Book 81

Like most scientific disciplines, the techniques for studying genes and DNA are complicated and difficult for the novice to understand. This book provides an introduction to practical molecular biology and is aimed specifically at students and other research workers who have no prior experience of the subject. In this part of the volume the fundamental techniques for handling and cloning DNA are described, with the emphasis on sound technical instruction, together with theoretical background and trouble-shooting guidance. The aim is to give the reader a sufficiently strong knowledge of these general techniques to allow the procedures to be used with confidence in specific research applications.