John Spikes
Our contest for poems about photobiology (ASP News, May 1, 1997) attracted only three entries from approximately 1600 members of ASP! On hearing this, one of our lonesome poets (Stuart Marcus), commented that "illuminati do not necessarily contain enthusiastic literati". So, we declared all of the poems winners and present them here.
The first poem is by Terje Christensen (Norwegian Radiation Protection Agency, Osteras, Norway). He comments that the most prominent creatures in Norwegian photobiology are the trolls (not to be confused with the native photo-biologists).
Troll Photosensitivity
Norwegian trolls are full of neuroses.
They scare people at night,
But stay out of the light
To protect themselves from apoptosis.
The next poem by Carol A. Burkhart (St. Johnsville, New York) originally appeared in The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, Spring 1993, Volume 59-3, page 63, and is reprinted by permission of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International.
The Nurturing Touch of Passive Solar
Patiently the little birds wait.
In the mist of spring's awake.
Perched on flowered limbs so high.
They find true warmth rising in the sky.
Oh, what faith little birds show -
Sunshine brings tranquility they know.
The last poem is by Stuart Marcus (DUSA Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, New York). He points out that his poem is in a "vaguely Shakespearean sonnet form, with considerable license taken in the meter" and that "technical words are rarely amenable to iambic pentameter, hexameter, or even dactylic hexameter".
Photodynamic Therapy (PDT), Naturally!
Build thee more stately porphyrins, O my friends!
Like Tin, BPD, Texaphyrin and MACE:
Like m-thpc, phthalocyanines and other odds and
ends.
Photochemists are engaged in such a lovely race!
But what of Photofrin , Tom Dougherty's dearest
scion,
The best part of HPD, venerable gemisch?
'Though it's been approved few have, of late, been
tryin'
To use it to experiment, to create or to publish.
Now, a small molecule's been gathering acclaim.
It's not hydrophobic and just five carbons long,
Works well given topically, orally, or in vein,
And's metabolized to PpIX, a photosensitizer that's strong!
It's made PDT simple (a shame, "experts" will say),
And may it yet make it popular, praised by 5-ALA!
Some poems about science are published in HMS Beagle, The
BioMedNet Magazine (web address
1998 ASP MEETING SNOWBIRD UTAH - THE MEMBERS' MEETING
Frank Gasparro, Chair Scientific Program
The program for the 1998 meeting is shaping up very
nicely. We have commitments for 23 symposia. By
running two minisymposia on Saturday evening and
reducing the number of symposia by four we are able to
reduce the meeting by a half day - it will end on
Wednesday afternoon.
Saturday will be a busy day because, in addition to
registration, we have plans for several workshops with
two confirmed at this time. One of these, "The Role of
Photochemistry and Photobiology in the Undergraduate
Curriculum", will be co-chaired by Tom Brennan
(Dickinson College, PA), Chris Lambert (Connecticut
College, CT) and Kevin O'Shea (Florida International
University). Another workshop continues the joint
ASP-ESP effort - Janusz Beer and Frank deGruijl will
co-chair "UV, Accessory to Melanoma - If so, How?".
Early Saturday evening, immediately following a
sumptuous reception, there will be a keynote speaker.
Paul Strudler from the NIH will be returning this year
with his highly acclaimed workshop, "Navigating the Bay
of Funding", on Tuesday evening - at which light snacks
and liquid refreshments will be provided.
The full schedule will soon be available at POL web
site (http://www.kumc.edu/POL). The meeting
information packet with registration, hotel information
and abstract forms will be mailed in January. The date
for receipt of completed abstract forms is February 24,
1998.
Several additional slots for proffered abstracts have
been tentatively included in the meeting program and I
hope there is an overwhelming response from members
who wish to present the results of their research to their colleagues. As I have said many
times, ASP is a membership-driven organization. The annual
meeting provides a unique opportunity for members to shape the
ASP. The scientific content can depend in large part on
submissions by members. Please join us at ASP'98 in Snowbird.
Snowbird itself is a vacation destination with many nearby
attractions. In a subsequent issue of the Newsletter there will be a
tabulation of other nice vacation spots (many National Parks) that
are within easy reach of Snowbird, Utah - why not enjoy a
midsummer respite before or after the ASP meeting?
Please send nominations for the annual ASP Research,
New Investigator, and Photon Awards to Secretariat by
early December 1997. Details of the awards were
published in ASP News vol. 26 (4), September 1, 1997,
page 4.
ANNOUNCEMENTS - POSITION AT THE PHOTON FACTORY
A research position is available at Japan's Photon Factory,
Tsukuba, for young scientists interested in synchrotron radiation
from vacuum UV to the soft x-ray region. This short term position
(three months to one year) is available to applicants with less than
10 years after Ph.D. Applicants must be citizens of the United
States. The chosen candidate must arrive in Japan before the end
of March 1998, and will be expected to reside in the Photon
Factory facility. Monthly payment will be 270,000 yen and travel
expenses to and from Japan will be covered. Beamline time is free
on request.
Information and applications from Dr. Katsumi Kobayashi, phone
81-298-64-5655, fax 81-298-64-2801, e-mail
katsumi.kobayashi@KEK.JP
If you have looked at the Education section of Photobiology
Online recently (http://www.kumc.edu/POL), you know that it
includes under programs of study in photobiology a listing of
colleges and universities that offer courses or degree programs in
photobiology and photo-chemistry. The listing is several years old
now and we would like to update it. If you want your institution to
be included, please send me the relevant information. The listings
include the name of the school, courses and/or degree programs
available, special research opportunities, and the name of a person
to contact for further information. We will include both graduate
and undergraduate level information. If you are already included
in the listing, please take a look to make sure the current
information is correct and let me know if you want any changes.
This is a useful source of information for future photobiologists
and their advisors, so let's try to make the listing as comprehensive
as possible. Thanks for your help. Tom Brennan, Dept. of Biology,
Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA 17013. e-mail
brennant@dickinson.edu, phone 717-245-1319.
ANNOUNCEMENTS - ASP MEMBERS WIN R&D AWARD
Two ASP members, Lisa A. Kelly and John C. Sutherland, were
cited by the September issue of Research & Development
Magazine as developers of one of the 100 most significant new
technological products of the year. Their R&D award is for the
Fluorescence Omnilyzer, which detects individual photons of
ultraviolet, visible and near infrared light. Like other single
photon detectors, the
Omnilyzer records the time-of-arrival for each photon, but, in
addition, it also records the wavelength and polarization. The
prototype, which was developed for studies of the structure and
dynamics of proteins, DNA, and other biomolecules, detects
fluorescence excited by flashes of light from the National
Synchrotron Light Source, although pulsed laser excitation could
also be used. The Omnilyzer was described in a "Work-in-Progress" paper at the 1996 ASP meeting in Atlanta, in a regular
paper, at the 1997 ASP meeting in St. Louis, and in the June 1997
issue of Review of Scientific Instruments (vol. 68, pages 2279-2286).
The scientists who developed the Omnilyzer were led by John
Sutherland, a Senior Biophysicist at Brookhaven National
Laboratory and Adjunct Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at
the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He received a
similar award in 1987 for a fluorescence imaging system of a type
that has become widely used in molecular biology and technology.
Lisa Kelly was Department of Energy Distinguished Post-doctoral
Fellow at Brookhaven National Laboratory. She is presently an
Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the
University of Maryland Baltimore County.
Congratulations on a most interesting innovation!
ANNOUNCEMENTS - PHOTOBIOLOGICAL CENTENNIAL TO START THE NEW MILLENNIUM
John Spikes
Many stupendous happenings, such as the end of the earth, are
being predicted for the year 2000 - the beginning of a new
millennium. But, for some of us interested in photosensitized
(photodynamic) reactions in the biomedical area, one of the major
events of 2000 will be the 100th anniversary of two seminal
publications by Dr. med. Oscar Raab and by Prof. Dr. Hermann
von Tappenier of the Pharmacological Institute, Ludwig-Maximillans University, Munich. These papers describe the
serendipitous discovery of the killing of paramecium cells on
illumination in the presence of compounds such as acridine, eosin,
quinine, etc. (photosensitizers) and include the prediction that such
reactions might be useful in the treatment of disease [1-3]. The
von Tappenier paper describing this work was Continued
published on January 2, 1900, while Raab's dissertation appeared
later in the year. As is well known, reactions of this type are now
being used successfully in the photochemotherapy of a number of
diseases including cancer, various skin disorders, etc. and for the
destruction of viruses and other biocontaminants in blood.
Fred Urbach and I have been discussing what could be done at
the International Congress on Photobiology in San Francisco in
2000 to properly celebrate this momentous event in the history of
photobiology. We are reminding the officers of ASP and ESP and
others who will be involved in the organization of the congress
about the event to make sure that it will be appropriately
recognized. We are also in the process of trying to find out more
about Raab (we have adequate information on von Tappeiner).
We also thought that publishing reminders like this one in ASP
News might stimulate more interest in the event. It should be
pointed out that, although the formal reports of the discovery of
photodynamic action were published in 1900, Raab may have
actually first observed the phenomenon 110 years from the time
that you are reading this issue of ASP News, i.e., in the winter of
1887. In his published dissertation [1], Raab indicates that he
started his promotional work under the direction of von Tappeiner
in the winter semester of 1887-1888, and he states (in my
translation): "At this time of the year the (sun)light fluctuated
greatly and it is to this fact that I am largely beholden for the
remarkable results that I found...". So, a few of us photodynamic
fanatics are celebrating the centennial now.
1. O. Raab, Ueber die Wirkung fluorescirender Stoffe auf
infusorien, Z. Biol.(Muench), 39 (1900) 524-546.
SHADE DOES NOT PROTECT FROM UVB
On the basis of the following radio piece Council decided to
award Charles Osgood the first American Society for
Photobiology/Photobiology Foundation Public Service Award, May
1997. His radio broadcast on UVB, including the following poetry
recitation, was broadcast on CBS Radio Network. John Spikes has
agreed to include this poem as a fourth winner in his contest. For
those who wish to "hear" it, go to web site
http://www.cbsradio.com/ osgood/index.html - use the calendar to
select 2/3/97 and follow instructions.
I'm Charles Osgood on the CBS RADIO NETWORK.
Sitting in a doctor's or dentist's waiting room you find yourself
reading articles in magazines you never realized existed. Recently,
if you were thumbing through the December issue of the
International Journal of Biometeorology you might have run
across a study showing that the sun's UVB, the BAD ultraviolet
rays that can cause cancer and impair the immune system, can do
you serious harm EVEN if you've protected yourself by sitting in
the shade. Richard Grant of Purdue University and Gordon Heisler
of the US Forest Service say people think
if they sit OUT of the sun in the SHADE of a tree or an umbrella
they'll be OK. But this is not true, they say. The
UVB can go around corners and find you even if you cannot see the
sun. A better test, Grant and Heisler say, is how much SKY you
can see. It's SKYBURN you have to watch out for.
Shade Does Not Protect From UVB
Some people think they've got it made
The Osgood File, CBS Radio Network. Copyrighted by CBS Inc.
All rights reserved.
CARDIOLOGY, ONCOLOGY AND
ENDOSCOPE STERILIZATIONS PATENTS ISSUED
Rare Earth Medical, Inc., W. Yarmouth, MA has been issued
three U.S. patents covering disposable fiberoptic medical devices.
The company's intellectual property portfolio now includes more
than 25 U.S. and foreign patents.
"Phototherapy Apparatus with Integral Stopper Device" patent
was issued on July 1, 1997. This invention is useful in controlling
and limiting an optically transmissive fiber's penetration into a
patient's tissue and thereby reducing the risk of perforation of a
body lumen or organ. The invention is particularly useful in
placing an ablative laser radiation device into the ventricle of the
heart when performing arrhythmia-correcting laser ablative
procedures or when revascularizing the heart percutaneously.
Applications may include the emerging TMR (transmyocardial
revascularization) or PMR (percutaneous myocardial
revascularization) market.
The second patent, "Loop Diffuser for Diffusion of Optical
Radiation", was issued on May 27, 1997. The Loop Diffuser may
allow a physician to provide a larger exposure area for
phototherapy and to provide a substantially uniform energy
distribution to the intended diseased tissue. By looping diffusing
fibers at the distal end of an optical
fiber the device can provide more uniform and predictable
delivery of laser energy to treat diseased cells, and reduced risk of
patient injury caused by unintended hot spots. The Loop Diffuser
may be appropriate for phototherapy of the uterus, bladder, or other
body cavities.
The "Ultraviolet Sterilization of Instrument Lumen" patent was
issued on June 10, 1997. The disposable device operates by
delivering a cytotoxic ultraviolet light dose to the inner lumen
surface of a reusable instrument to sterilize any biological agents
which may be present within the instrument's lumen.
Rare Earth Medical, Inc. is a leading developer of minimally
invasive fiberoptic systems for photodynamic, photochemical,
photothermal and dosimetry detection applications. The company's
unique products have potential applications in a number of medical
specialties, including oncology, urology, cardiology,
electrophysiology, and gynecology. Rare Earth Medical's laser
diffusing devices are unique with regards to uniform distribution of
laser energy, range of device geometries, power handling
capabilities, and flexibility.
"Lightstic" and "Light for Life" are registered trademarks of Rare
Earth Medical, Inc.
2. H. von Tappeiner, Ueber die Wirkung fluorescirender Stoffe auf
Infusorien nach Versuchen von O. Raab, Muench. Med.
Wochenschr., 47 (1900) 5-7.
3. J.D. Spikes, Historical Review - Photodynamic action: from
paramecium to photochemotherapy, Photochem. Photobiol. 65S
(1997) 142S-147S.
If they stay in a piece of shade.
Their working theory seems to be
The sun can't hit what it can't see.
And that if you can't see the sun
No major damage can be done.
But now we're told this isn't true.
If you can see a patch of blue,
Outside the tree or beach umbrella
Then you had better watch it, fella.
That lovely summer sky one sees
Is full of deadly UVBs.
That little piece of shade you're in
Won't be enough to save your skin.
Those rays on days so blue and fine
Don't travel in a true straight line.
They curve, they hook, they twist and bend
And catch up with you in the end.
You get more of them than you think;
Your skin turns hues of red and pink.
And that, the experts say, is why
You should try to shut out the sky.
Out in the forest you should be
Beneath that wooded canopy.
They say the less sky that you see
The less the threat of UVB.
That sun that people seem to love,
We think about as up above,
And while from this we try to hide,
It's coming at us from the side.
For UVBs while quite invisible
Are quite enough to make us misable.
This newest study should alert you
That what you cannot see can hurt you.
Contact: Rare Earth Medical Inc., Sean M. Gallagher, 508-790-9594.American Society for Photobiology Photobiology Online