Archived Newsletters
ASB

AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY FOR BIOPHYSICS

Newsletter 2002/5

ASB News

Greetings! Preparations are well underway for our 2002 Annual Conference. The deadline for abstract submission has now passed and the deadline for early registration is only weeks away. 
Last week our Secretary, Cyril Curtain, circulated minutes of the 2001 AGM, an agenda for the 2002 AGM and a nomination form for Council.   
Our Treasurer, Frances Separovic, circulated membership renewal notices some time ago to those whose membership fees were due on July 1. If you haven’t already done so, please get back to her in the near future. You need to be a financial member to vote at the AGM and to be eligible for Society awards. If you are a a recipient of this newsletter and not a member of ASB but would like to join, please contact Frances Separovic (fs@unimelb.edu.au). She’ll be delighted to sign you up!

1. ASB 2002 Conference

The 2002 Annual Conference will be held at the University of Melbourne in late November (Friday-Saturday, November 29-30th). It will follow the Australian Health & Medical Research Congress, which runs November 25-29th (http://www.asnevents.net.au/congress/).
We have a number of themes for our conference: Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, Fluorescence, Bionanotechnology, Photosynthesis (Real and Artificial), Biomaterials, Protein Folding, and Ion Channels and Membranes. Overseas plenary speakers include Art Palmer (Columbia University: Biomolecular dynamics), and Ratnesh Lal (University of California, Santa Barbara: Bionanotechnology). Frank Caruso, a Federation Fellow returning from the Max Planck Institute, will also speak on Bionanotechnology. We have a number of invited local speakers. As the closing date for abstracts has passed, we are now selecting additional speakers from submitted abstracts; these speakers will be informed in the near future.
We remind members that the closing date for registration is November 1st. Details regarding registration and accommodation are in the attachments emailed some time ago. You can also download them from the ASB website:  www.anatomy.usyd.edu.au/ASB/Meetings/2002/ or email Paul Gooley (prg@unimelb.edu.au).

2. Bob Robertson Medal

2002 will see the inauguration of an invited lecture at our Annual Conference in honour of Sir Rutherford (Bob) Robertson’s contribution to biophysics in Australia, as well as to Australian science generally. Awardees will be presented with a medal and a cheque at the Annual Conference and will present a lecture at that conference. The medal is designed to recognise outstanding contributions to biophysics; while research contributions are of primary importance, other contributions, including to biophysics teaching or service to the discipline, are also taken into account. 
The selection process is essentially complete and I thank the selection committee for their efforts. We had an excellent field of candidates, and choosing among them was not easy. It has been decided to keep the name of the awardee under wraps until the time of the Conference.

3. ASB 2003

The 2003 Annual Conference will be held in Adelaide. The organising committee will be chaired by our SA rep David Saint (david.saint@adelaide.edu.au). As usual, we’ll take the opportunity to run the Conference adjacent to another conference that some of our members would attend. There is an international toxins conference in September which might be suitable, but if you know of others please let David know before the AGM.

4. ASB 2004

If you didn’t get around to contacting Boris Martinac about what you’d like to see for the 2004 conference, here’s a reminder:
Preparations for the ComBio 2004 in Perth have started, with the formation of the local Organizing Committee. Local members of the ASBMB and ASB discussed the possibilities of the ASB 2004 Meeting becoming a part of the ComBio. It was suggested that the ASB be a part of ComBio, similar to what the ASBMB, ANZSCDBI and ASPP/ASPS did in the past, i.e. have a combined conference (combined sessions and topics), but keep the individual society events separate (e.g. conference dinner, award ceremonies, poster sessions, annual meeting). From a scientific standpoint it would be advantagous to be a part of ComBio as opposed to running as a satellite as was done in the past. Taking into account, however, that the cost could be a significant factor in making a decision of being part of ComBio, a possible downside could be if the registration for ComBio were too much for the ASB members who were not attracted to the rest of ComBio. ASB members are asked to express their opinions and comment on their preference (i.e. being part of ComBio or not) for the ASB Meeting in 2004 in Perth. Boris’ full contact details are at here. His email is bmartinac@receptor.pharm.uwa.edu.au
A decision on this question will be made at the 2002 AGM.

5. ASB Website

Adelle Coster has been doing a great job in updating the ASB website (www.anatomy.usyd.edu.au/ASB/) but we’d like to expand its information content even further. There are already links from the ASB site to a number of members’ individual websites, but we’d like to add more so that visitors to the site get a broad view of what we as biophysicists do. Please send details of your site to Adelle (asb@anatomy.usyd.edu.au).
Similarly, if you have any images from your work that could be included, please consult Adelle.

Meeting Reports & Other News

1. ASB 2001 meeting papers in European Biophysics Journal

The special issue of EBJ which contains papers from the 2001 ASB Annual Conference has now been published.  It is Volume 31 Number 5, August 2002.  Check the journal website  http://link.springer.de/link/service/journals/00249/.

2. 2002 Nobel Prize for Chemistry

As you will no doubt be aware by now, Kurt Wüthrich was awarded one half of the 2002 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. This award is not only a great personal honour for Kurt, but it enhances the field of NMR generally and its application to biomolecular structure determination in particular. Kurt has been a regular visitor to Australasia and a strong advocate of the discipline both here and elsewhere, and we offer him our warmest congratulations.

3. Recent Innovations in Biological Solid State NMR

Report by Frances Separovic

A joint British Biophysical Society and Institute of Physics NMR meeting concentrating primarily on protein/peptide structural studies in model membrane systems was held September 2-3 at St Catherine’s College, Oxford. The meeting was organized by Tony Watts, who assembled an international group of solid-state NMR spectroscopists who presented and discussed enthusiastically the latest advances related to proteins and biomembranes. The 20 talks over two days and poster session were extremely stimulating as we biological solid-state NMR spectroscopists could delight in getting into intimate details and see where the field was heading. The conference dinner was held at the University Museum following a lecture by Nobel Laureate (NMR) Richard Ernst on Tibetan art. Richard gave a thought provoking and timely lecture in Southampton the next day at the opening of a new solid-state NMR centre on ethics in science and the Iraq crisis. Overall, I was left with the impression that solid-state NMR was more exciting than  ever, in particular the biological studies.

Upcoming Events

1. 4th Australian Biacore Symposium

Tuesday October 22 at The Chifley on Flemington, Melbourne.
Keynote speakers will be Dr David Myszka (Centre for Biomolecular Interaction Analysis, University of Utah) and Dr Kara Herlihy (Application Scientist, Biacore USA) who will present their latest data on small moleculae screening and interfaces with mass spectrometry respectively.
This is an excellent opportunity to meet with some world experts in the field and also other Biacore users in Australia. Registration costs $99 which includes an Abstract Book, lunch and morning/afternoon tea.
Please contact Dr Mibel Aguilar (Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Ph: 9905-3723, email: mibel.aguilar@med.monash.edu.au) for registration forms - or Dr Jonathan Moss (Biacore) on 9897-4900.

2. Membrane Protein Symposium

In conjunction with the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute's Princess' Lectures, November 3-4, 2002. Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute 5th International Symposium membrane proteins: the next frontier.
NAB Auditorium, 384 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010.

Speakers

Registration and bookings are essential as numbers are limited. Registration is free for delegates from non-profit organisations and $400 for those delegates from for-profit organisations. Costs for partners accompanying delegates :$100
Cocktails and mixer 3rd November, 2002 6:30pm Dinner 4th November, 2002 7pm
Early registration is advisable, as places for dinner are limited and we are unable to guarantee a place for every delegate.
For a full agenda and bookings please contact:
Ms Heather Nobbs at the VCCRI,384 Victoria Street,Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
Tel: (02)9295 8502, Fax: (02)9295 8501Email: h.nobbs@victorchang.unsw.edu.au.

3. Boden Research Conference on Artificial Photosynthesis, incorporating the R.N. Robertson Symposium on Biomimetic Photochemical Conversion and Transduction Systems

January 9 – 11, 2003. Manly Pacific Parkroyal Hotel, Sydney

The scientific program includes the following topics :
The 40 invited speakers are from Australia, NZ, USA, Sweden, Switzerland and Germany.
The number of attendees is limited to 100, so we encourage you to register immediately. Registration is $400 and includes attendance at all sessions, breaks, lunches and conference dinner. Accommodation is available at the hotel at $190-$210 per night per room.
For registration, hotel accommodation booking and further information about the conference, please contact Tony Collings (ph: 02 9413 7148, email: anthony.collings@csiro.au) or Christa Critchley (ph: 07 3365 3470, m: 0407 639 394, email: C.Critchley@botany.uq.edu.au)

4. 23rd Annual Meeting of the Australian Neuroscience Society

The Australian Neuroscience Society meeting will be held in the  Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide, January 28-31, 2003.  The Abstract and earlybird registration deadline is October 25, 2002. Abstract submission and registration is available on line. Further details may be found on http://www.ans.org.au/nextmeet.htm.

5. 6th International Congress of Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry

2-7 February, 2003. La Trobe University, Mt Buller, Australia

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
Please use the hyperlink for information on the scientific programme, registration, accommodation and deadlines. www.zoo.latrobe.edu.au/iccpb

6. 47th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society (USA)

The (US) Biophysical Society meeting will be held in San Antonio, Texas. March 1-5, 2003. Although the deadline for abstract submission is past (October 6), there is still plenty of time for Early Registration (December 13).  Further details on  www.biophysics.org.

7. International Society for Toxinology World Congress

The 14th World Congress on Animal, Plant and Microbial Toxins will be held in Adelaide, September 14-19, 2003. For further information, contact Julian White (toxinaus@wch.sa.gov.au).

Notices & Special Reports

1. Sir Mark Oliphant Conferences: International Frontiers of Science and Technology

The 'Sir Mark Oliphant Conferences: International Frontiers of Science and Technology' is an Australian Government initiative of the Innovation Access Program to promote and develop Australian science and technology by: highlighting emerging areas; linking research providers and users; accessing new expertise; promoting international cooperation; and improving understanding of science in the Australian community. Funding is available through this scheme to assist (up to $90,000 per conference) with the staging of conferences on leading edge, cross cutting issues of clear strategic importance to Australia. Expressions of interest are sought from individuals, organisations or consortia wishing to convene and organise a Sir Mark Oliphant Conference to be held between held between 1 July 2003 and 31 December 2004. For further information please visit http://www.oliphant.org.au. EOI's must be submitted by 30 September 2002.

2. We received the following request from Sue Serjeantson on behalf of PMSEIC. Several members responded.

Dear Colleague,
I am writing on behalf of the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (PMSEIC) working group on the topic of Science and Security.  We are seeking information about current research projects being undertaken in Australia which have potential application to four phases in countering terrorism activities: prevention, detection, response and recovery. 
We would appreciate it if you could fill out the short questionnaire below - it should take about ten minutes.  Your response may be incorporated into a report being prepared by the working group for the November meeting of PMSEIC.
We need your reply by 20 September, 2002 (pd@science.org.au). Please reply separately for each project if there is more than one relevant activity.  Feel free to forward this e-mail on to anyone you know who may be involved in research potentially relevant to our national security.

International News

1. We are continuing to explore the possibility of joint meetings with biophysics societies in Asia and Europe.

There will be an Asian regional biophysics conference in 2003 in Taiwan, and we are hoping to have some representation from Australia. A website should be available soon, but in the meantime this provides some general information:

‘The Fourth East Asia Biophysics Symposium (EABS) will be held from May 20-23, 2003 in Taipei, Taiwan. On behalf of the Biophysics Society of the Republic of China, I would like to welcome you to participate in this exciting event.  The 4th EABS is estimated to attract more than 500 participants, and we plan to have 6 plenary lectures as well as 52 invited talks.  We have also invited Prof. Lubert Stryer of Stanford University for the opening lecture.  The countries of the invited speakers will not only cover Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China (the original founding countries), but also include other pan-Asian countries such as Singapore, Australia and India.  We hope that the symposium will facilitate more cross talks among pan-Asian countries.’

FASTS

1. FASTS Policy Document Release.

September 23: Australia "drags at the coat-tails of the advanced world"

Australia's peak council for science and technology said today (Monday) that a long-term strategy for Australian science and technology was tantalisingly close.
Professor Chris Fell, President of the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS), said that some industries and some government portfolio areas have a clear sense of direction, but the country as a whole needs a national vision.
Professor Fell was launching a new policy document, "Australian science: Investing in the Future" at Parliament House in Canberra.
"The national strategy hovers tantalisingly just beyond our reach," he said.  "We lag behind advanced countries when it comes to investing in the ingredients of a modern economy."
There have been promising signs: both major political parties have increased their commitment to science and technology, and there have been modest (but welcome) increases in funding.  The review of the higher education sector, and identifying national priorities are parts of the solution.
"But Australia seems to be afflicted by short-termism," he said.  "We need to escape from our national love affair with real estate, and commit to a long-term national plan with a future."
"Australia needs to be proactive in what it wants for the future, set clear directions for technology development, and back these directions with funds at a level greater than Australia has ever committed to science.
Professor Fell said in any international comparison, there are the advanced countries, and then there is Australia.  "We drag at their coat-tails, always running eleventh or fifteenth," he said.
"Science and technology drive our economy and solve our environmental problems, and yet we accept our international status as one of the also-rans.  We don't accept the mediocre in sport - why do we accept it in science, where it really counts?"
Professor Fell said the policy document puts forward a comprehensive set of policies aimed at driving Australia into the top third of OECD countries by 2012.  There are actions for government, for business, for the education system, and for scientists.
Media are invited to the launch of "Australian science: Investing in the Future" in Room 2R2 at 10 am on Monday 23 September. 
The complete document is available as a pdf file at:  www.fasts.org

Joseph Kourie kindly agreed to represent ASB at this event.

2.  FASTS Workshops

FASTS is in the process of running a series of workshops around the country on managing scientific societies. The first were held in Melbourne on October 8-9. I attended the October 8 workshop on Planning and Communication for Membership Benefit and Frances Separovic attended the October 9 workshop on  Managing Societies for Membership Benefit. Peter Barry, our incoming President, will be attending both workshops in Sydney.
I found the workshop quite valuable, although there were some issues more relevant to larger societies affiliated with FASTS (eg. the Australian Psychology Society, which has some 13,000 members and a large professional secretariat!). Nevertheless, I would commend them to others involved in the Executive of ASB in coming years. FASTS will be refining their presentations following feedback received in this inaugural round of workshops.

FASTS contact details:
Mr Toss Gascoigne
Executive Director
Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies
PO Box 218
DEAKIN WEST ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA
Phone:              +61 2 - 6257 2891 (work); +61 2 - 6249 7400 (home)
Fax:                  +61 2 - 6257 2897
Mobile:             0408 704 442
Email:                fasts@anu.edu.au (Toss Gascoigne)
Web address:    http://www.FASTS.org

Job Vacancies and Notices

We have implemented a Jobs page on the ASB website (www.anatomy.usyd.edu.au/ASB/), which is now being looked after very ably by Adelle Coster (A.Coster@unsw.edu.au).
Please send notices to asb@anatomy.usyd.edu.au. This way they can be made available to members and others immediately.

Ray Norton
President, Australian Society for Biophysics.
October 14, 2002
About the ASB | Newsletters | Meetings | Young Biophysicist Award
Jobs | Links to Other Biophysics Sites | Home

If you have any comments or suggestions about the web page please email asb@anatomy.usyd.edu.au

Last updated on 15 October 2002