Humana Developmental Biology Protocols: Volume I: 135 (Methods in Molecular Biology, 135)

Developmental biology is one of the most exciting and fast-growing fields - day. In part, this is so because the subject matter deals with the innately fascinating biological events-changes in form, structure, and function of the organism. The other reason for much of the excitement in developmental biology is that the field has truly become the unifying melting pot of biology, and provides a framework that integrates anatomy, physiology, genetics, biochemistry, and cellular and molecular biology, as well as evolutionary biology. No longer is the study of embryonic development merely "embryology." In fact, development biology has produced important paradigms for both basic and clinical biomedical sciences alike. Though modern developmental biology has its roots in "experimental embry- ogy" and the even more classical "chemical embryology," the recent explosive and remarkable advances in developmental biology are critically linked to the advent of the "cellular and molecular biology revolution." The impressive arsenal of expe- mental and analytical tools derived from cell and molecular biology, which promise to continue to expand, together with the exponentially developing sophistication in fu- tional imaging and information technologies, guarantee that the study of the devel- ing embryo will contribute one of the most captivating areas of biological research in the next millennium. Review "We live in a time of rising expectations. Being a developmental biologist at the turn of the millenium demands expertise in embryological manipulation, viral gene expression, in situ hybridization, videomicroscopy, in vitro assays, transgenic embryo production, cell lineage analysis, PCR techniques, and computer-enhanced imaging technology. Rocky Tuan and Cecilia Lo have done the field (and each scientist within it) a wonderful service by collecting and editing the protocols of the masters of each echnique. More than 100 papers spanning these areas (and more) patiently lead one through each method, giving details on what brand of microscope slides to use, what centrifuge tubes work best, and where to purchase each piece of equipment. Copious notes provide details based on the laboratories' experiences of what works and what doesn't. Developmental Biology Protocols is a library in itself and will be essential for every laboratory of developmental biology. This is the collection to get before your next grant application is due."-Scott Gilbert, Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA "The range of techniques, from viral vectors to imaging, and of organisms, from sea urchins to mammals, is comprehensive yet focused. This work should be an invaluable aid to those interested in all aspects of comparative development. This work is logically organized and presents a great opportunity for not only picking up a technique but also placing it in a logical context. Well done!" -Barbara B. Knowles, Director of Research, Jackson Labs, Bar Harbor, ME "Among similar laboratory manuals Developmental Biology Protocols edited by Tuan and Lo impress by their breadth of coverage, timeliness, and scrupulous attention to detail. . .these protocols will be an invaluable aid to every geneticist and developmental biologist."-Davor Solter, Director of Developmental Biology, Max-Planck Institute, Freiburg, Germany From the Back Cover The molecular biology revolution has transformed developmental biology into one of the most exciting and fruitful fields in experimental biomedical research today. In Developmental Biology Protocols, established leaders in this field demonstrate this achievement with a comprehensive collection of cutting-edge protocols for studying and analyzing the events of embryonic development. Drawing on state-of-the-art cellular and molecular techniques, as well as new and sophisticated imaging and information technologies, this first volume of three presents readily reproducible metho