The author presents a basic introduction to the world of genetic engineering. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

In this third edition of his popular undergraduate-level textbook, Des Nicholl recognises that a sound grasp of basic principles is vital in any introduction to genetic engineering. Therefore, the book retains its focus on the fundamental principles used in gene manipulation. It is divided into three sections: Part I provides an introduction to the relevant basic molecular biology; Part II, the methods used to manipulate genes; and Part III, applications of the technology. There is a new chapter devoted to the emerging importance of bioinformatics as a distinct discipline. Other additional features include text boxes, which highlight important aspects of topics discussed, and chapter summaries, which include aims and learning outcomes. These, along with key word listings, concept maps and a glossary, will enable students to tailor their study to suit their own learning styles and ultimately gain a firm grasp of a subject that students traditionally find difficult.

The moral, social, economic and legal issues raised by work in the life sciences are immense. These include the legal issues that concern the use and abuse of genetic information. This book is an introductory survey of the relations between the life sciences and the law.

Genetic algorithms have been used in science and engineering as adaptive algorithms for solving practical problems and as computational models of natural evolutionary systems. This brief, accessible introduction describes some of the most interesting research in the field and also enables readers to implement and experiment with genetic algorithms on their own. It focuses in depth on a small set of important and interesting topics—particularly in machine learning, scientific modeling, and artificial life—and reviews a broad span of research, including the work of Mitchell and her colleagues. The descriptions of applications and modeling projects stretch beyond the strict boundaries of computer science to include dynamical systems theory, game theory, molecular biology, ecology, evolutionary biology, and population genetics, underscoring the exciting "general purpose" nature of genetic algorithms as search methods that can be employed across disciplines. An Introduction to Genetic Algorithms is accessible to students and researchers in any scientific discipline. It includes many thought and computer exercises that build on and reinforce the reader's understanding of the text. The first chapter introduces genetic algorithms and their terminology and describes two provocative applications in detail. The second and third chapters look at the use of genetic algorithms in machine learning (computer programs, data analysis and prediction, neural networks) and in scientific models (interactions among learning, evolution, and culture; sexual selection; ecosystems; evolutionary activity). Several approaches to the theory of genetic algorithms are discussed in depth in the fourth chapter. The fifth chapter takes up implementation, and the last chapter poses some currently unanswered questions and surveys prospects for the future of evolutionary computation.

"The book...is, in fact, a short text on the many practical problems...associated with translating the explosion in basic biotechnological research into the next Green Revolution," explains Economic Botany. The book is "a concise and accurate narrative, that also manages to be interesting and personal...a splendid little book." Biotechnology states, "Because of the clarity with which it is written, this thin volume makes a major contribution to improving public understanding of genetic engineering's potential for enlarging the world's food supply...and can be profitably read by practically anyone interested in application of molecular biology to improvement of productivity in agriculture."