A Best Book of 2021 by Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Time, and The Washington Post The bestselling author of Leonardo da Vinci and Steve Jobs returns with a “compelling” (The Washington Post) account of how Nobel Prize winner Jennifer Doudna and her colleagues launched a revolution that will allow us to cure diseases, fend off viruses, and have healthier babies. When Jennifer Doudna was in sixth grade, she came home one day to find that her dad had left a paperback titled The Double Helix on her bed. She put it aside, thinking it was one of those detective tales she loved. When she read it on a rainy Saturday, she discovered she was right, in a way. As she sped through the pages, she became enthralled by the intense drama behind the competition to discover the code of life. Even though her high school counselor told her girls didn’t become scientists, she decided she would. Driven by a passion to understand how nature works and to turn discoveries into inventions, she would help to make what the book’s author, James Watson, told her was the most important biological advance since his codiscovery of the structure of DNA. She and her collaborators turned a curiosity of nature into an invention that will transform the human race: an easy-to-use tool that can edit DNA. Known as CRISPR, it opened a brave new world of medical miracles and moral questions. The development of CRISPR and the race to create vaccines for coronavirus will hasten our transition to the next great innovation revolution. The past half-century has been a digital age, based on the microchip, computer, and internet. Now we are entering a life-science revolution. Children who study digital coding will be joined by those who study genetic code. Should we use our new evolution-hacking powers to make us less susceptible to viruses? What a wonderful boon that would be! And what about preventing depression? Hmmm…Should we allow parents, if they can afford it, to enhance the height or muscles or IQ of their kids? After helping to discover CRISPR, Doudna became a leader in wrestling with these moral issues and, with her collaborator Emmanuelle Charpentier, won the Nobel Prize in 2020. Her story is an “enthralling detective story” (Oprah Daily) that involves the most profound wonders of nature, from the origins of life to the future of our species.

The author presents a basic introduction to the world of genetic engineering. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

There is growing enthusiasm in the scientific community about the prospect of mapping and sequencing the human genome, a monumental project that will have far-reaching consequences for medicine, biology, technology, and other fields. But how will such an effort be organized and funded? How will we develop the new technologies that are needed? What new legal, social, and ethical questions will be raised? Mapping and Sequencing the Human Genome is a blueprint for this proposed project. The authors offer a highly readable explanation of the technical aspects of genetic mapping and sequencing, and they recommend specific interim and long-range research goals, organizational strategies, and funding levels. They also outline some of the legal and social questions that might arise and urge their early consideration by policymakers.

One of The Wall Street Journal’s 10 Best Nonfiction Books of the Year Philadelphia, 1959: A scientist scrutinizing a single human cell under a microscope detects a missing piece of DNA. That scientist, David Hungerford, had no way of knowing that he had stumbled upon the starting point of modern cancer research— the Philadelphia chromosome. It would take doctors and researchers around the world more than three decades to unravel the implications of this landmark discovery. In 1990, the Philadelphia chromosome was recognized as the sole cause of a deadly blood cancer, chronic myeloid leukemia, or CML. Cancer research would never be the same. Science journalist Jessica Wapner reconstructs more than forty years of crucial breakthroughs, clearly explains the science behind them, and pays tribute—with extensive original reporting, including more than thirty-five interviews—to the dozens of researchers, doctors, and patients with a direct role in this inspirational story. Their curiosity and determination would ultimately lead to a lifesaving treatment unlike anything before it. The Philadelphia Chromosome chronicles the remarkable change of fortune for the more than 70,000 people worldwide who are diagnosed with CML each year. It is a celebration of a rare triumph in the battle against cancer and a blueprint for future research, as doctors and scientists race to uncover and treat the genetic roots of a wide range of cancers.

Details the history of the study of genetics, from Mendel's discoveries to the decoding of the human genome, and explains the fundamentals of genetics, the function of genes, and DNA manipulation.

This is one of the few medical genetics texts on a 2-year revision cycle. It provides up-to-date information that can be read, retained, and applied with ease! The 3rd Edition covers pharmacogenomics, the societal implications of technologies, the Human Genome Project, cloning, genetic enhancement, and embryonic stem cell research, new tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes, and more. Mini-summaries, study questions, suggested readings, and a detailed glossary facilitate review of the material. Clinical relevance is demonstrated in over 230 photographs, illustrations, and tables as well as boxes containing patient/family vignettes. Its coverage includes ethical, legal, and social issues and clinical commentary on important genetic diseases. A companion web site offers continuing updates and a wealth of additional features. The smart way to study! Elsevier titles with STUDENT CONSULT will help you master difficult concepts and study more efficiently in print and online! Perform rapid searches. Integrate bonus content from other disciplines. Download text to your handheld device. And a lot more. Each STUDENT CONSULT title comes with full text online, a unique image library, case studies, USMLE style questions, and online note-taking to enhance your learning experience. Your purchase of this book entitles you to access www.studentconsult.com at no extra charge. This innovative web site offers you... Access to the complete text and illustrations of this book. Integration links to bonus content in other STUDENT CONSULT titles. Content clipping for your handheld. An interactive community center with a wealth of additional resources. The more STUDENT CONSULT titles you buy, the more resources you can access online! Look for the STUDENT CONSULT logo on your favorite Elsevier textbooks! Features mini-summaries that appear in bold throughout each chapter. Supplies study questions and suggested readings at the end of each chapter. Contains a detailed glossary at the end of the book. Offers Clinical Commentary boxes that present detailed coverage of the most important genetic diseases and provide examples of modern clinical management. Demonstrates clinical relevance with boxed patient/family vignettes and coverage of ethical, legal, and social issues. Provides visual reinforcement and easy access to key information with over 230 photographs, illustrations, and tables. Includes a companion website with continuing content updates, additional clinical images, and more!

Designed as an introductory text the authors cover all core strategies in the application of modern recombinant DNA technology. The first chapters directly address the applications of polymerase chain reaction to a variety of problems in DNA cloning that are, or have been, extremely challenging using more traditional approaches and technologies. These include cDNA cloning and transcript mapping, mutagenesis as well as the cloning of very long transcripts and protocols using limiting amounts of total RNA. Further chapters describe approaches to subtractive cloning technologies as well as novel specialized expression cloning and library screening strategies. The handbook contains detailed step-by-step protocols and extensive hands-on advice.