With contributions by more than 30 expert researchers, this handbook covers the whole spectrum from chemistry to cell biology and from theory to application. In so doing, it deals with a broad range of topics from the chemistry and biophysics of caged compounds to their application in time-resolved studies, comparing the properties of different caging groups. The authors describe in detail light-activation of proteins as well as nucleic acids, while a special section is devoted to multiphoton phototriggers. A must-have for every biochemist, biophysicist and molecular biologist developing and working with these novel methods.

From controlling disease outbreaks to predicting heart attacks, dynamic models are increasingly crucial for understanding biological processes. Many universities are starting undergraduate programs in computational biology to introduce students to this rapidly growing field. In Dynamic Models in Biology, the first text on dynamic models specifically written for undergraduate students in the biological sciences, ecologist Stephen Ellner and mathematician John Guckenheimer teach students how to understand, build, and use dynamic models in biology. Developed from a course taught by Ellner and Guckenheimer at Cornell University, the book is organized around biological applications, with mathematics and computing developed through case studies at the molecular, cellular, and population levels. The authors cover both simple analytic models--the sort usually found in mathematical biology texts--and the complex computational models now used by both biologists and mathematicians. Linked to a Web site with computer-lab materials and exercises, Dynamic Models in Biology is a major new introduction to dynamic models for students in the biological sciences, mathematics, and engineering.

Why do organisms become extremely abundant one year and then seem to disappear a few years later? Why do population outbreaks in particular species happen more or less regularly in certain locations, but only irregularly (or never at all) in other locations? Complex population dynamics have fascinated biologists for decades. By bringing together mathematical models, statistical analyses, and field experiments, this book offers a comprehensive new synthesis of the theory of population oscillations. Peter Turchin first reviews the conceptual tools that ecologists use to investigate population oscillations, introducing population modeling and the statistical analysis of time series data. He then provides an in-depth discussion of several case studies--including the larch budmoth, southern pine beetle, red grouse, voles and lemmings, snowshoe hare, and ungulates--to develop a new analysis of the mechanisms that drive population oscillations in nature. Through such work, the author argues, ecologists can develop general laws of population dynamics that will help turn ecology into a truly quantitative and predictive science. Complex Population Dynamics integrates theoretical and empirical studies into a major new synthesis of current knowledge about population dynamics. It is also a pioneering work that sets the course for ecology's future as a predictive science.

From the spontaneous rapid firing of cortical neurons to the spatial diffusion of disease epidemics, biological systems exhibit rich dynamic behaviour over a vast range of time and space scales. Unifying many of these diverse phenomena, Dynamics of Biological Systems provides the computational and mathematical platform from which to understand the underlying processes of the phenomena. Through an extensive tour of various biological systems, the text introduces computational methods for simulating spatial diffusion processes in excitable media, such as the human heart, as well as mathematical tools for dealing with systems of nonlinear ordinary and partial differential equations, such as neuronal activation and disease diffusion. The mathematical models and computer simulations offer insight into the dynamics of temporal and spatial biological systems, including cardiac pacemakers, artificial electrical defibrillation, pandemics, pattern formation, flocking behaviour, the interaction of autonomous agents, and hierarchical and structured network topologies. Tools from complex systems and complex networks are also presented for dealing with real phenomenological systems. With exercises and projects in each chapter, this classroom-tested text shows students how to apply a variety of mathematical and computational techniques to model and analyze the temporal and spatial phenomena of biological systems. MATLAB® implementations of algorithms and case studies are available on the author’s website.

"Lab Dynamics is a book about the challenges to doing science and dealing with the individuals involved, including oneself. The authors, a scientist and a psychotherapist, draw on principles of group and behavioral psychology but speak to scientists in their own language about their own experiences. They offer in-depth, practical advice, real-life examples, and exercises tailored to scientific and technical workplaces on topics as diverse as conflict resolution, negotiation, dealing with supervision, working with competing peers, and making the transition from academia to industry." "This is a uniquely valuable contribution to the scientific literature, on a subject of direct importance to lab heads, postdocs, and students. It is also required reading for senior staff concerned about improving efficiency and effectiveness in academic and industrial research."--BOOK JACKET

This book studies and applies modern flexible regression models for survival data with a special focus on extensions of the Cox model and alternative models with the aim of describing time-varying effects of explanatory variables. Use of the suggested models and methods is illustrated on real data examples, using the R-package timereg developed by the authors, which is applied throughout the book with worked examples for the data sets.

Dynamics and Kinetics in Structural Biology Understand the latest experimental tools in structural biology with this pioneering work Structural biology seeks to understand the chemical mechanisms and functions of biological molecules, such as proteins, based on their atomic structures. Until recently, these structures have been studied only statically, using procedures which deliberately freeze atomic motion. However, freezing eliminates the rapid structural motions so essential to biological activity and function; the molecules are inactive. But with the recent development of X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) sources, efforts to conduct dynamic experiments have expanded using the principles of dynamics and kinetics to capture active biological molecules as they function. Dynamics and Kinetics in Structural Biology promotes the development of these experiments and their successful application. It grounds readers in the foundational principles of dynamics and kinetics; proceeds through extended discussions of experimental procedures and data analysis techniques; and explores experimental frontiers in structural dynamics. The book will aid researchers to gather and interpret cutting-edge data on the dynamic structure of biological molecules, under conditions where they retain their biological functions. Dynamics and Kinetics in Structural Biology offers readers: Authorship by founding figures in the field In-depth presentation of time-resolved X-ray crystallography, solution scattering, and more A pioneering contribution to a rapidly developing field of study Dynamics and Kinetics in Structural Biology is essential reading for graduate students, scientists, researchers and industry professionals engaged in structural studies of biological systems. Industry professionals considering dynamic studies in the development of new product lines will also benefit.

Humans have moved organisms around the world for centuries but it is only relatively recently that invasion ecology has grown into a mainstream research field. This book examines both the spread and impact dynamics of invasive species, placing the science of invasion biology on a new, more rigorous, theoretical footing, and proposing a concept of adaptive networks as the foundation for future research. Biological invasions are considered not as simple actions of invaders and reactions of invaded ecosystems, but as co-evolving complex adaptive systems with emergent features of network complexity and invasibility. Invasion Dynamics focuses on the ecology of invasive species and their impacts in recipient social-ecological systems. It discusses not only key advances and challenges within the traditional domain of invasion ecology, but introduces approaches, concepts, and insights from many other disciplines such as complexity science, systems science, and ecology more broadly. It will be of great value to invasion biologists analyzing spread and/or impact dynamics as well as other ecologists interested in spread processes or habitat management.

This book is based on a series of lectures on mathematical biology, the essential dynamics of complex and crucially important social systems, and the unifying power of mathematics and nonlinear dynamical systems theory.

Traditionally, the natural sciences have been divided into two branches: the biological sciences and the physical sciences. Today, an increasing number of scientists are addressing problems lying at the intersection of the two. These problems are most often biological in nature, but examining them through the lens of the physical sciences can yield exciting results and opportunities. For example, one area producing effective cross-discipline research opportunities centers on the dynamics of systems. Equilibrium, multistability, and stochastic behavior-concepts familiar to physicists and chemists-are now being used to tackle issues associated with living systems such as adaptation, feedback, and emergent behavior. Research at the Intersection of the Physical and Life Sciences discusses how some of the most important scientific and societal challenges can be addressed, at least in part, by collaborative research that lies at the intersection of traditional disciplines, including biology, chemistry, and physics. This book describes how some of the mysteries of the biological world are being addressed using tools and techniques developed in the physical sciences, and identifies five areas of potentially transformative research. Work in these areas would have significant impact in both research and society at large by expanding our understanding of the physical world and by revealing new opportunities for advancing public health, technology, and stewardship of the environment. This book recommends several ways to accelerate such cross-discipline research. Many of these recommendations are directed toward those administering the faculties and resources of our great research institutions-and the stewards of our research funders, making this book an excellent resource for academic and research institutions, scientists, universities, and federal and private funding agencies.