The series Topics in Current Chemistry presents critical reviews of the present and future trends in modern chemical research. The scope of coverage is all areas of chemical science including the interfaces with related disciplines such as biology, medicine and materials science. The goal of each thematic volume is to give the non-specialist reader, whether in academia or industry, a comprehensive insight into an area where new research is emerging which is of interest to a larger scientific audience. Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field. Review articles for the individual volumes are invited by the volume editors. Readership: research chemists at universities or in industry, graduate students

The series Topics in Current Chemistry presents critical reviews of the present and future trends in modern chemical research. The scope of coverage is all areas of chemical science including the interfaces with related disciplines such as biology, medicine and materials science. The goal of each thematic volume is to give the non-specialist reader, whether in academia or industry, a comprehensive insight into an area where new research is emerging which is of interest to a larger scientific audience. Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field. Review articles for the individual volumes are invited by the volume editors. Readership: research chemists at universities or in industry, graduate students.

Written in an accessible and comprehensive manner, DNA Photodamage will appeal to all scientists working in the area whether specialists in the discipline or not and provides a complete coverage of the field, from ultrafast spectroscopy to biomedical research.

Nucleic acids have structurally evolved over billions of years to effectively store and transfer genetic information. In the 1980s, Nadrian Seeman’s idea of constructing a 3D lattice from DNA led to utilizing DNA as nanomolecular building blocks to create emergent molecular systems and nanomaterial objects. This bottom-up approach to construct nanoscale architectures with DNA marked the beginning of a new field, DNA nanotechnology, contributing significantly to the broad area of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The molecular architectonics of small "designer" molecules and short DNA sequences through complementary binding interaction engenders well-defined functional nanoarchitectures with realistic applications in areas ranging from biology to materials science and is termed "DNA nanoarchitectonics." This book discusses novel approaches adapted by leading researchers from all over the world to create functional nucleic acid molecular systems and nanoarchitectures. Individual chapters contributed by active practitioners provide fundamental and advanced knowledge emanated from their own and others’ work. Each chapter includes numerous illustrations, historical perspectives, case studies and practical examples, critical discussions, and future prospects. This book can serve as a practical handbook or as a textbook for advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level students of nanotechnology and DNA nanotechnology, supramolecular chemistry, and nanoarchitectonics and researchers working on macromolecular science, nanotechnology, chemistry, biology, and medicine, especially those with an interest in sensors, biosensors, nanoswitches and nanodevices, diagnostics, drug delivery, and therapeutics.

Since the early 20th century, X-ray and electron scattering has provided a powerful means by which the location of atoms can be identified in gas-phase molecules and condensed matter with sub-atomic spatial resolution. Scattering techniques can also provide valuable observables of the fundamental properties of electrons in matter such as an electron’s spin and its energy. In recent years, significant technological developments in both X-ray and electron scattering have paved the way to time-resolved analogues capable of capturing real-time snapshots of transient structures undergoing a photochemical reaction. Structural Dynamics with X-ray and Electron Scattering is a two-part book that firstly introduces the fundamental background to scattering theory and photochemical phenomena of interest. The second part discusses the latest advances and research results from the application of ultrafast scattering techniques to imaging the structure and dynamics of gas-phase molecules and condensed matter. This book aims to provide a unifying platform for X-ray and electron scattering.

Conflicting Models for the Origin of Life Conflicting Models for the Origin of Life provides a forum to compare and contrast the many hypotheses that have been put forward to explain the origin of life. There is a revolution brewing in the field of Origin of Life: in the process of trying to figure out how Life started, many researchers believe there is an impending second creation of life, not necessarily biological. Up-to-date understanding is needed to prepare us for the technological, and societal changes it would bring. Schrodinger’s 1944 “What is life?” included the insight of an information carrier, which inspired the discovery of the structure of DNA. In “Conflicting Models of the Origin of Life” a selection of the world’s experts are brought together to cover different aspects of the research: from progress towards synthetic life – artificial cells and sub-cellular components, to new definitions of life and the unexpected places life could (have) emerge(d). Chapters also cover fundamental questions of how memory could emerge from memoryless processes, and how we can tell if a molecule may have emerged from life. Similarly, cutting-edge research discusses plausible reactions for the emergence of life both on Earth and on exoplanets. Additional perspectives from geologists, philosophers and even roboticists thinking about the origin of life round out this volume. The text is a state-of-the-art snapshot of the latest developments on the emergence of life, to be used both in graduate classes and by citizen scientists. Audience Researchers in any area of astrobiology, as well as others interested in the origins of life, will find a modern and current review of the field and the current debates and obstacles. This book will clearly illustrate the current state-of-the-art and engage the imagination and creativity of experts across many disciplines.