Molecular biology has always been a discipline of rapid development. Despite this, we are presently experiencing a period of unprecedented proliferation of information in nucleic acid studies and molecular biology. These areas are intimately interwoven, so that each influences the other to their mutual benefit. The rapid growth in information leads to ever-increasing specialization, so that it becomes increasingly difficult for a scientist to keep abreast of developments in all the various aspects of the field, although an up-to-date knowledge of the field as a whole is highly desirable. With this background in mind we present the series Nucleic Acids and Molecular Biology. It comprises focused review articles by active researchers who report on the newest developments in their areas of particular interest.