AChemS Association for Chemoreception Sciences Fostering Chemical Senses Research and Understanding Smell and Taste in Health and Disease c copyright NEWSLETTER Spring 2006 Message from the President Charles Derby ([email protected]) ChemS’ strongest asset is its Our annual meeting is a major focus for the seams. Additionally, most of us are members, and this is no more most AChemS members, and with this in daily commuters to the meeting site, since Aevident than over this past year. mind, I want to mention three items. only about one-third of meeting attendees The members of the Executive Committee First, we all have much to look forward to have rooms at the Hyatt. We have a signed – Christine Byrd, Pam Dalton, Debi in April. Debi Fadool, Program Chair, is contract with the Sarasota Hyatt for 2007, Fadool, Mimi Halpern, Mike Michel, working feverishly with the Program and our 2008 meeting will be in San John Scott, Leslie Tolbert, Matt Committee to produce a wonderful Francisco with ISOT. For 2009 and Wachowiak, and Don Wilson – have acted program; please check the web site for beyond, we will face even greater space on behalf of AChemS in many ways. In more information about the meeting. challenges, so I present a challenge to the addition, several new standing committees Second, I am pleased to announce that the Executive Committee and the Long- were formed last year as the Executive 2008 ISOT meeting will be held in Range Planning Committee to find solu- Committee and the Long-Range Planning San Francisco, at the Hyatt Embarcadero. tions to this problem. Committee recognized a need for special We believe that the venue, conveniently attention. The new Industrial Relations located for our west coast AChemS Returning to the present – I look forward Committee, chaired by Mike Meredith, members and Asian colleagues, will be an to seeing all of you in the warmth and sun has worked to bring industrial interests exciting location for all, and will be at a of Sarasota in April. O and groups more fully into the AChemS very affordable price. I want to personally fold. The new Publications Committee, thank Tom Finger, Program Chair of 2006 Newly Elected ISOT 2008, and Tisha Kehn, Associate chaired by Charlie Greer, is considering AChemS Officers ways to make Chemical Senses, the official Executive Director of AChemS for their journal of AChemS, an even more effec- work in making this selection. They Diego Restrepo, President-elect tive venue for presenting our research in considered many options, made site visits, the chemical senses. Speaking of Chemical and spent much time during this process. Linda Barlow, Counsilor Senses, I would like to recognize Barry Their thorough report made it easy for the Scott Herness, Secretary Ache and David Smith, our current Executive Committee to unanimously Nancy Rawson, Membership Chair AChemS-affiliated Editors, and Leslie endorse their recommendation. Third, I Tolbert, Michael Leon, Alan Gelperin, would like to comment on our usual venue 177 Total votes were counted. Alan Spector, Matthew Ennis, Paul for our annual AChemS meetings – the Breslin, Diego Restrepo, Randall Reed, Sarasota Hyatt. Each year, our annual Linda Bartoshuk, Barbara Trask, and meeting grows – we have new people, Robert Margolskee, our current AChemS great events, wonderful presentations, and THIS ISSUE INCLUDES representatives on the Editorial Board. more attendees. Our growth is a grand Other new committees include the testament to the vitality of our field, but it • Pictures from AChemS XXVII Clinical Relations Committee, chaired by also challenges us in our current venue. • AChemS 2005 Awardees Claire Murphy and Education Program chairs have had to be more • AChemS 2006 Election Results Committee, chaired by Gina Nelson. creative each year in handling the These are in addition to our existing ever-increasing number of presentations, • Job listings ommittees, and some of their activities and large events such as our opening • Ernest Polak Memorial over this past year are described elsewhere Givaudan lecture. Our major talks are, as in this newsletter. you have experienced, literally bursting at A Look Back at AChemS XXVII Photos by Debi Fadool Preview of AChemS XXVIII Debi Fadool Application for Dear Colleagues: and Renewal of Hope you are having a wonderful spring Please direct inquiries to Dr. Peter season. We have been preparing the Mombaerts ([email protected]), Membership upcoming sessions for the AChemS 28th organizer of the satellite symposium. Annual Meeting that will be held April 26- Questions concerning 30, 2006 in Sarasota, Florida. Planned All the best, membership should be special symposia and travel information Debra Ann Fadool addressed to Tisha Kehn. are posted on the Society web site. AChemS 2006 Program Chair Abstract Submissions closed on January 12 as usual. We look forward to your partici- (on behalf of the 2005-2006 Program 5841 Cedar Lake Road pation in this year's conference! Committee: Charles Derby, Richard L. Doty, Suite 204 Debra Ann Fadool, Timothy Gilbertson, Minneapolis, MN 55416 This year we will hold a pre-meeting Robert Lane, Trese Leinders-Zufall, Emily R. Direct Line: 952-646-2022 satellite symposium Tuesday and Liman, Michael Leon, Mary Lucero, Fax: 952-545-6073 Wednesday, April 25 - 26. The sympo- Michael Meredith, Charlotte Mistretta, Jane sium will be held much in the same way as Roskams, Peter W. Sorensen, Steven St. John, A membership application in 2004 and 2005. There will only be ple- Richard Vogt, and Joel White) O nary presentations. The satellite sympo- form and a dues renewal for sium will most likely start at 1 pm on 2006 are available at the Tuesday and end at 1 pm on Wednesday. AChemS web site Approximately fifteen speakers will be ( http://www.achems.org ). invited to give oral presentations on this year's topic "Chemosensory Receptors." Industry-related event at AChemS XXVIII "Taste and Smell in Translation: Applications from basic research." A Symposium/ Tutorial exploring recent key advances in the chemical senses of interest to industry scientists, and also to basic scientists. The speakers are internationally known experts with a clear view of the cutting edge and a broad perspective. Each will focus on two or a few recent advances in basic research that have potential applications. They will take the time to explain the basic science background for an audience that cannot be expert in all relevant areas. The audience will include industry scientists and policy makers as well as basic scientists and graduate stu- dents new to the field who are interested in applications of basic research. The symposium will conclude with a round-table dis- cussion with audience participation. Our goal is to explore how collaborations between industry and academic scientists can ben- efit both, but particularly how basic-science expertise can contribute. Bob Margolskee Mt Siniai School of Med. Taste-molecular biology Randy Reed Johns Hopkins University Olfaction-molecular biology Rachel Herz Brown University Olfaction - perception/ psychophysics Paul Breslin Monell Chem. Senses Ctr. Taste - perception/ psychophysics The symposium will be followed by a reception with buffet and cash bar: An opportunity for industry participants to network and to interact one on one with the symposium speakers and other interest- ed basic scientists. For more information: Contact Mike Meredith at Florida State University (850) 644-3427 [email protected] GWIZ 2005 was a Resounding Success! Gina Nelson The 2005 Educational Outreach-GWIZ both new demos and some of the old make suggestions if you just can't decide event was the best ever! Thanks to Aleks favorites to entice the children with. The on what you would like to show. We can Splavins and the staff at GWIZ, we had jelly beans are always a favorite. also make suggestions, if you need them, nearly 500 visitors. Most were students The AChemS educational outreach on how to prepare your demo for kids. and the rest were museum visitors. We are activity at GWIZ is an opportunity for Then, bring it with you to the AChemS making a local impact in terms of educat- Sarasota school kids to experience hands- annual meeting in April 2006! We do our ing Sarasota school children about taste on (the format of the entire museum) demos at the GWIZ museum, across the and smell. Teachers were calling the muse- various aspects of taste and smell, and street from the Hyatt hotel, on um early in the 2004-2005 school year to other senses too. Kids come by the vari- Wednesday, just prior to the start of the see if AChemS was returning so they could ous demonstrations in small groups and meeting. A typical schedule involves set- book field trips. WOW! actively participate in each activity. ting up around 9:00, and kids finish com- Students have learned how taste differs ing through about 12:30. Yes, this is a big In 2005, we had nine different demonstra- from smell via jelly beans, how much salt event. If you like teaching kids, and that tions covering many aspects of taste and has to be in the water before you can includes saying the same thing over and smell for the students to participate in. taste it, how a moth antennae perceives over, at least 100 times, this activity is for The students are usually elementary kids, odors, and a whole lot more. you! typically grades 3-7, although we have had high school aged kids attend. The students How do I participate in this lively activ- Trivia question for this issue: What does represent many of the Sarasota Public ity, you may ask? Easy! Pick your favorite GWIZ stand for anyway? (I was sur- Schools and several area private schools as taste, smell, or other sense/neurobiology prised.) Come by on April 26th, 2006 for well.