Zubay's Principles of Biochemistry [Paperback]

Principles of biochemistry has been prepared by three distinguished authors of Chemistry/Biochemisty known for their academic excellence and pedagogical approach in teaching the subject at graduate and post graduate level.

Biochemistry is now cosidered to be one of the fundamental subjects for various bioscience courses. A number of Indian universities have begun to include it in their undergaduate and postgraduate programmes. The subject of biochemistry works at molecular level and thus brings to light the hidden secrets of life. The rapid development and enormouss expansion of every phase of biochemistry has not only markedly enriched our knowledge about the nature of life but has also made biochemistry the language of life. In planning this book, our challenge has been to incorporate details of all recent developments whilst retaining our original aim, namely to concentrate on those techniques and principles which underlie practical exercises that undergraduates in all the biological sciences can expect to encounter in their practical classes and to cover in less detail the more sophisticated techniques that have made possible the advances they will learn about in their lectures and associated reading.

Students face problems in conceptualizing the subject within a limited time. Most of the students need a book that is lucidly presented, orderly arranged and profusely illustrated. The present book has been written in simple language in such a way that a student with very little chemistry background can easily follow the various aspects of biochemistry presented in the book.

the book matches what best is availabe in the standard textbooks in the subject including those by Stryer, Devlin, Griffith, and Lehniger in their books on the subject. This profusely illustrated book covering syllabi of most of the universities of India and abroad should be an ideal text-cum-reference book for easy comprehension of the subject. At the end of the book glossary of common terms used in biochemistry have been provided. Student activity in the form of reiew problems has been provided with each chapter.

1.     Biochemistry: An Introduction

2.     Water

3.     Amino Acids

4.     Protein Structure and Function

5.     Carbohydrates and Glycobiology

6.     Lipids

7.     Nucleotides and Nucleic Acids

8.     Biological Membranes and Transport

9.     Enzymes

10.   Biosignaling

11.   Bioenergentics

12.   Glycolysis, Gluconeogenesis and Pentose Phosphate Pathway

13.   Citric Acid Cycle

14.   Mitochonadria and Oxidative Physphorylation

15.   Photsynthesis

16.   Photosynthetic Carbohydrate Synthesis

17.   Biosynthesis of Amino Acids and Nucleotides

18.   Lipid Biosynthesis

19.   Amino Acid Oxidation and Production of Urea

20.   Hormonal Regulation and Integration of Mannalian Metabolism

21.   Genes and Chromosomes

22.   DNA Metabolism

23.   Transcription

24.   Protein Metabolism

25.   Regulation of Gene Expression

26.   Gene Cloning

         Glossary

         Index

Professor Geoffrey Louis Zubay, who pioneered early studies on gene expression after the discovery of the double helical structure of DNA and genetic code, died on February 5 in West Palm Beach, FL, where he and his wife resided since 2011. He was 82 years old. The cause of death was cardiac arrest. He was born in Chicago on November 15, 1931. Dr. Zubay had a very precocious youth and graduated from the University of Chicago with an A.B. in Philosophy at the age of seventeen. He received an M.A.in Physical Chemistry from the University of Chicago in 1952, and a Ph.D from Harvard University in 1957. He completed three years of post- doctoral study at Kings college of the University of London, and the Rockefeller Institute in New York. Dr. Zubay then established his own lab at the Biology Department of Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island in 1961. Three years later Dr. Zubay was recruited to Columbia  University where he remained for  41 years. Druing hi s tenure at Columbia, Dr. Zubay’s lab became renowned for the development of several cell-free systems for examining the expression of genes. This was during a time of great interestin gene expression following elucidation of the structure of DNA and genetic code. In addition to a long distinguished scientific research that included more than 160 publications, Dr. Zubay wrote a widely employed textbook in Biochemistry that survived four editons. He also wrote a Genetics textbook published in 1987. In his later career, his research interests  shifted to the origins of life and prebiotic chemistry. This direction led to another text Origins of Life on the Earth and in the Cosmos, for which there were two editions published by Academic Press. In the aftermaths of 9/11, Dr. Zubay compiled, along with other contributing authors, Agents of Bioterrorism: Pathogens and their Weaponization, published by Columbia University Press, Athletically gifted, Dr. Zubay enjoyed playing basketball with colleagues, swimming daily of the University campus, and relaxed playing poker with friends. After retirement, Dr. Zubay and his wife relocated to San Diego, CA where he served for three years as a visiting research scholar at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in La Jolla. Dr. Zubay is survived by his wife of 47 years, Bongsoon, his son Geoffrey Pyong, Director of Neurosurgery Department at Memorial Hermann-The Woodlands Hospital in Houston TX, his daughter-in –law, Erin, and three grandchildren, Ryan , Abby, and Geoffrey Mitchell.

Dr. (Mrs.) Veer Bala Rastogi  earned her master's degree in Zoology with distinction standing first in order of merit. she did her Ph.D. from Meerut Univeristy under the guidance of eminent Zoologist, (Late) Dr. M.l. Bhatia, Professor in Zoology (Retd.). Univeristy of Delhi as External Supervisor, and a member of fellow of Academy of Zoology.

Dr. Rastogi was a member of academic staff of Zoology, Meerut College, Meerut during 1961-1967, teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students. She retired as Associate Professor from the Gargi College, University of Delhi. Dr. Rastogi is a member of Fellow of Academy of Zoology. She was also a member of Textbook Evaluation Committee, NCERT, New Delhi. she has vast and variegate experience of teaching for more than 40 years.

She has authored several books in the field of Biology viz., Evolution, Biostatistics, Principles of Molecular BIology, Genetics, Cell Biology, Animal Ecology, etc

Dr. K.R. Aneja, former Professor and Chairman, Department of Microbiology, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, is currently Chairman, Vaidyanath Research, Training and Diagnostic Centre (VRTDC), Vaidyanath Research and Healthcare Complex, Kurukshetra (Haryana). He has a vast PG teaching and research experience of 38 years of which more than 11 years as Chairman of the Microbiology Depastment. Dr. Aneja has completed six major research projects sponsored by the UGC and ministry of Environment and Forests, New Delhi and  DFID, UK (on socio-economic impact and management of parthenium weed in India using indigenous fungal pathogens). Dr. Aneja and his research students have worked on fungal taxonomy, enzymology, microbial decomposition, biopesticides, and antimicrobial activity of fungi, plants and organic compounds against human and plant pathogens. He has published 155 research papers and reviews in International and National journals of repute.

Dr. Aneja has attended many conferences and presented papers. He chaired technical sessions, and organised an International conference in 1997. He is a recipient of INSA- Royal Society Academic Exchange Fellowship and worked on protein profiling and international societies and is a Fellow of fice societies: Indian Botanical Society, Indian Phytopathological Society, Indian Mycological Society, for Bioconotrol Advancement, and Mycological Society of India. He was elected president of the Mycological Society of India for 2013. He was also the elected Recorder of Plant Sciences Section of the Indian Science Congress (ISCA) for 2008 and 2009. He is recipient of Rashtriya Gaurav Award and Best Citizen of India Award .

Dr. Aneja has authored/edited six books: “From Ethnomycology to Fungal Biotechnology” Kluwer Academic/Plenum Punlishers, USA; “ Glimpses in Plant Sciences” Pragati Prakashan, Meerut; “An Introduction to Mycology” Wiley Eastern Ltd., New Delhi; “ A Textbook of Basic and Applied Microbiology” , “Fungal Diversity and Biotechnology” , and “Experiments in Microbiology, Plant Pathology and Biotchnology” New Age International Publishers, New Delhi.

Dr. Aneja in presently involved in environmental protection by applying the current strategies for controlling weeds so that the environmental pollution is minimised and humans get pesticide-free food , and awakening the rural and urban people about the detrimental effects of pesticides. His research interests include: Fungal diversity, Environmental microbiology, Agricultural microbiology, Medical/Pharmaceutical/Diagnostic Microbiology and Microbial biotechnology.