The World Wide Web site Photobiology Online will celebrate its first birthday on February 14, 1996. A joint presentation of both the American and European Societies for Photobiology, Photobiology Online (POL) provides a wealth of online information to photobiologists. The following paragraphs describe 1 of the 14 sections in POL, Positions Wanted and Positions Available.
Positions Wanted and Positions Available provide a means for employers to advertise positions and for candidates to present their credentials. There are no charges for any of these services, nor are there charges for any part of POL. Employers will find the Positions Wanted section useful. Selecting this option results in the appearance of a new screen which gives a brief listing of individuals seeking positions in photobiology. Each name is a link (see below). A brief CV for each individual can be obtained by selecting his or her name, along with contact information. On the other hand, candidates will find Positions Available to be valuable. Selecting this option produces a screen with a brief listing of positions available in photobiology. Each listing is a link (see below) which provides additional information about the position, along with contact information.
Positions Available also provides a link to the Biotech Online Career Center, a useful resource for job-seekers in biotechnology-related fields. Anyone wishing to list an available position or anyone wishing to post their CV can send an e-mail message to Dennis Valenzeno (dvalenze@kumc.wpo.ukans.edu) or to Tamas Vidoczy (tvid@cric.chemres.hu).
How Do I Access Photobiology Online? To access POL you will need a web browser software program such as Netscape or Mosaic. You can also access POL in a text-only mode with software such as Lynx. Contact your information technology personnel for procedures to obtain these programs. You can then access POL at the following address (URL): http://www.kumc.edu/POL or at http://www.chemres.hu/POL/pol_v01.html Note: The first URL given above has been simplified. The old, longer address given previously is still fully functional.
Links: A link is a word or phrase that allows you to obtain more information about a particular subject. If you point at the word or phrase with your cursor and click the mouse button, a new screen of information will appear which provides additional details concerning the meeting. Typically, there will be as much information (or more) than you will find in the meeting announcements that are mailed to registrants.
MEMBER IN THE NEWS - Douglas E. Brash Receives Rikli Award
Douglas E. Brash PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Therapeutic Radiology at the Yale School of Medicine, has been awarded the Arnold Rikli prize for outstanding research in photobiology. The award was made for pioneering studies concerning the role of tumor suppressor gene mutations in the development of skin cancer. The Rikli award is intended to honor studies that advance the field of photobiology. Brash's studies, published in Nature in 1994 (volume 372: 773-776), have shown that sunburned skin uses programmed cell death to prevent photodamaged cells from evolving into cancerous cells. Mutations in p53 in these cells appear to confer a selective growth advantage that allows these cells to proliferate. By understanding the initial photochemical events that lead to these mutations, as well as the resulting mutations, it is thought that strategies for the prevention of skin cancer induction might be developed.
IT'S TIME TO SELECT A NEW EDITOR FOR THE NEWSLETTER!
Interested candidates are requested to send a letter to Frank Gasparro (any means - fax, e-mail, snail mail). For your information - the NL is published 5 times a year. While this important job was once a thankless task there have been several changes which make the job enjoyable (and you don't have to a masochist). First, and foremost, Nancy Bailey from the Secretariat has provided professional and enthusiastic assistance for the past 4 years. The Editor's main duty is editorial - i.e., deciding content and priority for stories. Second, there is now a significant budget for NL editor operations ($1,000 per year). Finally as a token of the society's gratitude for the editor's effort, annual meeting expenses up to a maximum of $1,000 are covered each year. The timely publication of the ASP News is the major source of rapid information about current developments, meetings, job possibilities, etc. Most members see it as an indispensable resource.
The following slate of nominees has been chosen by the Nominating Committee, Nicholas Geacintov, (Chair):
NEW PHOTOTHERAPY FOR CANCER APPROVED
Photofrin (manufactured by QLT Phototherapeutics Inc, Vancouver) has been approved for use in patients dying from throat cancer. It has been shown to be effective in re-opening esophagus blocked by large tumors which prevent normal swallowing. The drug is administered intravenously. After a period of absorption, the malignant tissue is exposed to red light from a laser. In a preliminary study, it was shown that quality of life improved. No data on longevity was obtained. This photodynamic agent is also being studied for application to other solid tumors. Photofrin is now added to the list of approved photochemotherapies. In the 1970s, PUVA (psoralen plus UVA) came in wide spread use for the treatment of psoriasis. In the 1980s, photopheresis, which also employed psoralen and UVA, was approved by the FDA for the treatment of mycosis fungoides. Both of these psoralen based phototherapies have also been used to treat other disorders (ranging from alopecia areata to the prevention of transplanted organ rejection).
RADIATION RESEARCH SOCIETY MEETING
The 44th annual meeting of the Radiation Research Society will be held April 13th to 17th, 1996 at the Palmer House in Chicago. It will start at 8 a.m. on Sunday and end at noon on Wednesday. The meeting is organized around refresher courses (8-9 a.m.), symposia (9-11 a.m.), plenary lectures (11:15-12:15 a.m.) poster sessions, and workshops in the afternoons, followed by another plenary lecture (5:30-6:30). Day-long themes that run through the workshops, symposia, and plenary lecture in a single day include apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and radiation chemistry. The plenary lecturers include Richard Klausner (new director of NCI). Steven Reed (cell cycle control), Keith Moffat (molecules in motion) Mina Bissel (extracellular matrix), Don Coffey (chaos and nuclear organization), and Al Fornace (p53, apoptosis, and growth arrest). For complete details see flyer accompanying this Newsletter.
Symposium on Photosensory Biology & Biophysics Commemorating Pill-Soon Song's 60th Birthday
Korea Basic Science Center
7 June 1996
Symposium held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the Korean information contact:
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
This meeting offers an opportunity to present data in Contributed Paper or Poster Sessions. All abstracts will be reviewed by the Program Committee, Nicholas Geacintov, Chair. Abstracts accepted for presentation will be published in Photochemistry and Photobiology. Abstract Deadline: February 23, 1996
For Information Contact:
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