An Engineering Introduction to Biotechnology

by J. Patrick Fitch

Overview

This tutorial will help technical professionals in optics determine whether their techniques have potential applications in the life sciences. It also is useful as a "prep class" for more detailed books on biology and biotechnology, filling the gap between fundamental and high level approaches.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780819444974
Publisher:	SPIE Press
Publication date:	02/01/2002
Series:	SPIE Press Monograph Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.40(d)

Table of Contents

	Preface	xi
Part I	Introduction to Biology	1
Chapter 1	Basic Biology	3
1.1	Life	3
1.2	Cells--Archaea, Eukarya, and Bacteria	5
1.2.1	From DNA to protein	7
1.3	Viruses, Viroids, and Prions	17
Chapter 2	Nucleic Acids as the Blueprint	21
2.1	Genetics to Genomics	21
2.2	DNA	25
2.3	RNA	28
2.4	How DNA Codes for Protein	28
2.4.1	Transcription	28
2.5	Genetic Regulation	37
2.6	Mutations and Disease	40
Chapter 3	Manipulating Nucleic Acids and Proteins	43
3.1	Sizing DNA and Proteins	43
3.2	Blots	46
3.3	Cutting DNA and Protein	47
3.3.1	Restriction enzymes	47
3.3.2	Protein digests	50
3.4	Copying DNA	51
3.5	Genetic Engineering	54
3.5.1	Transformation	55
3.5.2	Bacteriophage cloning systems	57
3.5.3	Cosmid cloning systems	57
3.5.4	Artificial chromosome cloning systems	57
3.6	Protein Expression	57
3.6.1	Using cells to express proteins	58
3.6.2	Natural optical signatures	59
3.6.3	In vitro protein production	59
Chapter 4	An Integrated Approach for Biological Discovery	61
Part II	Applications and Instrumentation	71
Chapter 5	DNA Sequencing	73
5.1	Sequencing Approaches	73
5.2	Instruments	74
5.2.1	Optical detection subsystem example	83
5.3	Automation	83
Chapter 6	Detecting Nucleic Acids	91
6.1	Environmental Detection Chips	91
6.2	Gene Expression Microarrays	93
6.3	Multiaffinity Assays	98
6.3.1	Hybrid DNA chip	99
6.3.2	Bead-based flow cytometry for detection	103
Chapter 7	Protein Structure	107
7.1	Nuclear Magnetic Resonance	107
7.2	X-ray Crystallography	110
7.3	Computational Prediction of Structure	115
Appendix A	Units and Measures	119
Appendix B	Nonscientific Issues	121
	Recommended Reading	123
	Index	125

Editorial Reviews

Technical professionals, including engineers, physical scientists, and technical managers and marketers, will gain an understanding of how to determine if their technologies and organizations have relevant application in the life sciences. To address the needs of the nonspecialist seeking information in biotechnology, the book first introduces basic concepts of biology, then examines large-scale applications such as DNA sequencing, and finally demonstrates technical successes with case studies of bioinstrumentation. Fitch works at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR