The original idea of a book such as MBoC belonged exclusively to James Watson. In the early 1970s, he wisely spotted a latent hurdle for his long-time vision of transforming the whole biology field into a molecular science. He recognized that the knowledge of cell biology at the time was almost entirely based on light and electron microscopy investigations, and for students this hardly integrated any new molecular biology. Therefore, Watson believed in the need for a new textbook that would combine these two fields. As Martin Raff recalls, for Watson producing MBoC would be a “very important way of modernising the way cell biology was taught and perhaps even how cell biology was done.”
From Beyond a pedagogical tool: 30 years of Molecular Biology of the Cell
Now in it’s 6th edition, Molecular Biology of the Cell (MBoC), a classic university biology textbook, and it’s lighter companion book, Essential Cell Biology (in its 4th edition), continue to offer students a “new and invigorating outlook on what cells are and what they do.”
Read a 2013 perspective on the book in Nature magazine: Beyond a pedagogical tool: 30 years of Molecular Biology of the Cell.
Authors and publisher of the first Molecular Biology of the Cell, published in 1983. From left: Bruce Alberts, Keith Roberts, Martin Raff, Gavin Borden (publisher), James Watson, Dennis Bray and Julian Lewis. Image ©Keith Roberts.
Video Resources
The resources for recent editions include animations and videos such as this one, from the MBoC 6th edition.
See more MBOC videos at the GarlandScience YouTube channel >>
MBOC Authors at Nugent Terrace in June 2014. From left to right: Keith Roberts, Martin Raff, David Morgan, John Wilson, Sandy Johnson, Bruce Alberts and Peter Walter.
The London House and the Beatles
Since 1985, the authors of the Molecular Biology of the Cell have gathered at this 19th century home in St. John’s Wood, London for writing meetings.
The home is near the zebra crossing at Abbey Road made famous by the Beatles, which inspired this back cover for the MBoC 3rd edition, and a string of Beatles’ album-inspired back covers for MBoC and Essential Cell Biology texts. See all of the Beatles-themed covers on this blog >>
Authors of MBoC 3 imitating the famous Abbey Road cover.
Back cover of MBoC 5th edition, referencing the Revolver album.
Help album on the back cover of ECB 3rd edition.
MBoC 4th edition back cover copy of the Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover.
Back cover of MBoC 6th edition; Please Please Me homage.