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WHAT is “biological chemistry”? In its early days, elucidating the principles of mechanistic enzymology required practitioners with a firm grasp of organic and physical chemistry. Nowadays a large proportion of the Journal of Biological Chemistry is cell biology, with a mixture of topics that are taught in undergraduate chemistry degrees. So it is that this Encyclopedia of Biological Chemistry is primarily an encyclopedia of biochemistry and cell biology, explained at the molecular level.

The seven editors have alphabetically arranged over 500 full-colour articles of four to nine pages each. The selected topics range from lipids, carbohydrates and membranes to techniques and methodology. At £750 these four large volumes are clearly intended for library purchase. Compared with advanced biochemistry textbooks, the articles are detailed. They are written by experts in each field and contain recent references.

I found the articles very well presented, and thought they offered an excellent and up-to-date introduction into new topics. But in the age of the internet, the encyclopedia might be viewed as something of a luxury.