In the 1950s when the Butenandt and Karlson laboratory first crystallized and characterized ecdysone, it was thought to be the insect molting hormone since when injected into experimental insects the result was molting. I use the plural because the nomenclature has indeed undergone a metamorphosis akin to what our experimental animals undergo. Clearly, all that was presented at the meeting and in this volume cannot be summarized here in a single page, but the reader is cordially invited to explore this relatively large volume that attempts to synthesize the most current knowledge base for this important category of steroid hormones.

This book, and the meeting itself, is comprised of 23 contributed chapters falling into five general categories: Fundamental Aspects of Ecdysteroid Research: The Distribution and Diversity of Ecdysteroids in Animals and Plants Ecdysteroid Genetic Hierarchies in Insect Growth and Reproduction Role of Cross Talk and Growth Factors in Ecdysteroid Titers and Signaling Ecdysteroid Function Through Nuclear and Membrane Receptors Ecdysteroids in Modern Agriculture, Medicine, Doping and Ecotoxicology. The workshop itself had 54 oral presentations as well as many posters. This book resulting from the meeting is more up-to-date than might be expected since manuscripts were not delivered to the editor until 2007. These young scientists had the opportunity to discuss their work with many senior scientists at meals, breaks and during the several social events, and were encouraged to do so. The 16th International Ecdysone Workshop took place at Ghent University in Belgium, July 10–14, 2006 and drew some 150 attendees, many of these young students and postdoctoral associates.

No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Library of Congress Control Number: 2008938015 © 2009 Springer Science + Business Media B.V. Editor Guy Smagghe Laboratory of Agrozoology Faculty of Bioscience Engineering Ghent University Belgium

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