Bioinformatics Basics: Applications in Biological Science and Medicine [Hardcover]

Lukas K. Buehler (Editor), Hooman H. Rashidi (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0849312833 | ISBN-13: 978-0849312830 | Publication Date: June 23, 2005 | Edition: 2

Every researcher in genomics and proteomics now has access to public domain databases containing literally billions of data entries. However, without the right analytical tools, and an understanding of the biological significance of the data, cataloging and interpreting the molecular evolutionary processes buried in those databases is difficult, if not impossible.

The first editon of Bioinformatics Basics: Applications in Biological Science and Medicine answered the scientific community’s need to learn about the bioinformatic tools available to them. That the book continues to be a best seller clearly demonstrates the authors’ ability to provide scientists with the understanding to apply those tools to their research. Currently, it is being used as a reference text at MIT and other prestigious institutions.

Recognizing the important advances in bioinformatices since their last edition, Buehler and Rashidi have produced a completely revised and updated version of their pioneering work. To allow scientists to utilize significant databases from around the world, the authors consider some fresh approaches to data analysis while identifying computing techniques that will help them manage the massive flow of information their science requires.

New to the second edition:

Provides a more detailed view of the field while continuing to focus on the global concept approach that popularized the first edition.

Offers the latest approaches to data analysis

Introduces recent developments in genomics, microarrays, proteomics, genome mapping, and more.

Adds two new sections offering insights from other experts in bioinformatics.

Bioinformatics Basics is not intended to serve as a training manual for bioinformaticians. Instead, it’s designed to help the general scientific community gain a thorough understanding of what bioinformatics tools are available to them and the best ways these tools can be utilized and adapted to meet the needs of their specific interests and projects.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Rashidi; Hooman

Bioinformatics Basics: Applications in Biological Science and Medicine has now been adopted as a reference text at MIT for its primary course in Bioinformatics. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Rashidi; Hooman Consultant, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, USA,Buehler; Lukas K. Consultant, La Jolla, California, USA, --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: CRC Press; 2 edition (June 23, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0849312833
• ISBN-13: 978-0849312830
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,799,546 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Solid starting place for a novice, May 9, 2001

By 

dubbio1 (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bioinformatics Basics: Applications in Biological Science and Medicine (Hardcover)

I'm always looking for a good guide book for undergrads and biocomputing novices that covers the basics without getting carried away with algorithmic minutiae. I found this book a fair place to start for those who have no idea of what is out there. The tools and Web sites described are mainstays and likely won't be going anywhere. However, if you are already moderately knowledgeable, you will exhaust this book immediately. The nature of the field is constant movement toward newer and more thorough tools. This is not a users' guide: go to the referenced Web sites themselves to get the most up to date, accurate information.

I would refer a naive beginner to get this book at the library, but I wouldn't put it on my own shelf.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars An expensive hodgepodge, January 9, 2002

By 

John Rachlin (Newton, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bioinformatics Basics: Applications in Biological Science and Medicine (Hardcover)

Books about bioinformatics are as diverse as the field itself. It may not be possible to do justice to this new and exciting field in 168 pages. My concern with this book, however, lies not with the choice of topics, but rather with its incoherent presentation. Distracting parenthetical remarks pervade the text as in this excerpt from the beginning of the 3rd chapter: "DNA sequences are often found based on predictive tools, meaning that sequence similarities of newly discovered genes yield information about their physiological functions and structures, PCR (polymerase chain reaction), finding sequence fragments of significance (how is significance judged? By predictive biology, once again), finding distribution of genes or mRNAs (often an indicator of gene activity in an organism), and amplifying the amount of DNA for purification, sequencing, and mutational analysis." (p. 143).

Chapter 5 entitled "The Computer Revolution in Neurobiology" we find the following unexpected text: "One rationale for human cloning is that it could alleviate many of the problems associated with our unique characteristics. The genetic information (DNA) of a cloned organ is identical to that of the individual needing the organ. Hence, the cloned organ would be accepted by the individual's body as part of itself and would have a smaller probability of rejection." (p. 159). [Nevermind the enormous ethical implications!]

Throughout, one has the sense of a book rushed to market to take advantage of an exciting scientific trend. The book presents nothing that can't be found on-line and it gives readers no sense of the computational challenges of the field. ...

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I own this title in my library and is well worth the money!, January 9, 2002

By 

"palmmed02" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bioinformatics Basics: Applications in Biological Science and Medicine (Hardcover)

I am a novice in bioinformatics and have found this book to be invaluable in getting me started without intimidating me. I have owned the book for over a year and still find it very useful but I am waiting for an update to this title soon since I have enjoyed the organization of the book. It has given me a global picture of informatics and chapters with specific examples and applications. I am sure a second edition to this book will be well recieved by the audience and I am hoping to see it soon since the new bioinformatics book I have just purchased is not to my liking.