Edited by Russell P. Newton , and Terence J. Walton , both at the University College, Swansea.

Details basic principles, methods, and applications
Well illustrated with over 130 line drawings

The techniques of mass spectroscopy, whereby chemical substances are identified by their molecular masses, have found increasing applications in recent years and are very widely used on plants. For the plant scientist, the information presented in this book will illustrate the basic principles, techniques, and potential capabilities of mass spectroscopy in studying biologically important molecules. For the mass spectroscopist the main value of the volume will be its emphasis on new applications.

Contents: Introductory overview; Ionization methods; MS/MS instrumentation; Matrix-assisted laser desorption and electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy in protein studies: competitive or complimentary?; Recent and projected developments in mass spectrometric techniques; Characterization of proteins by mass spectroscopy: from primary structure to conformational studies; MALDI MS as a new method for the analysis of nucleic acid (DNA and RNA) with molecular masses up to 150 KDA; Applications of secondary ion mass spectroscopy in plant physiology; Mass spectrometry of natural and synthetic lignin polymers: on the detection of coumaryl units by in-source pyrolysis mass spectrometry; Mass spectrometry of plant hormones; Mass spectrometric analysis of cyclic nucleotides and related enzymes; Mass spectrometric studies on flavonoid glycosides; Mass spectrometry of fatty acid 'derivatives; A comparison of FAB MS, HPLC-MS, and CZE-ES MS in the characterization of the alcoholic extracts of Haplophyllum patavinum; LC-UV-MS: a powerful approach for the rapid screening of metabolites in crude plant extracts; MS/MS studies of tropane alkaloids: detection and determination of structure; New brassinosteroids from Ornithopus sativus and Apium graveolens.

256 pages, halftones, numerous line figures, tables, Clarendon Press, October 1996 0-19-854965-2, Hardback, was £75.00, now £56.25