POL: ASP Newsletter: Volume 27, Issue 2
Online ASP Newsletter
Volume 27, Issue 2
Summer, 1998
Editor: John S. Connolly, Ph.D.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE . . . . .
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
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Greetings to all our members! As academic classes come to an end
and vacation season looms on the horizon, I hope you are looking
forward to attending our annual meeting in Snowbird, Utah. This
is a very beautiful place in the mountains just outside of Salt
Lake City that the whole family can enjoy. Frank Gasparro, Program
Chair of this year's meeting, has put together a superb scientific
program and has still managed to leave a little time available
to enjoy the spectacular surroundings.
With the academic year winding down, I hope you will also give
some thought to the workings of our Society and how you can help
improve them. The American Society for Photobiology is a small,
specialized organization, and many of its members divide their
time between other, larger societies and ours. This sometimes
makes it difficult to find members who are willing to serve ASP
by taking on committee responsibilities or other important roles.
Volunteers are needed to provide input into our activities and
to serve as council members for the Society. President-elect Nancy
Oleinick and I encourage you to contact either of us if you wish
to become more involved in the Society or if you have suggestions
for how to improve ASP and its activities.
I look forward to seeing you in Utah and working with you to develop
the scientific program for next year's meeting in Washington,
D.C.
Margaret Kripke
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EDITORIAL
There is little that is closer to an editor's heart than copy-timely
copy-and lots of it. Thus, I welcomed the controversy generated
by the brief article on sunscreens that was printed on page 7
of the March issue. Within a few weeks I was deluged with articles,
letters, guest editorials, etc. from the American Academy of Dermatology
(AAD). In addition, I received copies of a great deal of e-mail
traffic, so the decisions I had to make were how much and which
ones to print. You can decide for yourselves (pages 3-5) whether
I chose wisely.
What concerned me most is the obvious lack of communication-much
less agreement-between clinicians and researchers. Moreover, in
much of the material received from the former there is an implicit
"NIH" attitude-"Not Invented Here." It seems
clear to me that neither camp (and I don't think that's too strong
a word) has been infused with divine truth, so it behooves their
representatives to listen to each other. This is admittedly difficult
when one side asks for a dialogue and the other responds by shouting.
The nub of the question is this: "Do sunscreens protect those
at risk from contracting melanoma induced by solar photons?"
As far as I have been able to tell from the articles and correspondence
that have streamed across my desk (and computer screen), the short
answer is, "We don't know."
In the first place, we don't know which wavelengths are primarily
responsible for melanoma. Direct absorption of UVB by the bases
in DNA certainly induces transformations such as thymine dimerization.
But, what about processes sensitized by other molecular species
that absorb UVA or short-wavelength visible photons? Furthermore,
it appears that more research is needed on photochemical reactions
of the UV-absorbers and other constituents in sunscreens (remember
PABA?).
In general, clinicians are closer to the public, and they are
well aware of the difficulties involved in trying to educate lay
people on medical issues. In some of my other incarnations, I
have also tried to instruct non-specialists on technical issues,
so I have some sympathy for the viewpoint that the public will
not comprehend complex debates on issues related to sunscreens.
This issue is not going to disappear, and the public is going
to be less rather than more informed if a serious dialogue is
not initiated-and soon. In the meantime, neither the debate nor
the public is well served by broadcasting inflammatory phrases
like "fringe scientists [who are] not M.D.s"
There are three scientific meetings being held this summer in
which sunscreens and their use will be addressed. In chronological
order they are:
* The 1998 ASP Annual Meeting in Snowbird, Utah. There will be
a sunscreen forum on Sunday afternoon (July 12) and a sunscreen
platform session and roundtable on Tuesday (July 14), both from
2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. There will be additional opportunities for
follow-up discussion. Clinicians are especially encouraged to
attend.
* The 47th Montagna Symposium on the Biology of the Skin, Snowmass,
Colorado (August 18-22) will feature a half-day or so devoted
to sunscreens. The program is available from the Department of
Dermatology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, (800)
882-9153. Note: Registration will be limited to 150 participants;
early registration is strongly advised.
* FDA/NIH Conference in Rockville, Maryland (September 16-19)
on UV exposure will include sessions on sunscreens (program not
published yet).
The organizers hope that these fora will provide the basis for
thoughtful reflection and meaningful dialogue on this important
issue. In the meantime, here is some suggested reading for the
specialist and non-specialist alike:
* S. Blackmun (1998), Dermatologists Worry Controversy Will Hinder
Sunscreen Use. Dermatology Times, May, 40-42.
* P. Jaret, (1997), Facing The Truth about Skin Cancer. Health:
the Magazine of Health and Medicine, Dermatology Edition, Fall
issue.
* A. Stary, et al. (1997), Deleterious Effects of Ultraviolet
A Radiation in Human Cells. Mutation Research, 383: 1-8.
* M.P. Dieter (1997), Open Scientific Debate for Conflicts in
Science. Environmental Health Perspectives, 105: 10.
* F.P. Gasparro (1986), PABA: Friend or Foe? Photodermatology,
3: 61-63.
John Connolly
"Truth will sooner come out from error than from confusion."
[JSC1]- Francis Bacon
"The right to search for the truth implies also a duty: one
must not conceal any part of what one has recognized to be the
truth." - Albert Einstein
"Vanity is justified, but vanity should stand behind the
work and not in front of it." - Thomas Mann
[JSC1]
EMANUEL (EMY) RIKLIS: 1927-1998
The graying of our Society is evidenced not only by the changing
color of the hair but also by the passing of our elders. Emanuel
Riklis was a charter member of ASP and played an important role
in the international photobiology community, where he was well
known for his scientific and organizational contributions.
Emy graduated from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1954
after having served in the Israeli army during Israel's war for
independence. In 1957 he received the Ph.D. in biochemistry from
McGill University, and was a Research Associate at the Columbia
University College of Physicians and Surgeons until 1960. He then
joined the Nuclear Research Center-Negev (NRCN) in Israel, where
he established the Department of Radiation Biology and served
as its head until his retirement in 1992. This period was punctuated
by intervals of sabbatical leave at Yale University (1963), the
U.S. Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (1980-82), and
Brookhaven National Laboratory (1992). Emy's seminal contribution
to photobiology occurred during his 1963 stay at Yale, where he
studied UV-induced damage and its excision repair in E. coli.
My personal interaction with Emy started during my graduate studies
at the Technion, Haifa, where his visits were the occasions of
stimulating discussion, and continued when I joined his department
at NRCN in 1975. Emy was always full of enthusiasm for science
and ready to contribute more than his share to the organizational
efforts that go with bringing scientists together. He was a permanent
feature at both ASP and ESP meetings, to which he usually contributed
both scientifically and socially.
Emy was fun to work with and to be with socially. He will be sorely
missed by his many acquaintances and,
of course, by his family. To his wife, Ruth, his three children,
and four grandchildren, we send our deepest condolences.
Ehud Ben-Hur
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ASP News is published quarterly by the American Society for Photobiology, BioTech Park-Suite 9, 1021 Fifteenth Street, Augusta, Georgia 30901.
Editor: John S. Connolly, Ph.D.
SCIENTIFIC EDITING SERVICES
717 Twelfth Street, #109
Golden, Colorado 80401
(303) 278-0077 or 278-3622
(303) 278-0086 (fax)
Connolly@SciEdServ.com
ELECTION RESULTS
President-elect: Dr. Charles J. Gomer
Division Two Councilors: Dr. John Spudich and
Dr. Francesco Lenci
Division Three Councilor: Dr. Charles F. Yocum
Division Four Councilor: Dr. Henry W. Lim
Congratulations to our new officers, and many thanks to all the
candidates for your willingness to serve our Society.
Frank Gasparro, Chair, Nominations Committee
PHOTOBIOLOGY 2000
ASP assignments for Photobiology 2000 are in the process of being
filled. Several other photobiology societies are also cosponsoring
this event (ESP, IPS, JPA, KPS, PMS). Nancy Oleinick, ASP President-elect,
will chair the scientific program committee. If you would like
to help out or have an idea for a symposium or novel activity,
please contact her or me.
Frank Gasparro
NOTICE
The fax number on the registration form for Canyon Transportation
in the ASP meeting booklet is listed incorrectly. The correct
fax number is: (801) 255-1868. If you sent your reservation by
fax, you may wish to check with Canyon Transportation to make
certain it was received (tel: 801/255-1841, or toll-free 800/255-1841).
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
To the editor:
Skin cancer has become a major public-health problem in the United
States. At the current rate, one in five Americans will develop
skin cancer during their lifetime[s]. Since over-exposure to the
sun is the primary cause, understanding the methods for protection
and prevention of skin cancer are critically important.
A recent, widely reported study, by a researcher at Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Cancer Center, incorrectly claimed that sunscreens do not protect
against skin cancer. Due to this misinformation, doctors across
the country have received telephone calls from patients who are
confused or, worse, feel they no longer need to use sunscreen.
How important is it for people to continue to use sunscreen? Consider
this: If only 10 percent of Americans who are now using sunscreen
stop, an additional one million cases of skin cancer could be
expected in the next several decades. If parents stop putting
sunscreen on their children, the number of new skin cancers could
jump tens of millions as we go into the next century.
The study looked at patients who were using sunscreens before
1980, well before broad-spectrum, Sun Protection Factor (SPF)
15 became widely available in 1984. There is a period of at least
10 to 20 years from sun exposure to the clinical appearance of
skin cancer. Sunscreens would have had little impact on the patients
studied.
Many well-documented studies from notable organizations such as
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Food and Drug
Administration), the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American
Cancer Society, and the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgeons join the American Academy of Dermatology in saying that
the use of sunscreen products is an important tool in the prevention
of skin cancer.
The irony is that the author of the study agrees that sunscreen
use should be encouraged, not discouraged. One week after her
report was released, she sent a letter to the American Academy
of Dermatology stating, "Like you, I strongly agree that
sunscreen is an excellent component of a good sun-protection program..."
Sunscreen alone does not provide 100% protection from the sun.
A complete sun-protection program also includes a wide-brimmed
hat, avoiding the sun between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm, protective
clothing and more. However, the importance of sunscreen on otherwise
unprotected skin should not be underestimated.
The AAD is gravely concerned about the health consequences of
public confusion about the safety and efficacy of sunscreen after
the recent reports about the study. For more information about
skin cancer, the sun and your skin, or sun protection and children,
please contact the AAD via telephone at (888)-462-DERM or on the
World Wide Web at www.aad.org.
Roger I. Ceilley, M.D.
Immediate Past President
American Academy of Dermatology
To the editor:
Of course I agree that skin cancer is a major public-health problem
and one about which all of us involved in prevention are concerned.
As a scientist, however, I am troubled about the incautious use
of statistics for which there are no scientific underpinnings.
Just as risk for other diseases depends on lifestyle and genetic
factors, so does the risk for all three types of skin cancer.
Therefore, it may be more dangerous to suggest that "one
size fits all" when making recommendations to prevent skin
cancer.
I am disappointed that Dr. Ceilley misinterpreted my presentation.
I clearly stated that the results of the epidemiological studies
conducted through 1993 yielded conflicting results, and that we
just do not know whether sunscreen use prevents the development
of skin cancer. As much as we would all like to have a simple
answer, there is none. At this point, we do know that it is important
that people whose risk of skin cancer is high minimize their intermittent
sun exposure and not rely on sunscreens to prevent the disease.
This message in no way implies that sunscreens are not part of
an individual's sun-protection program, as are hats, long sleeves,
long pants, and shade.
It is my fervent hope that we will continue to celebrate a decline
in melanoma rates, and that in the future additional studies will
provide better evidence of how to reduce one's risk for skin cancer.
For now, however, we can only rely on the existing data to make
sensible, proven recommendations shown to reduce the risk of skin
cancer.
Marianne Berwick, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Associate Attending Epidemiologist
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
To the editor:
Dr. Ceilley appears to accept somewhat blindly that today's sunscreens
are completely protective and not in need of any improvement.
Sunscreens are selected for their ability to prevent sunburn,
which is just one physiologic endpoint that reflects an effect
of solar damage in skin. To leap from that very effective protection
to the level that says today's sunscreens are also effective in
preventing skin cancer is a big leap. We certainly hope that may
be the case, but we do not know this for a scientific fact.
The most serious problem we face regarding sunscreens and their
usefulness is that we are profoundly ignorant of all of the effects
of sunlight on skin biology. We know about sunburn and immune
suppression; however, these represent just the tip of an iceberg.
For example, few sunscreens are as good at preventing skin-immune
suppression as they are at preventing sunburn.
Daily we are learning more about the molecular biology of skin
and the impact of photobiology. For example, the induction of
transcription factors by sunlight could alter the fate of cells,
possibly transforming them into a premalignant state. Different
photoproducts could lead to different end points. We need to know
which wavelengths are responsible for these different effects
in skin cells. The rapid advances in skin photobiology are typified
by the rise of a "new" photoproduct, 8-hydroxyguanine
(8hG). Many have written that prolonged UVA exposure (i.e., through
an effective UVB sunscreen) would not induce a significant amount
of DNA damage. However, the flaw in this analysis is that it assumes
that thymine dimers are the only culprits. Recent advances in
analytical techniques have led to the detection of the "new"
8hG photoproduct. It appears that UVA (and perhaps even short-wavelength
visible photons) mediate 8hG formation via photosensitized reactions
involving oxygen and an endogenous sensitizer.
Thus, as we learn more about the effects of different UV wavelengths
(especially UVA and perhaps even visible) it will be necessary
to design more efficacious sunscreens that cover these wavelengths.
Perhaps the attention derived from this sunscreen controversy
can be a catalyst for these developments.
Frank Gasparro, Ph.D.
Professor of Dermatology
Thomas Jefferson University
USE SUNSCREENS AS PART OF SUN SAFETY PROGRAM SAYS AAD
SCHAUMBURG, ILL. (Feb. 17, 1998)-The American Academy of Dermatology
(AAD) urges Americans not to decrease their sunscreen use following
a report this week at the Annual Meeting of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) questioning the protective
benefits of sunscreen.
The Academy reaffirmed its long-standing position that sunscreen
is beneficial when used regularly as part of an overall sun-protection
program including wearing sun-protective clothing, seeking shade
whenever possible, and avoiding peak sun hours.
"Overwhelming evidence supports the beneficial effects of
sunscreen usage, not only in preventing painful sunburn, but also
in preventing photoaging and skin cancer, including many cases
of melanoma. We believe it would be irresponsible to recommend
that regular use of sunscreen be discontinued," said Roger
Ceilley, M.D., Past-president of AAD.
In the United States we are beginning to see a flattening out
and/or lowering of the incidence of melanoma in certain subsets
of the population where there has been a regular sunscreen use,
such as Caucasians in Hawaii.
Ceilley refuted the suggestion that long-term sunscreen users
derived no benefit from sunscreen and that sunscreen may even
increase skin cancer risk. "That would be like saying more
people are using condoms and more people are getting AIDS, therefore
condoms cause AIDS," said Ceilley.
"The study asked only about sunscreen use in the prior 10
years, whereas skin cancer typically occurs many decades after
the damaging sun exposures. To be most effective, sun protection
should begin in childhood and continue throughout life,"
said Ceilley.
"An overwhelming number of studies in recent years demonstrate
that UV light causes DNA mutations leading to skin cancer and
that sunscreens protect against the development of skin cancer
in animals and humans," said Ceilley.
"The claim that chronic sun exposure may be protective because
the skin becomes thicker as it has tanned should be interpreted
with caution," Ceilley warned. "Skin thickening and
tanning are injury responses to UV damage. It is far better not
to damage your skin by over-exposure to the sun in the first place."
It is projected that over one million Americans will develop skin
cancer this year. In 1998, an estimated 9,200 people will die
of skin cancer, 7,300 from melanoma alone.
As part of the Academy's commitment to a lifetime of healthier
skin, it has developed a sun-safety curriculum for young children
to teach them about keeping their skin healthy now and for the
rest of their lives.
UV LIGHT LINKED TO SKIN MELANOMA
NEW YORK, April 30, 1998, (UPI)-Dermatologists have been saying
for years they suspect sun exposure can cause skin cancer. Now
they say they have the proof. Researchers announced that for the
first time, they were able to create a melanoma cancer on human
skin. They did it using newborn human foreskins grafted onto [mice],
and exposed the animal[s] to repeated doses of ultraviolet-B rays.
Those rays are the most common cause of sunburn.
"The concept that the sun can cause cancer is well ingrained
in the public's mind, but it has not been proven," said Ercem
Atillasoy, M.D., a dermatologist who was part of the study at
the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia.
"This is the first study to create a human melanoma from
scratch in the lab," he said. "We also found there is
a precursor to melanoma." Atillasoy presented results of
the study, to appear in the May issue of The American Journal
of Pathology, at a New York press conference today.
About half of all new cancers in the United States are skin cancers,
according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). One million
new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States
this year. Of those, 80 percent will be basal-cell carcinoma,
16 percent will be squamous-cell carcinoma, and four percent will
be melanoma.
Despite being the rarest of the three, melanoma is the most deadly:
six out of seven skin cancer deaths are from malignant melanoma.
Some 7,300 people are expected to die of melanoma this year, almost
two-thirds of them men. Men tend to be less likely to seek help
from a [physician].
It cost more than $560 million in 1997 to treat melanoma, a spokesperson
for the AAD said.
Atillasoy emphasized that, while melanoma kills when it goes untreated,
if it is caught early enough, it is completely treatable. "It
takes a long time to develop a melanoma. It can take up to 30
years," said Atillasoy. "It's tragic for anyone to die
from melanoma, because it's totally curable."
Atillasoy and his colleagues tested three groups of mice. One
group got a single treatment of a chemical skin accelerant. Another
got UVB rays for one minute three times a week. And the third
group received combined chemical and UVB treatments. There also
was a control group that received no treatments.
Of 150 human foreskin grafts, 23 percent of those treated only
with UVB and 38 percent of those treated with the combined accelerant
and UVB developed abnormal pigments within 5-10 months of exposure.
The melanoma developed in the graft of one mouse that got the
combined chemical and UVB treatments for a year. About three months
after the UVB doses were stopped, the graft developed a melanoma.
Human melanoma appears as a brown spot on the skin. It differs
from a mole in that it is asymmetric, has irregular borders, and
is uneven in color. Dermatologists recommend that anyone seeing
such a spot that is bigger than a pencil eraser, or about 1/4-inch
in diameter, should have it checked by a [physician]. Such spots
can appear in unusual areas, including between the toes and on
the bottom of the foot.
Darrell Rigel, M.D., President-elect of the American Academy of
Dermatology, said the new study is important to help better understand
the causes and possible preventions of melanoma.
"This study is a major finding because it is the first to
document the relationship between UVB light and human melanoma,"
said Rigel, who also is a dermatologist and a professor at New
York University.
"The study will cause more of a concentration on better UVB
protection in sun screens and stimulate research to learn more
about the causes of melanoma," he added.
"There's no absolute proof that sunscreen protects against
melanoma, but the study documenting the link between the sun and
melanoma should encourage the use of sun blocks," said Rigel.
[Physicians] still do not know, for example, how many sunburns
are needed to cause melanoma. And those who got sunburn as [children]
may not develop noticeable melanoma[s] for decades.
Copyright 1998 United Press International. Reprinted with permission.
UPCOMING PHOTOBIOLOGY EVENTS
July 11-15: ASP MEETS IN SNOWBIRD, UTAH* www.kumc.edu/POL
Aug. 15-18: 8th Meeting of the Pan American Society for Pigment
Cell Research, Snowmass, Colorado
Aug. 18-22: 47th Montagna Symposium on the Biology of the Skin,
Snowmass, Colorado*
Sept. 1-3: Measurements of Optical Radiation Hazards, Gaithersburg,
Maryland*
Sept. 2-5: First South-East Asian Workshop on Photobiology In
The Tropics: SEAWPIT 498*
Sept. 16-19: NIH/FDA Conference on UV Exposure, Rockville, Maryland*
*See also March 1998 issue of ASP News
ARTIFICIAL MEMBRANE MIMICS PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Researchers at Arizona State University, Tempe, have created an
artificial membrane that mimics the entire process of bacterial
photosynthesis. Illumination of the membrane produces a proton
gradient that powers the enzyme adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthase
to catalyze the phosphorylation of adenosine diphosphate (ADP)
to ATP, the energy source of living cells.
C-P-Q = carotene-porphyrin-naphthoquinone molecular triad,
Qs = quinone Pi = inorganic phosphate, ADP = adenosine diphosphate,
ATP = adenosine triphosphate
(Figure supplied by the authors and adapted with their permission.)
The work was carried out by postdoctoral associates Gail Steinberg-Yfrach
and Edgardo N. Durantini and professors of chemistry and biochemistry
Ana L. Moore, Devens Gust, and Thomas A. Moore at Arizona State,
and membrane biochemist Jean-Louis Rigaud of the Curie Institute,
Paris [Nature, 392, 479 (1998)]. ...
"We don't just make a little bit of ATP and detect a trace
amount," says Thomas Moore. "We make lots of ATP. Our
artificial membrane is energized at levels comparable to those
of photosynthetic bacteria."
"The fact that the system works so well, as a first attempt,
is really quite remarkable," say chemistry professor James
K. Hurst of Washington State University, Pullman. "It allows
one to think about the possibility of using solar energy to drive
cell-free enzymatic syntheses-for example, making expensive, specialty
chemicals or producing pharmaceuticals that are presently only
made by organisms in small quantities."
Bacterial photosynthetic membranes use large, protein complexes
to carry out electron transfer and proton pumping, whereas no
protein is used for those processes in the synthetic system. So
the detailed steps of artificial-membrane photosynthesis are only
roughly parallel to those in bacteria-except for ATP synthesis,
which is virtually identical in both cases.
In the synthetic system, carotene-porphyrin-quinone (C-P-Q) molecules
span the liposome membrane, with the naphthoquinone groups oriented
toward the outside. Light causes intramolecular electron transfer
to occur from carotene to naphthoquinone, generating C(+-P-Q(-.
Lipophilic quinone molecules (Qs) accept electrons from the Q(-
groups (yielding C(+-P-Q and either Qs(- or a mixture of Qs oxidation
states). Reduced Qs then picks up protons from the outside solution,
creating HQs(. Each HQs(, in turn, delivers a proton to the solution
on the inner side of the membrane and donates its extra electron
to C(+-P-Q, regenerating C-P-Q and Qs. When the resulting proton
gradient builds up sufficiently, it activates ATP synthase to
generate ATP from ADP [and Pi].
The membrane was created, says Gust, "for basic-research
purposes, to see how far you can go in mimicking the way natural
photosynthesis works in a simple system." But in principle,
he adds, the synthetic biological power plant "could be used
to power anything that requires a proton gradient or ATP to work"-such
as enzymatic systems that catalyze important reactions.
In addition, he says: "People are interested in designing
cell-sized machines for various purposes and, if they are successful
in doing that, they'll need something to power them. These devices
are the right size and produce the kind of chemical energy you
might want for powering such a machine."
Stu Borman
Reprinted with permission from Chem. Eng. News, April 6, 1998,
76 (14), page 14. Copyright 1998, the American Chemical Society.
NEW WEB SITE
Founded by ASP member Daniel Yarosh, AGI Dermatics, successor
to Applied Genetics Inc., conducts basic and applied research
on sun damage to skin. Go to http://www.agiderm.com for information
about the company, its products, and clinical trials, with links
to the ASP website and others.
HEISENBERG MEETS PHOTOBIOLOGY?
In their report "Independent photoreceptive circadian clocks
throughout Drosophila," (Science, Nov. 28, 1997, p. 1632),
Jeffrey D. Plautz, et al. demonstrate the existence of photoreceptors
and independent circadian oscillators throughout the fruit fly.
This elegant work is based on recording emission patterns of visible
photons.
Heisenberg's uncertainty principle warns physicists that the very
process of measuring a process may change its qualities. If the
laws of physics apply to photobiology, as they must, and if photoreceptors
exist throughout the fruit fly, as the results demonstrate, then
it is reasonable to ask if the output of light by the green fluorescent
protein (GFP) may have itself distorted the experimental results.
Furthermore, if other species are shown to have ubiquitous photoreceptors,
as do fruit flies, the increasingly popular use of GFP as a tool
may run into Heisenberg's limitations elsewhere in the study of
molecular biology.
Dan A. Oren
Departments of Psychiatry and Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry,
Yale University
PARALLEL VIRTUAL SESSION: 17th IUPAC SYMPOSIUM ON PHOTOCHEMISTRY?
Dear Colleague:
The success of the First Internet Conference on Photochemistry
and Photobiology prompted us to associate with Internet Photochemistry
and Photobiology to conduct a parallel Virtual Session on the
Internet along the 17th IUPAC Symposium on Photochemistry to be
held in Sitges (19-24 July 1998). The Virtual Session will offer:
* instantaneous world-wide access to the communications presented
at the physical symposium;
* the opportunity of submitting a communication for those not
attending the physical symposium; and
* a forum for on-line discussion of communications.
The Virtual Session is open to any contributor, irrespective of
his/her participation in the physical conference in Sitges (Barcelona,
Spain).
Participants already contributing to the physical conference are
encouraged to post the full contents of their contributions also
at the virtual conference or use this facility to submit a totally
new contribution (e.g., last-minute results). Additional information
as well as guidelines for submitting contributions can be found
at the conference web sites:
http://cc.uab.es/photoiupac98/ (Europe)
http://www.photobiology.com/sitges/ (USA)
We are looking forward to your contribution to the Virtual Symposium.
Santi Nonell
for the Local Organizing Committee
17th IUPAC Symposium on Photochemistry
(photoiupac98@cc.uab.es)
PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY ON THE INTERNET
Following the success of the First Internet Conference on Photochemistry
and Photobiology, a new web site has been set up to publish the
proceedings of the meeting. In addition, we aim to promote the
use of the Internet in the communication of research and education
in all areas of photochemistry and photobiology.
We would like to hear from the following:
1. anyone interested in organizing a small, specialized virtual
conference, e.g., 10 posters or more on substantial events that
can be published permanently on the site;
2. potential authors of reviews on current topics in all areas
of photochemistry and photobiology;
3. authors of technical notes, such as guides to procedures, educational
articles on the basics of photochemistry and photobiology (undergraduate
and postgraduate audience); and
4. contributors to the A-Z of photochemistry and photobiology.
Please visit one of the web sites for more details. There will
be a monthly e-mail newsletter featuring upcoming events on the
web site, announcements of conventional conferences, and commercial-product
launches. Encourage your colleagues to register for the monthly
bulletins.
http://www.photobiology.com
http://www.photobiology.com/text.htm
Paul Heelis, Chairman
(heelisp@newi.ac.uk)
IN THE NEXT ISSUE: FALL 1998
* Our interview with new P&P Editor, Tito Scaiano, had to
be deferred due to mutual time constraints.
* Report from the Annual Meeting
PHOTOBIOLOGY ONLINE
The World Wide Web is growing exponentially, and Photobiology
Online (POL) is no exception. The main menu pages of ASP's and
ESP's Web presence are being accessed 20,000 times a year. There
is clearly much information that is useful to photobiologists
at the site. Here I shall highlight one of the 18 major divisions
of POL, the home pages of the American Society for Photobiology.
The "About the American Society for Photobiology" section
of POL can provide the answer for nearly any question that you
might have relating to the Society's affairs. For example, here
you can find current lists of officers, councilors, committee
chairs, and division representatives, along with their respective
contact information. Ever wonder what happens at ASP Council Meetings?
Just access the summaries of the minutes. Business Meeting
minutes are also available. And for those who want to know about
rules and regulations, copies of the Constitution and Bylaws and
the Handbook for ASP VIPs are just a click away. Of course, you
can access annual-meeting information from here, as well as from
the Events Calendar, including prior years' meetings. And last,
but not least, there is an online version of the membership directory.
Take a look; you'll even find a few surprises that we didn't have
room to mention here.
How Do I Access Photobiology Online?
To access POL you will need access to the Internet via your institution
or via a commercial service provider (such as America Online or
CompuServe), and web-browser software such as Netscape. You can
then access POL at the following addresses (URLs):
http://www.kumc.edu/POL or
http://www.chemres.hu/POL
Dennis Valenzeno
ASP News
Summer 1998 (167) Vol. 27, No. 2