It has a chemical and physical approach to biochemistry to help students
to understand what drives biochemical reactions, rather than just presenting
a list of facts for them to learn. The presentation is undogmatic and does
not suggest that all problems are solved. But, contrary to its claims, Biochemistry
does not succeed in identifying research opportunities for young scientists
in a systematic way. The book, however, is beautifully organised. The authors
have achieved the correct balance between the elegant figures and the text,
making it enjoyable to read. Although the references are not extensive,
they are typical of review articles – suitable for students of all levels.
A very good textbook.

Molecular Cell Biology is the second edition of a book that covers similar
ground. Edited by James Darnell, Harvey Lodish and David Baltimore, its
bias is towards cell biologies. This edition contains some revision, and
many of the sections have been brought up to date. A nice feature is the
integration of some plant molecular biology in response to the growing interest
in this area.

In style it is similar to J. D. Watson’s Molecular Biology of the Gene,
and it has an extremely detailed contents and index section that make it
easy to extract information. The figures are clear and colourful, sometimes
verging on gaudy, but lack the elegance of the figures in Biochemistry.
The higher ratio of text to figures also makes it a less appealing book.
Unfortunately, Molecular Cell Biology fails to appreciate the role of methodology
in problem solving. Its treatment of some areas is also more superficial
than in Biochemistry: for example, it ignores ribosomes and antisense RNA,
both significant in cell biology.

Although we like this book, it still falls short of Molecular Biology
of The Cell by Bruce Alberts et al (Garland in the US, pp 1220, Pounds sterling
26.50), in giving a new molecular treatment of cell biology.

A third approach to a similar area is the fourth edition of Benjamin
Lewin’s book, Genes IV. In this case, the approach is from a DNA-based perspective.
But, like Genes III, reviewed two years ago, the result of the revision
is somewhat disappointing.

Lewin has updated the information in each area but its presentation
has not changed much. His style remains dogmatic and he puts little emphasis
on highlighting fuzzy or important areas. The two-tone figures are still
unappealing. Like James Darnell et al, Genes IV does not stress the role
of experiments in scientific discovery. Despite its larger format, we still
prefer The Molecular Biology of the Gene by J. D. Watson et al (4th edition,
Benjamin Cummings, pp 1163, Pounds sterling 29.95).

In the introductory chapter to Biochemistry, there is a nice section
highlighting the way biochemistry has developed historically and how this
has led to its interleaving with cell biology and genetics to make up modern
molecular biology. These three books prove the point because they cover
essentially the same ground despite their different perspectives. In theory,
the authors have tailored each book to a course but, in practice, this is
too subtle to matter. So do not worry about matching the correct textbook
to the bias of your particular course, ignore the flavour of the book and
choose the one giving the most comprehensive and stimulating coverage.

Another book that falls under the heading of a general molecular biology
text is Genetics: A Molecular Approach. This has the nice feature of including
biographical details of some of the leading lights in the development of
molecular genetics. An interesting book for those curious about the personalities
involved in science. Genetics: A Molecular Approach is only an introductory
text to the subject, so it is rather thin in scientific detail but it would
be a good book for those who want a taste of the subject without getting
bogged down in too many details.

The rush to write the standard general text for biotechnology seems
to have abated. The biotechnology books that we have seen this year all
concentrate on one facet of biotechnology, rather than trying to cram all
its aspects in one volume.

Specialist books within the price range of a student include two from
the Open University’s biotechnology series: Plant Biotechnology in Agriculture
by Keith Lindsey and Michael Jones and Biotechnology of Biomass Conversion
by Morris Wayman and Sarad Parekh. The books help to link basic scientific
principles to tangible biotechnological applications, as well as putting
specialist topics into perspective with other areas of biotechnology. Both
suffer, however, from the economical style of the figures. Despite the readability
of these books, the level of knowledge that the authors assume makes these
books most appropriate for third-year undergraduates and MSc students specialising
in biotechnology.

Another low-price biotechnology book that we recommend is also in a
series, but this time the Practical Approach series from IRL Press. Fermentation
by Brian McNeil and Linda Harvey is a book for those who want to carry out
experiments rather than read about them. So again it is suitable for PhD
students working on fermentation projects.

Fermentation covers a wide range of subjects from the biological point
of view, such as care and maintenance of bacterial strains, conditions affecting
the growth of bacteria, modelling of bacterial growth pattern. It also tackles
the hardware angle, including the design and construction of a fermenter
and the use of probes to measure the state of a culture. Although the main
emphasis is on organisms, McNeil and Harvey also describe fermentation in
animal cells – a nice touch.

The main shortcoming of the text is its traditional approach; it does
not say anything about the special problems that students may encounter
during the fermentation of organisms, such as the overexpressing of recombinant
protein, or mention fermentation of plant cells, both significant processes
in biotechnology.

A number of other specialist books have come out this year, all of which
are too expensive for the student market, but which would be good additions
to the library of any department with an interest in biotechnology.

Bacillus is part of a series focusing on important microorganisms. It
covers everything that all but the most specialised student would want to
know about Bacillus, and its significance in both the traditional and recombinant
biotechnology industry. Yeast Genetic Engineering also looks in detail at
a group of organisms important to biotechnologists. It covers mainly the
manipulation of Saccharomyces cervisia for heterologous gene expression,
but also discusses the exploitation of the natural properties of other yeast
strains, such as the celluloytic yeast used in brewing.

Biotechnology and the Food Industry looks at how recent advances in
biotechnology affect food processing and diagnostics. The approach is wide,
covering processes as well as commercial and legal constraints. Biotechnology
in Growth Regulation describes the application of genetically engineered
hormones for animal husbandry. The book is the proceedings of a symposium
on the subject, but the inclusion of chapters addressing moral issues, does
give some feel for the controversy surrounding this area.

Resources and Applications of Biotechnology: The New Wave, is a good
companion for the budding venture capitalist. It does not spend too much
time on the nuts and bolts of biotechnology, but concentrates heavily on
its potential and products, as well as the financial and ethical implications.
It deals with the leaching of microbial ores using bacteria, commercial
enzymes, the relevance of the Warnock report to biotechnology, as well as
more exotic topics, such as earthworm biotechnology, brave new vegetables,
towards the bionic man . . . This book will be useful not only for scientists
with an interest in business but also for business students interested in
science.

The revived interest in protein structure and function has also produced
several good practical books this year. Protein Structure and Protein Function,
both edited by Tom Creighton, are excellent books, covering most of the
aspects that are important for working with proteins.

In Protein Structure, the authors concentrate on the analysis of protein
conformations and interactions, including sections on how to analyse folded
conformations of proteins and the stability of these structures under different
conditions. They cover many techniques: both old, such as gel electrophoresis
and the spectral method, and new, such as the use of immunology to determine
protein structures and of computer models to predict structures.

Protein Function describes how to look at the activity of proteins.
Although it must remain somewhat general – since each function is specific
to that protein – it does include useful strategies for looking at the binding
of ligands, the study of subunit functions and so on. The authors discuss
the general concepts and applications of chemical modification and the role
of directed metagenesis, adding a helpful chapter on how to minimise protein
inactivation during the isolation of enzymes.

The third useful book in this series, Proteolytic Enzymes, by Rob Beynon
and Judy Bon is more specific. Some chapters are not generally applicable
– those, for example, on purification of proteolytic enzymes, protease assay
methods and the determination of protease mechanisms. But other sections
would be very interesting for people handling all kinds of proteins. Benyon
and Bon describe, for example, the prevention of proteolysis (the degradation
of proteins into peptides and amino acids by cleavage of peptide bonds),
proteases as probes of conformation, the solubilisation of membrane proteins
by proteolysis and how proteases function in intracellular processing.

For graduate students, and those just moving into the protein field,
the books in this series would be a valuable asset.

Biochemistry By C. K. Mathews and K. E. van Holde, Benjamin Cummings,
pp 1129, Pounds sterling 24.95 hbk

Molecular Cell Biology by James D. Darnell, Harvey Lodish and David
Baltimore, Scientific American Books/W. H. Freeman, pp 1105, Pounds sterling
49.95 hbk

Genes IV by B. Lewin, Oxford University/Cell Press, pp 857, Pounds
sterling 45 hbk, Pounds sterling 25 pbk

Genetics: A Molecular Approach by T. A. Brown, Chapman & Hall, pp
387, Pounds sterling 16.95

Plant Biotechnology in Agriculture by K. Lindsey and M. Jones, Open
University Press, pp 241, Pounds sterling 40 hbk, Pounds sterling 15.99
pbk

Biotechnology of Biomass Conversion by M. Wayman and S. Parekh, Open
University Press, pp 278, Pounds sterling 40 hbk, Pounds sterling 18.99
pbk

Fermentation: A Practical Approach edited by B. McNeil and L. Harvey,
IRL Pess, pp 226, Pounds sterling 29 spiral bound, Pounds sterling 19 pbk

Bacillus by C. R. Harwood, Plenum Press, pp 414, Pounds sterling 44.62

Yeast Genetic Engineering by P. J. Barr, A. J. Brake and P. Valuenzula,
Butterworths, pp 354, $65

Biotechnology and the Food Industry edited by P. L. Rogers and G. H.
Fleet, Gordon and Breach, pp 298, $48

Biotechnology in Growth Regulation edited by R. B. Heap, C. G. Prosser
and G. E. Lamming, Butterworths, pp 286, Pounds sterling 35

Resources and Applications of Biotechnology: The New Wave edited by
R. N. Greenshields, Stockton Press (Macmillan in Britain), pp 441, Pounds
sterling 60

Protein Structure: A Practical Approach edited by T. Creighton, IRL
Press, pp 355, Pounds sterling 22.50 pbk

Protein Function: A Practical Approach edited by T. Creighton, IRL Press,
pp 306, Pounds sterling 22.50 pbk

Proteolytic Enzymes: A Practical Approach edited by R. J. Beynon and
J. S. Bon, IRL Press, pp 259, Pounds sterling 20 hbk, Pounds sterling 19
pbk

Sue Cotterill and Conrad Lichtenstein are based in the Centre for Biotechnology,
Imperial College, London

The actual content of each book seems barely more detailed than standard
‘encyclopedias’ of biochemistry. For their size, they are expensive. Perhaps
they can best be used grafted onto core course textbooks.

For the molecular biologist with the larger appetite, there is a new
‘midi’ series, also from IRL, called ‘Frontiers In Molecular Biology’. While
the ‘In Focus’ series is more suitable for undergraduates in their second
year, this series is better suited to third years. The series editors (Hames
and Glover) have invited several guest contributors for each book. Each
chapter focuses in depth on one aspect of the subject. At the end of each
chapter is a massive bibliography. The figures are disappointingly sparse.
They are clear, but each in a single colour and rather dull.

While the series does provide very good in-depth studies, the books
are quite expensive. Students should only buy them, therefore, if they are
very interested in a particular subject. At the moment, there are only four
topics in print: ‘Transcription and Splicing’, ‘Molecular Immunology’, ‘Molecular
Neurobiology’, and ‘Oncogenes’.

From the delicatessen, there is a new volume (volume 7) in the series,
Genetic Engineering. It deals with topics which, though not strictly curriculum
material, have great relevance and interest. The books provide stimulating
texts not only for keen undergraduates, but also for researchers at any
level. Volume 7 is an eclectic mix, with two chapters on parasitology and
one on expression of foreign proteins in animal cells. The unifying theme
is medical applications. The book has a good bibliography, but few diagrams.

For the molecular handyman, do-it-yourself guides to practical molecular
biology continue to multiply to keep pace with the ever-expanding numbers
of theory books on the subject. For general purposes, the best of the bunch
is the 2nd edition of A Practical Guide To Molecular Cloning by B. Purbell.
The book is better than the famous Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual
by Maniatis et al. Purbell gives all the information you need to clone your
favourite gene. It is clearly written and easy to follow. In addition to
the recipes, Purbell also gives pretty good theoretical discussions. There
are also useful titbits – for example, information on the equipment you
need to set up a molecular biology laboratory. It would be useful to have
one in any laboratory or in the library for projects.

The next best book in this area is also a second edition: An Introduction
To Recombinant DNA Techniques by Hackett et al. It fills roughly the same
niche as Purbell’s book, although it is not quite so detailed. The fact
that it is tailored towards a specific practical course for undergraduates
means that it lacks the breadth and flexibility of the other text. However,
at half the price it is certainly worth considering.

While plant molecular biology has continued to expand on the research
front over the past few years, this has not been reflected in the availability
of undergraduate textbooks on this subject. However, this year’s mild winter
in Britain has brought out a number of interesting early blooms. A hardy
perennial and the pick of the bunch is the 2nd edition of Plant Molecular
Biology by D. Grierson and S. Covey. This book has been thoroughly updated
and expanded to include new information acquired since the first edition
in 1984.

Another notable improvement is that the authors have removed the general
chapter on techniques of recombinant DNA. This means that the reader must
have a basic knowledge of molecular biology. However, this is a component
of most modern biochemistry courses. The result is a solid, concise well-stated
little book, which would be a good solid core textbook for any specialist
courses on plant molecular biology.

One more specialised arrival in Genetic Transformation In Plants by
R. Walden. The book is in a series on biotechnology from the Open University.
It is aimed at both undergraduates and those nonspecialists who want an
introduction to plant transformation systems. Like Plant Molecular Biology,
it assumes some degree of background knowledge, but a nice feature of this
book is that it includes a reasonable glossary. Walden does discuss all
relevant areas for plant genetic transformation; however, despite the book’s
specialist classification, he does not really deal with this material in
any greater detail than Grierson and Covey. Moreover, outside the narrow
field of plant transformation there is very little additional information.

For the green-fingered plant molecular biologist there are several new
manuals on plant molecular biology. The best of these is Plant Genetic Transformation
And Gene Expression by J. Draper et al. It represents the culmination of
a series of annual courses on the subject at the University of Leicester.
The book is very comprehensive and would stand on its own without being
supplemented by a more general text. Contents include current methodologies
for plant genetic transformation, assays for gene expression of reporter
genes and selectable markers in plants, isolation and analysis of plant
DNA, and so on. It would be a good source book for the design of practical
courses and also a useful guide for project students and those embarking
on research in this area.

While there is a definite trend in biochemistry courses to ‘go green’,
we should not forget those courses with a medical bent. This year there
are a couple of interesting books for the medical biochemist. The first
is the 2nd edition of Medicinal Chemistry: A Biochemical Approach by T.
Nogrady. This is a general textbook. It includes a very comprehensive discussion
of chemical and physical properties of drugs, and the general principles
involved in their design. It also has a nice discussion on the biochemical
basis of their action, including a lot of relevant background information
on the systems involved – for example, nice sections on the biochemistry
of hormone/receptor function, the biochemistry of neurotransmitters, and
so on. Another useful feature is a list of drugs at the end of the book,
classified according to their action.

One mark against the book, however, is that it has a limited bibliography,
with very little reference to original papers. The bias of the book is towards
pharmacologically active drugs, interacting with components in hormonal
and neural systems. However, the author gives a brief discussion on antibiotics,
and an up-to-date discussion of new developments. The book is good for medically
minded biochemists and scientifically minded medical students.

In the same area is the much more specialised The Design Of Enzyme Inhibitors
As Drugs, edited by M. Sandler et al. After a brief general introduction,
the authors concentrate on specific examples of how enzyme inhibitors have
been used as drugs. Each chapter is written by a different person and is
very comprehensive, but because of its specificity, the range of material
covered is very small. In this case, almost all the discussion is based
on things very specifically related to the drugs themselves. There is very
little discussion about the biochemistry of the systems involved.

Genetics Of Bacterial Diversity, edited by D. Hopwood and K. Chater
has arrived at a good time to fill a vacant niche. It presents a carefully
selected set of chapters on the dazzling versatility of bacteria. Each of
the 20 chapters is written by an invited author who is a specialist. The
chapters are then collected into groups, each group on a particular theme.

Despite the multi-authorship, the text remains very cohesive because
the editors have gone to some trouble to coordinate and introduce each section.
The reader does require a certain degree of background. The good bibliography
helps to circumvent this problem to some extent, but the book is not an
introductory text. It is, however, an ideal companion to standard core textbooks
on prokaryotic molecular genetics.

As usual, a number of more specialised texts have appeared, again not
necessarily student textbooks. A good example of this is The Recombination
of Genetic Material edited by K. Brooks Low. Recombination is a subject
which is taught in most undergraduate biochemistry courses. This book provides
a slightly different perspective to other textbooks because it is very heavily
based on experiment. It provides 12 chapters, each by a different author,
which discuss the current state of knowledge on recombination in a variety
of systems such as bacteria, yeast immunoglobulins, and so on. The gathering
of all this information under one roof makes it good supplementary reading
for third-year courses for both lecturers and students.

Nucleic Acids And Molecular Biology edited by F. Eckstein and D. Lilley,
is the second book in what is, presumably, expected to be a series presenting
a diverse collection of short reviews in a racy area. The area is that of
protein DNA interactions and the detailed structure of DNA, with particular
emphasis on structural aspects. The book does provide a good idea of the
diversity of this subject, reviewing a range of subjects, from laser Raman
spectroscopy of nucleic acids and site specific chemical cleavage of DNA,
to the mechanism of the Reel protein of Ustilago and the mechanisms involved
in the interaction of MMTV with cellular receptors. The chapters are well-written
and easy to read. Our main criticism is that the figures, while clear and
frequent, are a little bland. This is another one for the library.

Changing gears completely, the third specialist book we recommend for
this year is the 3rd edition of Biochemistry of Photosynthesis by R. Gregory.
The book contains the more standard information about pathways and pigments
involved, but also some of the more modern developments on the physical
biochemical processes involved. It is clearly organised and coherent, and
the figures and bibliography are good.

Our final book provides a suitable companion for all the other books
we have reviewed. It is The Macmillan Dictionary Of Genetics and Cell Biology
by N. Maclean. The author provides definitions for terms used in molecular
biology, and in cell biology. As far as we can tell, the book is fairly
comprehensive, and the definitions that are given are short, but clear and
accurate. Maclean includes diagrams where appropriate and helpful. There
is also a great deal of cross-referencing. Another nice feature is that
the book includes some tables of useful biochemical information – for example,
the size of the genomes of different organisms.

In Focus, a series of books from IRL Press, pp 80, Pounds sterling 5.95
each.

Frontiers in Molecular Biology, a series of books from IRL, pp 212,
Pounds sterling 23 hbk, Pounds sterling 15 pbk.

Genetic Engineering (volume 7), edited by Peter Rigby, Academic Press,
pp 136, Pounds sterling 13.50 pbk.

A Practical Guide to Molecular Cloning by B. Purbell, Wiley, pp 832,
Pounds sterling 65.70 hbk, Pounds sterling 32.50 pbk.

An Introduction to Recombinant DNA Techniques, 2nd edition, by P. B.
Hackett et al, Benjamin-Cummings, pp 243, Pounds sterling 21.55 pbk.

Plant Molecular Biology, 2nd edition, by D. Grierson and S. Covey, Blackie
& Sons, pp 233, Pounds sterling 27 hbk, Pounds sterling 12.95 pbk.

Genetic Transformation in Plants by R. Walden, Open UP, pp 200, Pounds
sterling 30 hbk, Pounds sterling 14.95 pbk.

Plant Genetic Transformation and Gene Expression by J. Draper et al,
Blackwell Scientific, pp 366, Pounds sterling 29.50 pbk.

Medicinal Chemistry: A Biochemical Approach, 2nd edition, by Thomas
Nogrady, Oxford UP, pp 376, Pounds sterling 40 hbk, Pounds sterling 19.95
pbk.

Design of Enzyme Inhibitors as Drugs, edited by M. Sandler et al, Oxford
UP, pp 700, Pounds sterling 90.

Genetics of Bacterial Diversity, edited by D. Hopwood and K. Chater,
Academic Press, pp 350, Pounds sterling 40 hbk, Pounds sterling 14 pbk.

The Recombination of Genetic Material by K. Brooks Low, Academic Press,
pp 506, Pounds sterling 45.

Nucleic Acids and Molecular Biology, edited by F. Eckstein and D. Lilley,
Springer-Verlag, pp 235, Pounds sterling 48.50.

Biochemistry of Photosynthesis, 3rd edition by R. Gregory, Wiley, pp
232, Pounds sterling 21.95.

Dictionary of Genetics and Cell Biology by N. Maclean, Macmillan, pp
448, Pounds sterling 27.50 hbk, Pounds sterling 10.95 pbk.

Conrad Lichtenstein is at the Centre for Biotechnology and Sue Cotterill
in the department of biochemistry at Imperial College, London.