D. M. Hawcroft. Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1997. 142 + xii pp. Index. ISBN 0-19-963563-3. $100.00.

This concise monograph is one of a series on techniques in widespread use in biochemistry and cell and molecular biology. It seeks to present, in compact and readable form, the fundamentals of electrophoresis and does so very well. Both theory and practice are included, but emphasis is on the latter. Although the preface makes it clear that this book is intended for biologists, it also deserves a place in a truly complete chemistry library.

The book is logically organized. Each of the nine chapters corresponds to either a step in an electrophoresis experiment (e.g., Chapter 7: Visualization of Separated Materials) or a major application (Chapter 4: The Electrophoresis of Native and Denatured Proteins). It is written as though the reader is getting ready to begin doing electrophoresis for the first time and needs a survey of the technique and its applications.

A question that occurred to me repeatedly as I read through the book is: Exactly how did the author intend it to be used? One can view the book as either a text or a laboratory manual. As a resource that might be used as a supplementary text in a graduate or upper-division undergraduate course, it does an admirable job of presenting a thorough overview of modern electrophoresis. The figures and diagrams are exceptionally clear and present useful comparisons of results that can be obtained under a variety of conditions (e.g., the resolution of DNA fragments obtained with otherwise identical wedge and normal gels). Not all its explanations, however, are as cogent. It defines how the two portions of a discontinuous gel differ but fails to explain clearly how the porosity and pH differences result in the stacking effect, which is such a gel's primary advantage.

Having it on hand as a laboratory manual would be much like having colleagues who are experts in all phases of electrophoresis to consult or to go to with problems. The author uses bullets and numerous well-organized tables throughout the text and its appendices to summarize important information.

One weakness in the book as a lab manual is a paucity of references. For example, colloidal gold is suggested as a quick way of enhancing the sensitivity of the widely used silver stains for proteins, but no reference to experimental details is provided. Another weakness in this area is a lack of examples of how electrophoretic data are interpreted and used. While sample papers or lists of references would have made the book longer and more formidable, they would have been invaluable to a true novice in this field.

The book gives short shrift to laboratory safety. Safety information is compiled into one chapter with the admonition to "read this before starting practical work", but the fact that it is the book's last chapter makes it a bit unlikely that many will. The chapter discusses the hazards of acrylamide in some detail but dismisses the similarly severe hazards of ethidium bromide in a single sentence. There is no mention of the dangers of the latter compound in the chapter where its value as a stain is extolled.

Electrophoresis: The Basics compiles a large amount of useful information in a single source. It provides a comprehensive view of the available techniques and their many variations. A researcher who wishes to employ some of the more unusual ones will, however, have to dig a bit deeper.