Sensory transduction is the process by which the physical energy of a stimulus, such as light, sound, or chemical binding, is converted by a biological receptor cell to a signal that affects the behavior of that cell. The process is a fundamental one for communication between cells in many systems, notably as the input of information to nervous systems. Several unicellular organisms also utilize sensory transduction to orient toward light, or a food source, or neighboring cells. The access of their systems to biochemical and genetic manipulation has made them useful to study, not only as models for "higher" organisms, but in their own right, to clarify the mechanisms underlying sensory transduction. This Gordon Conference is one of a continuing biennial series since 1976 on this topic, and provides an format that allows intense discussion among investigators in this highly multidisciplinary field. The impact of this conference will be on physiologists, neuroscientists, biochemists, and molecular biologists who are interested in the currently exciting topic of ellular communication.
