Methods in Molecular Biophysics: Structure, Dynamics, Function for Biology and Medicine / Edition 2

by Nathan R. Zaccai, Igor N. Serdyuk, Joseph Zaccai

Overview

Current techniques for studying biological macromolecules and their interactions are based on the application of physical methods, ranging from classical thermodynamics to more recently developed techniques for the detection and manipulation of single molecules. Reflecting the advances made in biophysics research over the past decade, and now including a new section on medical imaging, this new edition describes the physical methods used in modern biology. All key techniques are covered, including mass spectrometry, hydrodynamics, microscopy and imaging, diffraction and spectroscopy, electron microscopy, molecular dynamics simulations and nuclear magnetic resonance. Each method is explained in detail using examples of real-world applications. Short asides are provided throughout to ensure that explanations are accessible to life scientists, physicists and those with medical backgrounds. The book remains an unparalleled and comprehensive resource for graduate students of biophysics and medical physics in science and medical schools, as well as for research scientists looking for an introduction to techniques from across this interdisciplinary field.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781107056374
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	05/18/2017
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	702
Sales rank:	1,029,992
Product dimensions:	8.82(w) x 11.14(h) x 1.57(d)

About the Author

Nathan R. Zaccai is a Research Associate at the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge. His current research focuses on the molecular and thermodynamic basis of the transport and presentation at cell surfaces of proteins involved in pathogen evasion and host immunity.

Joseph Zaccai is Directeur de Recherche Emeritus at the Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris and Visiting Scientist at the Institut Laue-Langevin, France and Institut de Biologie Structurale, Grenoble. His current research interests include the exploration of the role of dynamics and physical chemical limits for life. He has many years of experience in teaching biophysics to biologists, medical students, and physicists.

Igor N. Serdyuk (1939–2012) was Professor of Molecular Biology and Head of the Laboratory of Nucleoprotein Physics at the Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow.

Table of Contents

Preface to the first edition; Preface to the second edition; Introduction; Part I. Biological Macromolecules and Physical Tools: 1. Macromolecules in their environment; 2. Macromolecules as physical particles; 3. Understanding macromolecular structures; Part II. Mass Spectrometry: 4. Mass and charge; 5. Structure function studies; Part III. Thermodynamics: 6. Thermodynamic stability and interactions; 7. Differential scanning calorimetry; 8. Isothermal titration calorimetry; 9. Surface plasmon resonance and interferometry-based biosensors; Part IV. Hydrodynamics: 10. Biological macromolecules as hydrodynamic particles; 11. Analytical ultracentrifugation; 12. Fluorescence depolarization; 13. Dynamic light scattering and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy; Part V. Optical Spectroscopy: 14. Visible and IR absorption spectroscopy; 15. Two-dimensional IR spectroscopy; 16. Raman scattering spectroscopy; 17. Optical activity and circular dichroïsm; Part VI. Optical Microscopy: 18. Light microscopy; 19. Single molecule manipulation and atomic force microscopy; 20. Fluorescence microscopy; 21. Single-molecule detection; 22. Single-molecule manipulation; Part VII. X-Ray and Neutron Diffraction: 23. The macromolecule as a radiation scattering particle; 24. Small-angle scattering and reflectometry; 25. X-ray and neutron macromolecular crystallography; Part VIII. Electron Diffraction: 26. Electron microscopy; 27. Three-dimensional reconstruction from two-dimensional images; Part IX. Molecular Dynamics: 28. Energy and time calculations; 29. Neutron spectroscopy; Part X. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance: 30. Distances and angles from frequencies; 31. Experimental techniques; 32. Structure and dynamics studies; Part XI. Medical Imaging: 33. Radiology and positron emission tomography; 34. Ultrasound imaging; 35. Magnetic resonance imaging; References; Index of eminent scientists; Subject index.

Editorial Reviews

Review of first edition: '… a valuable contribution to the field. … There is nothing quite like it at the moment.' Sir Tom Blundell FRS, University of Cambridge

Review of first edition: … one of the most comprehensive and highly relevant texts on biophysics that I have encountered in the last 10 years, clearly written and up-to-date … a must-have for biophysicists working in all lines of research …' Nikolaus Grigorieff, Brandeis University, Massachusetts

Review of first edition: '… a wonderful up-to-date treatise on the many and diverse methods used … in the fields of molecular biophysics, physical biochemistry, molecular biology, biological physics and the new and emerging field of quantum nanobiology.' Karl J. Jalkanen, Quantum Protein Centre, Technological University of Denmark

Review of first edition: '… a valuable resource for novice and seasoned biophysicists alike.' Dan Minor, California Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Research, University of California

Review of first edition: '… the book I consult first when faced with an unfamiliar experimental technique. Both classic analytical techniques and the latest single-molecule methods appear in this single comprehensive reference.' Philip Nelson, University of Pennsylvania and author of Biological Physics

Review of first edition: '… valuable both for students and research scientists.' Michael G. Rossmann, Hanley Professor of Biological Sciences, Purdue University

Review of first edition: 'A great achievement … awaits the student who reads this book … an excellent reference for the seasoned practitioner of biophysical chemistry.' Milton H. Werner, The Rockefeller University

Review of first edition: 'This well written, thorough, and elegantly illustrated book provides the connections between molecular biophysics and biology that every aspiring young biologist needs.' Stephen H. White, University of California at Irvine

Review of first edition: '… I enthusiastically recommend Methods in Molecular Biophysics to anyone who wishes to know more about the techniques by which the properties of biological macromolecules are determined.' David Worcester, University of Missouri

Review of first edition: 'A book that teaches the methods well, creates the intellectual framework of our understanding, and can guide the field. Earlier efforts by Cohn and Edsall, Tanford, Edsall and Wyman, and Cantor and Schimmel have served this important purpose in the past, but the advance of time and technology has diluted the force of these classic works in contemporary Biophysics, both in the teaching and the practices of the field. How welcome, then, a clearly written, thoughtful and modern text that will serve well, both in formal courses and as a reference. The authors have built each method from its fundamental premises and principles, have successfully covered an impressive span of topics, and will be rewarded by attention from an audience that hungers for the next defining text in Molecular Biophysics.' D. M. Engelman, Yale University, New Haven

From the Publisher