The life and work of Shoichiro Tsukita

We dedicate the 2008 Berlin conference and this collection of scientific manuscripts to the memory of our colleague Shoichiro Tsukita. His seminal scientific contributions and impact on the field of tight junctions is substantial. Shoichiro was a professor at Kyoto University and one the world's most influential biologists when he passed away on December 11, 2005 at the age of 52 from complications of pancreatic cancer. He was a pioneer in several areas of cell biology; most particularly he will be remembered as the founding father of the molecular study of tight junctions.