A FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN SOCIETIES FOR BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY FORTY YEARS OF FEBS 1964 to 2003 - A MEMOIR - Horst Feldmann ©2004 by FEBS 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-50-20 USA 108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX 4 1JF, UK 550 Swanston Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs, and Pattern Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher. First published 2004 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd ISBN 1-4051-1764-8 (hardback) Set in 9.5/12pt Sabon by Graphiccraft Ltd, Hong Kong Printed and bound in the United Kingdom by TJ International Ltd, Padstow, Cornwall For further information on Blackwell Publishing, visit our website: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com Preface for the ‘Second Edition’ In 2003/2004, Blackwell Publishers, Oxford, published the FEBS Memoir on behalf of the Federation of European Societies for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in book form. Unfortunately, all colour plates could be printed only in black and white. This ‘second edition’ - which is edited as a collection of PDF files - takes care of reproducing all original colour photographs, with some new photographs included. The text has been revised thoroughly and updated by data that became available after the book had been published. Thus the actual content extends to the end of the year 2003. I would like to thank several colleagues who detected errors in the printed version or supplied additional material to make this account as authentic and comprehensive as possible. Munich, July 2004 Horst Feldmann Introduction The Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS) is an umbrella organisation that aims to promote, encourage and support biochemistry, molecular cell biology and molecular biophysics throughout Europe in a variety of different ways, through a wide portfolio of activities; FEBS funds advanced courses, provides various types of fellowships, publishes primary research through its publications – FEBS Letters and the European Journal of Biochemistry –, facilitates the exchange of information at an annual Congress, and awards prizes and medals in recognition of scientific distinction. Furthermore FEBS plays an active role in the European Research Area (ERA), and in supporting the career of young scientists, women in science, and education in biochemistry, via various working groups and committees. Last but not least, FEBS support colleagues in Central and Eastern Europe, e.g. by distributing surplus research materials. FEBS came into official existence on 1 January 1964, with 17 adhering societies from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. At the opening of the first meeting, the 17 Society delegates to the FEBS Council, plus the officers of FEBS, autographed a copy of the statutes, as detailed in chapter 1. The statutes ‘of the first hour’ themselves filled only one page (see chapter one, figure 1.2). The statutes and guidelines of the year 2003 is a 32-page document (Annex 1). In the years to follow, as Biochemical Societies from other European countries applied for membership in FEBS, and FEBS it self engaged in new activities, the number of adhering bodies grew and the statutes had to pay attention to these developments. Around 1989/90, the Federation counted 27 member Societies, because FEBS aimed at intensifying contacts and cooperation preferably with Eastern European Societies. After the ‘silent’ revolution in the Eastern block, FEBS was further open to memberships from those countries that had acquired their independence, though sometimes it was not easy for Council to define how far to extend the ‘European area’. Today, with more than 40.000 members distributed among 41 countries, FEBS is one of the largest organisations in European life sciences. The members (the Constituent and Associated Societies of FEBS) as per 2003 are: Armenian Biochemical Society Austrian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Azerbaijan Society of Biochemists and Molecular Biologists Belarusian Biochemical Society Belgium Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Bulgarian Society for Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology Croatian Biochemical Society Biochemical Society of Cyprus Czech Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Danish Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Estonian Biochemical Society Finnish Society for Biochemistry, Biophysics and Microbiology Macedonian Biochemical Society French Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology The Biochemical Society Hellenic Society of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Figure 0.1: Member Societies of FEBS in 2003 Biochemical Society of Hungary Biochemical Society of Islands The Biochemical Society, Irish Area Section Israel Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Italian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Latvian Biochemical Society Lithuanian Biochemical Society Moldavian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Moroccan Biochemical Society The Netherlands: The Netherlands Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Norwegian Biochemical Society Polish Biochemical Society Portuguese Biochemical Society Romanian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology The Russian Biochemical Society Slovak Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology The Slovenian Biochemical Society Spanish Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Swedish Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Swiss Society for Biochemistry Turkish Biochemical Society Tunisian Association of Biological Sciences Ukrainian Biochemical Society Yugoslav Biochemical Society As the 40th Anniversary of the founding of FEBS is approaching, the Executive Committee decided that one way to celebrate this event would be to publish a Memoir covering major aspects of its foundation and early developments as well as presenting an overview on FEBS activities and contributions to support the ever growing disciplines of biochemistry, molecular cell biology and molecular biophysics throughout Europe. Foreword Guy Dirheimer Past Chairman of the FEBS Executive Committee, 1999-2002 “Independence in interdependence”, this could be the motto of FEBS. FEBS is one of the only European scientific organizations to be auto-financed. It does not receive any governmental help or charity. Nevertheless, FEBS is in an excellent financial condition. This permits FEBS to choose its members and its scientific policy independently, without submitting to external pressure. This independence is however only possible because of the interdependence of FEBS’ many members who democratically elect – via their delegates at the annual Council Meetings – the members of the FEBS Committees. These individuals sacrifice themselves, on a completely voluntary basis, sparing neither efforts nor time (and often without secretarial help), to the activities of FEBS, just because they consider that European Biochemistry and Molecular Biology deserves to be supported and developed. FEBS is not a static organization, but a dynamic one, as this book by Horst Feldmann clearly reflects. At the beginning, the idea to create FEBS was followed by the adoption of its statutes and of the organization of the first FEBS Meeting 38 years ago. These events are perfectly described by W.J. Whelan in the first chapter of this book. FEBS has much evolved since 1964. From 13 Constituent Societies it has now grown to 36 full members and 5 associate members. Its dynamism found expression since its inception in many activities. As early as 1965 the Advanced Courses were organized, and a FEBS Bulletin was published. Then, in 1967, the European Journal of Biochemistry, of which C. Liébecq was the first managing editor, was established. And then, in 1968, the establishment of FEBS Letters followed, a journal of which S.P. Datta assumed the responsibility for in 27 years with his well-known dynamism and enthusiasm. G. Semenza succeeded him for 14 years with competence and dedication. The two journals have a great international reputation and the successive editors in chief succeeded in fructifying and enhancing them. All European Biochemists and Molecular Biologists should be very keen to publish their best papers in them. In fact FEBS had practically no resources at its beginning, and its assets did not exceed 1000 British pounds in 1967. This situation changed thanks to the income of the two journals, and thanks to the rigour and know-how of the two successive treasurers of FEBS, S.P. Datta and J. Mowbray. The income permitted FEBS to develop new initiatives, essentially in favour of young scientists, who remain one of FEBS major concerns. In 1971 the Youth Travel Fund, which allows young scientists to attend the Advanced Courses, was initiated. Then followed establishment of the programme of FEBS Fellowships, of which I had the honour to be the first Fellowship officer in 1979. This programme has also evolved a lot since, as is shown in several chapters of this book. At the beginning it comprised only Short Term Fellowships, thereafter it enlarged with the creation of Summer Fellowships and Long Term Fellowships. Bursaries permitting young scientists to attend