How many genes are in the human genome? Which genes are commonly associated with genetic diseases? How many mobile elements, simple sequence repeats, or protein kinases are encoded in the genome? What are the largest genes and proteins? How similar are human proteins to those of mouse, yeast, or bacteria?

Although the human genome has been sequenced, it often can be surprisingly difficult to find answers to seemingly simple questions about its characteristics. This convenient handbook, written in question-and-answer format, allows researchers and teachers alike access to basic facts about the human genome.

Using a recent assembly of the human genome sequence, Stewart Scherer has compiled answers to a broad range of questions about the structure and function of the human genome. Answers to each question are presented in a direct, straightforward style.  Numerous figures and tables are included to illustrate and summarize the information.

About the author: Stewart Scherer received a BS in Biology from Caltech in 1977 and a PhD in Biochemistry from Stanford in 1982, and then returned to Caltech for postdoctoral work. From 1986 through 1996 he was in the Microbiology Department of the University of Minnesota. While at Minnesota, he spent time working at the LBL Human Genome Center. Since leaving Minnesota, he has focused on bioinformatics, both in industry and in the analysis of the Candida albicans genome. After lecturing on genomics at Caltech in 2004, his efforts have centered on writing about the human genome.

Twenty-four true, wide-ranging tales of crime, history, human behavior,
illness, and ethics, told from the personal perspective of the author, an eminent physician-lawyer who uses the stories to illustrate the principles of human genetics and to discuss the broader issues.

Twenty-four true, wide-ranging tales of crime, history, human behavior,
illness, and ethics, told from the personal perspective of the author, an eminent physician-lawyer who uses the stories to illustrate the principles of human genetics and to discuss the broader issues.

The author is the Novartis Professor of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Aging has always been regarded as a highly complex process with many degenerative changes leading to the cessation of life. But recent research has identified a relatively simple mechanism that governs the pace of aging.

Lenny Guarente's Ageless Quest is a scientific detective story for the baby boom generation. It offers an insider's view of an area of potentially astonishing high reward—and equally high risk.

To read Lenny Guarente’s and Robert Butler’s interview with Sara Davidson (The NY Times) about how the body ages and the research on trying to extend our healthy life span, click here. (You must register for free access to NYTimes.com)

Every human being is unique. You are made up of 23 chromosomes from
your mother and 23 chromosomes from your father, and those 46
chromosomes contain a unique mixture of genes. That same mixture is
in the millions of cells that make up your body. But although about
99.5% of your genes are the same as everybody else's, some parts vary:
hair color, shape of ears, color of skin. And some people inherit
genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis. How does that happen? Read
this book to discover some amazing facts about your genes. (Ages 9-15)

This volume, which presents the results of a Cold Spring Harbor
Banbury Center meeting, summarizes aspects of the molecular and
cell biology, pathophysiology, and therapeutic use of angiogenic
factors and inhibitors. Researchers, clinicians, and students will
find this concise survey exceptionally helpful in integrating the
current knowledge available from the wide spectrum of areas concerned
with angiogenesis and in understanding future progress toward
elucidating this experimentally and clinically interesting system.

Recent progress in cell and molecular biology has profound
implications for understanding the developmental biology of
mammalian embryos. The unifying theme of this volume is a cellular
and molecular approach to gametogenesis, embryogenesis, and
maternal-fetal interactions in the developmental biology of
agriculturally significant mammals. Great progress has been
achieved in our understanding of preimplantation mammalian
embryogenesis in laboratory species, particularly the mouse,
through application of cell and embryo culture methods, cell
biological techniques, and, more recently, recombinant DNA
technology. A major remaining opportunity is the application of
these techniques to problems in domestic species, such as improved
methods for in vitro growth and maturation of oocytes, egg and
embryo cryopreservation, and genetic manipulation to enhance
productivity and herd quality. The authors review current knowledge
in key areas, emphasizing new approaches to unsolved problems in
the developmental biology of domestic species.

Cell death in vivo, like cell replication, is a normal
and continuous process with complex physiological controls.
The form of programmed cell death known as apoptosis has
become an intense focus of investigation in cancer biology,
virology, immunology, neuroscience, and aging research.
Understanding the events involved at a molecular level may
permit their manipulation for therapeutic purposes. In this
sequel to their pioneering 1991 book Apoptosis: The
Molecular Basis of Cell Death, Tomei and Cope have
assembled an entirely new collection of articles which
describe the genetic control of apoptosis, and its regulation
in normal and neoplastic cells of many types. This is an
essential compilation of up-to-date research on an emerging
topic of central concern in many fields.

The cruciferous weed Arabidopsis thialiana has become a
model system for the study of an unusually wide variety of
aspects of plant biology. As a result, nearly all aspects of
Arabidopsis biology are now under investigation, more
scientists are involved, and plant science as a whole has
been invigorated.

This book is the first comprehensive account of what is
known about the organism. The information is presented in the
context of plant biology in general, with the properties of
Arabidopsis mutants and the insights derived from their
analysis as a unifying theme. The book's scope includes
genetics, growth and development, biochemistry, physiology,
and responses to pathogens and environmental stress.

This unique volume, in the classic tradition of the Cold
Spring Harbor Monograph Series, is a landmark in plant
science, essential reading for investigators at graduate
student level and beyond, and a work of reference that will
serve the field for years to come.

The thale cress Arabidopsis thaliana is increasingly popular
among plant scientists: it is small, easy to grow, and makes flowers,
and the sequence of its small and simple genome was recently
completed. This is the most complete and authoritative laboratory
manual to be published on this model organism and the first to deal
with genomic and proteomic approaches to its biology.

The thale cress Arabidopsis thaliana is increasingly popular
among plant scientists: it is small, easy to grow, and makes flowers,
and the sequence of its small and simple genome was recently
completed. This is the most complete and authoritative laboratory
manual to be published on this model organism and the first to deal
with genomic and proteomic approaches to its biology.

• how research groups work at a human level—and how to fit in


• what equipment is essential, and how to use it properly


• how to get started and get organized


• how to set up an experiment


• how to handle and use data and reference sources


• how to present yourself and your results—in print and in person

Wise, light-hearted, but thoroughly practical, Dr. Barker offers advice, moral support, social etiquette, and professional reassurance along with assume-nothing, step-by-step instructions for those basic but vital laboratory procedures that experienced investigators know—but may not realize novices don’t.

If you are a graduate student, a physician with research intentions, or a laboratory technician, this book is indispensable. If you have to manage or mentor such people, giving a copy to each of them will greatly improve your life, and theirs.