and measuring and making solutions, to more complex activities like quantifying and designing nucleic acids and analyzing protein activity. Tips on how to present mathematical data and statistical analysis are included. A reference section features useful tables, conversion charts and “plug and chug” equations for experimental procedures. This volume is an excellent, structured source of information that in many laboratories is often scattered and informally organized.

  “This is a practical text for the lab. It covers the basics about numbers and generic types of measurements, numbers used in chemistry, calibration and the use of lab equipment, methods and short cuts for making solutions, methods used in molecular biology, an introduction to statistics and reports and the communication of numerical data, and reference tables and equations. The book is spiral–bound.”
      —PBS Teacher Source

  “This volume is a handy reference for anyone who has kept equations and reagent recipe calculations plastered in strategic locations around their laboratory.  Seasoned bench researchers will spend less time coaching collaborators and students stalled over elusive calculation details.  Its tone is that of a clear and patient teacher who carefully explains essential mathematical details so almost anyone can understand how and why the calculations are done....Lab Math will certainly save time researchers might otherwise spend explaining how to find reference tables, make measurements, do laboratory calculations, make solutions, work with proteins and nucleotide calculations, or perform basic statistics to undergraduates, graduate students, or visiting fellows.”
      —The Quarterly Review of Biology

Chapter 1: Numbers and Measurements in the Lab

Chapter 2: Chemistry by the Numbers

Chapter 3: Equipment for Measuring, Counting, and Otherwise Quantifying

Chapter 4: Making Solutions

Chapter 5: DNA and RNA

Chapter 6: Proteins

Chapter 7: Statistics and Reports: Collecting, Interpreting, and Presenting Numerical Data

Appendix: Reference Tables and Equations