This issue of the Journal of Theoretical Biology is dedicated to the memory of David Garfinkel, who died 1 year ago after an 8 month fight against cancer. David was a pioneer in the techniques of computer modeling of metabolic systems, an interest he developed as a postdoctoral fellow when computers first became widely available. He was often told that his ideas were too advanced; the problems in which he was interested were too difficult to be addressed using the existing machines. Yet, even then he saw the potential role computer simulation could play in elucidating the biochemical mechanisms underlying the behavior of complex biological systems. His legacy is reflected in the articles which appear in this issue.
David received his A.B. degree in biochemistry with highest honors (equivalent to summa cum laude) from the University of California at Berkeley in 1951. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Harvard University in 1955. His dissertation, "The Raman spectra of amino acids, peptides, and proteins," was completed under the guidance of John T. Edsall and pointed towards a career as an experimentalist. Indeed, David was one of the first to isolate cytochrome b~ from liver (