Dr. Shweta Singh

Genetics focuses on the nature of genes, and a major goal is to characterize their structure and function. Molecular biology was first referred to as the study of the chemical and physical structure of biological macromolecules such as nucleic acids and proteins.

This book describes the interrelation between nucleic acids and proteins which may provide an understanding of the biological function of a gene. Molecular biology chiefly concerns itself with understanding the interactions between the various systems of a cell, including the interactions between DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), RNA (Ribonucleic acid), and protein biosynthesis as well as learning how these interactions are regulated. The molecular techniques for identification of microbes are single gene sequencing (e.g., by sequencing ribosomal RNA encoding 16S, 23S, 18S, and ITS gene), multiple gene sequencing (housekeeping and pathogenic genes), and whole-genome sequencing. New technologies either improve existing techniques or develop new approaches to old questions in order to generate information more quickly, easily, accurately, or in a more easily repeatable fashion than existing methods. Some of the most powerful new technologies include polymerase chain reaction (PCR) advances, “difference analysis” (that is, the discovery of different gene expression patterns between different cells), transgenic/gene knockout technology, and gene delivery to tissues/gene therapy.

Molecular diagnostics are increasingly used to guide patient management, from diagnosis to treatment, particularly in the fields of cancer, infectious disease, and congenital abnormalities. There have been a number of major advances in molecular biology in the past few years and the aim of this book is to describe some of these advances, focusing on their benefits and limitations when applied to investigating Oral disorders.