Western Blotting for the Non-Expert - Hardcover

by Biji T. Kurien (Author)

This book fills the need for a simplified text covering western blotting protocols aimed not just at high school and college students, but the researcher with little to no experience in these techniques. It provides the principles, basic methodology, and tips and tricks to avoiding the common pitfalls of western blotting. The book also introduces simple protocols that can transform western blotting into a fun method, such as sending secret messages on membranes or using nitrocellulose membrane as a canvas for art.

In addition to the techniques, this book also covers the history of western blotting, which originated from the development of the blotting of DNA. It then delves into the importance of protein blotting, brought to the fore by the fact that the procedure has been evolving constantly since its inception in 1979, and the fact that the scientific community is faced with a multitude of ways and means of transferring proteins to membranes..

Back Jacket

This book fills the need for a simplified text covering western blotting protocols aimed not just at high school and college students, but the researcher with little to no experience in these techniques. It provides the principles, basic methodology, and tips and tricks to avoiding the common pitfalls of western blotting. The book also introduces simple protocols that can transform western blotting into a fun method, such as sending secret messages on membranes or using nitrocellulose membrane as a canvas for art.

In addition to the techniques, this book also covers the history of western blotting, which originated from the development of the blotting of DNA. It then delves into the importance of protein blotting, brought to the fore by the fact that the procedure has been evolving constantly since its inception in 1979, and the fact that the scientific community is faced with a multitude of ways and means of transferring proteins to membranes.

Author Biography

Dr. Kurien completed his M.Phil. and Ph.D. studies in 1989 at the University of Madras, India, under Professor R. Selvam's mentorship. After moving from India to the United States, he first joined Dr. Hiroyuki Matsumoto's laboratory in 1989. He then joined Dr. Robert H Broyles' laboratory in 1992, both in Oklahoma City. From 1993 to 2010, he worked as an associate research scientist/senior research scientist at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, with Dr. Hal Scofield and from 2010 to 2017 as associate professor of research at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences. Currently, he works as a Professor of Research. His research interests include the study of free radical-mediated damage in systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjögren's syndrome and the role of the nutraceutical curcumin in autoimmune diseases. His publication record includes numerous publications in national and international peer-reviewed journals. Besides, he edited several volumes in Protein Blotting and Detection and Protein Electrophoresis as part of the Methods in Molecular Biology series.