Bionanotechnology: Lessons from Nature

Book Description

Discussions of the basic structural, nanotechnology, and system engineering principles, as well as an introductory overview of essential concepts and methods in biotechnology, will be included.Â Text is presented side-by-side with extensive use of high-quality illustrations prepared using cutting edge computer graphics techniques.Â Includes numerous examples, such applications in genetic engineering.Â Represents the only available introduction and overview of this interdisciplinary field, merging the physical and biological sciences.Â Concludes with the authors' expert assessment of the future promise of nanotechnology, from molecular "tinkertoys" to nanomedicine.Â David Goodsell is author of two trade books, Machinery of Life and Our Molecular Nature, and Arthur Olson is the world's leader in molecular graphics and nano-scale representation.

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Discussions of the basic structural, nanotechnology, and system engineering principles, as well as an introductory overview of essential concepts and methods in biotechnology, will be included. Text is presented side-by-side with extensive use of high-quality illustrations prepared using cutting edge computer graphics techniques. Includes numerous examples, such applications in genetic engineering. Represents the only available introduction and overview of this interdisciplinary field, merging the physical and biological sciences. Concludes with the authors' expert assessment of the future promise of nanotechnology, from molecular "tinkertoys" to nanomedicine. David Goodsell is author of two trade books, Machinery of Life and Our Molecular Nature, and Arthur Olson is the world's leader in molecular graphics and nano-scale representation.

Customer Reviews:

An informative text.......2007-02-27

This book gave an intriguing instight into the developing field of nanotechnology. Its in-depth explanations of the field and its many aspects was informative and helpful in looking at the field. It allowed for forward thinking toward future possibilities in science.

Excellent guidebook for the imminent revolution.......2007-02-27

A revolution in science and technology is coming and is already here--the bionanotechnology revolution: understanding nature's subcellular machines and using them for our purposes.

David Goodsell's book, though now three years old, is the best primer I've found to the wonderful world of subcellular machinery. He explains, without embroiling the reader in jargon, just how these molecular machines can do their myriads of functions and how the can be--and are--harnessed.

I am currently using this masterpiece as a textbook for a college-level, freshman seminar class, which includes science and non-science majors. The following reviews (above) are from my students. Some students have found the book less helpful than other students, which doesn't dampen my appreciation for what Goodsell has done: he has brought the living world of the nano-small into view for the average, college-educated reader. This is truly a tour de force in science popularization.

In response to the preceding reviews (below), I would say that, though I've taken many molecular biology classes as an undergraduate and graduate student and did my Ph.D. in the biology and biophysics of influenza, I was not bored by this book. Also, I do think that this book is better than an undergraduate cell-bio textbook at explaining the world of molecular machines to the college educated lay-person. Finally, I would agree that this book is overpriced and look forward to when Wiley releases it as a paperback.

An engineer's perspective..........2005-07-08

A fellow chemical engineer recommended this book to me and, I must say, the engineering parallels from the macro to nano scale really drove me through it. This is book is focused towards application as opposed to pure science and therefore may seem mundane (perhaps even elementary) to those with a speciality in biology.

I have taken but one biochemistry college course and my graduate research is pharmaceutics. This book concisely covered several promising frontiers for biological nanomachines in the pharmaceutical arena.

If you are a biologist, I do not recommend it. If you are an engineer, this is a must read.

believe the first guy - this is a cell biology book!.......2005-05-30

The author's premise is that the cell is a nano-machine, and by examining and understanding the cell, we can learn lessons for bionanotechnology. He then proceeds to provide a lovely undergraduate text, replete with wonderful illustrations, about cell biology. So if that's what's you're looking for, go ahead and buy it, but if you want to learn about bionanobiology, you should look elsewhere. Maybe the title was merely trying to capitalize on the nano-trend and current high interest.

An excellent overview of the tools in the toolkit.......2004-12-06

A fantastic overview of a sweeping topic. Designed for a reader who is basically familiar with the concepts of molecular biology, but needs to know more about the entire range of well-characterized molecular systems. A specialist will find the information to be highly condensed, but will appreciate the coverage of topics outside their specialty.

The book avoids irrelevant technical details (but only the irrelevant ones) in favor of clear, well-distilled summaries of what is known. The emphasis is on the interactions of molecules with each other, and the relationships (functional and evolutionary) between broad classes of molecules. The writing is exquisitely clear and avoids the "scientific" voice that is all too common in textbooks and papers.

The illustrations are reminiscent of those of Branden and Tooze in their impact and clarity (though not in their actual execution). Simplified to the point where most of them contain only 2 or 3 colors, they are a fine example of Tufte's ethic of visual communication.

The book is not, however, a collection of journal articles. You won't find mathematical details (rate constants, binding energies) or equations. The scope is too broad. The idea is to acquaint the reader with many systems so they can figure out which one (that they hadn't heard of before) might be applicable, and then go and seek details elsewhere.

[p.s. Robertorob's review (which was highly negative) said "all this info would be covered in a good textbook on cell biology". This is untrue. Only about 1/3 to 1/2 would be, and the treatment would have been much less informative if what one wanted was an overview.]

Book Description

This book covers the fundamentals of conventional transmission electron microscopy (CTEM) as applied to crystalline solids. In addition to including a large selection of worked examples and homework problems, the volume is accompanied by a supplementary website (http://ctem.web.cmu.edu/) containing interactive modules and over 30,000 lines of free Fortran 90 source code. The work is based on a lecture course given by Marc De Graef in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

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This book covers the fundamentals of conventional transmission electron microscopy (CTEM) as applied to crystalline solids. Emphasis is on the experimental and computational methods used to quantify and analyze CTEM observations. A supplementary website containing interactive modules and free Fortran source code accompanies the text. The book starts with the basics of crystallography and quantum mechanics providing a sound mathematical footing for the rest of the text. The next section deals with the microscope itself, describing the various components in terms of the underlying theory. The second half of the book focuses on the dynamical theory of electron scattering in solids including its applications to perfect and defective crystals, electron diffraction and phase contrast techniques. Based on a lecture course given by the author in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, the book is ideal for graduate students as well as researchers new to the field.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Introduction to Transmission Electron Microscopy.......2007-02-16

For my taste, this book is the best introduction to Transmission Electron Microscopy that I have read. It is written at a higher level than Williams and Carter. This book is probably best suited to students with a B.S. in Physics. At the very least one should have benefited from a two semester undergraduate course on Modern Physics (including such things as solving the Schrodinger Equation for the Hydrogen atom) before tackling this book. I wish that a book like this had been out thirty years ago when I started learning TEM! This book does a very good job on two-beam theory and has truly wonderful dispersion surface diagrams.

Excellent.......2003-08-21

I took Prof. de Graef's class at CMU in 2001, and we used pre-prints of this text. Even in that mostly-finished form, it was excellent. It's only improved now that I have the finished, published form.

Although I found the mathematical formalism that makes up the middle of this book excessive, it is important for people who will be modelling TEM experiments. The remainder of the book, on TEM basics, operation, and image/SADP interpretation, are all excellent.

Book Description

The structure of much of solid-state theory comes directly from group theory, but until now there has been no elementary introduction to the band theory of solids which adopts this approach. This book provides such an introduction, employing only the simplest and most basic of group theoretical ideas, and emphasizing the significance of symmetry in determining many of the essential concepts used in the subject. Given the extensive training of chemists in applying group theory, there is no quicker entry into the subject than by means of the approach used in this book. Many topics were chosen with the needs of chemists in mind, and many of the examples have a chemical flavour. Numerous problems are included which enable the reader to apply the major ideas and to complete some parts of the treatment. Chemists will find this a valuable introduction to band theory, and the book will also appeal to all physical scientists who would like to go a little beyond the elementary treatments so far available.

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Introduction to Liquid State Chemistry
Yizhak Marcus
Manufacturer: John Wiley and Sons Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Average customer rating:

good introduction
It's still difficult to write about liquids.

Introduction to Liquid State Physics
Norman H. March , and M. P. Tosi
Manufacturer: World Scientific Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Atomic Dynamics in Liquids

ASIN: 9810246528

Customer Reviews:

good introduction.......2007-02-15

The previous review makes an unwarranted comparison to Hansen and Mcdonald, which is an unfriendly, technical, advanced-graduate-level book. This book (March and Tosi) is an attempt to write a simpler introduction accessible to undergraduates and beginning graduate students. It does not entirely succeed---the language is sometimes stiff, and some topics are mentioned for the sake of mentioning them rather than teaching them---but at least it covers many things that beginners need to know and who would just bounce off Hansen and Mcdonald having gained little more than a bruised ego.

The need for an ideal liquid-state book remains. Unfortunately, both these books were written by theorists. What is needed is a book written by a theorist and experimentalist together. And one that has better pictures, but without becoming one of those fluid dynamics engineering texts.

It's still difficult to write about liquids........2003-09-04

The subject has come on, and this I do not deny, but the unique position of liquids in the graduate curriculum still remains the same. It is a wide subject covering atomic liquids, dense plasmas and all sorts of novel nano- and meso-scale soft matter. Does this book address anything new for the graduate? Well, not really. The odd thing is that the classic Hansen and McDonald is still by far the best read and introduction - neither pampering nor being condescending to the reader, and only seeks to inform, without the worry of the pet interests of the authors. You can introduce solid-state physics in a single volume and come away feeling as though you have a comprehensive understanding, but this is not quite the case with liquids. Understand a balanced theoretical and experimental treatment as provided by Hansen and McDonald then look at the specific. Oddly enough, research in this area is quite fluid as of its own right, and subject to change, but certain core principles remain the same ... as do texts.

Introduction to Mesoscopic Physics (Mesoscopic Physics and Nanotechnology, 2)

Average customer rating:

A terrible book
Mesoscopic jargong

Introduction to Mesoscopic Physics (Mesoscopic Physics and Nanotechnology, 2)
Yoseph Imry
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0198507380

Book Description

Mesoscopic physics refers to the physics of structures larger than a nanometer (one billionth of a meter) but smaller than a micrometer (one millionth of a meter). This size range is the stage on which the exciting new research on submicroscopic and electronic and mechanical devices is being done. This research often crosses the boundary between physics and engineering, since engineering such tiny electronic components requires a firm grasp of quantum physics. Applications for the future may include such wonders as microscopic robot surgeons that travel through the blood stream to repair clogged arteries, submicroscopic actuators and builders, and supercomputers that fit on the head of a pin. The world of the future is being planned and built by physicists, engineers, and chemists working in the microscopic realm. This book can be used as the main text in a course on mesoscopic physics or as a supplementary text in electronic devices, semiconductor devices, and condensed matter physics courses. For this new edition, the author has substantially updated and modified the material especially of chapters 3: Dephasing, 8: Noise in mesoscopic systems, and the concluding chapter 9.

Customer Reviews:

A terrible book.......2004-07-09

This book is definitely not written for grad students or anyone who is just interested in the field and wants to get an general idea of it. I'm sure the author could make the book little easier to read, but it seems he just did not want it that way.

Mesoscopic jargong.......2000-05-08

If you need the vocabulary, the names, and the important references in the field of mesoscopic physics this is the book for you. If you want physical insight and understanding you must look elsewhere (god knows where?). All derivations start with some random non-fundamental formula and ends in another. Clarity and coherence seem far away.

Introduction to Soft Matter: Synthetic and Biological Self-Assembling Materials

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Introduction to Soft Matter: Synthetic and Biological Self-Assembling Materials
Ian W. Hamley
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

This book provides an introduction to this exciting and relatively new subject with chapters covering natural and synthetic polymers, colloids, surfactants and liquid crystals highlighting the many and varied applications of these materials. Written by an expert in the field, this book will be an essential reference for people working in both industry and academia and will aid in understanding of this increasingly popular topic.

Contains a new chapter on biological soft matter
Newly edited and updated chapters including updated coverage of recent aspects of polymer science.
Contain problems at the end of each chapter to facilitate understanding

An Introduction to Solid State Diffusion

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An Introduction to Solid State Diffusion
Richard J. Borg , and G. J. Dienes
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

The energetics and mechanisms of diffusion control the kinetics of such diverse phenomena as the fabrication of semiconductors and superconductors, the tempering of steel, geological metamorphism, the precipitation hardening of nonferrous alloys and corrosion of metals and alloys. This work explains the fundamentals of diffusion in the solid state at a level suitable for upper-level undergraduate and beginning graduate students in materials science, metallurgy, mineralogy, and solid state physics and chemistry. A knowledge of physical chemistry such as is generally provided by a one-year undergraduate course is a prerequisite, though no detailed knowledge of solid state physics or crystallography is required.

Introduction to the Electron Theory of Metals

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Introduction to the Electron Theory of Metals
Uichiro Mizutani
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0521583349

Book Description

This text presents a complete account of electron theory in both periodic and nonperiodic metallic systems. The author's accessible approach allows for comparisons with experimental results as much as possible. The book starts with the basics of one-electron band theory and progresses to cover high Tc superconductors and quasicrystals. The relationship between theory and potential applications is also emphasized. The material assumes some knowledge of elementary quantum mechanics as well as the principles of classical mechanics and electromagnetism. Numerous exercises and an extensive list of references and numerical data are key features.

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The electron theory of metals describes how electrons are responsible for the bonding of metals and subsequent physical, chemical and transport properties. This textbook gives a complete account of electron theory in both periodic and non-periodic metallic systems. The author presents an accessible approach to the theory of electrons, comparing it with experimental results as much as possible. The book starts with the basics of one-electron band theory and progresses to cover up-to-date topics such as high Tc superconductors and quasicrystals. The relationship between theory and potential applications is also emphasized. The material presented assumes some knowledge of elementary quantum mechanics as well as the principles of classical mechanics and electromagnetism. This textbook will be of interest to advanced undergraduates and graduate students in physics, chemistry, materials science and electrical engineering. The book contains numerous exercises and an extensive list of references and numerical data.

The Static and Dynamic Continuum Theory of Liquid Crystals: A Mathematical Introduction (The Liguid Crystals Book Series)

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The Static and Dynamic Continuum Theory of Liquid Crystals: A Mathematical Introduction (The Liguid Crystals Book Series)
Iain W. Stewart
Manufacturer: Taylor & Francis
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0748408967

Book Description

Given the widespread interest in macroscopic phenomena in liquid crystals, stemming from their applications in displays and devices. The need has arisen for a rigorous yet accessible text suitable for graduate students, whatever their scientific background. This book satisfies that need. The approach taken in this text, is to introduce the basic continuum theory for nematic liquid crystals in equilibria, then it proceeds to simple application of this theory- in particular, there is a discussion of electrical and magnetic field effects which give rise to Freedericksz transitions, which are important in devices. This is followed by an account of dynamic theory and elementary viscometry of nemantics Discussions of backflow and flow-induced instabilities are also included. Smetic theory is also briefly introduced and summarised with some examples of equilibrium solutions as well as those with dynamic effects. A number of mathematical techniques, such as Cartesian tensors and some variational calculus, are presented in the appendices.

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Introduction to Surface Physics
M. Prutton
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

This text, aimed at final-year undergraduate students and new postgraduates in physics, provides a broad introduction to surface physics, covering key areas of surface studies. Techniques are described that are used to determine which atoms are present on a surface and in what quantities, and to determine their relative arrangement. New results and theoretical advances are included, which provide fresh insights into the phenomena that occur at surfaces. Selected case studies are presented with particular reference to the (lll) surface of elemental silicon to illustrate the application of relevant techniques to the electronic, vibrational, and adsoption properties of surfaces.

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