Introduction

As our understanding of the biological sciences expands, the bou- aries between traditional disciplines tend to blur at the edges. Physio- gists and pharmacologists, for instance, now need to embrace techniques that until recently were the strict preserves of biochemists and mole- lar biologists.

Challenges in Learning New Technologies

However, the acquisition of new technologies can be a time-consuming and frustrating business, and unless an expert is on hand to give instruction, precious hours can be spent poring over half-described Methods sections with no guarantee of eventual success.

Purpose of Signal Transduction Protocols

The aim of Signal Transduction Protocols has been to get experts with "hands-on" experience in particular techniques to give detailed accounts of experimental protocols in a recipe-type format, which we hope will circumvent the problems of ambiguity often encountered when reading the literature.

Scope of Techniques Covered

The techniques described in Signal Transduction Protocols are those that we think will be most useful in addressing questions in the area of receptor-mediated cell signaling, with particular regard to those receptors that are part of the G-protein-linked superfamily. To keep it to a manageable size, we have omitted any reference to electrophysi- ogy and have instead concentrated on more biochemical approaches.