The selected papers of William N. Lipscomb, Jr. A legacy in structure–function relationships
of membrane proteins. They finish the section on envelope reconstruction with a discussion of how SAS can be used to study intrinsically disordered proteins and the information that can be extracted. Being a solution technique, SAS can study dynamical processes. The authors detail methods to initiate these processes and then cover examples where SAS has been used to successfully study protein and RNA folding, allosteric transitions, virus assembly and maturation, and light-triggered processes. They also have a comprehensive section on the analysis of interparticle interactions. This has particular relevance to enabling more rational crystallization approaches and understanding the influence of different chemistries on macromolecular interactions. SAS as a stand-alone technique is good for generating or testing hypothesis; however, the full potential of the technique comes from its combination with other experimental and theoretical studies. This is discussed throughout the section on biological applications but nicely summarized in the final chapter. This chapter introduces the automation and high-throughput use of SAS, an important development that has enabled its routine use by groups whose expertise is in other structural techniques. It shows how SAS can be used with macromolecular X-ray and neutron crystallography (both high and low resolution), and nuclear magnetic resonance. This chapter also describes other biophysical techniques, e.g. analytical ultracentrifugation, dynamic and static light scattering, and the use of computational studies for modelling and applications of databases. There is a short section to conclude the text and present some future prospects. Following this are an extensive set of appendices providing a detailed mathematical background to the technique. The book itself comprehensively references the literature. While not perfect, it is very close. No laboratory interested in SAS should be without a copy and it provides a good background to the capabilities, limitations, and practical application of the technique. The authors should be commended and the book is strongly recommended.