Genetic Engineering for Almost Everybody

Science & Math

Bains, William

Biological Sciences

Penguin??Books

Provides clear, up-to-date guidance to the ideas and terminology of biotechnology. Features 300 entries and includes newly coined terms used in the biotechnology field. Organized alphabetically for quick reference. Previous edition: c1998. Softcover.

Biotechnology from A to Z

Reference

Dictionaries & Thesauruses

Oxford University Press

Biotechnology is one of the fastest growing and most exciting areas of science and technology and has already produced products (and profits) that would have seemed miraculous only 20 years ago. Biotechnology is also, however, a complex combination of scientific disciplines beset by jargon and buzz words. This book is an illuminating and practical introduction to the ideas and terminology of biotechnology. It uses straightforward language and concrete examples to unravel the jargon for the non-specialist and explains over 1000 terms in 250 short entries - from Abzymes to YACs, in fields ranging from Agriculture to Molecular Biology, from pure science to industrial regulation. This book is an essential, accessible guide to the science, the technology, and the real achievements of this fascinating and controversial industry.

Biotechnology, one of the fastest growing and most exciting areas of science, is a complex combination of scientific disciplines beset by jargon and buzz words. Now fully updated to incorporate the most current terminology, this second edition of Biotechnology From A to Z offers an illuminating and practical introduction to the ideas of biotechnology. Starting from ADEPT (antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy) and finishing with zoonosis (infection by an organism that usually infects other species), and describing artificial tissues, extremophiles, nutraceuticals, prosthetics, and xenografts among many other topics along the way, this book provides a concise and readable overview of the field. Straightforward language and concrete examples are used to unravel the jargon for the non-specialist. This book is an essential, accessible guide to the science, the technology, and the real achievements of this fascinating and controversial industry.

Are humans a galactic oddity, or will complex life with human abilities develop on planets with environments that remain habitable for long enough? In a clear, jargon-free style, two leading researchers in the burgeoning field of astrobiology critically examine the major evolutionary steps that led us from the distant origins of life to the technologically advanced species we are today. Are the key events that took life from simple cells to astronauts unique occurrences that would be unlikely to occur on other planets? By focusing on what life does - it's functional abilities - rather than specific biochemistry or anatomy, the authors provide plausible answers to this question. Systematically exploring the various pathways that led to the complex biosphere we experience on planet Earth, they show that most of the steps along that path are likely to occur on any world hosting life, with only two exceptions: One is the origin of life itself – if this is a highly improbable event, then we live in a rather “empty universe”. However, if this isn’t the case, we inevitably live in a universe containing a myriad of planets hosting complex as well as microbial life - a “cosmic zoo”. The other unknown is the rise of technologically advanced beings, as exemplified on Earth by humans. Only one technological species has emerged in the roughly 4 billion years life has existed on Earth, and we don’t know of any other technological species elsewhere. If technological intelligence is a rare, almost unique feature of Earth's history, then there can be no visitors to the cosmic zoo other than ourselves. Schulze-Makuch and Bains take the reader through the history of life on Earth, laying out a consistent and straightforward framework for understanding why we should think that advanced, complex life exists on planets other than Earth. They provide a unique perspective on the question that puzzled the human species for centuries: are we alone?

The Cosmic Zoo: Complex Life on Many Worlds

Schulze-Makuch, Dirk

Astronomy & Space Science

Springer

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Books by Bains, William

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Bains, William. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Genetic Engineering for Almost Everybody

Genetic Engineering for Almost Everybody

Biotechnology from A to Z

Biotechnology from A to Z

Biotechnology from A to Z

The Cosmic Zoo: Complex Life on Many Worlds