Molecular Biology Techniques
A Classroom Laboratory Manual
- 5th Edition - January 6, 2026
- Latest edition
- Authors: Sue Carson, Heather B. Miller, D. Scott Witherow, Melissa C. Srougi
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 2 6 7 1 4 - 7
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 2 6 7 1 5 - 4
Molecular Biology Techniques: A Classroom Laboratory Manual, Fifth Edition, is an in-depth laboratory manual for upper-level undergraduates and beginning graduate students in the… Read more
Molecular Biology Techniques: A Classroom Laboratory Manual, Fifth Edition, is an in-depth laboratory manual for upper-level undergraduates and beginning graduate students in the general field of molecular biology techniques and biochemical applications. Presented as a series of coordinated experiments that mimics either a one- or two-semester research experience, the book also provides theories and explanations behind the techniques. Topics include manipulation of recombinant DNA, protein expression and purification, analysis of mRNA levels, mammalian cell culture techniques, CRISPR-mediated gene knockdown, and more. New topics, such as Gibson assembly experiments, have also been included. For instructors, the book contains easy to follow guides and preparation lists, designed to facilitate lab setup and pre-lab questions for use as a teaching tool.
- Presents student-tested labs proven successful in real classroom laboratories
- Covers updated lab sessions that focus on in silico methods
- Includes discussion questions and further online resources for students, as well as lab preparation lists for instructor use
- Also includes updates such as Gibson assembly experiments and lab session flow charts for easier selection
Upper-level undergraduate and intro-level graduate laboratory courses
1. DNA MANIPULATION Lab session 1-5
2. SCREENING TRANSFORMANTS Lab session 6-8
3. EXPRESSION, PURIFICATION, AND ANALYSIS OF RECOMBINANT PROTEINS FROM BACTERIA Lab session 9-12b
4. ANALYSIS OF mRNA LEVELS Lab Session 13-17
5. MODULATION OF GENE EXPRESSION Lab Session 18-30
6. IN SILICO TOOLS Lab Session 31-33
2. SCREENING TRANSFORMANTS Lab session 6-8
3. EXPRESSION, PURIFICATION, AND ANALYSIS OF RECOMBINANT PROTEINS FROM BACTERIA Lab session 9-12b
4. ANALYSIS OF mRNA LEVELS Lab Session 13-17
5. MODULATION OF GENE EXPRESSION Lab Session 18-30
6. IN SILICO TOOLS Lab Session 31-33
- Edition: 5
- Latest edition
- Published: January 6, 2026
- Language: English
SC
Sue Carson
Dr. Carson’s area of scientific expertise is in molecular mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis. She currently serves as the Director of the Master of Microbial Biotechnology Program and as a Fellow in the Office of Faculty Excellence. Prior to this appointment, she led the NC State Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), focused on faculty development to cultivate students’ critical and creative thinking skills across disciplines. During that period, she also acted as Executive Director of Academic Enrichment Programs, overseeing the Office of Undergraduate Research, Fellowship Advising, and the University Honors and Scholars Programs. Dr. Carson spent over ten years leading curriculum development for the NC State Biotechnology Program. She has received multiple awards for teaching excellence and innovation and was a member of the Howard Hughes Science Education Alliance, promoting and implementing inquiry-guided learning and authentic research in undergraduate curricula. She authored three molecular biology lab manuals and has published numerous peer-reviewed papers in the area of course and curriculum development. She has mentored over 100 undergraduate students in research projects and was the PI and Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Integrative Plant and Microbial Systems Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program for over a decade. Most recently, she completed a 2-year rotation at the National Science Foundation in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources. Within the Triangle community, she has served on the Board of Directors of the Wake County Beekeeping Association and the Triangle Swing Dance Society.
Affiliations and expertise
Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USAHM
Heather B. Miller
Dr. Heather Miller is an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry in the Chemistry Department at High Point University (High Point, NC). She graduated from Clarion University of Pennsylvania (Clarion, PA) with a B.S. in Molecular Biology/Biotechnology, and from Duke University (Durham, NC) with a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology. She completed a teaching postdoctoral position in the Biotechnology Program at North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC). Her area of scientific expertise is RNA biology. Her research focuses on HIV-1 gene expression and the coupling of transcription and splicing in humans. She has taught at the college level for nine years, and is engaged in the scholarship of teaching and learning.
Affiliations and expertise
Department of Chemistry, High Point University, High Point, NC, USADW
D. Scott Witherow
Dr. Witherow graduated from Rollins College (Winter Park, FL) with an A.B. in Chemistry, and from the University of Miami (Miami, FL) with a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology. His research has focused primarily on G protein-mediated signal transduction processes in mammalian systems. Following two research postdoctoral fellowships, Dr. Witherow served as a teaching postdoctoral fellow at North Carolina State University, where he published and presented multiple papers in the field of science education and developed a passion for teaching. He is currently an Associate Professor at The University of Tampa, where he has been teaching undergraduate students since 2011.
Affiliations and expertise
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Tampa, Tampa, FL USAMS
Melissa C. Srougi
Dr. Melissa C. Srougi is an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at High Point University. She graduated from the University of Toledo (Toledo, OH) with a B.S. in Biology, and from Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, OH) with a Ph.D. in Pharmacology. Her scientific areas of expertise are in experimental cancer chemotherapeutic agents and mechanisms of chemotherapeutic resistance. Dr. Srougi actively trains undergraduate research students in her laboratory. In addition, she has developed and taught a variety of inquiry-based college level science courses and has published and presented a number of peer-reviewed papers in the scholarship of teaching and learning.
Affiliations and expertise
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC