q nnierobiologytodoy 'rol32I cug05 c-4L{!*rri{;rryr-'{rrr-rri"nr$r, rfi#Utrxin* mf $[,r4 ,"4r'irr*r ' li ls bi"Julffi | )i frrrr\/{ r-rsnc*rnltq;l\Jr vq;t rni*r*hlnl*gy :',..,)i"viiil': i lg::::i*lli..... '" i|"r;)i; vcl32(3) I \--...,..1 \...,,1{r....1 : :\... 1 : .i i i.,."rr 102 News 142 Cradline 150 Reviews 136 Meetings 144 Hotoff the press152 obituaries 138 schoolzone146 Coingpublic 1 55 Add resses i-.ri i-ir#r" i i*,r il-i li 121 tRCreport 127 Microbiologyin the Regionsreport {-,ti"fi*jt*s 1 1OAn introduction to virusesand l(illerinto cure - cance r oncolyticviruses DorothyH. Crawford Moira Brown Canceris a major killer.Viruses are involved in 10-20o/oof all Cenetherapy using viruses provides an exciting human casesof this disease. newanti-cancer treatment. 113 Bacteriaincancer th erapy 132Two early'general CarolineSpringer, Panos Lehouritis & micro b io logists' RichardMarais MichaelJ. Carlile Bacteriaare showing great prom isei n new cancertherapies. Manyscientists fled the Nazisin the runup to WWll. Twoof themmade great contributions to Ul( microbiology. Human 134 - papillomavirusesa[d Debate cance r teaching m icrobiology to medical students JulieBurns & DlawerAla'Aldeen NormanMaitland Can problem-oriented teaching produce better doctors? Papillomavirusescause a rangeof cancers,but help isat hand in the form of effectivevaccines. Comment - 122 Nobelmicrobes define the a microbiologist's artofcelldivision viewof astrobiology lainHagan & PaulNurse HowardCest In the fight against cancer, m icrobes are showi ng the way to lsastrobiology really a science?Does it involve our understandingof the controlof celldivision. micro-organisms? {-*u*r irnagc Coloured scanning electron micrograph of a dividing cervical cancer cell. 5teve 6schmeissner/ SciencePhoto Library Theviews expressed srditr:lDrCavinThomasi:rli|oriaj[i*arr:lDrSueAssinder,DrPaulineHand|ey,Professor|ainHagan by contributorsare not l)resjSn&. Pr+iju necessarilythose oJ the SpencersWood,ReadingRCT'1AC Tel.01 18988 1809 Fax01189885656 email mtodaypsgm.ac.uk webwww.sgm.ac.uk Adv*riilii;rgDavidLancaster,McMillan-ScottpLC, Londonoffice,10Savoy5treet,LondonWC2E7HRTel.020787B2316Fax02o73797118emaildavid6mcms|ondon.co'uktlrl:;'gt;llil:lltllt Society;nor canthe CollegeLondon/SPL;139MauroFermariello/SPL;143Stockbyte/Photolibrary.com;145Taxi/Gettylmages;1475imonLewis/SPL;151TekImage/S claimsof advertisers .i) :dlti5 The Society for Ceneral Microbiology l!*y't 1464-0570 l-'rirt*d ir\. Latimer Trend & Company Ltd, Plymouth, U I( hp ottaranfppA E-- SCMtal<es a lead in European New Treasu rer mi cro b i o I ogY ed u cati o n Professor Attheend ofjunethe promoting m icrobiologY ColinHarwood it, Societywas delighted to act education.Education Asdestiny would have and ashost to 11 microbiologists Officer5ue Assinder Igrew up in FlemingCourt, from differentEuroPean Convenerof the Education Paddington,just round the Verran, countrieswho wereall eager &TrainingCrouP, Jo cornerfromSt MarY's part,alongside SCM namedafter to learnhow to Promote tool< Hospitaland Dariel microbiologYintheir local staffJanet H u rst and SCM'sfirst President. I schools.The visitors, wno Burdasswho organized first became interested the event.With falling in microbiologYas an wereSenerouslY sPonsoreO bythe Federationof recruitment to microbiologY undergrad uate at London European Microbiological degreecourses across Universityand mY PhD with to Societies(F EMS), attended Europeand the need SimonBaumberg at Leeds about Bacillusspp. I wasa post-doctoral a courseheld at Reading educatethe Public startedmy loveaffair with of l(entand had a sabbaticalwith a UniversitY. TheY joined U l( the subjectin the light fellowwith the Meynellsat I am currentlyProfessor of teachersand tech nicians manyissues that affecttheir biotechcompany in sweden. amount at Newcastl e Un iversity' on oneof the SCM's Basic lives,increasi ng the Mo Iecu lar Mi crob i o logy of microbiologYtaught i n PracticalMicrobiologY My researchis on generegulation and protein secretion in schoolshas never been coursestutored bYthe usual B.subtilis and B. anthracis.l have extensive collaborations moreimportant. lt ishoPed dynamiccombination of with colleaguesin Europeand Japan (myfavourite thatthis will bethe first of a thetwo Johns(Crainger destination),currently coordinating an EUFP6 project on seriesofjoi nt in itiatives andSchollar), followed bY bacterialresponses to host-mediatedstresses' and a secondday of talksand betweenthe SocietY I havebeen a memberof scM since1 973, previouslyserving discussionson waYsof FEMSin this arena. twiceon Council.I havealso served on the committeesof the CeneticsSociety, the Societyfor AppliedMicrobiology and the EuropeanFederation of Biotechnology.I have a strong SCMwins silver at the RHS beliefin the roleand value of learnedsocieties and look ChelseaFlower Show" forwardto workingwith colleaguesat Marlborough House, in academia,the publicservices and industryto develop still interactionsbetween TheSCM's display on beneficial further the Society'sactivities in promotin g' thescie n ce an d atthe RHSChelsea Flower Show microbesand plant roots significanceof microbiologY'. attractedthe attentionof thousandsof visitinggardeners. Italsopleased thejudges, asyou can read onp'145' Ann ual Ceneral Meeti ng THE ROYALI.IORTICT]UTURAT, SOCIHTY 2005 TheAnnual Ceneral Meeting of the Societywill be held SILVER MEDAL on Tuesday1 3 Septemberat the Societymeeting at l(eele University. Agendapapers including reports from Officersand Croup Convenersand the accountsof the societyfor2oo4arein the separatebooklet distributed to allmembers with this issueof Mi crobio I o gY To d aY. cH[15[A FLOWTRSHOW 2005 A**u(iqtn Society.for GeneralMicrobiology [orlR exhihir or P]ants& microbesliving in harmony IN THT,I.INDI..F]Y RANC}] microbiolo gy todaY ;:t'.i 102 News of members In d ustrial Congratulationsto Bob Rastall,convener of the Foodand BeveragesCroup, on the awardof a Member perso nal chair as Professorof Biotech n o logyat th e Un iversity of Reading. Forum Deaths Someindustry-based TheSociety notes with regretthedeaths of ProfessorE.F. Gale (original memberand memberstook the President1967-1969; see obituary on p.152), Professor B.A.D. Stocker (membersince 1949 opportunityto meetwith andserved on Council1957-1961 and1965-1966),Dr H.R. Smith (member since1973) Croup representativesand and Dr D. Tyrrell(member since 1955). Councilmembers at the Society'sco nference at Heriot-Watt U n iversityin ballotpapers and are urged statusas a charity.Council MayCouncil earlyApri l. Theyd iscussed to usetheir votes. memberswere also gratified strategiesto increase meeting to seefrom graphshow the Microbiology representationof ind ustrial SCMstrategy Society'sincome from The microbiologists on Croup Presidentthanked journalsubscriptions and ThePresident reoorted on committeesand lookedat ProfessorCh ris Thomas, investments had enabled the outcomeof the Strategy waysof makingthe content Birmingham,the outgoing a significantincrease in Croup meetingattended of symposiamore relevant Editor-in-Chiefof 5CM activities(meetings, by electedmembers and to ind ustry-based scientists. Mi crob i o I ogy, f or alI his journals,grants, public officersof Councilin Theforum concluded with hardand diligent work in awarenessand ed ucation) Aberdeenin March.Various a reception.A fullreport is collaborationwith the to befunded overthe oast issueswere discussed, availablefrom Jane Editors and editorial staff. 1O years. includ ing the preparation WestwelI at Marl andfor maintainingand borough of SWOTanalyses House(j.westwellp of the developingthe healthystate Microbiology sgm.ac. SCMand of microbiology of thejou rnal.Professor uk). inthe Ul(;SCMpublications awarenessand CharlesJ. Dorman, Dublin, Asa resultof the development;interactions education waswelcomed to Councilas discussions,Externar with otherm icrobiological Councilwaspleased to hisreplacement. RelationsOffice staff are organizations, learnofthe successofthe includingjoint planninga practical meetings Societyfi nances eventheld at the House ; Bye-lawchange workshopto tie in with a andpublic awareness of of Lordsin Marchto raise Counci I approveda change symposi u m at a forthcomi ng microbiological issues and awarenessof current to the Bye-lawsenabling meetingandthe Food& theirpromotion bythe SCM. important infectious d isease Croupcommitlees, if they BeverageCrou p Comm ittee Councilconcurred with issues.They also heard from the wish,to co-optamember haswelcomed John Croup's recom mendations. the Education Officer that from industryin addition Rigarlsfordas its first It alsoagreed to setaside new careersliterature and to the normalnumber of co-optedmember. periodsdevoted to the committeemembers, to teachingresou rces were TheIndustrialMember discussionof strategicissues servefor periodsof 1-2 now available,adding to the Forumhas been a useful atfuture Council meetings. years.This action has been alreadyimpressive range of exerciseand hasgiven takenas part of the Society's materialthattheSCM CouncilandCroup promore usfood for thought.We policyto strengthenits distributesto extendthanks to those elections linkswith industrial microbiology in schools. memberswho havegiven It wasnoted that, due to microbiologists. UIrich Desselberger the healthynumber of uptheirtime tojoin in the CeneralSecretary nominations,elections will SCMFinances discussions. be necessaryto fill the three Theyear-end forecast is up-com ing vacancies for currentlythat the SCM electedmembers of Council budgetwill breakeven or andvarious places