The goal of this symposium is to bring together experts from the whole range of techniques of optical spectroscopy, who are interested in studying the dynamics and function of biomolecules. One important emphasis of the meeting will be to compare and contrast single molecule measurements with ensemble-based spectroscopic methods, such as ultrafast spectroscopy. A second emphasis will be on the application of novel optical techniques to biophysical problems. The organization of the symposium will highlight the biological systems studied.