CHEM C161A PLANT BIOCHEMISTRY UCLA Science & Engineering Library/

Marion Peters, Chemistry Librarian Chemistry Collection

(310)825-0190 mpeters@library.ucla.edu 4238 Young Hall (310)825-3342

Introduction to Searching the Biochemical Literature

Variety of information sources, print and electronic
Most print sources on Reserve and/or shelved in Ready Reference (RR) in SEL/Chemistry
Collection
• The Merck Index
• The Enzyme Handbook
• Current Protocols (various subjects) <http://www.interscience.wiley.com/c_p/index.htm>
• Aldrich Catalog/Handbook of Fine Chemicals
• Sigma-Aldrich Catalog/Handbook of Fine Chemicals <http://www.sigmaaldrich.com>
• Note: Select United States for product information
• CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics <http://www.chemnetbase.com>

Comprehensive sources for chemical information

Dissecting a database <http://www.library.ucla.edu/biomed/quickguides/dissectingdb.html>
Sources to search for journal articles by topic, plus authors and titles of articles)
• Agricola , 1970+ <http://www.nal.usda.gov/ag98/ag98.html>
• BIOSIS (Ovid), 1969+
Tips for searching: <http://www.library.ucla.edu/biomed/quickguides/biosis_ovid.html>
• SciFinder Scholar 2004, 1907+ More information and download site for client software;
<http://software.chem.ucla.edu/scifind> Search off-campus using UCLA's Virtual Private
Network server; requires downloaded VPN client <http://www.bol.ucla.edu/services/vpn>
• National Center for Biotechnology Information <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov>
NCBI Info <http://www.library.ucla.edu/biomed/update/jan04/ncbi.html>
• ExPASy Molecular Biology Server <http://us.expasy.org>
• Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases <http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke>
• PubMed (UCLA version) PreMEDLINE, MEDLINE
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?tool=cdl&holding=uclalib&otool=cdlotool>
Tips for searching: "Finding Articles in the Health Sciences Using PubMed@UCLA "
<http://www.library.ucla.edu/biomed/quickguides/pubmed.html>
• Web of Science <http://isi3.isiknowledge.com/portal.cgi/wos>

Please logoff after using Web resources since ports are limited for UC users
CAS (Chemical Abstracts Service) Registry numbers (or CAS#) – over 78 million
(25 million substances, 53 million biosequences) <http://www.cas.org/EO/regsys.html>
Enzyme Commission numbers (E.C. numbers) <http://www.expasy.org/enzyme>
Safety sources
• Bretherick’s Handbook of reactive chemical hazards. 6th ed. Oxford, Boston,
Butterworths-Heinemann, 1999.
(SEL/Chem T 55.3 H3 B755 1999 Ready Reference)

• CRC Handbook of laboratory safety. 4rd ed. Boca Raton, Florida, CRC Press, 1995.
(SEL/Chem QD 51 C73 1995 Ready Reference)

• Prudent practices in the laboratory: Handling and disposal of chemicals.

Washington, D.C., National Academy Press, 1995.
(SEL/Chem T 55.3 H3 P78 1995 Ready Reference)

• Sax's Dangerous properties of industrial materials. 10th ed. New York, Wiley, 2000.
 (SEL/Chem T 55.3 H3 L5 2000 Ready Reference)
• Material Safety Data Sheets (UCOP) <http://www.ucop.edu/riskmgt/ohp/msds.html>
Data sources
Dawson, RMC, etc., eds. Data for biochemical research. 3rd ed. Oxford [Oxfordshire],
Clarendon Press; New York, Oxford University Press, 1986.
(SEL/Chem QP520 .D37 1986 Ready Reference)
Writing scientific papers:
Day, Robert. How to write & publish a scientific paper. 5th ed. Phoenix, Arizona, Oryx
Press, 1998. (online access via ORION2)
Dodd, Janet S. "Writing a Scientific Paper", chapter one of the ACS Style Guide
<http://www.oup-usa.org/sc/0841234620/0841234620_1.html>
Making citations to sources:
Citing sources--books, journal articles, Web sites <http://www.library.ucla.edu/bruinsuccess>
Consult a style guide for citing books, journals, and other publications
ACS style guide, a manual for authors and editors. 2nd ed. Washington, DC.
American Chemical Society, 1997, p.175-176
(SEL/Chem QD 8.5 A25 1997 Reserve)
Preferred journal article format:
Biochemistry (see Biochemistry <http://pubs.acs.org/journals/bichaw/index.html>
Example: Journal references (typical)
Venter, J. Craig, Adams, Mark D., Myers, Eugene W., etc. (2001) "The Sequence of
the Human Genome", Science, 291(5507), p.1304-1351.
Also available: <http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/291/5507/1304>
• author’s last name and first name or initials
Note: for multiple authors, list first three, followed by etc. if more than three authors
• date of the volume, including the year and sometimes the month
• title of the journal article
• title of the journal, usually abbreviated, in which the article appeared
• volume, and issue, of the journal in which the article appeared
• pages on which the article appears
Web sites to explore:
IUPAC Nomenclature <http://www.chem.qmw.ac.uk/iupac>
IUPAC Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry <http://www.acdlabs.com/iupac/nomenclature>
IUBMB Biochemical Nomenclature <http://www.chem.qmw.ac.uk/iubmb>
Periodic table (article): <http://pubs.acs.org/cen/80th/elements.html>
Periodic table (article): <http://pubs.acs.org/hotartcl/cenear/980112/periodic.html>
Chart (PDF version): <http://www.webelements.com/webelements/scholar/index.html>
Chart: <http://pearl1.lanl.gov/periodic>
UCLA Science & Engineering Library < http://www.library.ucla.edu/sel >
UCLA Biomedical Library < http://www.library.ucla.edu/biomed >
Tracking the “Elusive” E-Resource <http://www.library.ucla.edu/sel/e-resources.htm>
UCLA Bruin Online Proxy server <http://www.bol.ucla.edu/services/proxy>
UCLA VPN (Virtual Private Network) server/client <http://www.bol.ucla.edu/services/vpn>
UCLA Library <http://www.library.ucla.edu>
UCLA Library Catalog <http://catalog.library.ucla.edu>
CDL’s Melvyl Catalog (all UC campuses) <http://melvyl.cdlib.org>
UCLA's Interlibrary Loan <http://www.library.ucla.edu/ill>

1/2005