Proteins are the servants of life. They occur in all com- nent parts of
living organisms and are staggering in their fu- tional variety, despite
their chemical similarity. Even the simplest single-cell organism
contains a thousand different p- teins, fulfilling a wide range of
life-supporting roles. Additions to the total number of known proteins
are being made on an increasing scale through the discovery of mutant
strains or their production by genetic manipulation. The total
international protein literature could fill a medi- sized building and
is growing at an ever-increasing rate. The reader might be forgiven for
asking whether yet another book on proteins, their properties, and
functions can serve a useful purpose. An explanation of the origin of
this book may serve as justification. The authors form the tutorial team
for an int- sive postexperience course on protein characterization or-
nized by the Center for Professional Advancement, East Brunswick, New
Jersey, an educational foundation. The course was first mounted in
Amsterdam in 1982 and has since been repeated several times, in both
Amsterdam and the US, with participants from North America and most
European countries. In a predecessor to this book, emphasis was placed
on the role of protein isolation in the food industry, because at the
time this reflected the interests of most of the participants at the
course. Today, isolated proteins for food use are extracted from yeasts,
fungal sources, legumes, oilseeds, cereals, and leaves.