Book excerpt: Recombinant DNA methods are powerful, revolutionary techniques that allow the isolation of single genes in large amounts from a pool of thousands or millions of genes and the modification of these isolated genes or their regulatory regions for reintroduction into cells for expression at the RNA or protein levels. These attributes lead to the solution of complex biological problems and the production of new and better products in the areas of medicine, agriculture, and industry. Recombinant DNA Methodology, a volume in the Selected Methods in Enzymology series produced in benchtop format, contains a selection of key articles from Volumes 68, 100, 101, 153, 154, and 155 of Methods in Enzymology. The essential and widely used procedures provided at an affordable price will be an invaluable aid to the graduate student and the researcher. - Enzymes in DNA research - DNA isolation, hybridization, and cloning - DNA sequence analysis - cDNA cloning - Gene products - Identification of cloned genes and mapping of genes - Monitoring cloned gene expression - Cloning and transferring of genes into yeast cells - Cloning and transferring of genes into plant cells - Cloning and transferring of genes into animal cells - Site-directed mutagenesis - Protein engineering - Expression vectors