Frontiers of Life addresses fields of biology in terms of their frontiers--that is, the areas that will demand the most work in this new century. Because of their standing, the editors have been able to unite the most prestigious and well-informed authorities to place recent scientific advances into the context of their effects on daily human experiences and expectations. They ask, "What frontiers of the biological sciences will constitute the challenges of the next century?" Their first answer is an understanding of the processes and mechanisms that led to the origin of life. They take this answer as the starting point of the first section of the Encyclopedia. They thus proceed throughout the four volumes.<BR>Separating this Encyclopedia form others is its multidisciplinary approach to the "frontiers" theme. While other encyclopedias strive to describe the past and present states of many subjects, Frontiers of Life offers the insights of world-class scientists into their subjects' growth areas. <BR>Key Features<BR>* Includes Advisory Board with each member a Nobel Laureate<BR>* Written by contributors playing leading roles in their fields of expertise<BR>* Contains almost 3,000 full color tables and figures, illustrating the 205 articles; color running heads and subtitles within each article make reading easy<BR>* Presents biology as an organizing force of life in every article, from the cellular level to the interpersonal

Called "Frontiere della Vita" in the original Italian version published in 2000, this four-volume set gathers 193 articles by distinguished scientists—including astrophysicists, chemists, geologists, mathematicians, and every species of biologist. The papers focus on areas of research that will become increasingly important in this century, with major sections covering the origin and evolution of life, the genetic code, cells and cell communities, immunological systems, the human brain, building blocks for intelligence systems, biology of behavior, discovery and spoliation of the biosphere, and bioethics. Together they provide excellent overviews of current fields of study—from fractal geometry and dark matter to artificial intelligence, immunotechnology, and ecotoxicology. All four editors are Nobel Laureates: Baltimore (California Institute of Technology) and Renato Dulbecco (The Salk Institute) in virology; and Francois Jacob (Institut Pasteur) and Rita Levi-Montalcini (Instituto di Neurobiologia del CNR) in physiology or medicine.
Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

"...The distinctive excellence of this work is found in the extraordinary high quality, readability, and wide-ranging sophistication of the individual articles, which despite the time lag in publication, will motivate well-prepared students to a wider exploration of fascinating subjects... Recommended enthusiastically to graduate or upper-division undergraduate collections." CHOICE

"..a magnificent four-volume encyclopedia of the life sciences..." American Reference Books Annual

in publication, will motivate well-prepared students to a wider exploration of fascinating subjects... Recommended enthusiastically to graduate or upper-division undergraduate collections." CHOICE

"..a magnificent four-volume encyclopedia of the life sciences..." American Reference Books Annual

ons." CHOICE

"..a magnificent four-volume encyclopedia of the life sciences..." American Reference Books Annual

Frontiers of Life addresses fields of biology in terms of their frontiers--that is, the areas that will demand the most work in this new century. Because of their standing, the editors have been able to unite the most prestigious and well-informed authorities to place recent scientific advances into the context of their effects on daily human experiences and expectations. They ask, "What frontiers of the biological sciences will constitute the challenges of the next century?" Their first answer is an understanding of the processes and mechanisms that led to the origin of life. They take this answer as the starting point of the first section of the Encyclopedia. They thus proceed throughout the four volumes.

Separating this Encyclopedia form others is its multidisciplinary approach to the "frontiers" theme. While other encyclopedias strive to describe the past and present states of many subjects, Frontiers of Life offers the insights of world-class scientists into their subjects'growth areas.

Key Features

* Includes Advisory Board with each member a Nobel Laureate

* Written by contributors playing leading roles in their fields of expertise

* Contains almost 3,000 full color tables and figures, illustrating the 205 articles; color running heads and subtitles within each article make reading easy

* Presents biology as an organizing force of life in every article, from the cellular level to the interpersonal

a

Microbiologist, educator. Gairdner Foundation Annual Award, 1975; US Steel Award in Molecular Biology, 1974. Nobel Prize for Medicine, 1975.Dr. Renato Dulbecco is President Emeritus and Distinguished Resident Professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California. Known for his pioneering work in cancer-causing viruses, Dulbecco was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine/physiology in 1975. At the beginning of his career, Dulbecco devoted his work to the study of virology. During his early research, he developed what continues to be the most widely used technique for growing and maintaining cells in culture and for measuring the activity of animal viruses, such as poliovirus. Subsequently, Dulbecco, working with cancer-producing viruses, was able to show how genes of the virus interact with those of the host cell in tissue culture, which was a fundamental discovery in understanding the uncontrolled proliferation of cells in the cancer process. Dulbecco was born and educated in Italy, and he received his doctorate of medicine from the University Turin in 1936. He joined the Salk Institute as one of the original group of Fellows in 1963 and was associated with the Institute until 1972. From 1972 through 1977, Dulbecco was Deputy Director of the Imperial Cancer Research Laboratory in London. Since rejoining the Salk Institute in 1977, he has held the position of Distinguished Research Professor and Senior Clayton Foundation Investigator. In 1988 he was named President of the Salk Institute. Dulbecco's more recent research has involved the study of the origin of breast cancer. He has studied the various cell types that comprise breast tissue, a necessary first step in the process of understanding how some cells undergo transformation and become malignant. Dulbecco has used monoclonal antibody techniques to study breast cancer in laboratory animals and in humans, with the objective of developing new and reliable means of classifying cells in the breast, and identifying those that may be susceptible to carcinogenic agents. Some of the antibodies he produced have been studied for clinical applications.Professor of genetics, member of the Academie des Sciences, 1977, foreign member of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, 1962, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1964, Royal Society, London, 1973. Prix Charles Lopold Mayer, Academie des Sciences, 1962. Nobel Prize for Medicine, 1965.Director of the Institute of Cell Biology of the Italian National Council of Research, 1969-1978. Nobel Prize for Medicine, 1986.

he Market

Organ Transplants

Genetic Information

Genetic Screening

Humane Genome Research

Genetic Counseling

The Informed Consent

A Comparative Overview of Medically Assisted Procreation

Embryo Research

Gene Therapy

The End of Life

Ethics and Ecology

Genetically Modified Organisms

Patenting of Life

The Moral Consideration of Non-Human Beings

The Allocation of Resources

The Public Perception of Biotechnology

The Role of Public Powers