NEWSLETTER OF FEMS
F
CUS
F E D E R AT I O N O F E U R O P E A N M I C R O B I O L O G I C A L S O C I E T I E S
From the FEMS President Dear Friends and Colleagues, Let me say a few words of welcome to the second FEMS Congress. In this congress we bring the centre of attention to the front-line topics in microbiology today and to cover the very broad area of our interests. Not an easy task, but an interesting one. We all enjoyed planning this microbiology congress, as it helped us realize the exciting developments in the area, which bridges biology, medicine and biotechnology. We also realized the very high impact of European microbiologists in the field and we are glad to highlight one of these outstanding microbiologists - Prof. Jörg Hacker - by giving him the FEMS-Lwoff Award. I hope you will find the congress important, stimulating and beneficial. Whatever your microbiological interest, have a great scientific meeting and a pleasant stay in Madrid. Regards, Eliora Ron
Jörg Hacker is the Lwoff Awardee The FEMS-Lwoff Award is given for outstanding service to microbiology in Europe. Initiated in 2000, it was named in honour of the 1st FEMS President, André M. Lwoff. At the Congress, the Award will be presented to Prof. Jörg Hacker, one of the pioneers in the molecular analysis of bacterial pathogens, an ingenious, creative and co-operative scientist, an academic and strategic leader and one of the most innovative medical microbiologists. At the Congress, the prize-lecture “Evolution of microbial pathogens” is given by Jörg Hacker. Read below Hacker’s message to the young microbiologists. “Why has Darwin been so often misunderstood?”, “What are the driving forces in evolution?”, “How do human behaviour and evolution interact?”, “What is the role of neutral mutations in evolution?” All these questions were raised during the scientific meeting “Evolution” in Halle (East Germany) in 1973, organized by the German Academy of
June 2006 No. 1
Welcome to the first edition of FEMS FOCUS! Yes, you guessed correctly, this is a new newsletter replacing our Circular. The Circular was started in 1977. Its 60 numbers (issue 60 coming soon) provided good service to the community thanks to all who contributed to it in the p past rcular 30 years. The Circular ned has been redesigned several times overr the years, yet, we see a urneed for restructurer ing our messenger y. more profoundly. While the old circular was informing twice a year mainly MSabout societies, FEM FEMSaffairs, Executive Committee, ar and lately prominent meetings calendar, European microbiologists from the past, the new Focus will…well, the name says it…will focus on particular topics of your interest. Microbiology is changing, FEMS is changing, FEMS is moving forward and this is reflected also in the newsletter. Check out the future issue to learn how and where microbiology and nanoscience meet. Peter Raspor & Alenka Prin:i: Editors
Scientists “Leopoldina”. The topics, discussed then are still “on the market”. I was a young student of Biology at the University of Halle at that time and the conference, and further discussions with colleagues, professors and friends during that time opened my eyes for the exciting questions of evolution. Microorganisms are, of course, considered as excellent model organisms for addressing such questions of general importance for biology and medicine. Also during my PhD work that I carried out at an institute in Wernigerode, which is now part of the Robert-Koch-Institut, my
supervisors, Helmut Tschäpe and Helmut Rische, often discussed the role of gene transfer on the evolution of microorganisms. The scientific questions mentioned above, i.e., the role of gene transfer in evolution, the genetic basis of infectious diseases and the mechanisms of evolution in general, were also discussed in Würzburg, where I continued my studies in 1980. I had the chance to
FEMS is moving forward... Read more on page two.