For several decades, Arabidopsis thaliana has been the organism of choice in the laboratories of many plant geneticists, physiologists, developmental biologists, and biochemists around the world. During this time, a huge amount of knowledge has been acquired on the biology of this plant species, which has resulted in the development of molecular tools that account for much more efficient research. The significance that Arabidopsis would attain in biological research may have been difficult to foresee in the 1980s, when its use in the laboratory started. In the meantime, it has become the model plant organism, much the same way as Drosophila, Caenorhabditis, or mouse have for animal systems. Today, it is difficult to envision research at the cutting edge of plant biology without the use of Arabidopsis. Since the first edition of Arabidopsis Protocols appeared, new developments have fostered an impressive advance in plant biology that prompted us to prepare Arabidopsis Protocols, Second Edition. Completion of the Arabidopsis genome sequence offered for the first time the opportunity to have in hand all of the genetic information required for studying plant function. In addition, the development of whole systems approaches that allow global analysis of gene expression and protein and metabolite dynamics has encouraged scientists to explore new scenarios that are extending the limits of our knowledge. Emulating the much-praised first edition of Arabidopsis Protocols, leading scientists have generated an up-to-date work that reflects recent advances in plant biology, the completion of the Arabidopsis genome sequence-essential for studying plant function-and the development of whole systems approaches that allow global analysis of gene expression, as well as protein and metabolite dynamics. The authors have included nearly all techniques developed in Arabidopsis, others recently adapted from more traditional work in crop species, and the latest using Arabidopsis as a model system. Highlights include the most recent methods-transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics-and their novel applications (phosphoproteomics, DNA microarray-based genotyping, high throughput metabolite profiling, and single-cell RNA). Traditional protocols from the agricultural sciences and others developed in crop species (grafting and chloroplast transformation) have been adapted to exploit the advantages of the Arabidopsis model. The protocols themselves follow the successful Methods in Molecular Biology? series format, each offering step-by-step laboratory instructions, an introduction outlining the principles behind the technique, lists of the necessary equipment and reagents, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.
Indispensable and highly practical, Arabidopsis Protocols, Second Edition offers both novice and experienced plant biologists cutting-edge tools to explore new scenarios and gain an understanding of how this complex, multicellular organism works, how it copes with a sessile life style, and how these strategies compare with those developed in other organisms.

From the reviews of the first edition:

". . .a comprehensive collection of significant new methods as well as updated standard protocols. . .written by experienced authors and internationally recognized experts."-Journal of Plant Physiology

"...recommend[ed]...provides a set of enduring methods and is comprehensive enough for instant use in the lab" -Trends in Plant Science

"...a 'must have' for every laboratory involved in Arabibopsis" -Quarterly Review of Biology

"...a 'must' for those labs working with not just Arabidopsis specifically but plants in general..." -Microbiology Today

"...a must for anybody moving into the Arabidopsis field and setting up a new lab...extremely useful" -Genetical Research

"...especially valuable for detailed step-by-step procedures including many important notes...an indispensable guide, which should be at reach on the shelf in each laboratory where the plant molecular-genetic methods in Arabidopsis, and not only Arabidopsis, are used."- Biologia Plantarum

"...should prove to be highly helpful laboratory companion for beginners and established researchers in molecular biology, particularly those whose research deal with Arabidopsis and related plants." - Plant Science Bulletin

From the reviews of the second edition:

"Arabidopsis Protocols is another volume in Humana's series, Methods in Molecular Biology. ? It is ? important to provide both experienced researchers and those new to the use of Arabidopsis, with single volumes that describe a wide range of experimental protocols. This book does that admirably. It is written by renowned experts in their respective fields ? . Most chapters include useful Figures to illustrate the text. So I would heartily recommend this to any lab serious about carrying out work with Arabidopsis ? ." (Keith Lindsey, Molecular Biotechnology, Vol. 36, 2007)