The recent surge of interest in recombinant DNA research is
understandable considering that biologists from all disciplines, using
recently developed mo- lecular techniques, can now study with great
precision the structure and regulation of specific genes. As a
discipline, molecular biology is no longer a mere subspeciality of
biology or biochemistry: it is the new biology. Current approaches to
the outstanding problems in virtually all the traditional disci- plines
in biology are now being explored using the recombinant DNA tech-
nology. In this atmosphere of rapid progress, the role of information
exchange and swift publication becomes quite crucial. Consequently,
there has been an equally rapid proliferation of symposia volumes and
review articles, apart from the explosion in popular science magazines
and news media, which are always ready to simplify and sensationalize
the implications of recent dis- coveries, often before the scientific
community has had the opportunity to fully scrutinize the developments.
Since many of the recent findings in this field have practical
implications, quite often the symposia in molecular biology are
sponsored by private industry and are of specialized interest and in any
case quite expensive for students to participate in. Given that George
Wash- ington University is a teaching institution, our aim in sponsoring
these Annual Spring Symposia is to provide, at cost, a forum for
students and experts to discuss the latest developments in selected
areas of great significance in biology. Additionally, since the
University is located in Washington, D. C.