The extraordinary specialization of the eye and its integration with the central nervous system provide a rich source for investigations on cell biology, differentiation, biochemistry, biophysics, electrophysiology, membrane functions and structure/function relationships in general. Within the last few years, these investigations have focused on the genes coding for specific eye proteins. The genes for lens crystallins, opsins and other retinal proteins, as well as membrane and connective tissue proteins are being cloned, sequenced and expressed, producing rapid advances in our understanding of eye protein structure and function. Molecular genetic approaches also are being used increasingly for studying metabolic and hereditary eye disorders and ocular oncogenesis. This meeting will be the first to assemble molecular biologists studying different aspects of the eye, and should provide new insights into both the visual process and the structure and function of genes. In addition, this meeting should kindle many new interactions among molecular biologists and vision scientists, and promote new approaches to eye research.
