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In Assembling Life, David Deamer addresses questions that are the cutting edge of research on the origin of life. For instance, how did non-living organic compounds assemble into the first forms of primitive cellular life? What was the source of those compounds and the energy that produced the first nucleic acids? Did life begin in the ocean or in fresh water on terrestrial land masses? Could life have begun on Mars? The book provides an overview of conditions on the early Earth four billion years ago and explains why fresh water hot springs are a plausible alternative to salty seawater as a site where life can begin. Deamer describes his studies of organic compounds that were likely to be available in the prebiotic environment and the volcanic conditions that can drive chemical evolution toward the origin of life. The book is not exclusively Earth-centric, but instead considers whether life could begin elsewhere in our solar system. Deamer does not propose how life did begin, because we can never know that with certainty. Instead, his goal is to understand how life can begin on any habitable planet, with Earth so far being the only known example.

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR spectroscopy) is a research technique that uses the magnetic properties of atomic nuclei to determine physical and chemical properties of atoms or the molecules in which they are contained. Proton NMR (1H NMR) is a technique that applies NMR spectroscopy specifically to the hydrogen-1 nuclei within the molecules of a substance, in order to determine the structure of that substance's molecules. The use of 1H NMR for the assignment of absolute configuration of organic compounds is a well-established technique. Recent research describes the technique's application to mono-, bi- and trifunctional compounds. In addition, several new auxiliary reagents, mono- and biderivatization procedures, on-resin methodologies and more recently, the use of 13C NMR, have been introduced to the field. In The Assignment of the Absolute Configuration by NMR Using Chiral Derivatizing Agents: A Practical Guide, eminent Professor of Organic Chemistry Ricardo Riguera organizes this cutting-edge NMR research. Professor Riguera offers a short and usable guide that introduces the reader to the research with a plethora of details and examples. The book briefly explains the theoretical aspects necessary for understanding the methodology, dedicating most of its space to covering the practical aspects of the assignment, with examples and spectra taken from the authors' own experiments. Upper-level undergraduates, graduate students, and chemical researchers will find this guide useful for their studies and practice.

Building on the foundation of a one-year introductory course in organic chemistry, Bioorganic Synthesis: An Introduction focuses on organic reactions involved in the biosynthesis of naturally-occurring organic compounds with special emphasis on natural products of pharmacological interest. The book is designed specifically for undergraduate students, rather than as an exhaustive reference work for graduate students or professional researchers and is intended to support undergraduate courses for students majoring in chemistry, biochemistry, biology, pre-medicine, and bioengineering programs who would benefit from a deeper understanding of the chemical logic of reactions carried out in organisms and the origins and uses of the important organic compounds they often produce. The book assumes no prior background in biochemistry and consists of eight chapters: i) a brief review of relevant topics from introductory organic chemistry; ii) presentation of essential organic and biochemical reactions used throughout the book along with a brief introduction to coenzymes; iii) review of basic carbohydrates and the biosynthesis of amino acids; iv) the terpenoid pathway for biosynthesis of all important classes of terpenoids and steroids; v) the acetate pathway for biosynthesis of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, prostaglandins and acetate-derived polyketide natural products; vi) the biosynthesis of the shikimate pathway products derived from aromatic amino acids; vii) an introduction to biosynthesis of major alkaloids and related nitrogenous compounds; and viii) an overview of laboratory organic synthesis as it relates to the challenges faced by synthetic and medicinal chemists who must recreate intricate natural product structures in the laboratory.

Poets extol the burst of aroma when the bottle is opened, the wine poured, the flavor on the palate as it combines with the olfactory expression detected and the resulting glow realized. But what is the chemistry behind it? What are the compounds involved and how do they work their wonder? What do we know? Distinct and measurable differences in terroir, coupled with the plasticity of the grape berry genome and the metabolic products, as well as the work of the vintner, are critical to the production of the symphony of flavors found in the final bottled product. Analytical chemistry can inform us about the chemical differences and similarities in the grape berry constituents with which we start and what is happening to those and other constituents as the grape matures. The details of the grape and its treatment produce substantive detectable differences in each wine. While there are clear generalities - all wine is mostly water, ethanol is usually between 10% - 20% of the volume, etc - it is the details, shown to us by Analytical Chemistry and structural analysis accompanying it, that clearly allow one wine to be distinguished from another.

Books dealing with the mechanisms of enzymatic reactions were written a generation ago. They included volumes entitled Bioorganic Mechanisms, I and II by T.C. Bruice and S.J. Benkovic, published in 1965, the volume entitled Catalysis in Chemistry and Enzymology by W.P. Jencks in 1969, and the volume entitled Enzymatic Reaction Mechanisms by C.T. Walsh in 1979. The Walsh book was based on the course taught by W.P. Jencks and R.H. Abeles at Brandeis University in the 1960's and 1970's. By the late 1970's, much more could be included about the structures of enzymes and the kinetics and mechanisms of enzymatic reactions themselves, and less emphasis was placed on chemical models. Walshs book was widely used in courses on enzymatic mechanisms for many years. Much has happened in the field of mechanistic enzymology in the past 15 to 20 years. Walshs book is both out-of-date and out-of-focus in todays world of enzymatic mechanisms. There is no longer a single volume or a small collection of volumes to which students can be directed to obtain a clear understanding of the state of knowledge regarding the chemicals mechanisms by which enzymes catalyze biological reactions. There is no single volume to which medicinal chemists and biotechnologists can refer on the subject of enzymatic mechanisms. Practitioners in the field have recognized a need for a new book on enzymatic mechanisms for more than ten years, and several, including Walsh, have considered undertaking to modernize Walshs book. However, these good intentions have been abandoned for one reason or another. The great size of the knowledge base in mechanistic enzymology has been a deterrent. It seems too large a subject for a single author, and it is difficult for several authors to coordinate their work to mutual satisfaction. This text by Perry A. Frey and Adrian D. Hegeman accomplishes this feat, producing the long-awaited replacement for Walshs classic text.

Since the publication of the first edition of Gene Targeting: A Practical Approach in 1993 there have been many advances in gene targeting and this new edition has been thoroughly updated and rewritten to include all the major new techniques. It provides not only tried-and-tested practical protocols but detailed guidance on their use and applications. As with the previous edition Gene Targeting: A Practical Approach 2e concentrates on gene targeting in mouse ES cells, but the techniques described can be easily adapted to applications in tissue culture including those for human cells. The first chapter covers the design of gene targeting vectors for mammalian cells and describes how to distinguish random integrations from homologous recombination. It is followed by a chapter on extending conventional gene targeting manipulations by using site-specific recombination using the Cre-loxP and Flp-FRT systems to produce 'clean' germline mutations and conditionally (in)activating genes. Chapter 3 describes methods for introducing DNA into ES cells for homologous recombination, selection and screening procedures for identifying and recovering targeted cell clones, and a simple method for establishing new ES cell lines. Chapter 4 discusses the pros and cons or aggregation versus blastocyst injection to create chimeras, focusing on the technical aspects of generating aggregation chimeras and then describes some of the uses of chimeras. The next topic covered is gene trap strategies; the structure, components, design, and modification of GT vectors, the various types of GT screens, and the molecular analysis of GT integrations. The final chapter explains the use of classical genetics in gene targeting and phenotype interpretation to create mutations and elucidate gene functions. Gene Targeting: A Practical Approach 2e will therefore be of great value to all researchers studying gene function.

This book provides a concise introduction to phospholipid chemistry and is intended for a broad audience of biologists, biochemists, and graduate students. Developed as part of a graduate course on lipids, this book also serves as a reference for laboratory investigators on signal transduction and biological membranes. The first part of the text is devoted to an orientation to the chemical nature of lipids in general, how they are thought to be associated in the cell, and the methodology by which the cellular lipids (including the phospholipids) can be recovered from cells and subjected to an initial identification. Subsequent chapters characterize the choline-containing phospholipids, including the sphingolipids, the non-choline containing phospholipids, and finally, the so-called minor phospholipids. The latter compounds, which act as agonists or lipid chemical mediators on cells, form a vanguard of a new category of biologically active substances and have set the study of cellular phospholipids on a new and exiting course. Most importantly, this book provides a basis for further inquiry on these complicated molecules, showing that although the compounds are unique, with care and understanding, they can be studied with ease

The goal of Molecules, Microbes, and Meals is to provide an overview of the science of food, exploring all aspects of how food products we purchase and consume come to have the characteristics they do. The key focus is on the science underpinning the appearance, flavor, texture and qualities of food, and the transformations that occur when we cook food products. Every food product is a highly complex scientific entity, and a key objective of the book is to show that an understanding of the science of food can enhance our appreciation and wonder at it. Another key theme will be the convergence of science and art in food, and the history of food, whereby we have known how to undertake what are exceptionally scientifically complex activities such as fermentation, pasteurization and cooking long before the scientific basis for what was happening was understood.

Organic synthesis is a vibrant and rapidly evolving field; we can now cyclize amines directly onto alkenes. Like the first two books in this series, Organic Synthesis: State of the Art 2003-2005 and Organic Synthesis: State of the Art 2005-2007, this reference leads readers quickly to the most important recent developments. Two years of Taber's popular weekly online column, "Organic Chemistry Highlights", as featured on the organic-chemistry.org website, are consolidated here, with cumulative indices of all three volumes in this series. Important topics that are covered range from powerful new methods for C-C bond construction to asymmetric organocatalysis and direct C-H functionalization. This go-to reference focuses on the most important recent developments in organic synthesis, and includes a succinct analysis of the significance and applicability of each new synthetic method. It details and analyzes more than twenty complex total syntheses, including the Sammakia synthesis of the Macrolide RK-397, the Ley synthesis of Rapamycin, and the Kobayashi synthesis of (-)-Norzoanthamine.

Organic Synthesis: State of the Art 2011-2013 is a convenient, concise reference that summarizes the most important current developments in organic synthesis, from functional group transformations to complex natural product synthesis. The fifth volume in the esteemed State of the Art series, the book compiles two years' worth of Douglass Taber's popular weekly column Organic Chemistry Highlights. The series is an invaluable resource, leading chemists quickly and easily to the most significant developments in the field. The book is logically divided into two sections: the first section focuses on specific topics in organic synthesis, such as C-N Ring Construction and Carbon-Carbon Bond Formation. Each topic is presented using the most significant publications within those areas of research. The journal references are included in the text. The second section focuses on benchmark total syntheses, with an analysis of the strategy for each, and discussions of pivotal transformations. Synthetic organic chemistry is a complex and rapidly growing field, with additional new journals appearing almost every year. Staying abreast of recent research is a daunting undertaking. This book is an ideal tool for both practicing chemists and students, offering a rich source of information and suggesting fruitful pathways for future investigation.

Organic synthesis is a vibrant and rapidly evolving field; chemists can now cyclize alkenes directly onto enones. Like the first five books in this series, Organic Synthesis: State of the Art 2013-2015 will lead readers quickly to the most important recent developments in a research area. This series offers chemists a way to stay abreast of what's new and exciting in organic synthesis. The cumulative reaction/transformation index of 2013-2015 outlines all significant new organic transformations over the past twelve years. Future volumes will continue to come out every two years. The 2013-2015 volume features the best new methods in subspecialties such as C-O, C-N and C-C ring construction, catalytic asymmetric synthesis, selective C-H functionalization, and enantioselective epoxidation. This text consolidates two years of Douglass Taber's popular weekly online column, "Organic Chemistry Highlights" as featured on the organic-chemistry.org website and also features cumulative indices of all six volumes in this series, going back twelve years.

Proteins are an integral part of molecular and cellular structure and function and are probably the most purified type of biological molecule. In order to elucidate the structure and function of any protein it is first necessary to purify it. Protein purification techniques have evolved over the past ten years with improvements in equipment control, automation, and separation materials, and the introduction of new techniques such as affinity membranes and expanded beds. These developments have reduced the workload involved in protein purification, but there is still a need to consider how unit operations linked together to form a purification strategy, which can be scaled up if necessary. The two Practical Approach books on protein purification have therefore been thoroughly updated and rewritten where necessary. The core of both books is the provision of detailed practical guidelines aimed particularly at laboratory scale purification. Information on scale-up considerations is given where appropriate. The books are not comprehensive but do cover the major laboratory techniques and common sources of protein. Protein Purification Techniques focuses on unit operations and analytical techniques. It starts with an overview of purification strategy and then covers initial extraction and clarification techniques. The rest of the book concentrates on different purification methods with the emphasis being on chromatography. The final chapter considers general scale-up considerations. Protein Purification Applications describes purification strategies from common sources: mammalian cell culture, microbial cell culture, milk, animal tissue, and plant tissue. It also includes chapters on purification of inclusion bodies, fusion proteins, and purification for crystallography. A purification strategy that can produce a highly pure single protein from a crude mixture of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and cell debris to is a work of art to be admired. These books (available individually or as a set)are designed to give the laboratory worker the information needed to undertake the challenge of designing such a strategy.