Historical Perspective and Basics of Molecular Biology

Author(s):  
Michael Domach ◽  
Nathan Domagalski
2002 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea D. Weston ◽  
Sasha Stasko ◽  
Gerald M. Kidder

To address a growing need to make research trainees in physiology comfortable with the tools of molecular biology, we have developed a laboratory-intensive course designed for graduate students. This course is offered to a small group of students over a three-week period and is organized such that comprehensive background lectures are coupled with extensive hands-on experience. The course is divided into seven modules, each organized by a faculty member who has particular expertise in the area covered by that module. The modules focus on basic methods such as cDNA subcloning, sequencing, gene transfer, polymerase chain reaction, and protein and RNA expression analysis. Each module begins with a lecture that introduces the technique in detail by providing a historical perspective, describing both the uses and limitations of that technique, and comparing the method with others that yield similar information. Most of the lectures are followed by a laboratory session during which students follow protocols that were carefully designed to avoid pitfalls. Throughout these laboratory sessions, students are given an appreciation of the importance of proper technique and accuracy. Communication among the students, faculty, and the assistant coordinator is focused on when and why each procedure would be used, the importance of each step in the procedure, and approaches to troubleshooting. The course ends with an exam that is designed to test the students’ general understanding of each module and their ability to apply the various techniques to physiological questions.


Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 111 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernest Beutler

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency serves as a prototype of the many human enzyme deficiencies that are now known. Since its discovery more than 50 years ago, the high prevalence of the defect and the easy accessibility of the cells that manifest it have made it a favorite tool of biochemists, epidemiologists, geneticists, and molecular biologists as well as clinicians. In this brief historical review, we trace the discovery of this defect, its clinical manifestations, detection, population genetics, and molecular biology.


1992 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-72
Author(s):  
Adolph Mares ◽  
Jeffrey A Towbin ◽  
Roger D Ries ◽  
Robert Roberts

Author(s):  
Claudia Monaco ◽  
Esther Lutgens

The pathogenesis of human atherosclerotic lesions has long been debated and is still evolving nowadays. First conceptualized as chronically evolving degenerative disease initiating in the mother’s womb, then increasingly accepted as a dynamic process causing severe acute complications that jeopardize the blood flow to the heart. Evolution of the hypothesis mirrored the progress of cellular and molecular biology, leading to progressive broadening of the understanding of cell types and molecules involved in atherogenesis. This chapter describes the current histopathological view on the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, and touches on a historical perspective weaving in the fundamental discoveries that still influence the perception of this disease in humans.


Author(s):  
Cecil E. Hall

The visualization of organic macromolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, viruses and virus components has reached its high degree of effectiveness owing to refinements and reliability of instruments and to the invention of methods for enhancing the structure of these materials within the electron image. The latter techniques have been most important because what can be seen depends upon the molecular and atomic character of the object as modified which is rarely evident in the pristine material. Structure may thus be displayed by the arts of positive and negative staining, shadow casting, replication and other techniques. Enhancement of contrast, which delineates bounds of isolated macromolecules has been effected progressively over the years as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 by these methods. We now look to the future wondering what other visions are waiting to be seen. The instrument designers will need to exact from the arts of fabrication the performance that theory has prescribed as well as methods for phase and interference contrast with explorations of the potentialities of very high and very low voltages. Chemistry must play an increasingly important part in future progress by providing specific stain molecules of high visibility, substrates of vanishing “noise” level and means for preservation of molecular structures that usually exist in a solvated condition.


2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 863-866
Author(s):  
Zhe Wu

Abstract The year 2019 marked the fortieth anniversary of the Chinese Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (CSBMB), whose mission is to promote biomolecular research and education in China. The last 40 years have witnessed tremendous growth and achievements in biomolecular research by Chinese scientists and Essays in Biochemistry is delighted to publish this themed issue that focuses on exciting areas within RNA biology, with each review contributed by key experts from China.


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