An Introduction To Genetic Engineering

An accessible introduction to genetic engineering, including recent developments in bioethics, sequencing technology and genome editing.

The author presents a basic introduction to the world of genetic engineering. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

Explains how the genetic engineer pieces together genes from different organisms to make powerful diagnostic tools and new products. Describes the essential techniques and organisms that are used in recombinant DNA, discussing the ethical considerations that underlie genetic engineering. Written to be accessible to non-specialists.

The moral, social, economic and legal issues raised by work in the life sciences are immense. These include the legal issues that concern the use and abuse of genetic information. This book is an introductory survey of the relations between the life sciences and the law.

In this third edition of his popular undergraduate-level textbook, Des Nicholl recognises that a sound grasp of basic principles is vital in any introduction to genetic engineering. Therefore, the book retains its focus on the fundamental principles used in gene manipulation. It is divided into three sections: Part I provides an introduction to the relevant basic molecular biology; Part II, the methods used to manipulate genes; and Part III, applications of the technology. There is a new chapter devoted to the emerging importance of bioinformatics as a distinct discipline. Other additional features include text boxes, which highlight important aspects of topics discussed, and chapter summaries, which include aims and learning outcomes. These, along with key word listings, concept maps and a glossary, will enable students to tailor their study to suit their own learning styles and ultimately gain a firm grasp of a subject that students traditionally find difficult.

The fourth edition of this popular textbook retains its focus on the fundamental principles of gene manipulation, providing an accessible and broad-based introduction to the subject for beginning undergraduate students. It has been brought thoroughly up to date with new chapters on the story of DNA and genome editing, and new sections on bioethics, significant developments in sequencing technology and structural, functional and comparative genomics and proteomics, and the impact of transgenic plants. In addition to chapter summaries, learning objectives, concept maps, glossary and key word lists the book now also features new concluding sections, further reading lists and web-search activities for each chapter to provide a comprehensive suite of learning resources to help students develop a flexible and critical approach to the study of genetic engineering.