years, speak volumes for the persistence of the author and his colleagues at the Royal Aircraft Establishment.

Throughout the text, there is an enormous store of information about the various parame- ters which affect satellite orbits, in particular the fluctuations in the density of the atmosphere at different heights and the variation in the earth’s gravity with position in space. To clarify many points there are often excellent illustrations; there is some fascinating information to be ob- tained from the diagrams describing the shape of the Earth in Chapter 5. There are generous references given at the end of the book, and, the interested reader or the space researcher is likely to find these useful if required to take the sub- ject further.

My reaction when I had finished this book, was to read it again, since there was so much to be found between its covers.

R. J. H. Brush

Mars. Edited by H. H. Kieffer. B. M. Jakosky, C. W. Snyder, andM. S. Matthews. Pp. 1498. The University of Arizona Press. 1992. Clothbound $65.00 ISBN 0 8165 1257 4.

To quote the editors ‘This book is meant to be a source book on all aspects of Mars: it is one step away from the most detailed information avai- able, the full scientific literature’. In nearly 1500 pages, 114 collaborating authors review what is known about Mars, utilizing data gathered from all the spacecraft missions, but especially from Viking Orbiters and Landers. The attempt to do this has clearly been a mammoth task.

First the planet is introduced, summarizing early work and identifying the main issues and questions. This is followed by discussion of solid body geophysics including origin and ther- mal evolution of the planet, its composition, gravity, tectonics, geodesy, and cartography. Martian geology is next considered with sec- tions on history, surface processes, and compo- sition of surface materials. The atmosphere, water and climate, magnetic field and solar wind interaction are next covered. There is a specula- tive section on the search for life; and finally a description of the two small satellites, Phobos and Deimos.

The University of Arizona Press Space Science Series consists of a very high quality set of books. This one is no exception. U. S. Geological Survey Topographic and Geologic Maps (1:15,000,000) accompany the book in separate folders.

J. E. Guest

Harnessing Biotechnology for the 21st Century. Edited by Michael R. Ladisch and Arindam Bose. Pp. 621. American Chemical Sociery. 1992. Hardback $149.95 ISBN 0 8412 2477 3.

Conference Proceedings benefit from timeliness - this is the record of an August 1992 meeting (The Ninth International Biotechnology Symposium) - and from the variety of textures. They can suffer from an unevenness of levels and miscellany of topics. Those qualities would be dysfunctional for a textbook, but as an indi- cator of the nature of biotechnology today, the very diversity becomes a strength.

The book consists of over 140 papers pre- sented to 11 symposia, conceived to cover the full range of biotechnology. Both the ‘new’ as- pects of the industry (focusing upon recombi- nant DNA techniques) and the ‘old’ (in which production technologies dominate) are repre- sented, brought together by the problems of pro- duction whether of polypeptides or biocatalysts. Perhaps predictably for a symposium organized by the American Chemical Society the biochem- ical engineering aspects are perhaps the strongest and are the focus of five out of the 11 symposia. Less immediately predictable in a volume of scientific proceedings is the attention given to social issues. There were distinct full symposia devoted to both policy issues in biotechnology, and to biotechnology in develop- ing countries. Patenting, regulation, and Third World concerns are therefore represented in this very full volume.

The papers are necessarily short, typically three pages. No one seems to be seminal, yet their footnotes are useful pointers to the wider literature. Taken as a whole the volume is a use- ful addition to a library which aims to capture the state of biotechnology today.

Robert Bud

Enzyme Engineering - Immobilized Biosystems. By Peter Gemeiner. Pp. 298. Ellis Horwood. 1992. Hardback f62.50 ISBN 13 278227 8.

This book is concerned with the sequence of production and subsequent immobilization of enzymes in reactors of different types which ful- til the needs of particular types of application in a wide spectrum of industry.

Whether it be a proteolytic wound cleansing agent for external use, a device for analysis such as a biosensor, or a continuous stirred-tank bioreactor to convert benzylpenicillin to 6- amino-penicillanic acid, each reactor is designed using science and technology drawn from the multidiscipline of biotechnology. Added to this are the current pressures to design processes without effluents and to introduce economy and nontoxicity at every stage. This book alerts the reader to these problems and homes in on ren- dering the habitat of the immobilized enzyme as natural as possible by employing polysaccha- rides and other biopolymers. Further, it high- lights the use of natural forces for enzyme immobilization based on knowledge that the most suitable bioaffinity ligands for enzymes are substrate analogues or their coenzymes. The four major chapters, materials for enzyme engi- neering, affinity chromatography, immobilized enzymes, organelles and cells, and with a final one on immobilized biocatalysts in industry and other fields of application, should attract a wide spectrum of biochemists, chemists, bioengi- neers, and biotechnologists from the third year undergraduate to the industrialist wishing to as- sess the potentials of this new discipline.

S. A. Barker

Advanced Organic Chemistry. By Jerry March. Pp. 1495. Wiley. 1992. Paperback f24.95. ISBN 0 47158148 8.

The high quality of production and careful se- lection of material associated with earlier edi-

tions of this classic text has been maintained in the fourth edition. Approximately 5000 new ref- erences and a ‘literature searching outline’ sec- tion have been added to the new edition. The coverage of crown ethers, cryptates, and cate- nanes has been expanded and the new refer- ences to asymmetric synthesis are indicative of the major advances which have recently been made in this area. Thus, stereoselective addition of hydrides and organometallic reagents to car- bony1 groups, chiral Diels-Alder cycloadditions, and the role of chiral auxiliaries in the oxidation of alkenes to yield epoxides and cis-diols of high enantiomeric excess, are given much im- proved coverage.

Although the use of small oxygen-containing heterocycles, for example oxaziridines and dioxiranes, as neutral oxidants receives brief mention, it is to be hoped that a future edition will highlight their value as chiral oxidants and as reagents for the production of previously un- available unstable oxidation products. Similarly, the rapidly expanding field of fullerene chem- istry clearly merits inclusion in Advanced Organic Chemistry.

The very competitive price of this text should make the fourth edition a compulsory purchase for all students of organic chemistry.

D. R. Boyd

Deep-sea Biology. By J. D. Gage and P. A. Tyler. Pp. 504. Cambridge University Press. 1992. Paperback f24.95, US $39.95 ISBN 0 52 133665 1.

One and half centuries ago the big debate was whether any life at all exists in the depths of the deep ocean. Now the arguments are mainly about how many species live there and how their communities have evolved and function ecologically. Although the deep-sea floor covers more of the Earth’s surface than any other biome, because it is so remote and difficult to access our knowledge about its biology re- mained scant until recently. Now the application of modern technology has started to reveal many of its secrets. The most startling of these, like the existence of the hydrothermal vent fau- nas has been widely communicated, but the lack of a substantive compendium and synthesis of knowledge restricted the introduction of so much of what we have learnt about this fascinat- ing environment to a broader scientific and edu- cational consistency. This volume fills the gap admirably. It will be a major source book for the foreseeable future. It is clearly written at an aca- demic level by two of Britain’s most experi- enced deep-ocean ecologists. It is profusely illustrated with figures and black-and-white photographs. There is an extensive bibliography and a comprehensive index. In hardback it was a must, but at this price in paperback it is a re- markable bargain.

M. V. Angel

Carbon Partitioning within and between Organisms. Edited by C. J. Pollock, J. F. Farrar, and A. J. Gordon. BIOS Scientific Publishers. 1992. Hardbackf43.00. US $86.00 ISBN 1872748 95 3.

The subject matter of this book is less general than appears from the title; with the single ex-

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ception of a marine mollusc it covers only car bon partitioning within organelles and organs of plants, and between plants and parasitic or sym- biotic microorganisms. It is based on a meeting of the Society for Experimental Biology (in Lancaster, 1992). Although much of the work described has been done by the authors, each chapter usually includes thorough and well-writ- ten reviews of their fields of interest. It is clearly presented and the editors have done a good job.

The best impression of the range of the book is given by its contents list: The regulation of sucrose synthesis in leaves; Chloroplasts in ani- mals: photosynthesis and assimilate distribution in chloroplast ‘symbioses’; Pathways and mech-

anisms of phloem loading, sucrose and water re- lations; Sugar transport and metabolism in the potato tuber; Synthesis of storage starch; Carbon metabolism in the legume nodule; The whole plant: carbon partitioning during development; Carbon metabolism in a biotrophic fungal asso- ciation; Carbon partitioning and transport in par asitic angiosperms and their hosts; Carbon- 11 in the study of phloem translocation; and Pathways of phloem loading and unloading: a plea for uni- form terminology. In summary, a valuable addi- tion to the Environmental Plant Biology series from Bios.

Chris Anthony

Molecular Biology of Bacterial Infection: Current Status and Future Perspectives. Society for General Microbiology Symposium 49. Edited by C. E. Hormaeche, C. W. Penn and C. J. Smyth. Pp. 329. Cambridge University Press. 1992. Hardback f55.00 ISBN 0 521

43298 7.

The investigation of microbial pathogenicity is a field that has benefited greatly from the devel- opment of molecular biological techniques. This collection of reviews provides a clear and read- able overview of a broad area in which the vol- ume of original publication is fast becoming overwhelming. It is necessarily selective but well balanced.

Three of the 15 chapters are dedicated to spe- cific pathogens (Shigella, Haemophilus, and Yersinia). A fourth concerning salmonellae is linked to vaccine development and the remain- ing 11 focus on general mechanisms or processes. Two that encompass both general and specific technical considerations (molecular ap- proaches and the use of mutants, respectively) are included. One consequence of this mix is that the same organisms are often used to illus- trate different points in many chapters. The edi- tors exercised forethought in this respect and provided an additional species index which is especially useful for readers with interests in particular organisms.

Individual articles are balanced generally to- wards current status and it is entirely appropri- ate to describe the advances of the last 10 years. There are however two which emphasize future perspectives. Firstly global regulations: the elu- cidation of hierarchical regulatory networks and recognition within these of the expression of pathogenic determinants offers the scope to re- solve many anomalies between the in viva and in vitro behaviour of pathogens. Secondly

chronicity, latency, and the carrier state: because any assessment of the contribution of molecular biology should accommodate the difficult as well as classical areas this chapter provides an

interesting perspective from which future work can be viewed. Examples cited include several sexually transmitted diseases, mycobacteria, and salmonellae.

Collectively, the articles range from the evo- lution of pathogens to preventative strategies; coverage is concise and well referenced. For the reader familiar with molecular approaches ap- plied to few or specific organisms the book of- fers breadth whereas for the broader-based but less molecular microbiologists it provides a comprehensible. and convincing justification of the contribution of molecular biology to our fu- ture understanding of infectious disease.

D. J. Platt

CIBA Foundation Symposium 170: Regulation of the Eukaryotic Cell Cycle. Edited by Joan Marsh. Pp. 289. ClBA Foundation. 1992. Hardbackf42.50 ISBN 0 47193446 1.

The CIBA symposium on cell cycle regulation held in January 1992 is a collection of 14 arti- cles from some of the leading research groups in the field. The introduction gives some insight into the rapid progress made in the two years preceding the meeting. The contributions con- sider Gl control, cdc2 kinase activation, genetic analysis in Drosophilu and Aspergillus, protein phosphatase, DNA replication, retinoblastoma protein phosphorylation, and c-src at mitosis. All are a mix of reviews and recent data but there is little speculation. However, all the con- tributions are followed by discussion sections which provide valuable dissection of some of the issues raised. In addition, there are general discussions on the role of mos in meiotic matu- ration and on the cychn-dependent kinase fam- ily.

Since the unifying effect of identification of cdc2 kinase in every eukaryote analysed, there has been an explosion in the identification firstly of cyclin types and more recently of kinases with sequence relationships to cdc2. For the cyclin de- pendent kinases, association of a particular cy- clin may govern localization and target substrates. Thus it is possible to view progression through the cell cycle as involving a succession of cyclins with associated kinase stimulating the transitions in cell activity which reflect this pro- gression. This simple view takes no account of overlap in function between different cyclins and kinases, which may generate the variety in cycle progression in different cell types.

This book is not for the general reader want- ing an overview of the title topic, For those in the field, it is a time slice in a rapidly develop- ing area, with some interesting discussion. Like cyclin, it will be used now but rapidly disappear.

C. L. Ford

Cell Biology of Olfaction. By Albert 1. Farbman. Pp. 282. Cambridge University Press. 1992. Hardback f35.00 US $59.95 ISBN 0 52136438 8.

For many years, olfaction was the Cinderella of sensory neurobiology, loved by the faithful few,

but disregarded by the world at large. The recent developments in molecular genetics and neu- ropharmacology have changed this state of af- fairs dramatically, as olfactory transduction mechanisms begin to yield to these powerful an- alytical methods and the olfactory system be- comes a major target of mainstream neurobiology.

Albert Farbman has worked very produc- tively on the olfactory system for many years, and is much respected for his publications and general wisdom in this area of research. In his book he deals with a wide range of topics, writ- ing lucidly and authoritatively on the structure, electrophysiology, ethology, development, re- generation, and biochemistry of the olfactory system, with a particular emphasis on the pe- ripheral end organ, but also excursions into the olfactory bulb. He has produced a remarkably successful book, providing a well-balanced, and very stimulating picture of contemporary con- cerns. His summary of major problems yet to be solved, and his carefully detailed bibliography will be very helpful to those entering olfactory research, to those already within it, and to the many uncommitted who would just like to know more about the sense of smell.

L. H. Bannister

Pests and Pathogens. Edited by P. G. Ayres. Pp. 216. Bios Scientific Publishers. 1992. Hardback f40, US $80.00 ISBN 1

872748 01 5.

Traditionally separated investigations of the in- teractions of pests and microbial pathogens with plants are united in this collection of concise, authoritative review articles, in which molecu- lar, biochemical, behaviourial, and population aspects of biotic challenge are seen in the wider context of plant responses to environmental stress and abiotic injury. Examples are found in the account by Prins and Verkaar of defoliation- induced effects on physiology, including growth (over)compensation, following damage by her- bivores or other agents.

Much of the book focuses on the common mechanisms of the reaction system. The molec- ular biology of signalling, ‘networking’ of wound responses, elicitors, and systemic effects are discussed by Bowles; gene control and the activity of elicitors by Strange; protein synthesis events (entrained via signal transduction) by EsquerrC-Tugaye, Fournier, and Rickauer; and defence or resistance roles of plant secondary metabolites critically are assessed by Edwards, in relation to their function in the regulation of primary metabolism. Photosynthetic processes and the fate of photosynthate in healthy and in- fected plants are analysed in complementary chapters. Scholes reviews the modulation of phosynthesis by source/sink relations, present- ing evidence for the importance of carbohydrate accumulation and invertase activity, while Farrer discusses changes induced by pathogens of differing strategies in the utilization of photo- synthate, translocation, and the carbon balance of shoot and root,

The differing experimental approaches of her- bivore and pathogen studies are considered in Paul’s account of assimilate partitioning to growth, reproduction, and reserves by the at-

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