Book excerpt: This text explains the key biochemical and cell biological principles behind some of today's most commonly used applications of molecular genetics, using clear terms and well-illustrated flow schemes. The book is divided into several sections and moves from basic to advanced topics while providing a concise overview of fundamental concepts in modern biotechnology. Each chapter concludes with a Laboratory Practicum describing a hypothetical research objective and the sequence of steps that are most often used to investigate biological questions using molecular genetic methods. In addition, the book provides informative summaries of the latest advances in molecular genetics, using attractive illustrations and a comprehensive reference list. This text also introduces the use of Internet resources through the World Wide Web as a powerful new tool in molecular genetic research. Seven appendices are included in the book, providing a convenient information resource for properties of nucleic acids, protein and restriction enzymes, a description of common E. coli genetic markers and gel electrophoresis parameters, as well as a list of useful Internet address sites.