In the four decades since the discovery of DNA, molecular genetics and biotechnology have undergone a revolution in the research and application of genetic testing techniques. As a result, these fields have witnessed an explosion of both information and controversy, and the focus of public awareness of the significance of molecular biotechnology in everyday life has leaped from journal abstracts to front-page news. Molecular biotechnology provides important tools for the identification of specific nucleic acid sequences, some of them linked to important traits such as those conferring resistance to disease. Such DNA markers are used commonly in genetic research and in other applications, such as DNA fingerprinting. Researchers can use DNA markers to follow individual traits in different environments and hosts, increasing our understanding of the constitution, diversity, and evolution of genetic material. DNA Markers: Protocols, Applications, and Overviews offers valuable new information on this rapidly growing field. This compendium of research highlights the most recently discovered DNA markers and their application to the analyses of genomes of low and high complexity, with a focus on recently developed DNA marker systems as tools for DNA fingerprinting, genome analysis, molecular systematics, taxonomy, and phylogenetic analysis. The Protocols section of the book contains detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to perform selected DNA marker experiments, providing a useful laboratory tool. Subjects covered by top specialists include: Designed as a bench-top reference for the laboratory as well as a complete guide to the latest research, DNA Markers: Protocols, Applications, and Overviews is a vital resource for both novices and experienced practitioners involved in research in molecular genetics or biotechnology. A global overview of DNA markers * Molecular hybridization * RAPD, AP-PCR, DAF and AFLP analysis * Microbial Genomic fingerprinting * Simple sequence repeat DNA markers * Genetic BIT analysis * Differential display of RNA * The status of DNA fingerprinting: population databases * Arbitrarily amplified DNA in ecology and evolution

With the new techniques described in this volume, a new gene can be placed on the linkage map within only a few days. Leading researchers have updated the earlier edition to include the latest versions of DNA-based marker maps for a variety of important crops.

Molecular approaches have opened new windows on a host of ecological and evolutionary disciplines, ranging from population genetics and behavioral ecology to conservation biology and systematics. Molecular Markers, Natural History and Evolution summarizes the multi-faceted discoveries about organisms in nature that have stemmed from analyses of genetic markers provided by polymorphic proteins and DNAs. The first part of the book introduces rationales for the use of molecular markers, provides a history of molecular phylogenetics, and describes a wide variety of laboratory methods and interpretative tools in the field. The second and major portion of the book provides a cornucopia of biological applications for molecular markers, organized along a scale from micro-evolutionary topics (such as forensics, parentage, kinship, population structure, and intra-specific phylogeny) to macro-evolutionary themes (including species relationships and the deeper phylogenetic structure in the tree of life). Unlike most prior books in molecular evolution, the focus is on organismal natural history and evolution, with the macromolecules being the means rather than the ends of scientific inquiry. Written as an intellectual stimulus for the advanced undergraduate, graduate student, or the practicing biologist desiring a wellspring of research ideas at the interface of molecular and organismal biology, this book presents material in a manner that is both technically straightforward, yet rich with concepts and with empirical examples from the world of nature.

Molecular Markers in Plants surveys an array of technologies used in the molecular analysis of plants. The role molecular markers play in plant improvement has grown significantly as DNA sequencing and high-throughput technologies have matured. This timely review of technologies and techniques will provide readers with a useful resource on the latest molecular technologies. Molecular Markers in Plants not only reviews past achievements, but also catalogs recent advances and looks forward towards the future application of molecular technologies in plant improvement. Opening chapters look at the development of molecular technologies. Subsequent chapters look at a wide range of applications for the use of these advances in fields as diverse as plant breeding, production, biosecurity, and conservation. The final chapters look forward toward future developments in the field. Looking broadly at the field of molecular technologies, Molecular Markers in Plants will be an essential addition to the library of every researcher, institution, and company working in the field of plant improvement.

Forensic DNA Typing, Second Edition, is the only book available that specifically covers detailed information on mitochondrial DNA and the Y chromosome. It examines the science of current forensic DNA typing methods by focusing on the biology, technology, and genetic interpretation of short tandem repeat (STR) markers, which encompass the most common forensic DNA analysis methods used today. The book covers topics from introductory level right up to cutting edge research. High-profile cases are addressed throughout the text, near the sections dealing with the science or issues behind these cases. Ten new chapters have been added to accommodate the explosion of new information since the turn of the century. These additional chapters cover statistical genetic analysis of DNA data, an emerging field of interest to DNA research. Several chapters on statistical analysis of short tandem repeat (STR) typing data have been contributed by Dr. George Carmody, a well-respected professor in forensic genetics. Specific examples make the concepts of population genetics more understandable. This book will be of interest to researchers and practitioners in forensic DNA analysis, forensic scientists, population geneticists, military and private and public forensic laboratories (for identifying individuals through remains), and students of forensic science. *The only book available that specifically covers detailed information on mitochondrial DNA and the Y chromosome*Chapters cover the topic from introductory level right up to "cutting edge" research*High-profile cases are addressed throughout the book, near the sections dealing with the science or issues behind these cases*NEW TO THIS EDITION: D.N.A. Boxes--boxed "Data, Notes & Applications" sections throughout the book offer higher levels of detail on specific questions

Biosocial Surveys analyzes the latest research on the increasing number of multipurpose household surveys that collect biological data along with the more familiar interviewerâ€"respondent information. This book serves as a follow-up to the 2003 volume, Cells and Surveys: Should Biological Measures Be Included in Social Science Research? and asks these questions: What have the social sciences, especially demography, learned from those efforts and the greater interdisciplinary communication that has resulted from them? Which biological or genetic information has proven most useful to researchers? How can better models be developed to help integrate biological and social science information in ways that can broaden scientific understanding? This volume contains a collection of 17 papers by distinguished experts in demography, biology, economics, epidemiology, and survey methodology. It is an invaluable sourcebook for social and behavioral science researchers who are working with biosocial data.

In 1992 the National Research Council issued DNA Technology in Forensic Science, a book that documented the state of the art in this emerging field. Recently, this volume was brought to worldwide attention in the murder trial of celebrity O. J. Simpson. The Evaluation of Forensic DNA Evidence reports on developments in population genetics and statistics since the original volume was published. The committee comments on statements in the original book that proved controversial or that have been misapplied in the courts. This volume offers recommendations for handling DNA samples, performing calculations, and other aspects of using DNA as a forensic toolâ€"modifying some recommendations presented in the 1992 volume. The update addresses two major areas: Determination of DNA profiles. The committee considers how laboratory errors (particularly false matches) can arise, how errors might be reduced, and how to take into account the fact that the error rate can never be reduced to zero. Interpretation of a finding that the DNA profile of a suspect or victim matches the evidence DNA. The committee addresses controversies in population genetics, exploring the problems that arise from the mixture of groups and subgroups in the American population and how this substructure can be accounted for in calculating frequencies. This volume examines statistical issues in interpreting frequencies as probabilities, including adjustments when a suspect is found through a database search. The committee includes a detailed discussion of what its recommendations would mean in the courtroom, with numerous case citations. By resolving several remaining issues in the evaluation of this increasingly important area of forensic evidence, this technical update will be important to forensic scientists and population geneticistsâ€"and helpful to attorneys, judges, and others who need to understand DNA and the law. Anyone working in laboratories and in the courts or anyone studying this issue should own this book.