Molecular Cell Biology (8th edition)

Book Preface

In writing the eighth edition of Molecular Cell Biology, we have incorporated many of the spectacular advances made over the past four years in biomedical science, driven in part by new experimental technologies that have revolutionized many fields. Fast techniques for sequencing DNA, allied with efficient methods to generate and study mutations in model organisms and to map disease-causing mutations in humans,have illuminated a basic understanding of the functions of many cellular components, including hundreds of human genes that affect diseases such as diabetes and cancer.

For example, advances in genomics and bioinformatics have uncovered thousands of novel long noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression, and have generated insights into and potential therapies for many human diseases. Powerful genome editing technologies have led to an unprecedented understanding of gene regulation and function in many types of living organisms. Advances in mass spectrometry and cryoelectron microscopy have enabled dynamic cell processes to be visualized in spectacular detail, providing deep insight into both the structure and the function of biological molecules, post-translational modifications, multiprotein complexes, and organelles. Studies of specific nerve cells in live organisms have been advanced by optogenetic technologies. Advances in stem-cell technology have come from studies of the role of stem cells in plant development and of regeneration in planaria.

Exploring the most current developments in the field is always a priority in writing a new edition, but it is also important to us to communicate the basics of cell biology clearly by stripping away as much extraneous detail as possible to focus attention on the fundamental concepts of cell biology. To this end, in addition to introducing new discoveries and technologies, we have streamlined and reorganized several chapters to clarify processes and concepts for students.

New Co-Author, Kelsey C. Martin

The new edition of MCB introduces a new member to our author team, leading neuroscience researcher and educator Kelsey C. Martin of the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Martin is Professor of Biological Chemistry and Psychiatry and interim Dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Her laboratory uses Aplysia and mouse models to understand the cell and molecular biology of long-term memory formation. Her group has made important contributions to elucidating the molecular and cell biological mechanisms by which experience changes connections between neurons in the brain to store vii long-term memories—a process known as synaptic plasticity. Dr. Martin received her undergraduate degree in English and American Language and Literature at Harvard University. After serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, she earned an MD and PhD at Yale University. She teaches basic neurobiology to undergraduate, graduate, dental, and medical students.