The two feature articles in this issue present numerous contrasts, but both reflect the vitality of research in polymer science today. David Tirrell and co-authors paint a picture of how the techniques of molecular biology may be applied to the synthesis of novel “proteinlike” polymers with control over molecular weight, composition, and stereoregularity that is unprecedented in the realm of traditional polymer chemistry. Wolfgang Knoll turns his attention to ultrathin polymer films with thicknesses comparable to molecular chain dimensions and demonstrates how evanescent wave optical methods may be used to provide spectroscopic as well as imaging information on the characterization of these “restricted geometry” systems.

Both authors address the issue of supermolecular structure, whether approached from the synthetic or physical chemical viewpoints. Tirrell describes a series of target polymers, expressed by genetically engineered microorganisms, which may provide a fundamental understanding and control over chain folding, a critical morphological feature governing solid-state behavior of synthetic polymers. Knoll analyzes the fundamentals of evanescent wave optical methods for interrogating the molecular organization in polymer films that have considerable potential in electronic or photonic applications.