RSC Books Blog

The RSC Chemical Biology Book Series is a new venture that aims to provide a suite of high level research books on cutting-edge research at the interface of chemistry and biology. We are delighted to have recently appointed Professor Tom Brown as Editor-in-Chief.

Tom has been announced as the Chemistry World Entrepreneur of the Year. He is responsible for three tremendously successful start-ups, Oswel, ATDBio and Primer Design. Read his entrepreneurial story in the recent article in Chemistry World, Triple-Stranded Success Story, by Sarah Houlton.

Tom received his first degree and PhD in Chemistry at Bradford University. He moved to Nottingham University, then to Oxford and Cambridge University to carry out postdoctoral research. In 1985 he was appointed to a lectureship in Biological Chemistry at Edinburgh University where he was promoted to Reader then Professor of Nucleic Acids Chemistry. He moved to a Chair in Chemical Biology at Southampton University in 1995. As well as his continuing involvement in ATDBio and Primer Design, Tom is now an academic at the University of Oxford. His research interests lie in nucleic acid chemistry, DNA sequence recognition and the application of nucleic acids to nanotechnology, diagnostics and biology.

Tom co-edited the book, DNA Conjugates and Sensors, with Professor Keith Fox, University of Southampton. Find out more about this excellent volume, which describes the preparation of  DNA-conjugates and their applications as aptamers, riboswitches and nanostructures here…

DNA Conjugates and Sensors, Keith R Fox (Editor), Tom Brown (Editor), ISBN: 978-1-84973-427-1, Copyright 2012

You might also be interested to read some of Tom’s recent articles:

Triplex-mediated analysis of cytosine methylation at CpA sites in DNA
Marie W. Johannsen, Simon R. Gerrard, Tracy Melvin and Tom Brown
Chem. Commun., 2014,50, 551-553, DOI: 10.1039/C3CC45917A, Communication

Self-reporting hybridisation assay for miRNA analysis
Jo-Anne Riley, Tom Brown, Nittaya Gale, Julie Herniman and G. John Langley
Analyst, 2014,139, 1088-1092, DOI: 10.1039/C3AN01825C, Paper

Combined nucleobase and backbone modifications enhance DNA duplex stability and preserve biocompatibility
Afaf H. El-Sagheer and Tom Brown
Chem. Sci., 2014,5, 253-259, DOI: 10.1039/C3SC51753E, Edge Article

Gold nanoparticles and fluorescently-labelled DNA as a platform for biological sensing
Amelie Heuer-Jungemann, Pascal K. Harimech, Tom Brown and Antonios G. Kanaras
Nanoscale, 2013,5, 9503-9510, DOI: 10.1039/C3NR03707J, Minireview

If you would like more information about the new RSC Chemical Biology Series, would like to be involved in a book project in this area, or would like to suggest ideas for book topics, please get in touch with Rowan Frame, Books Commissioning Editor at framer@rsc.org.

Congratulations to Ian Buxton & Paul Hughes, authors of The Science and Commerce of Whisky for winning a 2014 Drammie Award for Best New Whiskey Related Product.

Author Ian Buxton says ‘This Drammie award is exciting and gratifying for two reasons: firstly, because the book hasn’t been out for all that long so it’s great to see it making an impact. But secondly, mainly because this is a genuine consumer award with open voting and a number of short-listed contenders.  This is real whisky enthusiasts telling us that they value the book – and that is very satisfying’.

The book provides a unique and authoritative overview of a developing and dynamic sector, reflecting current best practice as well as a historical perspective, production expertise and insightful, expert market and marketing commentary. Not to be missed by whisky enthusiasts around the world.

Get your copy today from the online bookshop.