Rapid diagnosis of human, animal, and plant pathogensDetection of specific genes in animal and plant breedingDiagnosis of human genetic disorders With each chapter written by a distinguished expert in the biochemistry field, this comprehensive volume describes the preparation and use of a variety of radioactive and non-radioactive probes in situations ranging from research laboratories to routine diagnosis laboratories. The enzymatic and chemical techniques for labeling nucleic acid probes with radioisotopes and with non-radioactive ligands and haptens are discussed. Additionally, the associated methods for their detection, the use of these probes in the diagnosis of human and microbial pathogens, of plant viruses and viroids, and of human genetic disorders, as well as in the detection of nucleic acids in tissues and cells by in situ hybridization are presented.