Books about Drosophila from Amazon.com

Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana, and biologists like fruit flies. Evolutionary geneticist and science journalist Martin Brookes explores the not-quite-microscopic world of Drosophila in Fly: The Unsung Hero of 20th-Century Science. Instantly familiar to any student of high school biology, the fruit fly is one of the most thoroughly studied organisms in the world; far more is known about its genetics and behavior than about those of our own species. Brookes tackles his tiny subjects with an enthusiastic wit, sharing tales of his own and others' lab work dating back to the 19th century. As his story unfolds, the spirit of scientific investigation shines through, with all its reliance on blind chance and quirky obsessions.

Back in the late 1970's, extreme mutants were all the rage. Take a trip round a hip and happening fruit fly laboratory and you might have been forgiven for thinking that you had stumbled across a fruit fly house of horrors. In the search for new mutants, flies were being force-fed mutagenic chemicals and were leaving a trail of disfigured descendants in their wake.

The interested reader will get insight not just into the scientific process, but also into the life of the fly itself. Birth, death, mating, learning--just about every aspect of the creature's life has been documented meticulously, and that level of detail can't help but yield some juicy bits. Though we find their feeding habits distasteful and their courtship maddeningly complex, maybe flies aren't so different from us, after all. Brookes's enthusiasm is catching, and Fly will send readers running to their kitchens to catch a glimpse of these scientific superstars. --Rob Lightner.
Price: $5.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

A new edition of the classic handbook that has become a standard in the Drosophila field. The book is expanded to include topics in which classical genetic strategies have been augmented with new molecular tools. Included are such new techniques as homologous recombination, RNAi, new mapping techniques, and new mosaic marking techniques. Over twenty new illustrations have been added..
Price: $47.20 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Anyone wishing to tap the research potential of the hundreds of Drosophila species in addition to D.melanogaster will finally have a single comprehensive resource for identifying, rearing and using this diverse group of insects. This is the only group of higher eukaryotes for which the genomes of 12 species have been sequenced.

The fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster continues to be one of the greatest sources of information regarding the principles of heredity that apply to all animals, including humans. In reality, however, over a thousand different species of Drosophila exist, each with the potential to make their own unique contributions to the rapidly changing fields of genetics and evolution. This book, by providing basic information on how to identify and breed these other fruitflies, will allow investigators to take advantage, on a large scale, of the valuable qualities of these other Drosophila species and their newly developed genomic resources to address critical scientific questions.

* Provides easy to use keys and illustrations to identify different Drosophila species
* A guide to the life history differences of hundreds of species
* Worldwide distribution maps of hundreds of species
* Complete recipes for different Drosophila diets
* Offers an analysis on how to account for species differences in designing and conducting experiments
* Presents useful ideas of how to collect the many different Drosophila species in the wild.
Price: $82.46 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This exceptional laboratory manual describes thirty-seven procedures most likely to be used in the next decade for molecular, biochemical, and cellular studies on Drosophila They were selected after extensive consultation with the research community and rigorously edited for clarity, uniformity, and conciseness. The outstanding features of this protocol collection are: Scope: The methods included permit investigation of chromosomes, cell biology, molecular biology, genomes, biochemistry, and development. Depth: Each protocol includes the basic information needed by novices, with sufficient detail to be valuable to experienced investigators. Format: Each method is carefully introduced and illustrated with figures, tables, illustrations, and examples of the data obtainable. Added value: The book's appendices include key aspects of Drosophila biology, essential solutions, buffers, and recipes. An evolution of Michael Ashburner's 1989 classic Drosophila: A Laboratory Manual, this book is an essential addition to the personal library of Drosophila investigators and an incomparable resource for other research groups with goals likely to require fly-based technical approaches..
Price: $126.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This is the story of the sequencing of the fly genome told by one of the participants, Michael Ashburner. Written in a diary-like form, half the story is told in the numerous footnotes. A delightful, candid, irreverent, on-the-scene tale filled with eccentric personalities all focused on a single goal. The book also contains a Prologue that puts Drosophila as a model system in historical context, and an Epilogue that discusses the impact the genome sequence had on the study of Drosophila. Also included are drawings by Lewis Miller of some of the principal characters.
Price: $17.40 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The second edition of the highly successful "grey book" Drosophila: A Laboratory Handbook, first published in 1989, has been completely updated to reflect advances in techniques and knowledge. The original format is maintained, providing a handy reference guide to most aspects of the biology of Drosophila. Each of the thirty-six chapters summarizes the present state of the subject, written with a historical perspective, but with an emphasis on the practical use of genetic and other methods. Extensively referenced..
Price: $176.93 [Notify me when price goes down.]

With its long-standing tradition as a model organism, many techniques using Drosophila melanogaster have been established and continue to be developed, while the recent invention of techniques allowing the knock-down of genes by RNA interference and gene replacement by homologous recombination demonstrates the ongoing efforts to broaden the technical repertoire. In Drosophila: Methods and Protocols, leading experts contribute a collection of protocols covering standard techniques as well as novel methods. As a volume in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biologyâ„¢ series, the chapters contain brief introductions to the subject matter, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Cutting-edge and essential, Drosophila: Methods and Protocols allows novices and experts alike to tap into the power of one hundred years of expertise involving this vital model system.

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Price: $77.82 [Notify me when price goes down.]