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FUNDAMENTALS OF MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS
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To order this title, and for more information, click here
By
David Bruns, MD, Professor of Pathology, Director of Clinical Chemistry and Associate Director of Molecular Diagnostics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, and Editor, Clinical Chemistry, Washington, DC
Edward Ashwood, MD, Professor of Pathology, University of Utah, and Laboratory Director, ARUP Laboratories, Salt Lake City, UT
Carl Burtis, PhD, Chief, Clinical Chemistry, Health Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, and Clinical Professor of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT
Reviews
This book is the perfect companion textbook for a course in molecular diagnostics. It clearly explains the essentials and principles of
various methods and methodologies, and is comprehensive without losing itself in technical minutiae. Although the book does not provide
specific protocols and information for setting up a particular test, readers will gain beneficial knowledge on how to choose among different
techniques. For those considering starting a molecular diagnostics laboratory, one chapter deals entirely with the design and the operation
of such a laboratory. The book is organized into 3 sections. The first section introduces the basics of molecular biology that are required
for an understanding of molecular diagnostics; section 2 describes the various techniques available and in current use; and section 3
discusses the practical applications of molecular diagnostic methods in the context of specific disease categories, such as heritable
diseases, cancer, and infectious diseases. Each chapter also contains a short section with review questions to test the student's comprehension
of the material. In acknowledgment of the societal milieu in which we live, most chapters also include a short paragraph, in a separate
text box, discussing some of the ethical questions raised by the application of the molecular methods described. This approach seems
effective for increasing students' awareness of these issues in the context of their future job functions in the laboratory. An excellent
reference section is also provided, bringing together in one place information that the laboratorian often needs to look up quickly.
Overall, I believe this book is an excellent information source that has few, if any, deficiencies. Although it is clearly targeted
at readers who are new to the area of molecular diagnostics, it also provides much useful information for the more advanced practitioner
in the field. The editors are to be congratulated for putting together such a well-balanced text, and I can recommend it to anyone who
wishes to get a good overview of current practice and gain insight regarding some future trends in the field of molecular diagnostics.
Erasmus
Schneider, Clinical Chemistry. 2008; 54: 1097
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