Basic Molecular Biology Techniques -- Transient Transfection of Human Retinoblastoma Cells -- In Situ Hybridization -- Immunocytochemical Studies of the Retina -- Antisense DNA Technology -- Inhibition of Gene Expression by Ribozymes -- Intraocular Delivery of Recombinant Virus -- Preparation of Recombinant Adenoviruses -- Generation of Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus -- Preparation of Recombinant Retroviruses -- Generation of Transgenic Mice for Studies of Ocular Development and Disease -- Generation of Knockout Animal Models -- Mutation Analysis of Ocular Genes -- Ophthalmologists' Perspective.

Much fascinating and valuable research has been devoted to the molecular biology of the eye, its various structures, and its innervation this past decade. In Vision Research Protocols, Elizabeth Rakoczy and a team of leading clinical and experimental scientists describe in step-by-step detail the key techniques essential to effective molecular biological research in ophthalmology and optometry. These readily reproducible methods are adapted to the special requirements of vision research, with coverage that ranges from the most basic to the most sophisticated technologies. Included are methods for the downregulation of gene expression, new gene therapy techniques, and for the development of transgenic and knockout animal models for testing novel therapies. The book details the three most popular viral delivery vehicles--recombinant adeno, adeno-associated, and retroviruses-as well as the major delivery methods for the most widely used animal models. Eminently accessible and clinically relevant, Vision Research Protocols provides experimental and biomedical investigators in ophthalmology and optometry with a rich panoply of the most powerful tools with which to ask--and answer--all the important questions emerging from the dramatically advancing work on vision research today.