Abstract
One hundred years have passed since the first lectin was described in castor seeds. Research on lectins has, in particular during the last decade or two, greatly enriched our knowledge in different areas of biochemistry, plant physiology, microbiology and immunology. It has also provided us with powerful tools for biological and medical investigations in such diverse areas as the structural characterization of glycoconjugates, the tracing of neuroanatomical pathways and bone marrow transplantation. There is little doubt that as we learn more about lectins, and discover new ones, novel and unexpected applications can be anticipated. We may also look forward to a time when lectins with desired specificities will be designed and produced by recombinant DNA techniques.