Gene Cloning and DNA Analysis: An Introduction 7th Edition

Book Preface

Anyone who works with DNA is well aware of the dramatic changes that have taken place during the past few years in DNA sequencing methodology. To reflect these advances, in this new edition of Gene Cloning and DNA Analysis: An Introduction I have completely remodelled the chapter on DNA sequencing to give the new ‘next-generation’ methods equal prominence alongside the traditional approaches to DNA sequencing, and also to modernize the description of the ways in which genome sequences are generated. Elsewhere, I have stressed the importance of RNA-seq as a means of studying transcriptomes, and ChIP-seq for locating protein-binding sites. These changes correct the major weakness of the Sixth Edition, which was written just before these methods came into mainstream use. Elsewhere,I have made the usual updates,especially in Part III where I have tried to keep pace with the increasingly rapid developments in the applications of gene cloning and DNA analysis in industry, medicine and agriculture. I have also rewritten the last part of the final chapter,on archaeogenetics, in order to present some of the new information on the human past that has been revealed by the Neanderthal and Denisovan genome sequences. As always, my primary aim is to ensure that Gene Cloning remains an introductory text that begins at the beginning and does not assume that the reader has any prior knowledge of the techniques used to study genes and genomes. For the n-th time I must thank my wife Keri for the unending support that she has given to me in my decision to use up evenings and weekends writing this and other books.

T.A. Brown University of Manchester