Visual Biological Experiments: The Fundamentals of Molecular Biology ExperimentsBook Review
Shinji Kanda and Chie Umatani (authors), Gakken, published December 11, 2025, 4,400 yen (tax included)
This book is said to have been written as a successor to the ”Illustrated Bio Experiment Series (7 volumes in total),” the first volume of which was published 30 years ago. Since the mid-1980s, when the reviewer was a graduate student, the environment surrounding molecular biology laboratory manuals has changed dramatically over the past 40 years or so. At that time, with the English “Molecular Cloning” being in a league of its own, laboratory manuals were predominantly B5-size, slipcased hardcover courses in experimental methods published mainly by Tokyo Kagaku Dojin, Maruzen, Kyoritsu Shuppan, and others. There were almost no illustrations, the protocols had many omissions and were difficult to understand, and the target readership seemed to be second-year master's students at top universities or young faculty members. Molecular biology techniques existed in a world close to an apprenticeship system, passed down like craftsmanship alongside biochemistry, and were still not accessible to the average student. Breathing new life into this situation in the 1990s were the "Protocol Series," starting with "New Cell Engineering Experimental Protocols" published by Shujunsha (then a subsidiary of Gakken), which compiled recipes used at the Institute of Medical Science, the University of Tokyo, as well as the "Genetic Engineering Handbook" and "Bio Manual Series" published by Yodosha around the same time. These were extremely innovative and equipped in many laboratories. However, protocols were still not written step-by-step, or even when they were, those parts were in English, making it still too difficult for "ordinary students to understand the principles, perform experiments, and obtain results." Meeting these needs was the "Illustrated Bio Experiment Series" published by Shujunsha. During the transitional process of molecular biology techniques shifting from craftsmanship to democratization, this was a recipe book that carefully unraveled principles, illustrated detailed technical tips, and used abundant illustrations and photos to explain everything from what not to do to troubleshooting in a way that anyone could easily understand. Yodosha also published the "Invincible Bio-Technical Series" from a similar concept, but the "Illustrated Series" in particular gained explosive support as a "bible" for beginners, and the editor in charge who conceived the project won the President's Award. Ten years later, the democratized molecular biology techniques became even more universal, ushering in an era where research assistants who graduated outside specialized fields routinely perform experiments using various kits. Against this background, some of the authors of the series, including the reviewer, gathered once again to publish the "Super-Practical Illustrated Bio Experiment Series (2 volumes in total)" as a sister publication to the "Illustrated Series." Another decade has passed since then, and this book has now made its long-awaited appearance to meet the new needs of a rapidly changing research environment.
One of the major features of this book is that it devotes nearly 20% of its content not only to so-called "wet" experimental techniques, but also to "dry" research techniques such as "How to Use Genome Databases" (Chapter 4). Although the use of the web was covered in the "Ultra-Practical Series," the amount of coverage was limited, and the content has now become completely outdated. This is one of the main reasons why I recommend this book now. Furthermore, speaking of web usage, QR codes linking to experimental videos and protocols are placed throughout the book. This is presumably the reason why the book adopts the title "Visual," even while claiming to be the successor to the "Illustrated Series."
Another feature of the "Illustrated Series," which readers might surprisingly overlook and which is rarely found in similar books, is that it does not end with vague expressions such as "Be careful of XX" or "Take care not to do XX." With this phrasing, often seen in many experimental guides, beginners are left wondering, "How should I be careful?" or "What changes if I'm careful?", failing to convey the crucial point of "what should actually be done." In this book, specific, highly practical instructions are clearly provided. For example, following "Be careful as it generates heat," it adds "Perform while cooling," and alongside "Be careful not to touch with bare hands," it adds "Wear gloves. Lay down paper." This policy, thoroughly enforced by the former editor-in-chief of the "Illustrated Series" with beginner readers in mind, has been solidly inherited by this book, which claims to be its successor.
Today, not to mention seniors doing graduation research in biochemistry, cell biology, and developmental biology, even those in genetics, ecology, and phylogenetics routinely make full use of molecular biology techniques. For such students picking up a concise laboratory manual for the first time, this book will serve as an excellent compass. It is a laboratory manual that is well worth having in the research lab.
Kazuhiro Makabe (Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Tokushima University)
Visual Biology Experiments: Basics of Molecular Biology Experiments - Book Review (PDF file)
