Esteemed researchers from different European laboratories provide state-of-the-art studies on biology and ageing, along with guidelines for future investigations. They cover such issues in molecular gerontological research as regulation of gene expression from DNA to RNA to functional proteins, origin of various age-associated diseases, genetic regulation of ageing and longevity, and different mechanisms of defense and repair. Other contributions evaluate new technologies, including transgenic organisms, and the use of nutritional and chemical modulators of ageing and lifespan.