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Biotechnology for the student
Biotechnology Advances 25 (2007) 423 www.elsevier.com/locate/biotechadv
Book review Biotechnology for the student C. Ratledge, B. Kristiansen (Eds.), Basic Biotechnology, third edition, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2006, ISBN: 0-521-84031-7 (hardback), ISBN 0-52154958-2 (paperback), pp. xiv + 666 Biotechnology texts that are suitable for use in undergraduate classes are rare. For teachers of industrial biotechnology, the third edition of Basic Biotechnology is an ideal textbook. It covers the fundamental principles as well as the practical applications of biotechnology. Topics discussed include cell growth and metabolism; process kinetics and bioreactor design; production of fermentation products; cell cultures; and immunochemical applications. All chapters have been updated relative to the previous edition. New chapters have been introduced on plant cell biotechnology, highthroughput screening and process optimization. Given the diversity of biotechnology, the editors chose not to cover every aspect of the field in this book. Aspects such as biopharmaceuticals, gene therapy, bioinformatics, vaccines, and therapeutics are not covered in much depth.
doi:10.1016/j.biotechadv.2007.03.001
The book is good overall, but not all chapters are equally thorough. In some chapters the lists of further readings have not been updated beyond the year 2000. The quality of the illustrations is uniformly high. Use of a second color throughout this edition makes understanding easy. I noticed that the two Chinese characters in Figure 14.1 were wrongly placed (refer to the second edition for the correct placement). The book is inexpensively priced for the student (UK £35.00, paperback). A more expensive (UK £66.00) hardcopy version is available for libraries and richer buyers. This book should prove a good resource for anyone needing an introduction to biotechnology. It provides a good industrially-oriented perspective. Pak-Lam Yu Institute of Technology and Engineering, College of Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4442 New Zealand E-mail address: [email protected]. 9 March 2007
Book review Biotechnology for the student C. Ratledge, B. Kristiansen (Eds.), Basic Biotechnology, third edition, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2006, ISBN: 0-521-84031-7 (hardback), ISBN 0-52154958-2 (paperback), pp. xiv + 666 Biotechnology texts that are suitable for use in undergraduate classes are rare. For teachers of industrial biotechnology, the third edition of Basic Biotechnology is an ideal textbook. It covers the fundamental principles as well as the practical applications of biotechnology. Topics discussed include cell growth and metabolism; process kinetics and bioreactor design; production of fermentation products; cell cultures; and immunochemical applications. All chapters have been updated relative to the previous edition. New chapters have been introduced on plant cell biotechnology, highthroughput screening and process optimization. Given the diversity of biotechnology, the editors chose not to cover every aspect of the field in this book. Aspects such as biopharmaceuticals, gene therapy, bioinformatics, vaccines, and therapeutics are not covered in much depth.
doi:10.1016/j.biotechadv.2007.03.001
The book is good overall, but not all chapters are equally thorough. In some chapters the lists of further readings have not been updated beyond the year 2000. The quality of the illustrations is uniformly high. Use of a second color throughout this edition makes understanding easy. I noticed that the two Chinese characters in Figure 14.1 were wrongly placed (refer to the second edition for the correct placement). The book is inexpensively priced for the student (UK £35.00, paperback). A more expensive (UK £66.00) hardcopy version is available for libraries and richer buyers. This book should prove a good resource for anyone needing an introduction to biotechnology. It provides a good industrially-oriented perspective. Pak-Lam Yu Institute of Technology and Engineering, College of Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4442 New Zealand E-mail address: [email protected]. 9 March 2007