Paperback. The porphyrins are a class of naturally-occurring macrocycles and are ubiquitous in our world. As such, they have been called the Pigments of Life. This auspicious designation reflects their importance in numerous biological functions. Indeed, life as we understand it relies on the full range of biological processes that are either performed by or catalyzed by porphyrin-containing proteins. Chlorophyll-containing photosynthetic reaction centers in plants, for instance, convert light energy into chemical energy while producing oxygen along the way. It is this oxygen, evolved from photosynthesis, that is transported, stored, and reduced by heme-containing proteins in many organisms, including mammals. Not surprisingly, therefore, these molecules remain of fundamental interest to chemists and biochemists. Indeed, they continue to be intensely investigated by researchers world-wide.Inspired by the importance of the porphyrins, a new research di