An Introduction to Genetic Engineering (Studies in Biology) [Paperback]

Desmond S. T. Nicholl (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 11, 2002 | ISBN-10: 0521004713 | ISBN-13: 978-0521004718 | Edition: 2

Des Nicholl presents a new, fully revised, and expanded edition of his popular undergraduate-level textbook. The book retains many of the features of the original edition and still offers a concise technical introduction to the subject of genetic engineering. It is divided into three main sections: basic molecular biology, methods of gene manipulation, and modern applications of genetic engineering. Applications covered in the book include genomics, protein engineering, gene therapy, cloning, transgenic animals and plants, and bioethics. An Introduction to Genetic Engineering is essential reading for undergraduate students of biotechnology, genetics, molecular biology, and biochemistry.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Nicholl's short treatise, written in a relaxed, conversational tone, bridges the gap between theory and practice. An easy-to-follow narrative, accompanied by simple, clear diagrams, provides the interested student with the background needed to understand where restriction enzymes come from, the principles of gene cloning and expression, how DNase I footprinting works, how to make a transgenic animal, etc. The book, therefore, fills an important niche and should be brought to the attention of upper-level undergraduate students and beginning graduate students in any branch of biology that makes use of molecular techniques." ASM News

Book Description

Genetic engineering is a subject taught at the undergraduate level to almost all students of the biological sciences. This expanded, second edition still offers a concise and affordable technical introduction to the subject, but now covers all of the major modern applications of gene technology, from cloning to the creation of genetically modified animals and plants. The ethical questions surrounding genetic engineering are also discussed. This book is essential reading for students taking courses in biotechnology, genetics, molecular biology, and biochemistry.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 2 edition (February 11, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521004713
• ISBN-13: 978-0521004718
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #229,621 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for the non-biology expert, December 29, 1999

By 

Leo J IRAKLIOTIS - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Introduction to Genetic Engineering (Studies in Biology) (Paperback)

I came across this book searching for good introductory texts to be used as companions in a bioinformatics course intended for an audience of graduate students in computer science at the University of Chicago. This is definitely an outstanding text for this purpose. It's genetic engineering in a nutshell. Each chapter is summarized at its end by a "concept-diagram" that connects all the essential information in that chapter (I wish other authors could do the same with their books). The book is divided in eight chapters, spanning over 165 pages approximately. It covers basic molecular biology (gene organization, expression), manipulation of nucleic acids (labelling, hybridisation, electrophoresis, and sequencing), restriction, modifying, and joining enzymes, vector techniques, cloning, recombinants, and applied issues (making proteins, transgenics, etc).

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A brief overview of gene technology, May 13, 2003

By 

Ericson Mar (Woodside, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: An Introduction to Genetic Engineering (Studies in Biology) (Paperback)

First off, I would have given this book 5 stars if value was the main consideration. You can't beat the price for what you are getting with this work. It provides a very concise overview of modern gene technology, though that conciseness is the underlying drawback of this text. Another thing I didn't like about this text is that that everything is in black and white. With today's printing capabilities, B/W is sub-standard. Although, I must express that even with the limited resources put into the printing, the diagrams are well thought out and the graphical explanations are very well delivered considering there is no color to work with. As mentioned above, for a compact text that weighs next to nothing compared to a full text-book you can't argue against its value.

This book is divided into three parts. Part I covers the basic gene technology principles. Part II deals with the methods of rDNA technologies. And Part III discusses some applications of rDNA with some minor references to non-rDNA biotechnologies for comparison purposes. Part I and Part II seem somewhat dry, especially with the terseness involved with cramming the whole subject into such a small book. It takes a lot of interest in the subject to keep the attention span. It also is a bit difficult to follow at times and re-reading parts and perhaps referencing external texts may be necessary to obtain a good comprehension of the material at hand. One fantastic feature is that the author provides a "summary chart" at the end of each chapter. The educational impact of this technique is remarkable and I wish this was used more in many other texts. Part III is where the juicy material is covered. After all the foundation is laid, Part III makes for easy reading and brings to light the knowledge you gain from the former parts. It gives a brief overview of some of the different applications of gene technology as well as discusses societal impact and influence (perhaps the major determinant of the fate of biotechnology).

Readers of this book should have some background knowledge of genetics or molecular biology. That would help overcome the terseness of the presentation material. Overall, this book provides a decent academic overview of the subject without the sidetracking toward the many examples and specific details contained in full texts.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Overview, September 23, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: An Introduction to Genetic Engineering (Studies in Biology) (Hardcover)

Nicholl covers every pertinent aspect of this fascinating field of science and engineering in this book in a clear and comprehensible way. His use of concept maps to summarize the key concepts in each chapter is a tremendously effective tool.

Nicholl approaches this subject in a schematic way. That is to say, he makes considerable use of idealized diagrams to explain the many components and characteristics of genetic materials and processes. The terminology will be a challenge for non-geneticists, but Nicholl has included a fairly comprehensive glossary of terms at the end of the book.

I highly recommend this text to anyone interested in understanding the basics of GE and its implications for our world.