Book Description

Fighting disease, combating hunger, preserving the balance of life on Earth: the future of biotechnological innovation may well be the future of our planet itself. And yet the vexed state of intellectual property law--a proliferation of ever more complex rights governing research and development--is complicating this future. At a similar point in the development of information technology, "open source" software revolutionized the field, simultaneously encouraging innovation and transforming markets. The question that Janet Hope explores in Biobazaar is: can the open source approach do for biotechnology what it has done for information technology? Her book is the first sustained and systematic inquiry into the application of open source principles to the life sciences.

The appeal of the open source approach--famously likened to a "bazaar," in contrast to the more traditional "cathedral" style of technology development--lies in its safeguarding of community access to proprietary tools without discouraging valuable commercial participation. Traversing disciplinary boundaries, Hope presents a careful analysis of intellectual property-related challenges confronting the biotechnology industry and then paints a detailed picture of "open source biotechnology" as a possible solution. With insights drawn from interviews with Nobel Prize-winning scientists and leaders of the free and open source software movement--as well as company executives, international policymakers, licensing experts, and industry analysts--her book suggests that open source biotechnology is both desirable and broadly feasible--and, in many ways, merely awaiting its moment.

Book Description

To succeed in the lab, it is crucial to be comfortable with the math calculations that are part of everyday work. This accessible introduction to common laboratory techniques focuses on the basics, helping even readers with good math skills to practice the most frequently encountered types of problems.

Discusses very common laboratory problems, all applied to real situations. Explores multiple strategies for solving problems for a better understanding of the underlying math. Includes hundreds of practice problems, all with solutions and many with boxed, complete explanations; plus hundreds of “story problems” relating to real situations in the lab.

MARKET: A useful review for biotechnology laboratory professionals.

Book Description
This book provides a clear, practical and illuminating guide to the ideas and terminology of Biotechnology. Biotechnology is one of the fastest growing, most exciting, and most controversial areas of science and technology in the 21st Century, an industry worth billions and a political topic that has shaken governments. It has already produced scientific achievements, from cloning to sequencing the genome, which would have seemed miraculous 20 years ago, and an industry with thousands of companies spanning the world. But this is based on a set of scientific disciplines with their own jargon, ideas and limitations. This book describes those ideas and terms, and what they really mean for science, industry and society. In 300 entries from ADEPT through cloning, genomes, patents, and viruses to zoonosis, A to Zprovides over 300 concise entries describing what the science is, what it does, and the reality of how it has been used, and could be applied.It can be read cover to cover, or dipped into for a quick understanding of a topic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Biotechnology from A to Z
Biotechnology from A to Z, 2nd edition, by W. Bains With the current explosion of interest in biotechnology and the application of the basic techniques of genetic engineering to medicine, agriculture, forensics,environment, it is becoming increasingly difficult for any one person tostay abreast of all the applications.A handbook such as Bains' isinvaluable in cutting straight to the point and providing the appropriatejargon for the particular discipline.Scientists, science writers,environmental activists, everyone will find this book an invaluablereference source.My favorite few pages go from Affinity Tag, Ageing,Agrobacterium tumefaciens, AIDS, to Airlift fermentor.All the entries areexplained in clear concise English, with the just the right amount ofcross-entries.As is appropriate for a biotechnology book, there arefrequent practical examples.There is a good index and a list of books forfurther reading.It's a shame OUP couldn't have kept the internet addressstable.This book is a definite good buy.

Department of MolecularBiology and Genetics Bilkent University, Bilkent 06533, Ankara, Turkey ... Read more

Product Description
This book is a guide to the "big picture" of biotechnology law and business, presenting and analyzing the issues that arise throughout the life cycle of the biotechnology product. The book focuses primarily on the pharmaceutical field, from university research through the development process and into the marketplace.The aim of the book is to provide guidance to the biotechnology legal and business communities by providing a practical and integrated discussion of the many different topics that arise in developing biotechnology products. It is intended to be used by I.P. lawyers, FDA lawyers, business lawyers and biotech executives who want a concise introduction to the most fundamental issues in biotechnology law and business. ... Read more

Book Description
Food safety is a matter of intense public concern, and for good reason. Millions of annual cases of food "poisonings" raise alarm not only about the food served in restaurants and fast-food outlets but also about foods bought in supermarkets. The introduction of genetically modified foods--immediately dubbed "Frankenfoods"--only adds to the general sense of unease. Finally, the events of September 11, 2001, heightened fears by exposing the vulnerability of food and water supplies to attacks by bioterrorists. How concerned should we be about such problems? Who is responsible for preventing them? Who benefits from ignoring them? Who decides?
Marion Nestle, author of the critically acclaimed Food Politics, argues that ensuring safe food involves more than washing hands or cooking food to higher temperatures. It involves politics. When it comes to food safety, billions of dollars are at stake, and industry, government, and consumers collide over issues of values, economics, and political power--and not always in the public interest. Although the debates may appear to be about science, Nestle maintains that they really are about control: Who decides when a food is safe?
She demonstrates how powerful food industries oppose safety regulations, deny accountability, and blame consumers when something goes wrong, and how century-old laws for ensuring food safety no longer protect our food supply. Accessible, informed, and even-handed, Safe Food is for anyone who cares how food is produced and wants to know more about the real issues underlying today's headlines. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Eye opener
As a food safety trainer I did not realise the rest of what has and is going on to deliberatly sell us food that is not fit for the purpose all in the interest in profit.

One could have doubted what was written but we have just had the blatent disregard for food safety by 'CADBURY' the famous chocolate people claiming that only minute traces of bacteria may be present.

You either have bacteria or no bacteria there is no halfway house, this book will open everyone's eyes.

An important and well-documented expose
This is a well-written book by an author with experience in both the scientific and public affairs aspects of food quality and safety. Marion Nestle makes an effort to describe the complex scientific procedures associated with foodborne disease investigation, and the creation of bioengineered foodstuffs, reasonably clear to the layman / woman. Her message is simple and direct: as far as US government regulatory agencies, and the food industry itself, are concerned, food safety and wholesomeness is regarded as a secondary consideration to corporate profit. Her thesis is supported by a wide and varied list of references, including the scientific literature, print media, and quotes from participants involved in the struggle to make food safety one of the more urgent issues in contemporary public health. "Safe Food" covers such important topics as the outbreaks of E. coli caused by feces-contaminated ground beef; the ineptly regulated release of genetically engineered crops into farm systems and the spread of transgenes into native species; and the farcical (but ultimately tragic) mishandling of the "mad cow" epidemic by a British government blindly devoted to promotion of the beef industry. In each instance, Nestle documents how the food and agrochemical industries conspired to weaken federal oversight offood safety and quality by manipulating politicians and government officials, all in order to maximize profits.
The book is not perfect; some of the sections describing various scientific procedures may have benefited from the inclusion of explanatory diagrams, rather than somewhat belabored text descriptions. But overall, "Safe Food" is an important and timely book, and one well worth reading by anyone concerned about the quality of the food we eat.

Excellent
"Safe Food" is a terrific look at the issues involved in keeping our food supply uncontaminated. It is also a look behind the scenes at how our democracy really works, and it's not a pretty sight. Corporations choosing profits over public health, government representatives more often than not siding with industry rather than consumers, corruption, greed, and ineptitude are all part of this fascinating story. Highly recommended!

more questions raised about the author's intentions
I just heard Marion Nestle on the Mike McConnell raido show. All I could ask myself during the interview was, "What are her intentions in writing this book." All I could think of during the interview was she was another Rachel Carson writing her"Silent Spring".
My general impression was that she wrote this book to create fear in the food consumer, but never really offered any solutions except more government intrusion. She never presented, in the interview, the fault of the consumer in poor preparation practices or lack of control when eating out.
In Nestle's view its either "big" business' fault by being cheapskates or the government's failure by not legislating.
Yes I believe that there needs to be safeguards, but I also believe that regulations can become so excessive that it could become not profitable to produce food products. That is why there should be a certain amount of responsibility by the consumer (i.e. don't eat tuna fish that's been sitting out in the sun for a few hours).
In the interview of besides presenting herself as a prophet of doom, I also found her to be very condescending to people who challenged her opinions.
If you want to read her work, I can only recommend reading this with a very critical eye. ... Read more

Book Description
Succeed in this course and your future career with BIOTECHNOLOGY with InfoTrac®! Using case studies and examples, this biology text provides you with the tools you need to understand the methods, implications, and debate surrounding the use of biotechnological products now and in the future. Coverage includes the human genome and other genomes, animal cloning, pharmacogenomics, plant bioreactors, RNA interference, microarray technology, microbial surface display, and biotechnology regulation and patent information. Mastering difficult material is made easy with the book-specific website that provides you with learning aids such as flashcards, exercises, and tutorial quizzes. ... Read more

Book Description
The book is written to help lawyers faced with the challenge of identifying the legal issues and processes that must be faced by their clients in building, marketing, and protecting a biotech business. The contributors are experts in this specialized area and provide thorough, yet accessible, overviews of biotech subspecialties with an eye to practical application.A biotech legal practice involves specialized subject matter and regulatory schemes that, generally, are not part of the business lawyer's repertoire and which can present many hazards for the uninitiated. Because of the expansion in biotech practice beyond the traditional organizations and their representatives, this guide was written to help lawyers find their way through the biotech maze. ... Read more

Book Description
The chemicals, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology industries worldwide rely upon being able to patent inventions in order to protect investment in research and development, and to reap commercial rewards. Philip Grubb's highly acclaimed book guides the reader through the legal and procedural complexities of the British, European, Japanese and US patent systems, and explains in detail the role of patent practitioners (both in-house and in private practice) in maximising the commercial potential of their client's or company's innovative products. This eagerly awaited fourth edition provides vital updating to take account of the latest legal developments, while retaining the focus upon the relevant technology and industry practices in this sector that sets it apart from more general books on patent law and procedure.Patents for Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology provides a complete description of the techniques and industry know-how that underlie successful patent practice and portfolio management and will be invaluable to all patent agents and practitioners working in the area of patent law. With its lucid and accessible presentation and practical approach, this book will also be welcomed by scientists, researchers and managers without a legal background. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

First rate
This is an outstanding reference for the researcher and patent attorney alike.The book provides a solid overview of patent law in the major markets, with emphasison pharmaceutical, chemical and biotechhnology patents.What distinguishes this book from others in its class, however, is the emphasis on practical and strategic aspects of patent filing and enforcement.The author has a lifetime's worth of experience in this field, and it shows.Moreover, the book isuncommonly well-written, with clarity and occassional humor.Highly recommmended!

An outstanding publication
This is quite simply the best general work on patent law and practice I've ever read. Presented in clear, crisp language and with wit and flair, it is essential reading for anyone in the patent and allied professions and I would suggest mandatory reading for any students. ... Read more

Product Description
Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Patents: Law and Practice is a comprehensive, how-to guide for protecting BioPharma inventions. This practice-based resource applies the law in the context of BioPharma patents as business assets, helping you to maximize their value and ensure their protection.

The material is designed to be easily accessible and immediately applicable to any BioPharma patent issue you may be facing. Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Patents is arranged topically so that you can go straight to a specific section to answer a particular question. And this practical resource provides specific strategies for protecting proprietary intellectual property, including patentable inventions, data exclusivity, trade secrets, know-how, databases, data collection, and business plans.

Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Patents: Law and Practice:


Clearly enumerates the requirements for a BioPharma patent application, e.g., compliance with the utility, enablement, and written description requirements;

Addresses issues arising during prosecution of a patent application, including discovery of prior art and inequitable conduct pitfalls;

Explains the regulatory and approval process for drugs and biologics, including Hatch-Waxman issues and regulatory exclusivities.

The only practice-focused reference in the field, Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Patents: Law and Practice approaches the topic from the perspective of problems faced by patent practitioners and patent decisionmakers on a daily basis. This brand-new resource helps you focus on the proper business solution and saves you time in your research. In addition, Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Patents: Law and Practice comes with a bonus CD-ROM, containing over 40 practice-proven forms that you can edit and adapt to your immediate needs. ... Read more

Book Description
Biotechnology's wide-ranging, multi-disciplinary activities include recombinant DNA techniques, cloning, and the application of microbiology to the production of goods from bread to antibiotics. In this new edition, biology and bioprocessing topics are uniquely combined to provide a complete overview of biotechnology. A distinctive feature of the text is the discussions of the public perception of biotechnology and the business of biotechnology, which set the science in a broader context. This comprehensive textbook is essential reading for all students of biotechnology and applied microbiology, and for researchers in biotechnology industries. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent quality
It is nice, and I never expected, to recieve a product like this.

Nice Book for Students.
I found this book to be good for students like me who are studing undergraduate BioTechnology. i has all the informations that are taught to us, in a nice format and is easily understandable.

Excelent introductory textbook
I found this to be an excellent textbook for an introductory course in Biotech.
I will strongly recomended it: it is general, it is easy to follow, it is updated, and it has something very special... the economic perspective, the practical point of view. ... Read more

Book Description

CMOS Biotechnology reviews the recent research and developments joining CMOS technology with biology. Written by leading researchers these chapters delve into four areas including:

Customer Reviews (2)

Informative But Hard On The Layman
Covering topics like genetic engineering, cloning, gene therapy, forensics and bioremediation, this is a highly informative book that not only deals with the science but the laws, social and economic implications of biotechnology.

For those interested in knowing more about these topics before they invest in biotechnology, this book is packed with plenty of useful information. However, the information is presented in a technical, not very reader-friendly way.

I suggest keeping it as as reference book and zooming in on specific topics when you need information on them.

An Objective, Thorough Misfire on an Important Science
I just finished reading this book for an independent novel project for my Biology 104 course.Throughout thereading of this grammatical-error-strewn book, I realized something.This book had no real-world implications.It was written for the common person to understand biotechnology in their daily lives.However, the book flowed at such an esoteric level, explaining only a quarter of the bio-heavy terms it used, that it was impossible to understand unless you were a bio major.Then I realized: if you're a bio major, you've already understood these concepts.Again, no real world applications.

To make matters at hand worse, the book was incredibly dull.Most of the topics it covered were explained so dully, with such drab examples, that I continually fell asleep.I won't mention that I was reclining in a, well, recliner.But it was pretty mundane.The diagrams and pictures in this book are a joke.One is Pacman eating a blob, which corresponds with "some bacteria eat toxins and eliminate pollution."

I found the bioterrorism section, a fascinating subject, to be also mundane, and extremely uninformative.Some pathogens, such as cholera, were given a sentence description which simply said "this is used in bioterrorism".Thanks. I'm REALLY understanding biotechnology.

Don't read this book.I'm sure there are much better ones that will help you understand these important biological concepts. ... Read more

Book Description
The cultural debates over biotechnology clarify the fears and longings of our age.With every new media frenzy over surrogacy, cloning, organ transplantation, and the like, people raise troubling questions: Can a child have two mothers? Should we learn our genetic futures? Are organs gifts or commercial products? This book traces such questions and their political and personal stakes over the last hundred years and in several contemporary locations. ... Read more

Book Description
This comprehensive survey of modern plant breeding traces its history from the earliest experiments at the dawn of the scientific revolution in the seventeenth century to the present day and the existence of high tech agribusiness. Murphy tells the story from the perspective of a scientist working in this field, offering a rationale and evidence-based insight into its development. Crop improvement is examined from both a scientific and socio-economic perspective and the ways in which these factors interact and impact on agricultural development are discussed, including debates on genetically-modified food.Murphy highlights concerns over the future of plant breeding, as well as potential options to enable us to meet the challenges of feeding the world in the 21st century. This thoroughly interdisciplinary and balanced account serves as an essential resource for everyone involved with plant breeding research, policy and funding, as well as those wishing to engage with current debates. ... Read more

Book Description
This thoughtful and engaging text challenges the widely held notion of science as somehow outside of society, and the idea that technology proceeds automatically down a singular and inevitable path. Through specific case studies involving contemporary debates, this book shows that science and technology are fundamentally part of society and are shaped by it.

• Draws on concepts from political sociology, organizational analysis, and contemporary social theory.
  
• Avoids dense theoretical debate.
  
• Includes case studies and concluding chapter summaries for students and scholars.

Book Description
Research in the genomics of a handful of fungi has matured at an unprecedented rate allowing comprehensive review. Developments in fungal genomics should be of great significance to new strategies in fields where disciplinary crossovers of fungal genomics, genes and their regulation, expression, and engineering will have a strong impact in dealing with agriculture, foods, natural resources, life sciences, biotechnology, informatics, metabolomics, pharmaceuticals and bioactive compounds.

This volume analyzes the commonly used molecular markers systems, and elaborates the development of biochemical genetics, which provides a model system that established the relationship between genes and enzymes. Current knowledge about the genomic and genetic variability of Candida albicans, the polymorphic fungus that is an opportunistic human pathogen of increasing medical importance, has been covered in detail. Current understanding of the genetics and functional genomic analysis of the most important fungal pathogens of staple food crops, rice and wheat among others is covered including chapters dealing with the genomics of economically important fungi such asMagnaporthe grisea, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, Trichoderma, Rhizoctonia, Mycosphaerella graminicola, and entomopathogenic fungi. With several thousand recent citations, it is hoped that volume four will serve as a useful reference for knowledgeable veterans and beginners as well as those crossing disciplinary boundaries into the exciting field of biotechnology, genomics and bioinformatics of fungi. ... Read more

Book Description
A Revolution in Biotechnology is an indispensable reference book on one of the most exciting and fast moving areas of modern science. The text is written by a team of leading figures in the field for non-specialist readers, and is illustrated throughout with diagrams and photographs, many in colour. We depend on living organisms for food, for medicines, and for a vast array of the chemicals that make modern life possible. A Revolution in Biotechnology tells how recent developments in basic research are leading not just to improvements in existing technology for producing these goods, but to a whole range of applications not previously thought possible. ... Read more

Book Description
This second edition of the best-selling Manual of Industrial Microbiologyand Biotechnology (MIMB) brings together in one place the platformbiological and engineering methodologies required to develop a successfulindustrial process through culture isolation and development. It describes the means by which traditional industrial microbiology and biotechnology,as well as modern technology, can be carried out in academic or industrial laboratories, pilot plant, or factory. The editors have enlisted a broadrange of experts, including microbial ecologists, physiologists,geneticists, biochemists, molecular biologists, and biochemical engineers, who offer practical experience not found in texts and journals. Thiscomprehensive perspective makes MIMB a valuable "how-to" resource, thestructure of which resembles the sequence of operation involved in thedevelopment of a commercial biological process and product. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A good book
It is a good book for both new and experienced researcher in biosciences. Reading this book had exposed me to many areas and important findings related to biotechnology. And had been the first reference for me when Ifaced many difficult problems.

An excellent book to collect. ... Read more

Book Description
In The Biotech Investor, San Francisco Chronicle biotechnology reporter Tom Abate explains the science, finances, time horizon, and technological and commercial potential of this burgeoning industry. Abate provides guidelines for assessing company leadership, easy-to-digest reports from the labs, and indispensable investor tools and metrics. He shares strategies for - tracking the effect of breaking news and the NASDAQ - anticipating drug trial announcements and FDAapprovals - assessing the potential market, patent rights, and distribution deals for a drug He looks beyond medicine to biotech-related opportunities in everything from agriculture to jean manufacturing to software development. The Biotech Investor is the comprehensive, expert source for successful and intelligent investing in one of the twenty-first century's most promising industries. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Biotech Investor
Very good book on the unique concepts of biotech investing.It covers all areas and would be useful for beginners or advanced investors.

Well structured and interesting
An excellent introduction to biotech investing.

Tom Abate is a good writer and knows his subject.I thought this book was written in a guarded, pragmatic way that suits the reader's purpose (presumably investment).The dustjacket shouts of a 'coming boom' but the author can be forgiven for what is basically puffery.Abate is clearly arguing for a period of drawn out growth fuelled by demographics and accelerating technical progress - not an imminent goldrush.

I gained a number of insights I consider valuable:
-An understanding of the mechanism of FDA approval and how companies manage themselves around it.
-The fluid business models of existing companies.
-The way in which institutional fund managers seem to advocate active trading over a 'buy and hold' approach to biotech portfolios (this surprised me).

Timely, relevant and convincingly argued.I'd probably buy another book by this author.

A strong dose of reality to the often hype driven sector
Tom Abate has been covered the Biotech industry for the San Francisco Chronicle for years. It shows. He brings a strong dose of reality to this hype driven sector.

Who this book is for:
-Independent investors willing to spend a lot of time doing research
-People looking for a current industry overview
-Job seekers

The Good:
-Extremely well written
-Up to Date (as of spring 2003)
-Knowledgeable - several small tidbits of data pay for the book by themselves

The Bad:
-Will quickly go out of date. For example the Appendix contains a list of firm websites and market caps; Market Caps change - companies disappear.
-Not enough FDA information. This should have been a separate chapter covering the FDA approval process in detail as well as other countries' processes.
-Too much basic investment advice: firm valuation/free cash flow/ portfolio theory / investor risk profile. Other books do a better, more thorough job of this.
-No bibliography

I gave it 5 stars because if you are going to invest in biotech the book will more than pay for itself. ... Read more