Molecular Biology: Principles and Practice

Written and illustrated with unsurpassed clarity, Molecular Biology: Principles and Practice introduces fundamental concepts while exposing students to how science is done. The authors convey the sense of joy and excitement that comes from scientific discovery, highlighting the work of researchers who have shaped - and who continue to shape - the field today.

Key features include:

Moment of Discovery
Each chapter opens with a description of a significant breakthrough in molecular biology relevant to that chapter, as told by the scientist who made the discovery. They make this a relevant, living subject to students.
Examples include:
- Joe DeRisi, on his discovery of the SARS virus (Chapter 8)
- Melissa Jurica, on her discovery of the first EM structures of spliceosomes (Chapter 16)
- Bonnie Bassler, on her discovery of interspecies quorum sensing (Chapter 20)

How We Know
This end-of-chapter section combines fascinating stories of research and researchers with actual experimental data for students to analyze, often drawing on the work of the scientist featured in the chapter's 'Moment of Discovery.' This ensures the material covered in the book is always shown to be relevant to how scientists really work.

Unanswered Questions
A short section at the end of each chapter describes important areas still open to discovery, showing students that even well-covered subjects such as nucleic acid structure and DNA replication are far from fully explored. This emphasises the evolving nature of the subject and show students how their work could have impact in the future.