In recent years, the study of the plant cell cycle has become of major interest, not only to scientists working on cell division sensu strictu , but also to scientists dealing with plant hormones, development and environmental effects on growth. The book The Plant Cell Cycle is a very timely contribution to this exploding field. Outstanding contributors reviewed, not only knowledge on the most important classes of cell cycle regulators, but also summarized the various processes in which cell cycle control plays a pivotal role. The central role of the cell cycle makes this book an absolute must for plant molecular biologists.

Quantification of the proliferative characteristics of normal and malignant cells has been of interest to oncolo gists and cancer biologists for almost three decades. This interest stems from (a) the fact that cancer is a disease of uncontrolled proliferation, (b) the finding that many of the commonly used anticancer agents are preferentially toxic to cells that are actively proliferating, and (c) the observa tion that significant differences in proliferation characteristics exist between normal and malignant cells. Initially, cell cycle analysis was pursued enthusiastically in the hope of gener ating information useful for the development of rational cancer therapy strategies; for example, by allowing identi fication of rapidly proliferating tumors against which cell cycle-specific agents could be used with maximum effec tiveness and by allowing rational scheduling of cell cyc- specific therapeutic agents to maximize the therapeutic ratio. Unfortunately, several difficulties have prevented realiza tion of the early promise of cell cycle analysis: Proliferative patterns of the normal and malignant tissues have been found to be substantially more complex than originally an ticipated, and synchronization of human tumors has proved remarkably difficult. Human tumors of the same type have proved highly variable, and the cytokinetic tools available for cell cycle analysis have been labor intensive, as well as somewhat subjective and in many cases inapplicable to humans. However, the potential for substantially improved cancer therapy remains if more accurate cytokinetic infor mation about human malignancies and normal tissues can be obtained in a timely fashion.

​ This volume brings together a unique collection of protocols that cover standard, novel, and specialized techniques. Cell Cycle Oscillators: Methods and Protocols guides readers through recent progress in the field from both holistic and reductionist perspectives, providing the latest developments in molecular biology techniques, biochemistry, and computational analysis used for studying oscillatory networks. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Cell Cycle Oscillators: Methods and Protocols will serve as an invaluable reference to gain further insight into the complex and incompletely understood processes that are involved in the cell cycle and its regulation by oscillatory networks.

The analysis and sorting of large numbers of cells with a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) was first achieved some 30 years ago. Since then, this technology has been rapidly developed and is used today in many laboratories. A Springer Lab Manual Review of the First Edition: "This is a most useful volume which will be a welcome addition for personal use and also for laboratories in a wide range of disciplines. Highly recommended." CYTOBIOS

A collection of new reviews and protocols from leading experts in cell cycle regulation, Cell Cycle Control: Mechanisms and Protocols, Second Edition presents a comprehensive guide to recent technical and theoretical advancements in the field. Beginning with the overviews of various cell cycle regulations, this title presents the most current protocols and state-of-the-art techniques used to generate latest findings in cell cycle regulation, such as protocols to analyze cell cycle events and molecules. Written in the successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and easily accessible, Cell Cycle Control: Mechanisms and Protocols, Second Edition will be a valuable resource for a wide audience, ranging from the experienced cell cycle researchers looking for new approaches to the junior graduate students giving their first steps in cell cycle research.

Flow cytometry has rapidly evolved into a technique for rapid analysis of DNA content, cellular marker expression and electronic sorting of cells of interest for further investigations. Flow cytometers are being extensively used for monitoring of cellular DNA content, phenotype expression, drug transport, calcium flux, proliferation and apoptosis. Phenotypic analysis of marker expression in leukemic cells has become an important tool for diagnostic and therapeutic monitoring of patients. Recent studies have explored the use of flow cytometry for monitoring hormone receptor expression in human solid tumors and for studies in human genomics. Contributions in the current volume are based on presentations made at the First Indo-US workshop on Flow Cytometry in which experts from USA, UK and India discussed applications of flow cytometry in biological and medical research. This book will be of interest to post graduates and researchers in the fields of pathology, cytology, cell biology and molecular biology.

Intracellular checkpoint controls constitute a network of signal transd- tion pathways that protect cells from external stresses and internal errors. Ext- nal stresses can be generated by the continuous assault of DNA-damaging agents, such as environmental mutagens, ultraviolet (UV) light, ionizing radiation, or the reactive oxygen species that can arise during normal cellular metabolism. In response to any of these assaults on the integrity of the genome, the activation of the network of checkpoint control pathways can lead to diverse cellular responses, such as cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, or elimination of the cell by cell death (apoptosis) if the damage cannot be repaired. Moreover, internal errors can occur during the highly orchestrated replication of the cellular genome and its distribution into daughter cells. Here, the temporal order of these cell cycle events must be strictly enforced—for example, to ensure that DNA replication is c- plete and occurs only once before cell division, or to monitor mitotic spindle assembly, and to prevent exit from mitosis until chromosome segregation has been completed. Thus, well functioning checkpoint mechanisms are central to the maintenance of genomic integrity and the basic viability of cells and, the- fore, are essential for proper development and survival. The importance of proper functioning of checkpoints becomes plainly obvious under conditions in which this control network malfunctions and fails. Depending on the severity and timing, failure of this machinery can lead to embryonic lethality, genetic diseases, and cancer.

This timely book identifies and highlights the latest data mining paradigms to analyze, combine, integrate, model and simulate vast amounts of heterogeneous multi-modal, multi-scale data for emerging real-world applications in life science.The cutting-edge topics presented include bio-surveillance, disease outbreak detection, high throughput bioimaging, drug screening, predictive toxicology, biosensors, and the integration of macro-scale bio-surveillance and environmental data with micro-scale biological data for personalized medicine. This collection of works from leading researchers in the field offers readers an exceptional start in these areas.