Molecular Biology of the Cell » (5th Edition)

Bruce Alberts, is president of the National Academy of Sciences and chair of the National Research Council, the principal operating arm of the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering. He is a respected biochemist recognized for his work in both biochemistry and molecular biology and is known particularly for his extensive molecular analyses of the protein complexes that allow chromosomes to be replicated. Alberts joined the faculty of Princeton University in 1966 and after ten years moved to the medical school of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). In 1980, he was awarded an American Cancer Society lifetime research professorship. In 1985, he was named chair of the UCSF department of biochemistry and biophysics. Alberts is one of the principal authors of "The Molecular Biology of the Cell," now in its third edition, considered the leading advanced textbook in this field and used widely in U.S. colleges and universities. His most recent text, "Essential Cell Biology," is intended to present this subject matter to a wider audience. He is committed to the improvement of science education; he helped to create City Science, a program for improving science teaching in San Francisco elementary schools.

For nearly a quarter century Molecular Biology of the Cell has been the leading cell biology textbook. This tradition continues with the new Fifth Edition, which has been completely revised and updated to describe our current, rapidly advancing understanding of cell biology. To list but a few examples, a large amount of new material is presented on epigenetics; stem cells; RNAi; comparative genomics; the latest cancer therapies; apoptosis (now its own separate chapter); and cell cycle control and the mechanics of M phase (now integrated into one chapter).

The hallmark features of Molecular Biology of the Cell have been retained, such as its consistent and comprehensive art program, clear concept headings, and succinct section summaries. Additionally, in response to extensive feedback from readers, the Fifth Edition now includes several new features.

It is now more portable. Chapters 1-20 are printed and Chapters 21-25, covering multicellular systems, are provided as PDF files on the free Media DVD-ROM which accompanies the book.* And for the first time, Molecular Biology of the Cell now contains end-of-chapter questions. These problems, written by John Wilson and Tim Hunt, emphasize a quantitative approach and the art of reasoning from experiments, and they will help students review and extend their knowledge derived from reading the textbook. The Media DVD-ROM, which is packaged with every copy of the book, contains PowerPoint® presentations with all of the figures, tables and micrographs from the text (available as JPEGs too). Also included is the Media Player, which plays over 125 movies—animations, videos, and molecular models—all with voice-over narration. A new reader-friendly feature is the integration of media codes throughout the text that link directly to relevant videos and animations. The Media DVD-ROM holds the multicellular systems chapters (21-25) of the text as well.

By skillfully extracting the fundamental concepts from this enormous and ever-growing field, the authors tell the story of cell biology, and thereby create a coherent framework through which readers may approach and enjoy this subject that is so central to all of biology.

* There is also a reference edition of Molecular Biology of the Cell, Fifth Edition (ISBN 978-0-8153-4111-6) that contains Chapters 1-25 entirely in printed format.

Development (Company of Biologists)

It has been 25 years since the first edition of Molecular Biology of the Cell (MBoC) was published, which means that roughly half of today's practicing scientists do not remember life without this cell biology 'bible'. The other half might recall how the book almost instantly filled a void with refreshingly clear and engaging writing illustrated with extensive diagrams and figures . . . .MBoC has only improved over its several editions, growing with the rapid advances in the field to become an essential resource for students at all levels and a trusted first stop for researchers transitioning into unfamiliar areas of cell biology . . . .An enduring strength of the book is that it remains a comprehensive textbook . . . .In addition to the comprehensive updating of every chapter, another reason to consider acquiring edition five is the improved integration of the print volume with an extensive array of videos and animations in the 'Cell Biology Interactive' provided on the accompanying DVD . . . .Another welcome improvement in MBoC5 helps link the textbook to the lab - there are now problems printed at the ends of the first 20 chapters. Whereas some are designed to facilitate information retention, the best problems stimulate thought and challenge the reader to think about experimental approaches for learning new things about cell biology . . . .the MBoC5 package is a fantastic resource and well worth the upgrade.\