Protein synthesis by the ribosome plays a central role in connecting genotypes to phenotypes in biology. Ribosomes 2013 continues the long tradition of bringing together scientists who are unraveling ribosome function and structure. The 2013 meeting brings a new era in the study of the ribosome, with the accelerated pace of structural and mechanistic discoveries of how the ribosome is assembled, how it synthesizes proteins, and how it is regulated. Understanding all these processes at the molecular level is the major theme of this conference.