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NEWSLETTER 2002 - Summary of Activities of IUBMB in 2001SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIESSpecial MeetingThe first IUBMB Special Meeting was devoted to the Biochemical and Molecular Basis of Diseases and was held in Cape Town, South Africa, November 19-24, 2001. It was organized in collaboration with FASBMB (Federation of African Societies for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) and hosted by SABMB (South African Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology). It was co-sponsored by FEBS, ASBMB, EMBO, the Biochemical Society, UNESCO and a number of companies. Over 450 scientists participated in this meeting. Symposia and Interest Group ActivitiesIn 2001, IUBMB sponsored 21 Symposia and Interest Group Workshops in France (2), Chile, USA (5), Argentina, Italy, Australia, Turkey, Russia, India, Poland, Cuba, The Netherlands, Germany, China, Israel and South Africa. Educational ActivitiesIn 2001, IUBMB sponsored 8 Courses, Symposia or Workshops on Biochemical Education in Cuba, Argentina (2), Portugal, Russia, South Africa (2) and Peru. The possibility of enlarging the IUBMB programme to provide textbooks or other teaching aids to developing countries is being considered, perhaps in collaboration with FEBS which has such a program. Forthcoming Events
More information available here ! PUBLICATIONSJournalsIUBMB currently publishes five journals :
IUBMB/Nicholson MapsThe 21st edition of the IUBMB-Nicholson Metabolic Pathways Chart appeared in 2000 (550 reactions are identified by their IUBMB Enzyme Commission numbers). Minimaps, which focus on selected individuals pathways, are now being developed by Don Nicholson. URL: http://www.iubmb.org/MetabolicMiniMaps Nomenclature CommitteeThe Committee has transferred to the Web* a list of 3500 enzymes and has created a separate page for each enzyme entry. Efforts are being made to include in this enzyme database the substrates and co-factors, and the objective is to have a glossary of biochemical compounds linked to the IUPAC proposal for a unique preferred name for every compound. The Committee’s website has become a primary source of information on biochemical nomenclature, as it includes the Committee’s recommendations on the nomenclature of biochemical compounds, recently published newsletters and the enzyme list. *
http://www.chem.qmw.ac.uk/iubmb/nomenclature/ IUBMB LECTURESAn IUBMB Lecture was given at the FEBS/PABMB Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, in June, by Tom Steitz, Yale University, New Haven, and was entitled “ Structures of the large ribosomal subunit and its ligand complexes ”. JUBILEE LECTURESA IUBMB Jubilee Lecture was given at the Canadian Biochemical Society Meeting by Peter Bork, EMBL, Heidelberg, and was entitled « Comparative Genome Analysis ». WOOD-WHELAN RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPSThese fellowships allow biochemists to travel to other laboratories to do research which cannot be done in their own laboratory. The Committee in charge of these fellowships received 7 applications and 4 were awarded (1 from Argentina, 1 from Canada, 2 from India). RELATION WITH ICSU (International Council for Science)IUBMB has been participating in 2001 in several ICSU Committees set up to prepare :
RELATIONS WITH UNESCOA collaboration agreement has been signed between IUBMB and the Director for Biological Sciences of UNESCO (Dr. Nalecz). MATTERS ARISING FROM THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEThe Executive Committee met on November 17-19, 2001, to present individual members’ reports and discussed several pertinent topics : New membersThe Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Benin, and the Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Togo applied to become Associate Adhering Bodies of IUBMB, and the EC was in favour of these two applications. Changes to the Standing OrdersThe EC was in favor of the following changes :
Travel Fellowships to attend a IUBMB CongressThe 100,000 US$ donation to the Lars Ernster Fund will be used to fund Travel Fellowships for young scientists to attend IUBMB Congresses. The EC recommended that 20,000 US$ from this Fund is assigned to the Toronto Congress 2018 for such fellowships. Website http://www.iubmb.orgPeter Ott, who is in charge of the IUBMB website, has been made Chairman of the Information Transfer Committee (within the Publications portfolio). All information especially changes in the name, address, phone, fax, e-mail, of the Officers of the Adhering Bodies or Associate Adhering Bodies, should be communicated to him when they occur (e-mail : [email protected] ). All other correspondence should be addressed to the General Secretary. 14 February 2002
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