Book excerpt: In the mid-1980s the European Journal of Biochemistry set out to publish review articles. The enterprise proved successful, resulting in high-level reviews written by well-known scientists appearing in the Journal. The reviews represent emerging and rapidly growing fields of research in fundamental as well as applied areas of biochemistry, such as medicine, biotechnology, agriculture and nutrition. Novel methodological and technological approaches which stimulate biochemical research are also included. The authors of the reviews are explicitely asked to be critical, selective, evaluative and interdisciplinary oriented. The reviews should encourage young scientists to think independently and creatively, and inform active investigators about the state of the art in a given field.