Books
A snapshot of CD
Circular Dichroism and the Conformational Analysis of Biomolecules Gerald D. Fasman, Ed. Plenum 233 Spring St. New York, NY 10013-1578 1996, 738 pp., $125
This book gives a balanced, up-to-date, and complete compilation of the application of circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy to the conformational analysis of biomolecules, including proteins and polypeptides, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates. This volume fills a need because few current monographs address this broad topic in one volume. Newer techniques, such as vibrational circular dichroism (VCD), Raman optical activity (ROA), and CD that uses synchrotron radiation in the UV and X-ray regions, cre included along with a useful chapter on CD instrumentation. There is also an interesting retrospective opening chapter by the late Jen Tsi Yang Although not meant to be comprehensive reviews, most chapters are well written by top experts in their fields and are well referenced, so readers desiring more detail should have little difficulty finding it. The index is adequate, although the book does not contain an overall author index. One problem that the book does have, however, is that there is little connection between the chapters. For example, the photoelastic modulator (PEM), 250 A
which generates the circularly polarized light in almost all modern CD instruments, is called a piezoelastic birefringence modulator in one chapter and a quarter-wave retarder in another. There is also much duplicate discussion in many of the chapters, although this is understandable for a book with more than 15 authors. For example, characteristic CD spectra for varrous protein secondary structures are addressed in five different chapters. However, this should not be a problem for
FIA evolves
Flow Injection Atomic Absorption Spectrometry
Most chapters are well written by top experts in their fields and are well referenced.
Zhaolun Fang John Wiley & Sons 605 Third Ave. New York, NY 10158 1996, 306 pp., $90
This book marks a milestone in the evolution of FIA as a whole. To my knowledge, it is the first FIA monograph dedicated to a single means of detection. By doing so, Fang has posed a challenge to other flow-injection practitioners (plasma spectroscopists and molecular spectroscopists) to articulate the same degree of most researchers, who will likely read development and organization. Although individual chapters as stand-alone treatlimiting the material to AAS might seem ments of a particular topic. like an unnecessary constraint, one must Overall, the role CD plays in the conview the technique in a proper light. formational analysis of biomolecules is FIA/AAS has grown astronomically durpresented in a balanced manner. Realising the last decade because of largetic views of what the technique can conscale commercialization of the technique tribute, as well as its shortcomings, are and assiduous research efforts worldprovided. Many of the authors emphasize the value of using CD in conjunction wide with other techniques, such as NMR, IR, The monograph fittingly begins with and X-ray analysis. This is an excellent an introduction to general flow injection book, which provides an up-to-date snap- phenomena, which segues into a chapter shot of the CD technique and the ways it on FIA/AAS instrumentation. The monocan uniquely contribute to the undergraph then breaks into chapters that restanding of the molecular conformations flect FIA/AAS subtechniques (i.e., flame of biomolecules. AAS, chemical vapor generation, electroReviewedbyCurtis Marcott, Procter & thermal atomization), with additional chapters on calibration and dilution methGamble
Analytical Chemistry News & Features, April 1, 1997
ods, on-line digestion techniques, and so on, that should be of interest to any FIA practitioner, regardless of detector choice. The monograph closes with a comprehensive 30-page review of FIA/AAS applications. This application section is a mustread for lab managers who wish to replace current AAS assays with automated flow injection techniques. As a result of the literature survey in this monograph, the sheer number of references cited (500 or more) results in a bibliography worth the price of admission. The monograph's most distinguishing feature is its organizational clarity, which allows novice FI practitioners to read a chapter specific to their interest and start to gain relevant and useful information immediately. By the same token, this clarity allows expert researchers to focus rapidly on their area and be furnished with excellent references for necessary details. In either case, all of the chapters are loaded with helpful insights and ideas. It is rare for a monograph this comprehensive to offer so much to so many different levels of expertise. ReviewedbyChris Hanna, Perkin Elmer
BOOKS RECEIVED
addresses following existing recipes and designing customized buffer systems. A subject index is included.
Handbook of Biosensors and Electronic Noses: Medicine, Food, and the Environment
Methods for the Determination of Metals and Inorganic Chemicals in Environmental Samples
Erika Kress-Rogers, Ed. CRC Press 2000 Corporate Blvd., N.W. Boca Raton, FL 33431-9868 1997, 720 pp, $100
Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory (U.S. EPA) Noyes Publications 369 Fairview Ave. Westwood, NJ 07675 1997, 535 pp., $64
This book contains seven EPA methods for the determination of metals in environmental samples that were revised in 1994. Unlike the previous manual (1991), which included analyses in various sample matrices, this book focuses on the analysis of water and wastes. Environmental Immunochemical Analysis for Detection of Pesticides and Other Chemicals: A User's Guide Shirley J. Gee, Bruce D. Hammock, and Jeanette M. Van Emon Noyes Publications 369 Fairview Ave. Westwood, NJ 07675 1997, 107 pp., $39
Buffer Solutions: The Basics R. J. Beynon and J. S. Easterby Oxford University Press 198 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10016 1996, 88 pp., $22
This book describes the concepts of acids and bases, pH, and buffer solutions and is intended to be useful to everyone from the student to the experienced researcher. The longest chapter describes the preparation of buffer solutions and
This book is designed as a tutorial on immunochemical methods of analysis for environmental contaminants. It includes sections on basic principles and step-bystep protocols for specific assays. Despite the coverage of specific analytes, the book provides generic information that can be applied to any immunoassay method. Examples of performance worksheets and performance logs are included, as are reproducible blank worksheets and logs.
The 27 contributed chapters in this book cover the fundamentals of sensing agents, base devices, and multisensor systems and their use in medical, food science, and environmental applications. The section on electronic noses consists of eight chapters that cover the biological basis of the sense of smell and the construction of devices to emulate that sense. A final chapter describes pattern analysis techniques. The more than 1500 references are from the 1980s and 1990s. A 41-page subject index is included. Advances in Chromatography, Vol. 3 7 Phyllis R. Brown and Eli Grushka, Eds. Marcel Dekker Cimarron Rd. Monticello, NY 12701 1997, 462 pp., $195
The eight chapters and 17 contributing authors in this book cover assessing peak purity; fluorescence detectors for LC; structure, performance, retention mechanisms, and applications for carbon-based packing materials for LC; instrumentation and applications for directly coupled online SFE/GC; sample preparation for GC with solid-phase extraction and solidphase microextraction; CE of proteins; chiral micelle polymers for chiral separations in CE; and analyzing derivatized peptides using HPLC and CE. The more than 850 references are predominantly from the 1980s and 1990s A subject index is included
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