This NATO Advanced Study Institute (co-sponsored by FEBS and INTAS) under the title "Chemical Probes in Biology" was designed to summarize and disseminate recent expert knowledge regarding a deeper understanding ofbiological phenomena on a molecular level. Such scientific activities -frequently termed Bio-organic Chemistry or Chemical Biology are constituting a highly interdisciplinary branch of chemistry beyond the traditional ways in which chemists and biologists have been working in the past. Thus, on this occasion we were bringing together senior experts from the disciplines of Chemistry and Biology in order to amalgamate their diverse yet basically common interests in this area. Ultimate goal was - next to an exchange of information between the two scientific cultures - the communication ofexciting possibilities in interdisciplinary research to the young scientists present. The meeting was held in the Anargyros and Korgialenios School on the Island ofSpeteses, Greece from 18-30 August 2002. The ASI was attended by a total of 91 scholars from 23 different countries. A group of 27 speakers presented a series of 34 highly stimulating, informative and educational lectures covering a broad range of topics relevant to the general theme ofthis meeting: Science at the InteifaceofChemistry, Biology and Medicine. The lectures were complemented by a total of 89 posters presented by the young scholars and a series of short lectures derived thereof This was clearly one ofthe highlites of the meeting creating a lively atmosphere of interaction and intellectual creativity - typical phenomena for the whole meeting.

Preface. 1. Nitric Oxide: A Simple Free Radical with Complex Chemistry and Biology; J.P. Eiserich. 2. Glycopeptides and Glycoproteins: Synthetic Chemistry and Biology; O. Seitz. 3. Signal Regulated Gene Expression Mediated by Transcription Factors-Members of AP-1 and ETS/SRF Family Members: Pathways for Potential Therapeutic Intervention; A. Pintzas. 4. Biological Activities of the Phosphoinositide derivatives, the Glycerophosphoinositols; S. Mariggio, B.M. Filippi, C. Iurisci, D. Corda. 5. Chemical Synthesis of all Naturally Occurring Phosphorylated Inositol Phospholipids; K.S. Bruzik. 6. Molecules of the Inositol Phospholipid Pathway - Enzyme Assisted Syntheses; P. Andersch, M. Berger, B. Jakob, K. Lange, M.P. Schneider. 7. Phosphatidylinositol Specific Phospholipases C: Structure and Mechanism of Action; K.S. Bruzik. 8. Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Signal Trans-Activation; S. Hart, A. Gschwind, A. Roidl, A. Ullrich. 9. From Sequence to Consequence: Structural Biology and Rational Drug Design in the Age of Genomics; G.A. Petsko, D. Ringe. 10. Leukocyte-Derived Myeloperoxidase is a Physiological Nitric Oxide and Nitrite Oxidase: Functions beyond Host Defense; J.P. Eiserich. 11. Lipoic Acid, a Metabolic Antioxidant Stimulates the Insulin Signaling Pathway in Adipocytes and Counteracts Oxidative Stress and Age Related Mitochondrial and Cognitive Dysfunction; L. Packer. 12. Lipid Peroxidation and Oxidative Stress Induced Etheno-DNA Adducts in Humans and Rodents; J. Nair, H, Bartsch. 13. Brassinosteroids: A New Role of Steroids as Bio-Signaling Molecules; V. Khripach, V. Zhabinskii, R. Karnachuk. 14.Dopamine Influence on Glutamatergic and GABAergic Interaction in Neocortex of Awakened Brain; V.M. Storozhuk. 15. Study of Human Replication Protein A by Photoaffinity Labeling Technique; O.I.Lavrik, P.E. Pestryakov, J.K. Nazarkina, S.N. Khodyreva. 16. Photoaffinity Probes in Molecular Biology of DNA Replication and DNA Repair; O.I. Lavrik, S.N. Khodyreva. 17. Neoglycoconjugates as Probes in Glycobiology; N.V. Bovin. 18. Glycosylphosphatidylinositol Anchors; L.M. Thomson, T. Fontaine, A. Mehlert, M.A.J. Ferguson. 19. Development of New Synthetic Tools for the Preparation of Biologically Active Molecules; S.V. Ley, I.R. Baxendale, P. Grice. 20. Quaternary Benzo[C]Phenanthridine Alkaloids-Biological Activities; V. Å imanek, R. Vespalec, A Å edo, J. Ulrichova, J. Vičar. 21. The Fundamental Role of Melanocortins in Brain Processes; V. Klusa, B. Jansone, S, Svirkis, J. Rumaks, R. Mucemiece. 22. Carbon Isotope Effects as a Tool to Study Photsynthesis; A.A. Islev. 23. Homogeneous DNA Detection; O. Seitz. 24. Unlocking Mechanisms in Gene Therapy, Stress and Proteomics; A.D. Miller. 25. Cationic Lipid-Nucleic Acid Complexes (Lipoplexes) from Physicochemical Properties to In Vitro and In Vivo Transfection Kits; D. Simberg, D. Hirsch-Lerner, N.-J. Zuidam, S. Even-Chen, M. Kerner, H. Eliyahu, N. Servel, S. Weisman, A. Plis-Finarov, Y. Talmon, Y. Barenholz. 26. Multivalency in Biological Systems; L.L. Kiessling, A.C. Lamanna. 27. Protein Assembly to Mine the Human Genome; B.L. Nilsson, M.B. Soellner, R.T. Raines. 28. Synthesis of Biologically Important Oligosaccharides and Carbohydrate Mimics; P. SinaÃ''. 29. Enzymatic Synthesis of Carbohydrate Ligands for Natural Killer Cells; V. Kren. 30. From Tyrphostins to Iressa and Gleevec: Signal Transduction Therapy from Concept to the Patient Bed; A. Levitzki, D. Ben-Yehudah. Index.