MISCELLANEA i r mwmw.

Jean Oavoust

Centre d'lmrnunologie de Marseille-Luminy,

CP 906, 13288 Marseille, France.

fluorescence microscopy on living cells. Other topics, for example the application of video microscopy to monitor intraceltular organelle trans- port, have been excluded, but some of the newest instrumental develop- ments in optical techniques to manipulate cells and organelles, and to study ion transport in living cells, are discussed.

This volume will prove to be both useful and informative for cell biol- ogists who realize that the ultimate

goal of cell biology, as defined above, is far from being reached, despite the technological sophistication of some of the most recent optical methods, such as confocal micro- scopy. The book provides an up- to-date introduction to past achieve- ments and future prospects offered by so-called noninvasive optical methods. Most of these have been developed during the last decade to study the functional organization of living cells. In the future, we can

look forward to the development of instruments that can monitor two intracellular phenomena at once, for example transport ion and fluor- escence imaging of cellular structures, at high spatiotemporal resolution. The integration of several of the methods described in this book will parallel and possibly promote the integration of biochemistry, bio- physics and physiology into the emerging molecular and cellular biology of the 1990s.

Paul quinn

Department of Physiology,

University College London,

University Street, London WC] E 6JI,

UK,

Spinning it out

An Introduction to Centrifugation

by T. C. Ford and J. M. Graham, BIOS Scientific Publishers, 1991.

£12.95 (x + 118 pages) ISBN 1 872748 40 6

This book is intended as an introduc- tion to the techniques of centrifu- gation. It is divided into two parts. The first starts with a very simple outline of the theory underlying separations by centrifugation and an introduc- tion to some of the terms that are commonly used. This is followed by a description of the principles of rate and equilibrium sedimentation. Part 1 is completed by discussions of the available equipment, choice of sep- arating medium and the construction and analysis of density gradients. Part 2 gives examples of practical applications of centrifugal separ- ations at the cellular, subcellular and molecular levels.

I find it hard to imagine who would use this book. The depth of coverage of the topics is immensely variable. For example, the theory is at the simplistic level of big things sediment faster than little things and in a density gradient they will stop moving when they reach a place of the s~me density as themselves, whereas the section on making gradi- ents goes into detail on how to adjust the salt balance in a density gradient made from iodinated me- dium to keep the solution isotonic across the entire gradient to an

accuracy of better than 5%. In part 2, examples are described in the detail expected for the methods sec- tion of a research paper, but, like many of those, not one of them would actually allow repetition of the procedure.

The book has limited value for someone starting work on a project utilizing centrifugal purification, as additional information from original publications or the booklets pro- duced by the manufacturers of cen- trifuge equipment and gradient media would still be needed. Neither is the book designed as a

reference work that compiles the available information on safety pre- cautions, speed limits of tubes and rotors, and examples of experimen- tal protocols that are known to work in given situations and could act as a starting point for development of a new procedure. The only real help it can offer in designing improved separation procedures is with its description of computer programs that will model separations under specified conditions, but I suspect that those with access to this type of approach would find little new in the book.

MEETINGS CALENDAR

Entry in the TCB calendar (see page V) is provided free of charge as a service to cell biologists. Entries appear initially at the discretion of the Editor and then according to tile space available.

Please send details of meetings for inclusion in calendar to Trends in Cell Biology, Elsevier Trends Journals, 68 Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 1LA, UK.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

At the discretion of the Editor, future issues of Trends in Cell Biology will publish correspondence relating to articles in previous issues or i tems of general interest to the readers.

Letters should be addressed to the Editor, Trends in Cell Biology, Elsevier Trends Journals, 68 Hills Road,

Cambridge CB2 1LA, UK.

76 TRENDS IN CELL BIOLOGY VOL 1 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1991