Preface 



In 1956 The International Union of Biological Sciences (lUBS) decided 

 to set up a Biochemistry Section Committee, which would be a Co- 

 ordinating Committee between lUBS and the International Union of 

 Biochemistry (lUB) and, through a Co-ordinating Committee of lUB and 

 the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (lUPAC), would 

 also have contact with lUPAC. It was considered that the Committee would 

 be specifically concerned with chemical biology within the framework of 

 the Unions federated to the Councils of Scientific Unions (ICSU). The 

 members of the Biochemistry Section Committee are at present : R. 

 Brunei (Toulouse) and O. Lindberg (Stockholm) (appointed by lUBS), 

 A^I. Florkin (Liege) and T. W. Goodwin (Aberystwyth) (appointed by 

 lUB), and P. Boyer (Minneapolis) and F. Lynen (Munich) (co-opted 

 members). Florkin and Goodwin were elected Chairman and Secretary 

 respectively. 



The first Committee meeting was held in 195S during the 4th Inter- 

 national Congress of Biochemistrv in Vienna. It had been visualized 

 throughout the discussions that an important function of the Committee 

 would be to make suggestions for various International Svmposia to both 

 lUBS and lUB. It was agreed that subjects would be appropriate only if 

 both biochemistry and the biological sciences were combining to produce 

 a rapidly expanding sphere of knowledge. A number of possibilities were 

 considered at Vienna and it was eventually decided that "Biological 

 Structure and Function" was most appropriate at this time. This idea 

 was accepted by the two International Unions and plans began to be 

 formulated. It was readily agreed that the most suitable centre in 

 Furope for such a symposium was theWenner-Gren Institute, with its w'ell- 

 established, international reputation in this field and, furthermore, the 

 project had the blessing and support of Dr. Axel Wenner-Gren himself, 

 who honoured the Symposium by agreeing to act as Patron of Honour 

 and by attending the Inaugural Session to deliver the opening address. 



The lUB and lUBS have supported this Symposium financially but 

 the realization of the Symposium would not have been possible without 

 the generous aid of the Wenner-Gren Foundation, and of the various 

 bodies in different countries which support the attendance of scientists at 

 important international meetings. It was extremely satisfying to the 



