Microbial physiology, biochemistry and genetics allowed the formulation of concepts that turned out to be important in the study of higher organisms. In the first section, the principles of bacterial growth are given, as well as the description of the different layers that enclose the bacterial cytoplasm, and their role in obtaining nutrients from the outside media through different permeability mechanism described in detail. A chapter is devoted to allostery and is indispensable for the comprehension of many regulatory mechanisms described throughout the book. Another section analyses the mechanisms by which cells obtain the energy necessary for their growth, glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, the tricarboxylic and the anaplerotic cycles. Two chapters are devoted to classes of microorganisms rarely dealt with in textbooks, namely the Archaea, mainly the methanogenic bacteria, and the methylotrophs. Eight chapters describe the principles of the regulations at the transcriptional level, with the necessary knowledge of the machineries of transcription and translation. The next fifteen chapters deal with the biosynthesis of the cell building blocks, amino acids, purine and pyrimidine nucleotides and deoxynucleotides, water-soluble vitamins and coenzymes, isoprene and tetrapyrrole derivatives and vitamin B12. The two last chapters are devoted to the study of protein-DNA interactions and to the evolution of biosynthetic pathways. The considerable advances made in the last thirty years in the field by the introduction of gene cloning and sequencing and by the exponential development of physical methods such as X-ray crystallography or nuclear magnetic resonance have helped presenting metabolism under a multidisciplinary attractive angle.

One of the great unsolved problems of science and also of physics is the prediction of the three dimensional structure of a protein from its amino acid sequence. It may be stated that the deep connection existing between physics and protein folding is not so much, or in any case not only, through physical methods, but through physical concepts.

The prediction of the conformation of proteins has developed from an intellectual exercise into a serious practical endeavor that has great promise to yield new stable enzymes, products of pharmacological significance, and catalysts of great potential. With the application of predic tion gaining momentum in various fields, such as enzymology and immunology, it was deemed time that a volume be published to make available a thorough evaluation of present methods, for researchers in this field to expound fully the virtues of various algorithms, to open the field to a wider audience, and to offer the scientific public an opportunity to examine carefully its successes and failures. In this manner the practitioners of the art could better evaluate the tools and the output so that their expectations and applications could be more realistic. The editor has assembled chapters by many of the main contributors to this area and simultaneously placed their programs at three national resources so that they are readily available to those who wish to apply them to their personal interests. These algorithms, written by their originators, when utilized on pes or larger computers, can instantaneously take a primary amino acid sequence and produce a two-or three-dimensional artistic image that gives satisfaction to one's esthetic sensibilities and food for thought concerning the structure and function of proteins. It is in this spirit that this volume was envisaged.

This volume surveys the current status of many of the important methods and approaches which are central to the study of protein structure and function. Many of the articles in this volume are written to emphasize the general utility of the method or approach which is at its core, and to provide sufficient literature references to enable the reader to adapt the method or approach to other applications. It is hoped that this volume will provide a source from which newcomers as well as experienced scient ists may becom& more familiar with recent developments and future trends in some of the important areas of protein research. The articles which comprise this book are selected proceedings from the Symposium of American Protein Chemists, which was held in San Diego, California, September 30 to October 3, 1985. The goal of the organizers of this first symposium was to provide a forum for discussion and inter action among scientists whose interests span the broad spectrum of protein structure and function research. The concept and timing of the symposium well received as evidenced by the approximately 500 delegates to the was symposium. The inaugural meeting was marked by a strong scientific pro gram with over 140 papers presented in either a lecture or poster format.

Proteins: Structure and Function is a comprehensive introduction to the study of proteins and their importance to modern biochemistry. Each chapter addresses the structure and function of proteins with a definitive theme designed to enhance student understanding. Opening with a brief historical overview of the subject the book moves on to discuss the ‘building blocks’ of proteins and their respective chemical and physical properties. Later chapters explore experimental and computational methods of comparing proteins, methods of protein purification and protein folding and stability. The latest developments in the field are included and key concepts introduced in a user-friendly way to ensure that students are able to grasp the essentials before moving on to more advanced study and analysis of proteins. An invaluable resource for students of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Medicine and Chemistry providing a modern approach to the subject of Proteins.

Nature-inspired computation is an interdisciplinary topic area that connects the natural sciences to computer science. Since natural computing is utilized in a variety of disciplines, it is imperative to research its capabilities in solving optimization issues. The Handbook of Research on Natural Computing for Optimization Problems discusses nascent optimization procedures in nature-inspired computation and the innovative tools and techniques being utilized in the field. Highlighting empirical research and best practices concerning various optimization issues, this publication is a comprehensive reference for researchers, academicians, students, scientists, and technology developers interested in a multidisciplinary perspective on natural computational systems.

Complementary Strategies to Study Virus Structure and Function, Volume 104, the latest release in the Advances in Virus Research series, highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters on X-ray structures from crystals of viral proteins grown in cellula, NMR and SAXS to study protein dynamics and natively disordered viral proteins, Mass spectrometry to study virus particle assembly, Atomic force microscopy to study virus particles, Non-enveloped viruses and interactions with antibodies, Non-enveloped viruses and their mechanism of entry into cells, Structures of enveloped virions by electron cryo-microscopy and cryo-tomography, and many other interesting topics. - Provides the authority and expertise of leading contributors from an international board of authors - Presents the latest release in the Advances in Virus Research series - Includes the latest information on virus structure and function