The ABCs of Gene Cloning, Second Edition
Dominic W.S. Wong © 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. First edition © 1997 by Chapman & Hall
In the nine years since the
First Edition, my contention remains that an ef fective approach to
understand the subject of gene cloning is by learning the "vocabulary"
and the "language". This book emphasizes the nuts and bolts on just how
to do that - reading and speaking the language of gene cloning. It
shows the readers how to distinguish between a gene and a DNA, to read
and write a gene sequence, to talk intelligently about clon ing, to
read science news and to enjoy seminars with some degree of com
prehension.
On the whole, the second edition is not any more advanced than the
first, with the intent of keeping the book concise and not burdening
the readers with unwarranted details. Nevertheless, changes were needed
and new materials were incorporated in the revision. Part I has a new
chapter to provide a tutorial on reading both prokaryotic and
eukaryotic gene se quences. Part II consists of several additions,
updating on new techniques and cloning vectors. The topics in Part III
have been rearranged in sepa rate sections - Part III now focuses on
applications of gene cloning in agri culture, and Part IV is devoted
entirely to applications in medicine. Chap ters on gene therapy, gene
targeting, and DNA typing have been thoroughly revised. Additional
coverage is included on animal cloning and human genome sequencing. The
heavy activity in rewriting and ex panding Part IV reflects the rapid
progress in the technology and the in creased impact of gene cloning.
I enjoyed writing and revising this book with deep satisfaction. It has
been an inspiring experience to witness the remarkable development in
the field of gene cloning and the tireless dedication of thousands of
scien tists in making genes tick.
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