Amino Acid Analysis (AAA) is an integral part of analytical biochemistry. In a relatively short time, the variety of AAA methods has evolved dramatically with more methods shifting to the use of mass spectrometry (MS) as a detection method; another new aspect is miniaturization. However, most importantly, AAA in this day and age should be viewed in the context of Metabolomics as a part of Systems Biology. Amino Acid Analysis: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition presents a broad spectrum of all available methods allowing readers to choose the method that best suits their particular laboratory set-up and analytical needs. In this volume, readers can find chapters describing general, as well as specific approaches to the sample preparation. A number of chapters describe specific applications of AAA in clinical chemistry, as well as in food analysis, microbiology, marine biology, drug metabolism, even archaeology. Separate chapters are devoted to the application of AAA for protein quantitation and chiral AAA. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters contain introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and accessible, Amino Acid Analysis: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition provides crucial techniques that can be applied across multiple disciplines by anyone involved in biomedical research or life sciences.