Topics in Bioelectrochemistry and Bioenergetics

P.

~~fetlrods, +th, hI_ LYNE and C. H. COLLINS, Microbiological worth and Co. Ltd., London, Boston (rg76), 5’21 pp., &-

The current edition chapters and differs from

of this previous

.Edition

Butter-

9.50.

\\-ellknown, practical handbook editions in the omission of the

consists of 33 microbiological

introduction and the inclusion of techniques used not only in the United Kingdom, but also in the United States. The first part deals with physical. cultural. bioFurther parts give cxplnnation for agglutichemical and mycoIogicnl methods. nation, fluorescent antibiotic tests and controls of clinical material, food, snnitation

and water. About 130

pages

contain

the

practical

descriptions

of

Gn+_Ar-negative

nonsporing rods, the GKA>r-negative Cocci, the Gnxsr-positive Cocci, the GRAMpositive spore-bearers, the mycobactcrin, the: actinomyccs, streptomyces. the yeasts and the pathogenic fungi. Hov.w\ver. outlines of microorganisms syntlrctic

and

practitioners

cov’cm

instead

of

in this its

current

iield. paper

ITor direct USC in the laboratory. ones wouId be an impro\~ement. H.

G

Topics in Bioeiectrochenlislr~l and Bioenergelics, Mrrxzzo (Editor), John \Vilcy ff Sons, London, i*;c~v York Sydney. Toronto (1976), 2..

Vol. I, 37s pp.,

19.50.

The declared aim of this is to attempt to fill the existing trochemistry and bioenergctics other. The book consists of five to biologists and biochemists and

UERG

of lrclp tlrat

tllcy

could

volume (the first of a hopefully successful .s.erics) gap between branches of science such as bioelccou one side, and biology and biochemistry on the chapters, xk-ritten by different authors. illustrating numerous examples of the type of information

obtuin

tllrouglx

.a hioclectrnchcnlicnl

or bioenergetic

_\lso. in at least two of the chapters, biologists are approach to their problems. made aware of the risks of ignoring the fact that many of the phenomena that the)- are studying c;in be explained in electrochemical and eucrgetic terms. The ti~rc chapters are not homogeneous and method of presentation. Yet they should deeper and more constructive collaboration chemists. The sults

first article,

achieved

by

by

Y\LLEF,

describes

electrochemical

all fulfill the task of stimulating ~1 between electrochemists and bio-

in a simple

techniques

and

concrete

in experiments

on

way

the

various

re-

types

of biological preparations (bacteria, plants, animal cells or tissues), and haviug different finalitics (from the study of metabolic activity of bacterial cells. to the control of the viability of heats to bc used for transplantation). manner T11c second article, by UERC;, deals in a detailed and fairly complex with In the

the

use

of

first part

properties

of

polarogmphic

methods

of the chapter

the author

biopol>-mers

and

of

their

in

protein

describes ,componcnts.

and

nucleic

the cssentinl Tn the

,

acid

research.

electrochemical second

part,

the

Books

Reviews ,’

problems pronch& In

.

in protein an’d nucleic &id research’ that Fn, @z ad~n~eoki$~~~:‘;: 1.; eth polai_oephic techniques “are de&i&d.. ,;:‘, ;,‘:.:i!i.l Y.r~:;*_-:i-_r: ~k~{!:;,;.;!:i’g :” .., the tliird

chapter,

by

BUVET;

entitled

.I: .;‘.!’ : ‘~$;;~~fA&s’k’,~

Enuga~ic~:S~rrccfka

1.‘Y*, ‘_“C’.

the author presents a simplified and interesting, interpretation,‘of ‘.interm&lary metatilism based on idarti ruk related to, the_,,Z;hysic~~e~~i;d~~~;e of, : I. ,8.. ,; I :.,r+,, _! the reactants. rather than on the concept that ex~ernti tau~~~:such;asi!~nzyplesl,, ,’ .

an cx machinu control of metabolism. Most df the bioch&nical- r&Aid& ‘&,, L .-,, pi or cqndcd~tiod’hydrolyi~;~~.‘~r.by the author as oxidation-reduction, addition-elimination to or from double bonds, or degradatidn7sypt~~~i~._~~~-~ tions, the foilr nxain categories of elementary proccssk. ‘, After' d&s&ibing’ the&‘.,“elementary processes in the’ first part ‘of ,the article.’ the ‘anthoi deals.‘w+‘the ‘, ,_ exert

ckusified

energetic

balance

of -these

proccsscs

in the second

of metabol&m -are far redching. The fourth chapter, by ELVIN~, voltammctic technique-r in the study

pzrt.‘..

nisms

of compounds

of biological

across

biological

: .j,.,.
concernL thk ‘use ‘of. glarogr,iphiL, ‘And 1 of the. energetics, dynamic=s ‘:and mecha:

importance

senti‘ally treated are : pyridincs. pyrimidincs acqueous media. The topic is treated tirn of view. The last chapter, by VAIDHYANATHAN, transport

The. i&plications’bf’&

.,

view

based

on the

azoben’iede

rin&(&-

and purinks);- in.‘&qneotis,:tid a strictly physicuxhemi&al

non,, :poitii.

,.-

. ‘I ,., A ,,I ,_,$,....I.;::;, .71;

is a comprehensive review,, of ion, membranes, analyzed from’ an elcctr6chekkal ,&d The article presents -sound i ckitici&& ;t$ man%. view.

thermodynamic point of current theories of ion transport, and, as the author says,.prep~-s’the,;r~der;-,~~. . the first 40 pages or so. to view with disdain solutions to.compIe’x.proble,~,‘~,, The author adds that; in the -&c&r&;;,&>, sociated with membrane transport. of the chapter, ij% rends may grope through u dark forest oJ’treas~Co&& Sumhi&_ Although the author ‘may have overestimated the electrochemi&i’ a& L&a&-; matical background of the average biologist reader, ccrhinly.:th’c:redder’.is’lmad~. aware that sunshine exists, oven’ if beyond his reach, and ,is Iikely’,‘to- b&&ma: willing to contact those people who could take after all, is the main scope of this book.

him out of the dark i

,,

forest,‘,

I

::

PAIN

and

R.

J.

SMITH

(Editors).

Vol. 3, John \\:iley (1976) VII +z+s pp.,

Biology, Toronto

& 2.

Neu, ‘~jF~~~~i&cs

,izl,

Sons Ltd. L&don,: IO / $ zo.ooo.

Biopiy~~>-~~~Nem

’ .;

: ‘,i,-

I : 12. H.

‘-

L;vr.-

,,

’1 ._.. ’

T ’

%$ich,. , ‘. .,G.

.,

‘.

Cd7

York,..,$ydno&~

.., Co&& Ions

:

as Nuclear

I

Solid-Pha_se Magnetic

Techniques

Rcsonancc

in Protein’Sequen&ng.;

Probes

z Lapth’anide’

b

of hIol&ul~

.: ’

of the’Conformatior&

in Solution ; 3 Photoelectron Spectroscopy ; ‘4’ The ‘Cons&ction ‘and: Clon@i&‘&f Hybrid DNA hfoleculc& ; 5 Surface Labelling Tcchniques-‘for -Enkary+ic’:C4ls’;’ Developments in Banding Techniques for hiam&lian ,Ch&nio&&

_.

I

Chapt

1 : Although

the

principles

of automatic&y

acid sequence of a protein covalcntly attached ‘%ie year &fore the commonly used automatic

Y. ..r

,.I

-determining.

‘.._,.-:

.:_’ 1

I -;?,;,;i:‘,

the”amin~,~..

to an-inert suppos n-ere~di&ov&d ‘; liquid-phase techniqne~~.t&: form:‘,. -5

,-

-

.: