This volume, the first of two, provides a set of tutorials for molecular biologists using comparative genomic analysis tools and, in particular, aims to make accessible not only the commonly used techniques but also some of the underutilized ones. Thirty-three contributed chapters edited by Bergman (bioinformatics, U. Michigan) are arranged in four sections focusing on the visualization and annotation of genomes, sequence alignments, identification of conserved sequences and biases in codon usage, and identification and structural characterization of noncoding RNAs. Bergman notes in the preface that the larger question of identifying protein-coding genes has its own volume and is not addressed here. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Comparative Genomics, Volume 1, provides a collection of robust protocols for molecular biologists beginning to use comparative genomic analysis tools in a variety of areas. Volume I contains the first four of seven sections. In the first section, the reader is introduced to genomes via a number of visualization tools that allow one to browse through a particular genome of interest. The second and third sections deal with comparative analysis at the level of individual sequences, and present methods useful in sequence alignment, the discovery of conserved sequence motifs, and the analysis of codon usage. The fourth section deals with the identification and structural characterization of non-coding RNA genes -- this class of genes is particularly difficult to predict, and discovery of these elements is almost completely reliant on comparative genomics. Given the tremendous increase in available biosequence data over the past ten years, Comparative Genomics, Volume 1, is timely, comprehensive, and novel. A companion Volume 2 is also available from Humana Press.
This volume provides a collection of robust protocols for molecular biologists studying comparative genomics. Given the tremendous increase in available biosequence data over the past ten years, this volume is timely, comprehensive, and novel. The volume is intended for molecular biologists, biochemists and geneticists.
