The conference on "RNA: Catalysis, Splicing, Evolution" brought together a unique assembly of scientific leaders in this currently very important field. Two participants of this Conference, Drs. T.R. Cech and S. Altman, were just awarded the 1989 Nobel prize in chemistry, which attests to the timeliness of this volume. The critical reviews authored by these two prominent scientists are included. For those scientists with roots in this field, who do not subscribe to GENE, this is an excellent opportunity to obtain a masterly collection of papers. All the original papers and reviews have undergone the rigorous peer review of the journal "Gene".
