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The critically acclaimed laboratory standard for more than forty years, Methods in Enzymology is one of the most highly respected publications in the field of biochemistry. Since 1955, each volume has been eagerly awaited, frequently consulted, and praised by researchers and reviewers alike. More than 260 volumes have been published (all of them still in print) and much of the material is relevant even today - truly an essential publication for researchers in all fields of life sciences.Key Features* Liquid chromatography* Electrophoresis* Mass spectrometry
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Preface All areas of the biological sciences have become increasingly molecular in the past decade, and this has led to ever greater demands on analytical methodology. Revolutionary changes in quantitative and structure analysis have resulted, with changes continuing to this day. Nowhere has this been seen to a greater extent than in the advances in macromolecular structure elucidation. This advancement toward the exact chemical structure of macromolecules has been essential in our understanding of biological processes. This trend has fueled demands for increased ability to handle vanishingly small quantities of material such as from tissue extracts or single cells. Methods with a high degree of automation and throughput are also being developed. In the past, the analysis of macromolecules in biological fluids relied on methods that used specific probes to detect small regions of the molecule, often in only partially purified samples. For example, proteins were labeled with radioactivity by in vivo incorporation. Another approach has been the detection of a sample separated in a gel electrophoresis by means of blotting with an antibody or with a tagged oligonucleotide probe. Such procedures have the advantages of sensitivity and specificity. The disadvantages of such approaches, however, are many, and rang