Featured in this issue

Bani Kanta Sarma and Govindasamy Mugesh highlight in their Perspective article the importance of effective binding of thiol cofactors at the active site of selenoenzymes in catalytic activity.

Meanwhile, in his Emerging Area, Deiter Rehder explores the role that Vanadium plays in the formation of a multitude of organic compounds from bacteria and other primitive forms of life. 

The outside cover for this issue is provided by Jason Micklefield and co-workers, whose communication describes a method for the biosynthesis of new calcium-dependent antibiotics (CDAs) possessing modified tryptophan residues. 




This issue's inside front cover accompanies Govindasamy Mugesh's Perspective article.




Also in this issue are two HOT articles. In the first, Denis Barron and colleagues describe the optimisation of a novel synthesis of a polyphenolic compound found in coffee beans.

The second, by Volker Bohmer and co-workers, shows how even subtle changes in the ether region in tetraurea calix[4]arenes can result in significant differences in the rate of exchange of guest molecules.

Richard Kelly