The Symposium of the Society of General Physiologists, Ion Channels, and Genetic Diseases, held September 7-11, 1994, at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, brought together scientists representing the broad spectrum of disciplines that have converged to produce our current understanding of the role of ion channel gene mutations in inherited disorders. The articles cover the identification of disease-related genes, the effect of mutations on protein structure and function, the impact of channel dysfunction on the cell and organ physiology, and the development of therapeutic strategies for overcoming the consequences of inherited defects.