Hyaluronan and its derivatives has developed very quickly in the last few years from a scientific novelty into an important new material for a diverse range of medical and biomaterial applications. This landmark conference focused on developments and applications in the use of hyaluronan in tissue repair and reconstruction, drug delivery systems, anti-cancer treatments and joint recovery and engineering. The entire range of hyaluronan progress is covered in depth by the more than 135 individual papers: Analytical chemistry Structural elucidation and basic chemistry Electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy Production, purification and characterisation Quality in production systems Chemical modification Derivatives and properties Cross-linking Free radical modification Physical characterisation Rheology Aggregation phenomena Interaction with water and solution properties Cell biology Control and regulation of HA synthases Cell surface chemistry HA cell receptors and cell signalling Interaction with proteins and other biological ligands Biophysical aspects Effects on pain receptors Neurobiology Role in organisation of extracellular matrix Role in development (embryogenesis): cell movement/migration Medical applications Uses in cartilage and wound repair Inflammation Wound regenerative healing Surgery and tissue engineering Viscosupplementation / osteoarthritis Viscoaugmentation and viscoprotection Anti-adhesion applications Brug delivery systems Binding onto tumour cells and metastases