Protein NMR Spectroscopy: Principal Techniques and Applications

The book Protein NMR Spectroscopy: Principal Techniques and Applications edited by Lu-Yun Lian and Gordon Roberts looks at how nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques can be applied to study biomolecular properties. It includes practical information on sample preparation and assignment of spectra and discusses the various applications for which NMR spectroscopy has gained increasing importance in the field of biochemistry.

In his review in ChemBioChem, Cameron Mackereth, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, Pessac, France, says:

The approach of this book is not to explain the physical foundation of NMR spectroscopy, for which several excellent texts already exist, but to highlight the diverse range of properties that can be studied from a practical standpoint. The style throughout the text is to provide the details necessary for hands-on measurement of the relevant spectra, and to provide background and instruction for the subsequent analysis and application of the data.

I recommend this book as an excellent resource for all researchers who have an interest in knowing the molecular details of protein structure and function. People new to the field can use the text as a suitably accessible introduction to the range of information that can be acquired and how to go about the actual measurement.

The volume will also find a long-lasting home on the bookshelf of those who are already familiar or expert with a particular aspect of NMR spectroscopy. Such readers would include the chemist who would like to know the details of how the target protein recognizes a new compound, or the established protein NMR spectroscopist who would like to try a new tool outside of their normal area of expertise.

The amount that each protocol is covered varies within the text, but the numerous and well-chosen literature references allow for rapid expansion of any particular subject. My personal copy has already become a frequently reached-for resource.