FEBS at 50 Half a century promoting the molecular life sciences Edited by Mary Purton and Richard Perham FEBS at 50 Half a century promoting the molecular life sciences Founded on 1 January 1964, and thus celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2014, the Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS) has become one of Europe’s largest and most prominent organizations in the molecular life sciences, with over 36,000 members across more than 35 societies that represent biochemistry and molecular biology in most countries of Europe and neighbouring regions. FEBS thereby provides a voice to a large part of the academic research and teaching community in Europe and beyond. As a charitable organization, FEBS promotes, encourages and supports biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, molecular biophysics and all related research areas in a variety of ways. A major emphasis in many programmes is on scientifi c exchange and cooperation between scientists working in diff erent countries, and on fostering of the training of early-career scientists. Th is illustrated book provides a snapshot of the origins of FEBS and its work over the past 50 years. Th ere are chapters on the development of the activities of each of its various committees and working groups, with contributions from both those working on behalf of FEBS and those who have benefi ted from the scientifi c training and diverse support off ered. FEBS at 50 Half a century promoting the molecular life sciences Edited by Mary Purton and Richard Perham FEBS AT 50: Half a century promoting the molecular life sciences © FEBS and Third Millennium Publishing Limited 2014 First published in 2014 by Third Millennium Publishing Limited, a subsidiary of Third Millennium Information Limited. 2–5 Benjamin Street, London, United Kingdom EC1M 5QL www.tmiltd.com British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: 978 1 908990 35 8 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner concerned. Design Matthew Wilson Production Debbie Wayment Reprographics Studio Fasoli, Verona, Italy Printing Printer Trento, Italy Poster session at the 38th FEBS Congress, St Petersburg, 2013. CONTENTS Preface 8 FEBS Prizes 38 Israel Pecht Slipping into Foreign Cultures 40 Sir Tim Hunt 1 THE ORIGINS OF FEBS 14 FEBS Anniversary Prize, 2010 42 Johanna Ivaska The Founding of FEBS 15 Bill Whelan Personal Recollections on 20 3 FEBS PUBLICATIONS 44 the Early Years of FEBS FEBS in Academic Publishing 44 Federico Mayor László Fésüs The FEBS Journal: Almost 50 Years of 47 2 FEBS CONGRESSES 22 Frontline Scientific Publishing Richard Perham The 18th FEBS Meeting, Ljubljana, 1987 23 Vito Turk FEBS Letters: 46 Years Abreast of Science 53 Daniela Ruffell The 27th FEBS Meeting, Lisbon, 2001 25 Claudina Rodrigues-Pousada Molecular Oncology: A Niche in 58 Translational Research The 33rd FEBS Congress, Athens, 2008 28 Julio Celis Emmanuel G. Fragoulis and George Panayotou FEBS Open Bio: Responding to a New Need 60 FEBS Special Meeting, Athens, 1982 29 Mary Purton Constantine P. Tsiganos and George Palaiologos The 35th FEBS Congress, Gothenburg, 2010 31 David Gotthold, Stefan Hohmann, 4 FEBS ADVANCED COURSES 62 Winnie Eskild and Tom A. Kristensen FEBS Advanced Courses Programme 65 The 37th FEBS Congress, Seville, 2012 34 Jaak Järv Miguel Ángel de la Rosa, Irene Díaz-Moreno and The Spetses Summer Schools 67 Joan Guinovart Horst Feldmann FEBS, an Innovative Federation: The Introduction 35 of Posters and the Poster Printing On-Site Service at FEBS Meetings Carlos Gancedo and Miguel Ángel de la Rosa 5 FEBS EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES 70 7 FEBS FELLOWSHIPS PROGRAMME 86 FEBS Education Committee 70 A Former Chairman’s View 86 Gül Güner Akdog˘an Vicente Rubio The Creation of the Working Group on 76 Supporting a Late Starter 89 Teaching Biochemistry Dan Tawfik Jean Wallach Refocusing My Developing Career 91 Making a Difference to the Teaching 77 Isabel Varela Nieto of Biochemistry A Turning Point in My Career 93 Miguel Castanho Emilie Pacary Devoted to Improving Biochemical Education 77 Searching for Truffles 95 Karmela Barišic’ Jörg Mansfeld CV Support for Young Scientists 78 A Love Affair with Science 96 Keith Elliott Fabiana Perocchi 6 FEBS FORUM FOR YOUNG SCIENTISTS 80 8 FINANCES 98 FEBS Young Scientists’ Forum (YSF) 80 Long-Term Guiding Hands on FEBS’ Finances 98 Claudina Rodrigues-Pousada Iain Mowbray The 1st FEBS YSF, Oeiras, Portugal, 2001 81 Restructuring FEBS’ Finances for the Future 106 Júlia Costa Sir Alan Fersht The 11th FEBS YSF, Turin, Italy, 2011 82 Francesco Rua 9 FEBS AND WOMEN IN SCIENCE 108 The 13th FEBS YSF, St Petersburg, Russia, 2013 84 Working Group on Women in Science (WISE) 108 Alexey Belogurov Jr and Azad Mamedov FEBS | EMBO Women in Science Award 108 Women in Science: Looking Back and 114 Looking Forward Susan M. Gasser 10 INTEGRATING LIFE SCIENCES 116 Hungarian Biochemical Society (HBS) 144 ACROSS EUROPE Beáta Vértessy, Balázs Sarkadi, Péter Csermely, 50 Years of FEBS in a Divided and 116 and László Fésüs Economically Unequal Europe Ukrainian Biochemical Society (UBS) 147 Mathias Sprinzl Tatiana Borisova A View from the West 119 Parnas Conferences 148 Giorgio Semenza Tatiana Borisova Biochemistry Behind the Iron Curtain 120 v Václav Paces 12 REACHING OUT BEYOND FEBS 150 Teamwork Under the Umbrella of FEBS 123 Shaping Science Policy in Europe: The Creation 151 Jolanta Baran’ ska of the European Research Council (ERC) Close and Rewarding Collaborations 126 Julio Celis and José Mariano Gago Jerka Dumic’ The Impact of FEBS in the Landscape of 160 Connecting and Educating European Scientists 129 Science in Europe Stefana Petrescu Federico Mayor FEBS Science and Society Committee 161 11 FEBS MEMBER SOCIETIES 132 Jacques-Henry Weil Biochemical Society (UK) 134 Worldwide Lectures 165 Steve Busby French Society for Biochemistry and 137 ENVOI 166 Molecular Biology (SFBBM) Alain Krol Current FEBS Officers 170 Spanish Society for Biochemistry and 140 Index 173 Molecular Biology (SEBBM) Federico Mayor Jr Acknowledgements and Credits 176 PREFACE FEBS: FROM THE PAST TO THE FUTURE A prestigious Fellowships Programme for research by Israel Pecht, FEBS Secretary General and training began in 1978 (reaching a peak of annual On 23 March 1964, representatives of 18 national expenditure of €2.6 million in 2012). Further initiatives, biochemical societies from across Europe met in London such as promoting the role of women in science, and founded the Federation of European Biochemical supporting education in the life sciences at both Societies (FEBS). The purpose was to facilitate intra- undergraduate and postgraduate level, and establishing European Meetings, what turned into the now familiar the Young Scientists’ Forum alongside FEBS annual FEBS Congresses. It soon became apparent that Congresses, started around the turn of the millennium. there was a need for additional activities to support During this half-century, there have been biochemistry and biochemists, and to encourage dramatic political changes in Europe. FEBS has collaboration and exchange of information and ideas responded to the reshaping of the map in several ways, between scientists, in particular across boundaries in supporting and integrating the scientific communities a Europe bitterly divided by the Iron Curtain. Hence, of Central and Eastern European countries through it was not long before FEBS incorporated courses and times of great political upheaval, which are, to summer schools and, crucially, scientific publishing into some extent, still continuing. Sometimes dramatic its portfolio. FEBS was a pioneer in this regard, and is one differences exist in the conditions of biochemical of a few organizations that has continuously provided communities, mainly in countries of the former Soviet generations of young scientists, in particular those from bloc, compared with central or western parts of the more deprived countries, with an open window on continent. The FEBS Working Group for Integration advances in research. (WGI) continues its efforts to identify the communities In the 50 years since 1964, the dynamism and that need help, where appropriate aiding them in devotion of a succession of scientists working for getting organized as societies and, more importantly, FEBS, all on a voluntary basis, as well as the careful raising the financial means, though modest, to enable stewardship of the income from its journals, has their members to participate in, and benefit from, enabled FEBS to diversify beyond its original activities. different FEBS activities. 8 PREFACE The political landscape of the world in general is fully owned by the Federation. Our two original journals, also currently very different from that of the mid-20th FEBS Journal (previously called the European Journal century. FEBS was always a sympathetic partner with of Biochemistry) and FEBS Letters, are now both nearly the International Union of Biochemistry (IUB; later 50 years old and they have generated the funds essential International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular for all FEBS activities; as the income they provide Biology, IUBMB), including sharing the FEBS Congress has grown, so have the activities. Over the years, the with an IUBMB Congress or Conference when the interests of our community have