Seven months after the report of the cloning of the CF gene by three North American groups, a workshop scheduled before that report was held in sestri Levante, a splendid city on the Ligu- rian coast. For three days almost 100 scientists from Europe and North America had the opportunity to discuss the perspectives and the new research strategies opened up by the cloning of the gene. The issue of publishing these proceedings was discussed at length among the invited speakers of the workshop and the pre- vailing opinion was that they would be worthwhile if accompanied by the transcripts of the discussions which followed each pre- sentation. Thanks to the generous suppport of the Menarini Foun- dation, represented at the meeting by Dr. Sergio Gorini, and thanks to the reviewing work done by the Chairpersons of each session, by many participants, by Dr. Donata Brugioni, by Mrs. Katherine Loparco and by my collaborators Drs. Marcella Devoto and Luis J. V. Galietta, that idea has generated this book, which should be a helpful tool at least for some years for all those interested in understanding how the CFTR gene works. Prof. G. Romeo CONTENTS Cystic Fibrosis - A Strategy for the Future -. . . . . . . . . . . . . . -. 1 R. Williamson Molecular Genetics of cystic Fibrosis . . . . . . . . . -. . . . . . . . . . -. . 9 L. -C. Tsui, J. Rommens, B. Kerem, R. Rozmahel, J. Zielenski, D. Kennedy, D. Markiewicz, N. Plavsic, J. -L. Chou, D. Bozon and M.