Landmark Experiments in Protein Science

Proteins are the workhorses of cells, performing most of the important functions which allow cells to use nutrients and grow, communicate among each other, and importantly, die if aberrant behavior is detected. How were proteins discovered? What is their role in cells? How do dysfunctional proteins give rise to cancers? Landmark Experiments in Protein Science explores the manner in which the inner workings of cells were elucidated, with a special emphasis on the role of proteins. Experiments are discussed in a manner as to understand what questions were being asked that prompted the experiments and what technical challenges were faced in the process; and results are presented and discussed using primary data and graphs.

Key Features

• Describes landmark experiments in cell biology and biochemistry
• Discusses the "How" and "Why" of historically important experiments
• Includes primary, original data and graphs
• Emphasizes biological techniques, that help understand how many of the experiments performed were possible
• Documents, chronologically, how each result fed into the next experiments

Pascal Leclair earned a B.Sc. in Biology and a M.Sc. in Cell and Developmental Biology from the University of British Columbia, where he is currently a research technician. One of his projects involves elucidating the mechanism of action of caspase-independent cell death following ligation of the cell-surface molecule, CD47; he is also part of the BRAvE initiative at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute in Vancouver, which is developing a precision medicine approach to inform better treatment for children who relapse from cancer. He is an avid reader and loves music; Pascal lives in near Vancouver, BC, with his wife and twin boys.