Cold Spring Harbor Lab.

Career opportunities in biotechnology and drug development.

Freeman provides an overview of careers in biotechnology and drug development for those making the transition from academia to industry. Based on interviews with biotechnology and pharmaceutical executives, chapters detail a variety of fields and their responsibilities, career tracks, salaries, pros and cons, challenges, what it takes to be successful, tips for obtaining employment, career potential, and resources. Careers include discovery and preclinical research, project management, clinical development, medical and regulatory affairs, quality, operations, bio/pharmaceutical product development, life science information management, marketing, sales, law, and health care finance. The first section contains chapters on resumes, job searches, and informational interviewing. The book is intended for science graduates and medical, business, legal, high-tech or engineering professionals. Freeman trained as a scientist and works in business as a writer, recruiter, and entrepreneur, recently launching a life science recruiting firm that pairs job candidates with clients. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Genetic variation; a laboratory manual.

After discussing the importance of study design in addressing the sheer volume of data to be evaluated, this manual provides laboratory protocols for DNA sample preparation and methods of common variation analysis. The 23 protocols list reagents and equipment needed, and walk through different methods for preparing RNA from plant tissues, extracting DNA from mammalian sources, and SNP genotyping. Copy number variation and microsatellites are also explained. The rest of the 35 contributions cover data analysis tools, model organisms, and human variation. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Invertebrate neurobiology.

Forty-five international academics and researchers contribute to a text for students, researchers, and academics covering all levels of invertebrate nervous systems, from neurogenetics and molecular neurobiology to neurophysiology and neuroethology. The text demonstrates the diversity of invertebrates in the natural world — both model and non-model species — and illustrates not only molecular and cellular mechanisms of neural function, but also higher-level circuits and systems. Twenty-three chapters are organized into sections on emerging research techniques, sensory systems, motor systems, learning and memory, behavior and neuroethology models, and evolution. A sampling of topics: electrophysiology and optophysiology of complex brain functions in insects, olfactory/gustatory processing, the neuromechanics of fly flight control, memories of worms and flies — from gene to behavior, spatial aspects of foraging in ants and bees, and evolution of excitability in lower Metazoans. Illustrated with b&w and color photographs, diagrams, and charts. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Phage and the origins of molecular biology; the centennial edition.

This festschrift for eminent molecular biologist Max Delbrück (1906-1981) comprises a reprint of the 1992 expanded edition (of the 1966 original) with the addition of an appendix of photographs. The essays discuss significant mileposts in the field that Delbrück helped establish. Its publication is in honor of the 100-year anniversary of Delbück's birth and also accompanied a 2006 conference. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)