 
Influenza: Molecular Virology
Q. Wang & Y.J. Tao, Eds
Caister Academic Press (2010)
Influenza has been something of a hot topic in recent years, in academic circles and the popular press, following the arrival of H5N1 'bird flu', and now the current pandemic of a swine-derived H1N1 virus. In one sense, this book is therefore timely, although the long production time for an edited book of this type means it misses out on discussing the 2009 pandemic.
The aim of the book, as stated in the Editors' preface, is to 'highlight some of the most exciting discoveries in recent years' made by the influenza research community. The editors are both structural biologists, and this shows in the choices they have made over what constitutes such advances. Of the ten chapters in the book, seven revolve around crystallographic and/or NMR investigations of the viral proteins. The quality of each chapter varies, but is mostly high - I particularly enjoyed a very thorough account of the influenza A haemagglutinin. Only the final two chapters of the book (one on a specific approach to influenza diagnostics, one a mathematical approach to predicting vaccine design) seemed a little out of context, given the main focus of the book.
All in all though, it's a nicely put together book that summarizes recent developments on the structural side of influenza replication. Appropriate audiences for the book would be final-year virology students and influenza researchers. The price, however, puts it out of reach of the former, unless their departmental libraries purchase a copy.
Paul Digard, University of Cambridge
| £159.00 | pp. 196 | ISBN 978-1-90445-557-8 |
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