NEW BOOK. After several years of work, Tore Samuelsson’s new book about the human genome is now ready. The book links information in the DNA sequence with biological functions and diseases. It is meant to be a university-level textbook.
The new book, The Human Genome in Health and Disease: A Story of Four Letters, is intended for use in courses in genetics, biology, medicine, molecular biology and bioinformatics. It was published in February by Garland Science/CRC Press.
Tore Samuelsson, a professor in the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, came up with the idea for the book seven years ago. His work on the book intensified in recent years.
“I have tried to write at a basic level so that the book will be accessible for students without extensive prior knowledge of genetics and molecular biology. Some parts of the book could also be accessible for a wider audience with a specific interest in DNA,” says Samuelsson.
Genetic signals and diseases
The book focuses on sequence information in DNA, where the genetic message is made up of a long sequence of four letters, A, T, C and G. It discusses a number of important biological signals–often shorter sequences of between three and 20 letters–that can be found in different parts of the long DNA molecule.
To provide a biological motivation for the reader, the book uses genetic diseases such as inherited monogenic diseases or cancer to illustrate the importance of different signals in DNA.
“The book’s focus on sequencing information illustrated with diseases serves as its central idea and distinguishes it from previous books on the subject. The book is also richly illustrated with more than 200 diagrams,” says Samuelsson.
TEXT: ELIN LINDSTRÖM CLAESSEN
