During the past decade we have witnessed several major dis- coveries in
the area of protein synthesis and post-translational modification of
protein molecules. In this volume, many of the lat- est research
developments in these fields are reported by the dis- tinguished
international group of scientists who presented their state-of-the-art
results at the 13th Linderstr0m-Lang Conference held at God0Ysund,
Norway, June 14-18, 1983. We feel that the presentation here of so wide
a variety of articles on both the molecular and the cellular aspects of
protein synthesis will be of considerable value to many scientists
working in the area who were unable to attend, as well as to many who
are active in related areas. In addition to the research papers, the
contents of the six scientific sessions held during the conference have
been summarized by the respective session chairmen. These individual
summaries provide insightful syntheses of all the recent progress in
each field, identify which current problems remain of special inter-
est, and suggest what the future may hold in the several areas of
protein synthesis research covered. Though this volume obviously cannot
provide a complete survey of all important ongoing research on the
molecular and cellular biology of translational and post-translational
events, we are confi- dent that it will facilitate a much better
understanding of many im- portant contemporary problems in research on
protein synthesis, including cell differentiation, translational
accuracy, protein modifi- cation, intracellular transport, and membrane
turnover.
