An old dog learns new tricks

Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual (3rd edn)Edited by Joseph Sambrook and David W. Russell, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.$205 (pbk) (2100 pages).ISBN 0 87969 576 5 (cloth).ISBN 0 87959 577 3 (pbk).When molecular biology was in its infancy, the basic tenets of DNA were known but how this genetic information was maintained, transmitted and expressed remained cloaked in something of a scientific fog. However, through an arduous process of trial and error and the rampant growth of technology, the molecular sciences have quickly become one of the most valued, respected and needed disciplines. Today, medicine and agriculture look to the molecular level for everything from causes of and cures for diseases to the generation of bigger and better livestock. But science is not a static entity. It lives, breathes and evolves. Each day a technique is perfected. Protocols are refined to increase efficiency. It is therefore necessary to condense the combined knowledge of many to a uniform format to allow ready access to much-needed information.Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual has always been the laboratory mainstay for protocols and techniques. It has a pure-bred ancestry, and the new addition does not disappoint. Sambrook and Russell have built upon the basic principles that made the first two editions essential reference resources. Protocols that cover everything possible in a molecular biology lab are explained in detail. Like its predecessor, this edition exists in a three-volume format. The first volume covers basic material such as DNA vectors, purification and separation by agarose gel electrophoresis. The second volume adeptly covers the many variations on the theme of PCR, from the basic reaction through cDNA libraries and sequencing to mutagenesis. The third volume of the trinity covers protein expression and purification protocols in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.It has been almost 15 years since publication of the second edition, and the manual has been completely revised to reflect the changes in molecular cloning over that time. From the beginning, the changes are obvious. The table of contents is designed to allow readers effortless navigation, and chapter titles inform the investigator as to what types of protocols are included. The protocols themselves begin with an informative introduction, and each protocol is written clearly and with precise explanation. Additional notes offering ‘trouble-shooting’ advice are dispersed throughout the text. However, more than the prose and protocols have been updated. The new edition includes information panels at the end of each chapter that describe the principles behind the protocols. These educational pages detail, for example, the mechanism of antibiotic resistance or the principles behind DNA footprinting. The addition of this information extends Molecular Cloning from an essential laboratory resource into a new realm, one merging the previous prototype with a modern molecular monograph. The succinctly organized appendices serve as an indispensable reference, covering common aspects of cloning – media, enzymes, vectors and so on. The last section concludes with a treatise on emerging technologies, including DNA microarrays and bioinformatics.The combination of the basic information present in the second edition with the addition of the new features ensure Molecular Cloning will be used by everyone and anyone, from inexperienced students to principle investigators.It is difficult to find fault with the first two editions of Molecular Cloning. For decades, their superior presentation of laboratory protocols made them the gold standard in the field of molecular biology. However, in many laboratories the old editions are becoming worn out – a testament to their continual use. For most, it is time to retire these workhorses and allow them some peace. They and you will be safe in the knowledge that the next generation of Molecular Cloning not only carries on the proud heritage of the first two editions but also admirably expands on that tradition to provide a truly essential laboratory manual.