Bionanotechnology: Lessons from Nature [Hardcover]

David S. Goodsell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 29, 2004 | ISBN-10: 047141719X | ISBN-13: 978-0471417194 | Edition: 1

Discussions of the basic structural, nanotechnology, and system engineering principles, as well as an introductory overview of essential concepts and methods in biotechnology, will be included.?? Text is presented side-by-side with extensive use of high-quality illustrations prepared using cutting edge computer graphics techniques.?? Includes numerous examples, such applications in genetic engineering.?? Represents the only available introduction and overview of this interdisciplinary field, merging the physical and biological sciences.?? Concludes with the authors' expert assessment of the future promise of nanotechnology, from molecular "tinkertoys" to nanomedicine.?? David Goodsell is author of two trade books, Machinery of Life and Our Molecular Nature, and Arthur Olson is the world's leader in molecular graphics and nano-scale representation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“…a stimulating volume…borrow it from your library…” (Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Vol. 80 (8), August 2005)

"…Goodsell's book is a good start." (Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, May 2005) 

"David S. Goodsell's new book is a useful introduction to bionanotechnology…" (NanoToday, May 2005)

“This is a stimulating volume …borrow it from your library.”  (Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, 2005; Vol. 80, 964-965)

“…concludes with chapters on applications, surveying some of the exciting bionanotechnology tools and techniques that are currently in development…” (CAB Abstracts, 2005)

"…will quickly bring intelligent readers up to speed on the most important aspects...I enthusiastically recommend this timely and well-written book on this important, emerging field." (The Quarterly Review of Biology, December 2004)

"…a wonderful introductory text for those who want to understand nanotechnology from a biological perspective…an outstanding work for the educated novice as well as for the seasoned nanotechnologist." (ASM News, October 2004)

"…this book appears to be one of the only overview texts available.” (E-STREAMS, September 2004)

"...best window into the nanoworld...highly readable...will not only educate students but also reach a wider audience..." (Chemistry World, August 2004)

"Goodsell's fresh perspective on nanotechnology and persuasive arguments about the future of bionanotechnology have certainly made me into a believer--Bionanotechnology is going to be big!" (Biotechnology Focus, July 2004)

"Bionanotechnology: Lessons from Nature is well written and informative.  That alone would make it a good read for chemists. But there's a bonus: The book is full of Goodsell's unique illustrations of biomolecules and cells." (C&EN, June 14, 2004)

"Written in the style of an excellent biochemistry textbook, Bionanotechnology points the reader to  general principles of the biological nanoworld, and thus provides readers with guidance on the design of their own devices and systems…. I can highly recommend this book. I enjoyed reading every single page" (Nature, July 2004)

From the Author

Using the natural nanomachines found in living cells and building upon the nanoscale principles of their operation, nanotechnology is a reality today, and is accessible with remarkably modest resources. In this book, I present many of the lessons that may be learned from biology and how they are being applied to nanotechnology. The book is divided into three basic parts. In the first part, I explore the properties of the nanomachines that are available in cells. In the second part, I look to these natural nanomachines for guidance in the building of our own nanomachinery. By surveying what is known about biological molecules, we can isolate the general principles of structure and function that are used to construct functional nanomachines. The book finishes with two chapters on applications, surveying some of the exciting applications of bionanotechnology that are currently under study and then looking to the future, speculating about what we might expect.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Liss; 1 edition (January 29, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047141719X
• ISBN-13: 978-0471417194
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 0.9 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,329,104 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:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent overview of the tools in the toolkit, December 5, 2004

By 

Nick Papadakis (MIT, Caltech) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bionanotechnology: Lessons from Nature (Hardcover)

A fantastic overview of a sweeping topic. Designed for a reader who is basically familiar with the concepts of molecular biology, but needs to know more about the entire range of well-characterized molecular systems. A specialist will find the information to be highly condensed, but will appreciate the coverage of topics outside their specialty.

The book avoids irrelevant technical details (but only the irrelevant ones) in favor of clear, well-distilled summaries of what is known. The emphasis is on the interactions of molecules with each other, and the relationships (functional and evolutionary) between broad classes of molecules. The writing is exquisitely clear and avoids the "scientific" voice that is all too common in textbooks and papers.

The illustrations are reminiscent of those of Branden and Tooze in their impact and clarity (though not in their actual execution). Simplified to the point where most of them contain only 2 or 3 colors, they are a fine example of Tufte's ethic of visual communication.

The book is not, however, a collection of journal articles. You won't find mathematical details (rate constants, binding energies) or equations. The scope is too broad. The idea is to acquaint the reader with many systems so they can figure out which one (that they hadn't heard of before) might be applicable, and then go and seek details elsewhere.

[p.s. Robertorob's review (which was highly negative) said "all this info would be covered in a good textbook on cell biology". This is untrue. Only about 1/3 to 1/2 would be, and the treatment would have been much less informative if what one wanted was an overview.]

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An engineer's perspective..., July 7, 2005

By 

Tennysohn (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bionanotechnology: Lessons from Nature (Hardcover)

A fellow chemical engineer recommended this book to me and, I must say, the engineering parallels from the macro to nano scale really drove me through it. This is book is focused towards application as opposed to pure science and therefore may seem mundane (perhaps even elementary) to those with a speciality in biology.

I have taken but one biochemistry college course and my graduate research is pharmaceutics. This book concisely covered several promising frontiers for biological nanomachines in the pharmaceutical arena.

If you are a biologist, I do not recommend it. If you are an engineer, this is a must read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guidebook for the imminent revolution, February 26, 2007

By 

Jed Macosko (Winston-Salem, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bionanotechnology: Lessons from Nature (Hardcover)

A revolution in science and technology is coming and is already here--the bionanotechnology revolution: understanding nature's subcellular machines and using them for our purposes.

David Goodsell's book, though now three years old, is the best primer I've found to the wonderful world of subcellular machinery. He explains, without embroiling the reader in jargon, just how these molecular machines can do their myriads of functions and how the can be--and are--harnessed.

I am currently using this masterpiece as a textbook for a college-level, freshman seminar class, which includes science and non-science majors. The following reviews (above) are from my students. Some students have found the book less helpful than other students, which doesn't dampen my appreciation for what Goodsell has done: he has brought the living world of the nano-small into view for the average, college-educated reader. This is truly a tour de force in science popularization.

In response to the preceding reviews (below), I would say that, though I've taken many molecular biology classes as an undergraduate and graduate student and did my Ph.D. in the biology and biophysics of influenza, I was not bored by this book. Also, I do think that this book is better than an undergraduate cell-bio textbook at explaining the world of molecular machines to the college educated lay-person. Finally, I would agree that this book is overpriced and look forward to when Wiley releases it as a paperback.