The breadth of modern biology is characterized by a comprehension of phenomena at many levels of organization. Such levels of understanding range from the organismal to the molecular. It is when all these levels can be discussed together that a sense of true achievement begins to be felt. The topical area of fatty acid transport and metabolism was the focus of the Third International Conference on Lipid-Binding Proteins held at the University of Minnesota in May 1997. This volume contains a sampling of the proceedings of this meeting.