Point Mutation

Abstract

This book concerns the signatures left behind in chromosomes by the forces that drive DNA code evolution in the form of DNA nucleotide substitutions. Since the genetic code predetermines the molecular basis of life, it could have been about any aspect of biology. As it happens, it is largely about recent adaptation of pathogens and their human host. Nine chapters are medically oriented, two are bioinformatics-oriented and one is technological, describing the state of the art in synthetic point mutagenesis. What stands out in this book is the increasing rate at which DNA data has been amassed in the course of the past decade and how knowledge in this vibrant research field is currently being translated in the medical world.