A strong motivation for metabolic investigations of essential metals lies with the simple fact that these elements are primordial metabolites and building blocks of living matter, a truism largely forgotten today. Among them, the metals of the first transition group display high physical and chemical flexibility: They can concomitantly coordinate natural or artificial ligands; they can regulate electron and proton transport; they can act as catalysts or as cofactors to catalysis.

Report issued by the Brookhaven National Laboratory discussing the work conducted by the lab during the fiscal year of 1957. As stated in the introduction, "the progress and trends of the research program are presented along with a description of the operational, service, and administrative activities of the Laboratory" (p. vii). This report includes tables, illustrations, and photographs.