Practical Skills in Biomolecular Science, is an indispensable book for undergraduate students in the life sciences. The book provides useful support at all stages of a degree course and underpins any practical course in biochemistry, biomedical science, genetics, immunology and microbiology. It is also a valuable resource for teachers of biology in colleges and secondary schools.  Laboratory and field studies are essential components of undergraduate training in biomolecular science. Practical work must be fully understood and effectively presented, but many students under-perform because they lack basic laboratory skills. This book, now in its third edition, continues to provide students with easy-to-use guidance for laboratory and field studies, but in addition it now covers broader transferable skills. As a result the new edition provides guidance and support over the entire range of a typical undergraduate course in biochemistry and biomedical science.

Table of Contents

List of boxes
Preface
Guided tour
For the student
Acknowledgements
List of abbreviations

Study and examination skills
1 The importance of transferable skills
2 Managing your time
3 Working with others 
4 Taking notes from lectures and texts
5 Learning and revising
6 Curriculum options, assessments and exams
7 Preparing your curriculum vitae

Information technology and library resources
8 Finding and citing published information
9 Evaluating information
10 Using online resources
11 Bioinformatics - Internet resources
12 Using spreadsheets
13 Word processors, databases and other packages

Communicating information
14 Organising a poster display
15 Giving a spoken presentation
16 General aspects of scientific writing
17 Writing essays
18 Reporting practical and project work
19 Writing literature surveys and reviews

Fundamental laboratory techniques
20 Your approach to practical work
21 Health and safety
22 Working with liquids
23 Basic laboratory procedures
24 Principles of solution chemistry
25 pH and buffer solutions
26 Introduction to microscopy
27 Setting up and using a light microscope

The investigative approach
28 Making and recording measurements
29 SI units and their use
30 Scientific method and design of experiments
31 Project work

Handling cells and tissues
32 Sterile technique and microbial culture
33 Isolating, identifying and naming microbes
34 Working with animal and plant tissues and cells
35 Culture systems and growth measurement
36 Homogenisation and fractionation of cells and tissues

Analytical techniques
37 Calibration and its application to quantitative analysis
38 Immunological methods
39 Radioactive isotopes and their uses
40 Light measurement
41 Basic spectroscopy
42 Advanced spectroscopy and spectrometry
43 Centrifugation
44 Chromatography - separation methods
45 Chromatography - detection and analysis
46 Principles and practice of electrophoresis
47 Advanced electrophoretic techniques
48 Electroanalytical techniques

Assaying biomolecules and studying metabolism
49 Analysis of biomolecules: fundamental principles
50 Assaying amino acids, peptides and proteins
51 Assaying lipids
52 Assaying carbohydrates
53 Assaying nucleic acids and nucleotides
54 Protein purification
55 Enzyme studies
56 Membrane transport processes
57 Photosynthesis and respiration

Genetics
58 Mendelian genetics
59 Bacterial and phage genetics
60 Molecular genetics I - fundamental principles
61 Molecular genetics II - PCR and related applications
62 Molecular genetics III - genetic engineering techniques

Analysis and presentation of data
63 Using graphs
64 Presenting data in tables
65 Hints for solving numerical problems
66 Descriptive statistics
67 Choosing and using statistical tests

Answers to study exercises
Index