Download or read book The Struggles and Dreams of Robert Langer written by Robert S. Langer and published by Structural Biology. This book was released on 2016 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a glimpse into the life and work of Robert Langer, an amazing scientist, inventor and entrepreneur. Growing up in Albany, New York, Langer developed a passion for mathematics. While he was pretty good at science, he was very good at math. He went on to receive his BA in chemical engineering from Cornell University and his Doctorate of Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As a graduate student at MIT, he was involved in teaching underprivileged high school dropouts, his goal: to make math and science interesting.Langer's research laboratory at MIT is the largest biomedical engineering lab in the world. He has authored more than 1300 papers and holds more than 1080 patents. His patents have been licensed or sublicensed to more than 250 companies. A selection of 53 key papers and 50 patents are included in this book.Langer has pioneered many new technologies, including controlled release system and is regarded as the founder of tissue engineering in the field of regenerative medicine. However, his success did not come easily. He struggled in the late 1970s and early 1980s because scientists, especially established scientists, did not believe in his research. To obtain his first patent, Langer scoured existing literature and found a paper published by five famous chemists and chemical engineers that said his results were surprising and went against conventional thinking. He managed to get the patent after the five researchers confirmed that they really wrote the paper.The introductory chapter of the book gives an account of Langer's struggles as well as triumphs as he pursued research in biotechnology and tissue engineering in an effort to 'make the world a better place and transform human healthcare.' The book will appeal to both students and scientists.
Download or read book Textbook of Structural Biology written by Anders Liljas and published by World Scientific. This book was released on with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a comprehensive coverage of the basic principles of structural biology, as well as an up-to-date summary of some main directions of research in the field. The relationship between structure and function is described in detail for soluble proteins, membrane proteins, membranes, and nucleic acids. There are several books covering protein structure and function, but none that give a complete picture, including nucleic acids, lipids, membranes and carbohydrates, all being of central importance in structural biology. The book covers state-of-the-art research in various areas. It is unique for its breadth of coverage by experts in the fields. The book is richly illustrated with more than 400 color figures to highlight the wide range of structures.
Download or read book Curiosity And Passion For Science And Art written by Uwe B Sleytr and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2016-07-04 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book describes the accomplishments of a curious and imaginative scientist, and his endeavours to translate or even to extrapolate scientific insights into the world of art.The science section in this volume concerns studies on S-layers, a very important class of proteins found on the surface of numerous Bacteria and nearly all Archaea. S-layer proteins are one of the most abundant biopolymers on our planet, and assemble into the simplest type of biological membrane. Moreover, they are unique building blocks and patterning elements for the production of complex supramolecular structures and nanoscale devices in nanobiotechnology, molecular nanotechnology, synthetic biology, biomimetics and nanomedicine.In the second part of this book the author goes on to passionately describe how his scientific activities stimulated his art work, which in particular concerns the visualization of results and the potential of synthetic biology and evolutionary events induced by genetic manipulations. Most importantly, the engagement in art allowed him to leave the rather curtailed canon of science and reach a mental state of unlimited freedom of thoughts. Mask-like sculptures are used as examples to visualize the intersection between science and art, and in particular the unpredictability and mystery of scientific visions.
Download or read book Caught By Viruses written by Michael G Rossmann and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2021-11-10 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The current book attempts to give a glimpse of the scientific life of Michael Rossmann. The book begins with his very interesting and moving autobiography. His enormous energy must have been evident already from early childhood when he and his mother had to emigrate from Nazi-Germany to England, via The Netherlands. Starting school with a new language was a challenge that he managed well with the assistance of understanding teachers. Crystallography soon became the tool to explore new worlds, unknown to everybody. With a skill for mathematics, he realized that the transform of a molecular structure in the diffraction pattern could be used for analysis of both symmetry and structural relationships. This method, molecular replacement (MR, also the initials of his name) became one of his great successes of his career. The previous book by him in this series (Selected Papers by Michael G Rossmann with Commentaries) covers his main contributions in this area.With an interest in symmetry, viruses became obvious objects to study. Rossmann attacked these monstrously large molecular assemblies with his unfailing energy and his appetite for real challenges. The amazing variation of molecular arrangements with icosahedral symmetry is truly amazing. This book includes a selection of reports of the structures of some giant viruses. As always, knowing the structure enhances the understanding of function greatly, in the case of viruses the mechanism of infection is a key problem. Rossmann has contributed many central insights in this area.Thus, this book is of interest both as an interesting personal story but also for research into viruses that repeatedly plague all living organisms on the planet, right now in the form of the corona virus pandemic.
Download or read book Structure and Action of Molecular Chaperones written by Lila M Gierasch and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2016-08-08 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique volume reviews the beautiful architectures and varying mechanical actions of the set of specialized cellular proteins called molecular chaperones, which provide essential kinetic assistance to processes of protein folding and unfolding in the cell. Ranging from multisubunit ring-shaped chaperonin and Hsp100 machines that use their central cavities to bind and compartmentalize action on proteins, to machines that use other topologies of recognition — binding cellular proteins in an archway or at the surface of a "clamp" or at the surface of a globular assembly — the structures show us the ways and means the cell has devised to assist its major effectors, proteins, to reach and maintain their unique active forms, as well as, when required, to disrupt protein structure in order to remodel or degrade. Each type of chaperone is beautifully illustrated by X-ray and EM structure determinations at near- atomic level resolution and described by a leader in the study of the respective family. The beauty of what Mother Nature has devised to accomplish essential assisting actions for proteins in vivo is fully appreciable.
Download or read book Structural Insights Into Gene Expression And Protein Synthesis written by Thomas A Steitz and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2020-08-18 with total page 640 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Several years ago, Thomas Steitz agreed to contribute a volume to the 'World Scientific Series in Structural Biology' that would deal with the contributions he and his coworkers have made to structural biology during his remarkable career. Sadly, Tom died in the fall of 2018 before he had had time to do more than produce an outline for this book, and a list of the reprints he wanted it to contain.Fortunately, Tom's colleagues and coworkers responded enthusiastically when they were informed later that fall that if they were willing to help out, a volume would be published to commemorate his career. It fell to Anders Liljas, Peggy Eatherton, Tom's longtime administrative assistant, and Peter Moore, a close colleague, to oversee their efforts. Thomas Steitz is best known for the work he and his coworkers did to elucidate the biochemical basis of gene expression. The structures of a large number of the macromolecules involved in transcription and translation emerged from his laboratory over the course of his career. This book includes reprints of the most important papers he had published, grouped according to the structures they relate to, and commentaries written by the scientists who collaborated with him to solve each of them. It thus summarizes the achievements of one of the most distinguished biochemists of the second half of the 20th century.
Download or read book Microfluidic Technologies For Human Health written by Robert Langer and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2012-12-26 with total page 495 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The field of microfluidics has in the last decade permeated many disciplines, from physics to biology and chemistry, and from bioengineering to medical research. One of the most important applications of lab-on-a-chip devices in medicine and related disciplines is disease diagnostics, which involves steps from biological sample/analyte loading to storage, detection, and analysis. The chapters collected in this book detail recent advances in these processes using microfluidic devices and systems. The reviews of portable devices for diagnostic purposes are likely to evoke interest and raise new research questions in interdisciplinary fields (e.g., efficient MEMS/microfluidic engineering driven by biological and medical applications).The variety of the selected topics (general relevance of microfluidics in medical and bioengineering research, fabrication, advances in on-chip sample detection and analysis, and specific disease models) ensures that each of them can be viewed in the larger context of microfluidic-mediated diagnostics.
Download or read book Towards A Semiotic Biology Life Is The Action Of Signs written by Kalevi Kull and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2011-06-08 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents programmatic texts on biosemiotics, written collectively by world leading scholars in the field (Deacon, Emmeche, Favareau, Hoffmeyer, Kull, Markoš, Pattee, Stjernfelt). In addition, the book includes chapters which focus closely on semiotic case studies (Bruni, Kotov, Maran, Neuman, Turovski).According to the central thesis of biosemiotics, sign processes characterise all living systems and the very nature of life, and their diverse phenomena can be best explained via the dynamics and typology of sign relations. The authors are therefore presenting a deeper view on biological evolution, intentionality of organisms, the role of communication in the living world and the nature of sign systems — all topics which are described in this volume. This has important consequences on the methodology and epistemology of biology and study of life phenomena in general, which the authors aim to help the reader better understand.
Download or read book The Broken Connection written by Robert Jay Lifton and published by American Psychiatric Pub. This book was released on 1996 with total page 516 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The unique human awareness of our own mortality enables us to ensure our perpetuation beyond death through our impact on others. This continuity of life has been profoundly shaken by the advent of wars of mass destruction, genocide, and the ever-present threat of nuclear annihilation. In The Broken Connection, Robert Jay Lifton, one of America's foremost thinkers and preeminent psychiatrists, explores the inescapable connections between death and life, the psychiatric disorders that arise from these connections, and the advent of the nuclear age which has jeopardized any attempts to ensure the perpetuation of the self beyond death.
Download or read book A Different Kind of Perfect written by Cindy Dowling and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2006-09-12 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every parent dreams of having a happy, healthy child. What happens when these dreams are shattered by a physical or cognitive disability? A Different Kind of Perfect offers comfort, consolation, and wisdom from parents who have been there—and are finding their way through. The writings collected here are grouped into chapters reflecting the progressive stages of many parents' emotional journeys, starting with grief, denial, and anger and moving towards acceptance, empowerment, laughter, and even joy. Each chapter opens with an introduction by Neil Nicoll, a child and family psychologist who specializes in development disorders.
Download or read book Handbook Of Contemporary Acoustics And Its Applications written by Wu Jun-ru and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2016-05-06 with total page 468 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Modern acoustics has blossomed rapidly in the past decades. Beginning as a branch off from the classical physics, modern acoustics has become an interdisciplinary science that has exceeded the boundaries of its origins. As a result, the demand for graduate students, professionals and specialists who need to master the knowledge of acoustics is growing quickly. The primary goal of this publication is to meet this urgent need by providing an updated, comprehensive reference book that educates readers on both fundamental concepts as well as their broader applications in the fast-moving technological world. The Handbook of Contemporary Acoustics and Its Applications systematically covers the theoretical principle and analytical methodology of generation, propagation and reception of acoustic waves in an ideal (inviscid) and non-ideal fluid media. The topics include the transduction, radiation, scattering, diffraction and reception of the acoustic wave. It also discusses the acoustic field in a duct/pipe, waveguide and cavity, the wave propagation in the multi-layers, nonlinear finite amplitude wave propagation and the mechanisms of physical and biological effects and their broad modern applications such as sonoporation, targeted drug delivery, acoustic tweezers, noninvasive high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) surgery, as well as sonoluminscence. Readers are also provided with the fundamental mathematic background and relevant references necessary for their creative inventions and applications.This handbook is intended for senior undergraduate and graduate students, as well as specialists working in relevant fields, and may be used as a textbook in courses covering acoustics.
Download or read book Zeroville written by Steve Erickson and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2013-04-30 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The novel that inspired the film starring James Franco and Seth Rogen: “One of a kind . . . a funny, unnervingly surreal page turner” (Newsweek). Named one of the Best Books of the Year by the Washington Post Book World, Newsweek, and the Los Angeles Times Book Review Zeroville centers on the story of Vikar, a young architecture student so enthralled with the movies that his friends call him “cinéautistic.” With an intensely religious childhood behind him, and tattoos of Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift on his head, he arrives in Hollywood—where he’s mistaken for a member of the Manson family and eventually scores a job as a film editor. Vikar discovers the frames of a secret film within the reels of every movie ever made, and sets about splicing them together—a task that takes on frightening theological dimensions. Electrifying and “darkly funny,” Zeroville dives into the renegade American cinema of the 1970s and ’80s and emerges into an era for which we have no name (Publishers Weekly). “Funny, disturbing, daring . . . dreamlike and sometimes nightmarish.” —The New York Times Book Review “Magnificent.” —The Believer “[A] writer who has been compared to Vladimir Nabokov, Don DeLillo, and Thomas Pynchon.” —Bookmarks Magazine “Erickson is as unique and vital and pure a voice as American fiction has produced.” —Jonathan Lethem
Download or read book Lift Every Voice written by Irwin Silber and published by . This book was released on 1957 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Who are We written by Yuan Kun Lee and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2009 with total page 95 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Our genome is littered with scraps of DNA, termed ?junk? DNAs, that serve no apparent purpose. Junk DNAs make up as much as 98.5% of our genome. Scientists believe that some junk DNAs came into existence millions of years ago, when viruses inserted their DNA into that of the human host. There is emerging evidence that suggests that these bits of microbial DNAs may alter our functional genes, impacting our body physiology and behavior.We have been invaded by ?body snatchers? and they are part of us! We could postulate that we are carrying a large number of DNAs that serve only the DNAs, and we are just a small part of the big picture! There is ample scientific evidence to suggest that, even today, free-living microbes are still manipulating our behaviour and our life at large. They are thriving on our wet skin, in our mouth, and in our intestinal and vaginal tracts. We are perhaps not quite what we think we are.This thought-provoking and inspiring book offers many answers, while at the same time raising many questions for future research.
Download or read book Embryogenesis Explained written by Natalie K Gordon retired and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2016-09-15 with total page 784 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The greatest mystery of life is how a single fertilized egg develops into a fully functioning, sometimes conscious multicellular organism. Embryogenesis Explained offers a new theory of how embryos build themselves, and combines simple physics with the most recent biochemical and genetic breakthroughs, based on the authors' prediction and then discovery of differentiation waves. They explain their ideas in a form accessible to the lay person and a broad spectrum of scientists and engineers. The diverse subjects of development, genetics and evolution, and their physics, are brought together to explain this major, previously unanswered scientific question of our time. As a follow up on The Hierarchical Genome, this book is a shorter but conceptually expanded work for the reader who is interested in science. It is useful as a starting point for the curious layman or the scientist or professional encountering the problem of embryogenesis without the formal biology background. There is also material useful for the seasoned biologist caught up in the new rush of information about the role of mechanics in developmental biology and cellular level mechanics in medicine.
Download or read book Information Theory And Evolution Third Edition written by John Scales Avery and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2021-11-24 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This highly interdisciplinary book discusses the phenomenon of life, including its origin and evolution, against the background of thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and information theory. Among the central themes is the seeming contradiction between the second law of thermodynamics and the high degree of order and complexity produced by living systems. As the author shows, this paradox has its resolution in the information content of the Gibbs free energy that enters the biosphere from outside sources. Another focus of the book is the role of information in human cultural evolution, which is also discussed with the origin of human linguistic abilities. One of the final chapters addresses the merging of information technology and biotechnology into a new discipline — bioinformation technology.This third edition has been updated to reflect the latest scientific and technological advances. Professor Avery makes use of the perspectives of famous scholars such as Professor Noam Chomsky and Nobel Laureates John O'Keefe, May-Britt Moser and Edward Moser to cast light on the evolution of human languages. The mechanism of cell differentiation, and the rapid acceleration of information technology in the 21st century are also discussed.With various research disciplines becoming increasingly interrelated today, Information Theory and Evolution provides nuance to the conversation between bioinformatics, information technology, and pertinent social-political issues. This book is a welcome voice in working on the future challenges that humanity will face as a result of scientific and technological progress.
Download or read book Philosophy in a New Key written by Susanne Katherina Knauth Langer and published by . This book was released on 1960 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
