1st Edition
Today's Curiosity is Tomorrow's Cure The Case for Basic Biomedical Research
Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction
1. The Birth of Genetics
2. The Dawn of DNA
3. DNA as the Transforming Principle
4. The Structure of DNA Lends Itself to a Model for Its Duplication
5. Tying It All Together: tRNA, mRNA, Ribosomes, and the Genetic Code
6. The Practicality of PCR: The Technology that Drove the Biotechnology and the Molecular Biology Revolution
7. Genetic Engineering and Beyond: From Animal Models to Silencing RNA
8. CRISPR, a New Technique for Gene Editing
9. Connecting Mutations to Disease: Abnormal Proteins as a Cause of Disease
10. Penicillin: The Dawn of a New Age of Antibiotics
11. Easy to Stomach: The Gutsy Discovery that Helicobacter pylori Causes Ulcers
12. Insulin: A Hormone Controlling Metabolism
13. The Stem Cell: The Mother of All Cells
14. Antibodies: A New Way to Harness the Immune Response
15. Onto Oncogenes: Discovering the Molecular Basis of Cancer
16. The Age of Angiogenesis: Discovering How Blood Vessels Are Generated
17. Telling the Tale of the Telomere and Telomerase: The End of the End-Replication Problem
18. The Primary Cilium: Novel Functions for an Old Organelle
19. The Discovery of the Golgi Complex: A Pivotal Organelle with Multiple Functions
20. The Lysosome: A Trash Bin and End of the Road for Many Cellular Molecules
21. The Ubiquitin-Proteasomal Pathway: Targeted Protein Degradation and More
22. Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis: Gateway to the Cell
23. Mitochondria: The Metabolic Powerhouse of the Cell
24. The Light at the End of the Tunnel: Discovery of the Green Fluorescent Protein
Conclusions
Glossary of Terms
Bibliography
Index
Biography
Steve Caplan is Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE. He also serves at the Director, UNMC Advanced Microscopy Core Facility at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and as Vice Chair for Administrative Affairs, Dept. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha. His basic research has been consistently supported for more than a decade by the National Institutes of Health as well as other granting agencies. He has been the author or co-author of dozens of scientific peer reviewed journal articles.
"I’m a MD. PhD scientist that loves the history of ideas, how concepts evolve and become medical breakthroughs. This book is a great way to dive into the process that brings science to our daily life. When you talk about doing a PCR test for COVID. Do you know the history behind PCR? How many Nobel prices are behind this? How many people did work for this to happen? If you are a curious mind, please get this book. Clearly written and nicely illustrated. Ideas are presented for anyone that took science classes in high school while keeping content attractive for PhDs. I’m planning to organize a class around this book to teach how science is done. Great job."
- Victor Faundez, 5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read from High School to Graduate School
