This collection of articles, edited by D. W. Halton, is the specially commissioned supplement to the journal Parasitology, volume 113.

Nerve and muscle systems in helminth parasites interact in a highly co-ordinated manner to control movements associated with alimentation, reproduction, locomotion and attachment. All metazoan parasites rely on some or all of these activities for their survival. For a long time it has been known that neuromuscular function in parasites is susceptible to chemotherapeutic attack, and that compromising this aspect of parasite biology is sufficient to cure many parasite infections. This volume outlines the latest research in this area, showing why this system is so amenable to drug intervention and outlining potential targets for new treatments. Written by experts in the field, this volume will be invaluable to anyone interested in the molecular biology, physiology and biochemistry of parasites as well as those looking to exploit these for the creation of new treatments.

"Written by leading research workers from Europe, USA, Australia and New Zealand, this is the only up-to-date reference book which reviews and integrates all the current research findings on the physiology and biochemistry of these organisms, including the molecular information which has accumulated in recent years.

The study of parasitic organisms at the molecular level has yielded fascinating new insights of great medical, social, and economical importance, and has pointed the way for the treatment and prevention of the diseases they cause. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Parasites presents an up-to-date account of this modern scientific discipline in a manner that allows and encourages the reader to place the biochemistry and molecular biology of these organisms in their biological context. The chapters are cross-referenced and grouped in an arrangement that provides a fully integrated whole, and permits the reader to create a composite of the biochemical function of these organisms. Individual chapter includes those devoted to metabolism, in both aerobic and anaerobic protozoa; antioxidant mechanisms; parasite surfaces; organelles; invasion mechanisms; and chemotherapy. The helminths are discussed not only from the point of view of their cellular biochemistry and metabolism, but also with respect to both their integrated functions such as neurochemistry, structure and functions of surfaces, and reproduction. Written by expert investigators, this book will be of interest to all experienced researchers, graduate students, and to the newcomer eager to become familiar with the biochemistry and molecular biology of parasites.

When Professor John Sprent first suggested, in 1982, that the Australian Society for Parasitology should bid for the opportunity to mount the Sixth International Congress of Parasitology, the immediate reaction was one of disbelief. However, in the two years or so before ICOPA 5, in Toronto, he used his considerable powers to the utmost and spent himself unstintingly in persuading Australian parasitologists to put together a bid. The Society inevitably agreed, for it is difficult to prevent such a determined and eminent man from getting his own way! A case for an Australian venue was prepared and, as President, I was charged with the task of convincing the delegates in Toronto that Australia was worth going all the way to see. The events of that meeting are now far in the past; suffice to say that, in the end, Australia won by the narrowest of margins, largely due to the energy of my inventive colleagues who put the case for Australia at every possible and improbable moment. I do not remember a great deal about the scientific aspects of ICOPA 5. I was far too preoccupied with an awful spectre, that of telling John Sprent that I had failed, to pay attention to much other than lobbying for votes. I do remember, however, telling myself how much I would enjoy the next ICOPA without the terrible responsibility of capturing ICOPA 7.

An excellent practical guide to hands-on teaching of parasitology in the laboratory.