books and software
A good start for bioanalytical chemists
student and many recent references are really helpful. It may be worth comparing it to a recently published book of the same name, Bioanalytical Chemistry by A. Manz, N. Pamme, and D. Iossifidis (Imperial College Press, 2004), which is thinner and less detailed on bioassays but similar on instrumental methods
and available in paperback for $26. In that light, I recommend the textbook Bioanalytical Chemistry as a good start for the interested reader or for use in undergraduate courses, particularly by teaching staff. Reviewed by Andreas Manz, ISAS-Institute for Analytical Sciences (Germany)
Books Received b b The Electron Capture Detector and Bioanalytical Chemistry Susan R. Mikkelsen and Eduardo Cortón John Wiley & Sons, 2004, 384 pp, $94.95, www.wiley.com
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nterdisciplinary knowledge is increasingly important to the modern scientist. In that sense, the textbook Bioanalytical Chemistry by Susan R. Mikkelsen and Eduardo Cortón comes in very handy and covers an area that is crucial to the modern chemist. Modern analytical research uses various methods for biological samples, and I am sure undergraduate teaching covers most of these analytical methods already. However, in the past, there was only one textbook available and it was in German: Bioanalytik, by F. Lottspeich and H. Zorbas (Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, 1998). More specialized books and monographs do not necessarily help the student very much, because they are often expensive and not coherently written. In that respect, I fully support a textbook like this one. This book covers biomolecules, bioassays, instrumental methods such as matrix characterization, enzymes, enzyme assays, antibodies and corresponding assays, biosensors, electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing, centrifugation, chromatography, MS, and the validation of new methods. Mathematical formulas are kept to a minimum, and each chapter features examples of analyses. The chapters are mainly research-oriented and correspond to actual trends. The book comes with very clear, black-andwhite figures, and the text is easy to understand. The problem sets for the © 2004 AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
the Study of Reactions with Thermal Electrons E. C. M. Chen and E. S. Chen John Wiley & Sons, 2004, 416 pp, $135, www.wiley.com This book covers the general theory and practice of using an electron capture detector (ECD) to study reactions of thermal electrons with molecules as well as the history, nomenclature, and definitions of the electron. Other topics discussed are electron affinities, thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of atoms, and the techniques used to obtain both large and small organic molecules. Alternative ECD methods for applications in analytical chemistry, physical chemistry, and biochemistry are included as well.
b Chemometrics: From Basics to Wavelet Transform Foo-Tim Chau, Yi-Zeng Liang, Junbin Gao, and Xue-Guang Shao John Wiley & Sons, 2004, 316 pp, $99.95, www.wiley.com This book, written in straightforward language, provides a summary of the latest methods and real-world applications for chemometrics. Topics covered include the basics of chemometrics, the theory and practice of wavelet transform, common signal processing techniques, and applications in analytical chemistry. Readers are also provided with reviews of other methods in comparison to wavelet techniques as well as a companion FTP site with MATLAB code and data sets.
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Mass Spectrometry: A Foundation Course K. Downard Royal Society of Chemistry, 2004, 206 pp, $89.95, www.rsc.org Written in the textbook style, this book covers the field of MS and its applications in the chemical, physical, biological, medical, and environmental sciences. The 10 chapters cover topics such as organic MS; ion chemistry; tandem mass spectrometers; ion–molecule reactions; biological MS, including proteomics; and accelerator MS. Additional recommended reading material as well as the key references are provided at the end of each chapter.
b Plasma Source Mass Spectrometry: Applications and Emerging Technologies Edited by J. G. Holland and S. D. Tanner Royal Society of Chemistry, 2003, 412 pp, $269, www.rsc.org This book gives the reader a glimpse into the current understanding of the fundamentals of inductively coupled plasma MS (ICPMS), the development of instruments and methods, and spectral interpretation. Chapters in the book are devoted to a range of topics, including bioanalytical and environmental applications, reaction and collision cells for phosphorous and protein determination, preparatory delivery methods, the use of multicollectors for reactions such as isotope ratio analysis, laser ablation, and archeological analysis using ICPMS.
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