September

The 11th SAC Seminar, “New Trends In Chemical Toxicology”, 22 – 25 September 2008, Moscow

Putative risks of environmental pollutants and food contaminants constitute a major concern for public health worldwide. Epidemiological studies suggest that numerous diseases may be associated with a variety of physical and chemical agents such as ionizing and non-ionizing radiations, airborne particles from industry, transport, dioxins, PCB, pesticides, endocrine disruptors, heavy metals and many other pollutants.

The Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) of the International Science & Technology Center (ISTC), the ISTC and the Institute of Biomedical Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (IBMC RAMS) organized the 11th SAC seminar on ‘New Trends in Chemical Toxicology” from 22 – 25 September 2008 in Moscow.

Close to a hundred top experts from around the world took part in the seminar to present the latest scientific results and to discuss the molecular mechanisms of action that environmental factors have on humans and animals.

As part of the seminar, a lively round-table discussion was held to discuss the need and requirements for ‘Predictive Toxicology’, which highlighted various aspects, such as:

An integrated, multifaceted approach is needed to achieve better risk assessment of the toxicity of environmental factors, using data from experimental (in vivo and in vitro), (Q)SAR, molecular modeling, bioinformatics, and OMICS (high-through put) methodologies;
Animal studies are important and necessary, but should be limited as much as possible.
The relevance of animal studies can be increased by using humanized animals (injecting human genes in animals);
Cellular and biochemical assays are needed to determine mechanism of action. Such information is necessary for prediction of toxicity within chemical families;
OMICS and systems biology will provide unique tools to identify mechanisms and novel biomarkers;
For new classes of chemical compounds it is important to study the basic mechanisms of action, before predictive toxicology can be formulated. For example, currently too little is known about the basic physical and chemical factors influencing biological activity of nano particles (nano toxicology) to formulate a predictive toxicology;
Ecological toxicology should not be forgotten, in our effort to obtain good ‘predictive toxicology’ for humans (and animals), because events in the environment have an indirect effect on human well-being. Additionally, a better understanding of eco-toxicity can have great economic and non-economic impact.

The 1st International Transcaucasus Conference on Plant Pathology, 25-26th September 2008

And Workshop on Improving Collaboration to Address Disease Constrains to Agriculture in the Caucasus, Tbilisi, Georgia

The International Transcaucasus Conference on Plant Pathology (ITCPP) was the first major conference on plant pathology to be held in the Caucasus region. As such it was successful in attracting scientists from across the region as well as from Western Europe and North America. After the collapse of the USSR, links between scientists working in former Soviet countries have been poor. Resources for agricultural research are scarce, so it is vital for scientists to share experience and expertise to solve problems common across international boundaries.

The aim of the conference was to establish better links between researchers in the Caucasus region and, through a workshop session, create an opportunity to identify the research needed to improve agriculture in the region. Furthermore, given recent political events in the region, the ITCPP proved to be an opportunity to demonstrate that scientific cooperation across the region can thrive despite international politics.

The conference was organised by the Institute of Plant Immunity in Kobuleti, Georgia. Over 100 delegates attended, from Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Tajikistan, United Kingdom, USA and Switzerland. A total of 33 papers were presented during the conference and workshop sessions. Deputy ministers from the Georgian ministries of Agriculture and Education and Science attended the opening of the conference, and the event received good media coverage on Georgian national and local television.

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