Review
From the reviews …
"This is a hefty book with a hefty price tag and a hefty number of mathematical equations throughout. So why would a novice coming into this field with a biological background buy it? Well for starters, it would be useful for any group or department that has an analytical ultracentrifuge (AUC), or has an interest in one.
Those people with little knowledge of mathematics need not fear. The authors have done an excellent job in explaining what the equations mean and their relevance. On top of this they have translated them into nice little computational algorithms and written programmes which handle all the calculations at the click of a mouse button. So simple that even a novice can handle the data analysis.
So what does an analytical ultracentrifuge do? A quick perusal of the book and I see that the machine is capable of tracking the sedimentation of macromolecules in a solvent. So what?
The AUC is used to study proteins, DNA, polysaccharides, membrane proteins, polymers, colloids and nanoparticles. The AUC can tell you if the molecules in solution are homogeneous, multimeric or have multi components. You can calculate the molecular weight, the distribution of molecular species and the affinities between them. You can estimate the rough size and shape of molecules. All this and you can even get your molecules back.
I expect you would normally shove your molecules through gels, vapourise them for mass spectrometry or fire x-rays and neutrons at them. Try getting all your molecules back after that! AUC can even identify oligomers of macromolecules which other techniques cannot see. It can identify protein conformations in solution that crystal structure will not allow.
This book is essential for planning a sedimentation velocity or equilibrium experiment. The chapters are sensibly laid out with a general introduction to centrifugation, description of the thermodynamic behaviour of molecules in solution, and description of software packages for data analysis. It is brimming with very useful advice. A must for all biochemists and biophysicists."
Jayesh Gor, CHEMISTRY WORLD, Vol. 3, No. 7, July 2006.
Book Description
Analytical ultracentrifugation has become an increasingly important technique for monitoring the size and shape of biological macromolecules. Analytical Ultracentrifugation: Techniques and Methods contains contributions from experts in the field, bringing together the multitude of developments that have taken place in instrumentation and analysis over the past decade into a single volume. This book covers the latest methods in analysis along with an extensive introduction for the novice user. Analysis methods in both sedimentation velocity and sedimentation equilibrium are discussed at length. Protein, protein/DNA, membrane proteins and polymer systems are also explored, along with software developments and non-ideality.
