Investigations on the specific effects of blue light on plants began some fifty years ago. In re cent years the growing awareness of blue-light-in- duced phenomena in plants, microorganisms, and animals has accelerat- ed and expanded this research into an ever-increasing variety of blue- light effects in biological systems. In 1977, J .A. Schiff and W .R. Briggs proposed a specific meeting to present and summarize the various blue-light effects and to discuss their mechanisms and possible photoreceptors. In view of the variety of re- sponses and the range of organisms affected by blue light...

Four years ago The Blue Light Syndrome was published as the Proceed ings of the 1 st International Conference on the Effect of Blue Light in Plants and Microorganisms. Subsequently the interest in this fascinating and growing field of re search has further increased, as is reflected by numerous publications. Blue light effects cover such a wide spectrum of organisms, responses and methods that communication among scientists with backgrounds in biology, biochemistry, and biophysics is particularly necessary. These facts not only justified, but demanded calling the "Blue Light Family" together...