In classical times, the Mediterranean was considered the centre of the Earth; in fact, that is the very meaning of the word. The sea was the means of communication between all its coasts. Science and knowledge flowed freely around the Mediterranean and the Greco-roman culture, the cornerstone of the Western world, flourished on its shores.
The IUBMB Conference and FEBS Congress in Athens focus the attention of the international scientific community on this area. This event will congregate the international biochemistry and molecular biology community and scientific discussions will be heard on the shoreline of the sea that witnessed the birth of modern science.
This issue of IUBMB Life brings a series of feature articles on how biochemistry and molecular biology have developed in several Mediterranean Countries, ranging from Spain and Morocco in the West to Israel in the East. Furthermore, it includes regular papers from European authors in recognition that this year the attention of IUBMB falls on Europe. It is inspiring to observe that on the Northern shore biochemistry and molecular biology are advancing progressively, thereby balancing the weight of Northern European