No comments about Methods and Results in Crystallization of Membrane Proteins (Iul Biotechnology, 4).

5 comments about Gre: Practicing to Take the Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Test.

1. A must for those who are going to take the test, however you should use big textbooks to prepare for the test, for example, Alberts, Lodish, Lehninger as well as your lecture notes.

   Actually the funny thing about this test is that nobody ever answers all the questions on the this particular GRE subject test, so dont get depressed if you cant. Actually I dont think anybody can even manage to read all the questions during the real test. What matters is your percentile, not the absolute score. And if you check the the end of each test you will find the warning: "If you finished ahead of time please dont leave the test room" :-))




2. Someone is trying to sell one of these books, used, for $250.

   I downloaded a practice test online at gre.org

   I hear that its the same information.




3. I bought this book thinking it was a review similar to those for the General GRE exam, I thought wrong. This book is a bound version of a sample test that you can download from the ETS website along with the "helpful" hints that the ETS provides. Don't bother wasting your time and money trying to get a copy of this book, you can download the whole thing as a PDF at the ETS website.



4. The two most recent reviewers have suggested that this book is the same as the PDF file on ets.org. Although I'm sure they were trying to be helpful, that information is false.
   
   The file you can download from ETS is an electronic copy of the same sample booklet that you get in the mail (for free) when you register for the exam.
   
   The published book itself follows the same format (test info, outline of topics, sample test, scoring). However, it is a totally different set of test questions.
   
   For example, page 1 of the test on the ETS website includes questions on: RNA molecules that exhibit catalytic activity; the conversion of pyruvate to oxylate; identifying a particular hormone given a description of its function; oxydative phosphorylation; a general question on enzyme catalyzation; and the turnover of molecular components through the plasma membrane.
   
   Page 1 of the published test guide (the book for sale here) includes questions on: the importance of phospholipids as consituents of cell membranes; the stabilization of folded states of globular proteins; the ionic strength of .5 molar MgCl(2); the most efficient substrate of an enzyme; the terminal electron acceptor for noncyclic electron flow during the light reactions of photosynthesis; the most effective method for isolation of secretory vesicles from a cell lysate; the function of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (of five listed functions, you have to pick the one that's incorrect); communication among the cisternae of the Golgi complex; and theoretical implications fo the resolving power of light microscopes.
   
   As you can see, they are NOT the same exam.
   
   Both the ets.org PDF file and the published book include 180 questions. Either of them should give you a good idea of how you would do on the real exam.
   
   However, if you can get a hold of the published book (which ETS has stopped making), you have twice as many questions to study from. If you use the actual questions to look up topics, then the bigger pool of sample questions you have, the better. Some people aren't just satisfied with knowing they got a correct answer; they make sure they can identify all the terms and concepts in the *wrong* answers as well.
   
   I think the printed study guide is useful. The two reviewers who say it's not useful haven't even looked at it; they just "heard" it was the same as the PDF file on the website.



5. I am a fourth year university student preparing to take the Biochem/Cell Bio GRE Subject Test. I ordered this book thinking that it was a work-book and stugy guide. I was under the impression that this volume would contain multiple sample tests along with study materials in the individual subject areas. At over $90, plus shipping, I was expecting a comprehensive review like the workbooks published by Barron's for the SAT.
   
   To say I was disappointed when I recieved this book is a gross understatement. Its not even a book, it is a 60 PAGE BOOKLET. [...] This booklet contains just ONE full-size subject test, and not much more. The sample test occupies the bulk of the booklet, the remaining 16 pages offer no viable insight as to how you should study for this test, or any valuable tips to get you ahead. Examples of the "advice" contained in this useless booklet includes, "A general review of you undergrad cirriculum is the best preparation," Gee; thanks.
   
   You can obtain a sample test for FREE when you register for your subject test. Do yourself a favor and save your 90 bucks, you can get everyting contained in this lousy booklet AT NO CHARGE. A no-name company called BookoRama in Pennsylvania billed my debit card for almost A HUNDRED DOLLARS. When the booklet arrived, it did not come with any kind of invoice or receipt, just a slip of paper that read "ALL SALES FINAL." It might as well have said "YOU GOT F*****" There is no hope for a refund. On top of it all, to add insult to injury, the list price on the back cover reads: $9.00 US!!!
   
   I got screwed out of my hard earned cash for a worthless, nine dollar booklet. Take it from me; dont order this trash. The only way to study for this test is with your old Biochem, Cell and Genetics textbooks; NOT by dropping over 90 dollars for this SCAM.

No comments about DNA Topology.

No comments about DNA Sequencing II: Optimizing the Isolation, Preparation and Clean-up.

No comments about Cancer Chemotherapy and Biotherapy: Principles and Practice.

2 comments about Protein Analysis and Purification: Benchtop Techniques.

1. This is a model for all protocol lab manuals. It is clear, precise, and well done. Incorporates the experiences of the authors, which are used to perfect the assays and protocols and minimize insufficient results and data. Troubleshooting tips are useful and original. Truly a necessary benchtop reference for the serious researcher.



2. Practical book with very easy to follow and concise protocols about protein purification
   If you have to purify and analyze proteins but you re not an expert this is the book for you.

No comments about Computational Chemistry and Molecular Modeling: Principles and Applications.

1 comments about Neurospora: Contributions of a Model Organism.

1. This is the book for an introduction to the biology, genetics and molecular biology of Neurospora crassa. I find the techniques section particularly useful because it gives a good background for someone with little expierence and the extensive references lead you to more specific information when you require it. Moreover the book serves as an excellent review of the Neurospora literature and again is a useful starting point for those new to the field.

1 comments about Sampling and Statistical Methods for Behavioral Ecologists.

1. A must-have for anyone doing research on animal behavior. Well written and addresses most problems faced by behavioral ecologists related to sampling. An excellent text. Highly recommend it.

5 comments about Ionic Channels of Excitable Membranes.

1. This classic deserves all the praise it gets. It is an excellent introduction to the molecular biology of channels, told with an eye to history as well as science.



2. This book is a must-have for anyone working with excitable cells, be they experimentalists or modelers. It's a great reference book; everything is clearly indexed and almost compulsively cited. I've been using this book since its first edition, and it just keeps getting better each time.



3. Some books have opening sentences that grab you in an instant. "Call me Ishmael." "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." And now, Hille joins the list of authors to reach out and grab us, with the awe-inspiring "Ion channels are macromolecular pores in cell membranes."
   
   Even after my fifth reading, that line still gives me the shivers.
   
   But it takes more than a brilliant opening to make a great book, and Hille delivers. From a distinctly jaunty derivation of the Nernst equation to the page-turning thrills of non-stationary fluctuation analysis, the book is hard to put down. It does bog down a little in Chapter 10, "Elementary Properties of Ions in Solution"--after all, is there anyone who isn't already aware of the fundamentals of electrodiffusion? But this is really a minor trifle in an otherwise masterful work.
   
   It's just a matter of time before Oprah gives this book a nod; buy it now and avoid the rush!



4. This text is an encyclopedia of information from kinetics to structure to interactions. It's got a reserved space on my academic bookshelf.



5. Although this book is very thorough when it comes to 'ion channels of excitable membranes,' it's essentially a 1000-page literature review. That's fine if you're an expert in the field (i.e. college professor), but for an undergraduate, it contained an overwhelming amount of information, including calculus-based math. Sometimes, it was helpful to consult when my class notes were incomplete. Otherwise, reading the assigned chapters in this book proved a waste of time.