Book Review J RNAi Gene Silenc Published online: 17 June 2009 RNA Interference, Methods for Plants and Animals ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The field of RNAi has lead to considerable intellectual and commercial activity, credit to the ground breaking discovery of Andrew Fire and Craig Mello. While Fire and Mello received Nobel Prize for this discovery, it also paved the way for the development of a multi-billion Dollar RNAi-based industry and the emergence of an exponentially-growing, whole new field of biological investigations, rapidly becoming one of the key methods in functional genomics. Taking advantage of new discoveries in the RNA interference field, a number of edited volumes addressing this topic have appeared in the past few years. Editors have generally taken two approaches – some have solely focused on providing literature review in the field, while others have combined literature review with methods for laboratory experimentation. Considering the fast pace of the RNAi field, a book focusing merely on literature review fears the risk being outdated by the time of its publication (which can take around an year or longer). Obviously, the volumes incorporating detailed laboratory methods add more value. Furthermore, Journal articles generally lack detailed procedures and can be difficult to follow, especially by those new to the field. Therefore, volumes providing a collection of detailed established methods are indeed useful. The latter is the direction that editors, Doran and Helliwell have taken in their book RNA Interference, Methods for Plants and Animals. This newest volume comprise nine chapters and provides a comprehensive guide to RNAi experimentation in a number of model systems, including plants, C. elegans, Drosophila, fish, crustaceans, chicken embryos and mammalian cells. A chapter is also dedicated to the design strategies of siRNAs and shRNAs. This book provides a panoramic view of the RNAi laboratory techniques, suitable for both new and established researchers, upper level undergraduates and postgraduate researchers. Each chapter topic stands on its own merit and the various chapters start by giving up-to-date background to the topic, followed by detailed point-by-point protocols – useful for anyone in academic or commercial setting seeking to make use of this powerful research tool. However, like any collection of reviews, it is recommended that the readers refer to primary literature for the latest developments. This book is a fantastic starting point for anyone taking a leap into the field of RNA interference. © Copyright Library Publishing Media ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Privacy | Disclaimer |