Annual Report 2004 - SIVB Home

President’s Report

During 2004, the SIVB changed Presidents after the conclusion ofthe Congress in San Francisco. This will be the last time that anincoming President doesn’t take office at the meeting following

elections. The membership, by more than a 90% yes vote, approved a set ofrevisions to the Bylaws and Constitution that will correct this obstacle to appro-priate management, along with a number of additional revisions. These signifi-cant modifications are more than cosmetic because several approved clausessave substantial funds by reversing expenditure requirements, which are no longersuitable for the present size and management structure of the current SIVB.

The second item to highlight is the reversal of deficit spending that hasbeen a frequent pattern for the SIVB. The present Board and Officers are ab-solutely committed to a balanced budget, even if some temporary belt tighten-ing that cuts into services is the consequence. In this day and age, with thelimited reserves now available, this group of officers and Board passed a bal-anced budget starting in July 2004 and will remain dedicated to a fiscally re-sponsible position.

Third, the student initiative, started by the previous Long Range PlanningCommittee, produced a notably different character for our annual meeting. AtSan Francisco, approximately 100 students took advantage of free studentregistration and a one-year trial membership in the SIVB. Society member-ship, by the end of 2004, had increased by about 10%, reversing a disturbingtrend from previous years. The student influx gave vibrancy to our meeting andbrought us closer to the SIVB’s core mission. This initiative also inspired sev-eral corporate members to make an extraordinary contribution, which is beingleveraged to obtain additional federal dollars for our efforts.

This Annual Report provides information on these three accomplishmentsduring the tenure of your new officers and Board, but other business of theSIVB could be similarly lauded. In fact, although endeavors are related in thisPresident’s Report and other reports, achievements are the result of combinedefforts of many individuals and committees composed of dedicated volunteers.Let’s continue the effort to represent our science and to foster the environ-ment, which can make our service vital to leadership of our profession. Thanksto everyone for your generous support.

David W. Altman, [email protected]

Annual Report

The Society for In Vitro Biology

2004

President David Altman and the World Congress Attendeeslisten to the Keynote Symposia

President David Altman addresses the Plant BiotechnologySection during their business meeting.

The 2004 SIVB Annual Report

-2-

Secretary’s Report2004 was a transition year for the office of

Secretary. Barbara Reed’s double term (four years)ended after San Francisco’s World Congress onIn Vitro Biology. Her accomplishments as Secre-tary and Chair of the Membership Committee arenotable. During this time, the extremely popular stu-dent program for free meeting registration (includesfree membership the following year) was initiated andcontinues to be extremely popular. Over 50 studentstook advantage of this offer in 2003 and 83 in 2004!

Following in Barbara’s footsteps, I have cometo look at the role of Secretary as being a resourceperson for all members including the SIVB Offic-ers, Section Officers and the Board of Directors. Agoal I worked on long before I ran for Secretarywas to have the minutes of the Board of Directorsmeetings be made available to all members, a goalI hope will be accomplished in the near future.(Little did I know I was proposing future work formyself!) Feel free to continue contacting me withyour questions, comments and concerns. If I can’thelp you, I will find the appropriate person who can.

Nancy A. Reichert, [email protected]

Treasurer’s ReportThe society has once again struggled to main-

tain a strong fiscal outcome for 2004. We started2004 with a net deficit of $120,510 and we endedthe year with a deficit net asset of $196,900. Whilethe numbers are still discouraging, there are posi-tives that can be taken from these results. Throughthe efforts of the Board of Directors, the FinanceCommittee and the Development Committee, thedeficit was not as large as what was forecast at thebeginning of 2004. This was a result of the meet-ing being a financial success (no significant loss)and other cost saving measures that were imple-mented. It is critical that the Society recognizesthe financial situation and takes all necessary stepsto continue to move towards a positive net cashflow. The Board of Directors, under the directionof President David Altman, and the entire manage-ment staff are working diligently to assure that wehave a balanced budget for 2005. We are continu-ing to find ways to cut our costs and the financecommittee and the Board is working diligently toidentify areas of cost savings as well as identifypotential sources of revenue. The major issue con-tinues to be our decline in membership and meet-ing attendance. As in the previous year, it will becritical to increase our revenues through our mem-bership, publications, and annual meeting. As Istated in last year’s report, in order to bring theSociety back into a positive cash flow, it is impera-tive that we all continue to work together to findways increase our revenue and contain our costs.This will obviously require some dedication fromour membership. I would like to again commendthe efforts of the section chairs and their member-ship as well as the development committee for theirefforts in finding ways to resolve our current finan-cial situation. David Songstad, Development Com-mittee Chair, has initiated a capital campaign to buildan endowment that hopefully will be instrumental inhelping the Society survive and grow. The 2004 An-nual Report includes a Treasurer’s Summary Reportconsisting of a Statement of Financial Position andStatement of Activities for the year. The full report isavailable from the business office on request.

Richard Heller, [email protected]

BusinessOffice Report

The Business Officeactivities focused on the2004 World Congress on InVitro Biology, the 11th Inter-

national Invertebrate Conference, publications,and membership. The 2004 World Congress onin Vitro Biology was held in San Francisco, CAfrom May 22 – 26, 2004 at the Hyatt Regency –San Francisco. The 2004 World Congress high-lighted Dr. Kary B. Mullis, PhD, Burstein Technolo-gies, 1993 Nobel Laureate for Chemistry for theDiscovery of the Polymerase Chain Reaction. Hespoke on The Challenge and Approach of Today’sDisease/Pathogen Drug Treatments. Also, therewere acknowledgements for the lifetime achieve-ment awardees: Thomas Grace, PhD, WalterNelson-Rees, PhD, and Trevor A. Thorpe, PhDduring the keynote session. These emeritus sci-entists were being honored for their years of ex-emplary research, achievements, and pioneeringcontributions to the field of cell culture. The Life-time Achievement Award presentation for Dr.Grace took place during the 11 th International In-vertebrate Conference on Saturday, May 22. TheLifetime Achievement Award presentations for Dr.Nelson-Rees and Dr. Thorpe took place at spe-cial luncheons on Tuesday, May 25.

In 2004, the first Vertebrate and Cellular Toxi-cology Fellow Awards were presented. The Cel-lular Toxicology Fellow Awards were presentedto: Eugene Elmore, PhD; John Harbell, PhD; Ri-chard Heller, PhD; Paul Price, PhD; Elizabeth J.Roemer; Colette J. Rudd, PhD; Lynn Rutsky, PhD;Sandra L. Schneider, DrPH; Leonard J. Schiff,PhD; William J. Smith, PhD; and Alda Vidrich,PhD. The Vertebrate Fellow Awards were pre-sented to: Delia Bethell, PhD; Gertrude C.Buehring, PhD; Robert J. Hay, PhD; and WallaceL. McKeehan, PhD. Additionally, the Plant Bio-technology Section presented the Plant FellowAward to Gregory C. Phillips, PhD and the Inver-tebrate Section presented Invertebrate FellowAwards to Cynthia Goodman, PhD; RobertGranados, PhD; Lehman Ellis, PhD; and RazielHakim, PhD. The Society also honored J. DenrySato, PhD; Shirley Pomponi, PhD; David Jayme,PhD; and Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, PhD withthe Senior Investigator Award.

Special pre-meeting workshops were held on“Using Cell-based Model Systems in Assays andBasic Research: A Workshop in Practical Meth-ods” and “Funding Fundamentals: How To Get TheGrant You Want.” Special events held during theCongress were: a cruise on the San FranciscoBay on May 23, 2004, a Fun Run/Walk on May25, 2004, and a silent auction which ended onTuesday, May 25, 2004.

At the 2004 World Congress on In Vitro Bi-ology, the attendance reached 535. There were224 members, 20 non-members, 34 post docs, 5emeritus, and 3 one-day registrants. Also, therewere 96 student registrants, 17 volunteers, and113 speakers. For the second year, SIVB offeredall students free registration to the scientific ses-sions of the 2004 World Congress and free mem-bership to the Society in 2005.

The 2005 In Vitro Biology Meeting focuseson issues pertinent to Plant and Animal researchand will give participants a unique learning expe-rience on plant and animal cell culture and bio-technology. The Hyatt Regency Baltimore will bethe site of the 2005 In Vitro Biology Meeting. Thisdowntown luxury hotel, centrally located on theInner Harbor, is one of the city’s foremost hotels.

An open skywalk connects it to the Baltimore Con-vention Center and the multiple shops and res-taurants at Harborplace. Major attractions arewithin walking distance, including the NationalAquarium in Baltimore, Maryland Science Cen-ter, Port Discovery, Oriole Park at Camden Yardsand M&T Ravens. Our hotel offers incredibleviews, luxurious comfort and superb service at anunmatched location. With every amenity you couldask for, Hyatt Regency Baltimore is the pinnacleof Inner Harbor hotels.

The 2005 In Vitro Biology Meeting will high-light Dr. Robert S. Langer, ScD, Professor ofChemical and Biomedical Engineering at the Mas-sachusetts Institute of Technology and winner ofthe 2002 Charles Stark Draper Prize. He will bepresenting, “Advances in Tissue Engineering.”Also, there will be presentations of the LifetimeAchievement Awards during the meeting to Dr.Oluf Gamborg, PhD and Dr. Rober S. Langer,ScD. David D. Songstad, PhD and David Ellis,PhD are to receive the SIVB Fellow Award. Thereare additional awards winners being finalized atthis time.

Arrangements have been finalized for a tourof the USDA/BARC facility on Saturday, June 4,2005. Additionally, the 2005 Charm City SilentAuction will begin during the Opening Receptionon Sunday, June 5 and will end on Tuesday morn-ing, June 7, 2005. Lastly, attendees will be invitedto enjoy a special elegant evening on Tuesday,June 7, at the National Aquarium of Baltimore.

The Business Office’s Publications Depart-ment continued to evolve during the year. TheBusiness Office continued to partner with bothCABI Publishing and Allen Press to publish the InVitro Cellular and Developmental Biology journalsand worked closely with the Publications Com-mittee to assist in keeping the Committee abreastof the current state of the publications industryand future publishing opportunities.

In 2004, the In Vitro Cellular and Develop-mental Biology – Plant was involved the BioOneconsortium for its first full year and looks to showa modest income for the year. Issues began show-ing up on the BioOne site in December 2003. Toadjust to the current marketplace needs, In Vitro– Plant continued to push for an online manuscriptsystem, which now looks to be implemented bythe end of 2005. CABI continues to expand thePlant journal into international markets and in-crease its visibility throughout the world.

The In Vitro – Animal journal continues togrow in online visibility. To assist in the Animaljournal’s drive for more papers, SIVB institutedan ASAP site, which went active on April 8, 2003.To assist in its visibility, in 2004,the home page ofthe Animal journal was updated to provide a vis-ible graphic that lists the most recent ASAP pa-per available. As part of the consortium withBioOne and its online journals, In Vitro –Animalhas shown growth in additional online subscrip-tion income. In Vitro – Animal has continued tohave articles listed in the top 25 most requestedarticles’ list in BioOne. The Society also displaysabstracts from its published Animal journals on thePubMed website the day after their appearanceon the ASAP site or upon publication.

To further increase the visibility of the Ani-mal journal, the Business Office continued ad-vertising the recent updates in the publications.SIVB published a Call for Papers of the journalthrough BioSpace. The Business Office contin-ued its heavy campaign to activate onlineaccess to all library subscribers who had eligi-bility for online access, but had not forwarded theappropriate information to activate the service. Asa reminder, for eligible members wishing to


-3-

access the online version of the In Vitro – Animaljournal, you will need your ID number and pass-word. Your ID number is your membership num-ber to the Society. Your password is your firstname as recorded in the SIVB Membership data-base (including capitals). If you do not have thisinformation and wish to receive it, please contactthe business office at [email protected].

The first HTML version of the In Vitro Report’sonline publication was the October – December2003 issue. Since then, all issues have beendesigned online and kept in archive for referenceand the Business Office has sent broadcast emailsto members upon the release of each issue.

The SIVB website continued to show activ-ity with changes to the Board and Committeesduring the transition to the new elected Officers.A Future Meetings page was added to list othermeetings that may be of interest to our members.Additionally, the SIVB bookstore was updated andrevised with revised pricing and materials. TheBusiness Office added the Constitution updatesapproved by the Membership and Bylaws updatesmade since that time.

In 2004, the 2004 World Congress on InVitro Biology’s Abstract Issue was held for publi-cation until the actual meeting. This latest pos-sible publication date was to allow participantsthe most possible time to submit abstracts andto present the most accurate program available.Abstract issues were handed out at the Congressto all participants, while those not attending re-ceived their issues in the mail. The final pro-gram was placed online and abstracts were up-loaded as pdf’s for member’s review on thewebsite a few weeks prior to the event.

Since the World Congress, there was agreat deal of activity on both the web and in thepublications for the Society’s meetings. The reg-istrants for the Technology Transfer display atthe 2004 World Congress were added as a spe-cial linked page to both the Meetings and Edu-cation sections of the website. The 2004 WorldCongress final program and abstracts weremoved on the meeting site, where they are stillavailable. The 2005 Calls for Abstracts weremoved from being published in the In Vitro Re-port to being part of the In Vitro – Animal and –Plant journals with regular updates being com-pleted on the website prior to the publication ofthe Calls and the exhibitor information was up-loaded on the site for 2005.

In order to further cut expenditures, in 2004,the Board decided to have a management com-pany run the day-to-day operations of the Soci-ety. On July 1, 2004, New Beginnings Manage-ment took over the running of the business of-fice. New mailing addresses were sent out to allmembers through broadcast email and were listedon the SIVB website. Both myself and MicheleSchultz, Publications Manager, comprise the ma-jor staff of New Beginnings Management.

The Business Office would like to thank allthe members of the Society who have given oftheir time to support the Society for In Vitro Biol-ogy. A special thanks to the Board of Directors,Committee, and Section Chairs for their supportto the vision of the Society. As always, thank youto the volunteers at the 2004 World Congress.We welcome your ideas and suggestions in pro-moting the Society for in Vitro Biology. Contact usat [email protected].

Marietta Wheaton Ellis, Managing [email protected]

Cellular Toxicology &Vertebrate Sections

The 2004 World Congress of the Society forIn Vitro Biology in San Francisco, California hadvery active collaboration between Cellular Toxicol-ogy and the Vertebrate Section to bring about atimely and informative scientific meeting. An excit-ing array of Sessions-In Depth, Contributed Papers,and Interactive Poster Sessions were presented.

Joint State-of-the-Art Symposia and work-shops included, “RNA Interference: A New Tool inGene Discovery and Gene Therapy” moderatedby Harold Trick, Guy Smagghe and Michael Fay,“Stem Cells: Fundamental Aspects and Therapeu-tic Approaches” convened by Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, “Proteomics Symposium: Biomarkers”convened by Collette Rudd, and “FunctionalProteomics Workshop: A Novel System for High-Throughput Protein Fractionation and Identifica-tion” convened by Cynthia Goodman. CellularToxicology and Vertebrate SID’s included “Ad-vances in Automation of Cell Culture and Cell-Based Assays” convened by Dennis Laska andLinda Jacobsen, “Tissue Engineering” convenedby Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic,” Cell Culture Sys-tems for Production of Pharmaceuticals” moder-ated by Paul Price and David Jayme, “AdvancedTechnologies for Monoclonal Antibody Production”convened by Shinji Iijima, “Stem Cells in AquaticOrganisms” convened by David Barnes, Mamma-lian Cell Culture Contaminants: Identification andControl” convened by John Masters, and“Biopreservation,” convened by John M. Baust. Aworkshop entitled, “RNA Interference” was con-vened by Janis Demetrulias and Michael Fay, aContributed Paper Session on Cancer Biologymoderated by Kim O’Connor. As always, the Inter-active Poster Sessions drew a lively attendanceas well as fruitful discussions among attendees.These sessions covered a variety of topics includ-ing “Cell and Cell Culture Models for ToxicologyTesting and Studies/In Vitro Tools” moderated byPenny Jones, “Cryopreservation/In Vitro Tools”moderated Lia Campbell, “Cellular Model Charac-terization” moderated by Dianne Hammond, and“Cancer Biology” moderated by GertrudeBuehring. The Toxicology and Vertebrate sectionsthank the many sponsors and exhibitors who sup-ported the Society’s program and events or thatmade contributions to the Society’s general fund.

The Cellular Toxicology and Vertebrate Sec-tions presented a number of awards at the 2004World Congress. The Lifetime AchievementAward was presented to Dr. Walter Nelson-Reesfor his work on exposing the problem of cross-contamination of cell lines. The first Fellow Awardswere presented for the Cellular Toxicology and

Vertebrate Sections to members who have madeoutstanding contributions in the area of Vertebratescience research, teaching, and/or administration.They were presented from the Cellular Toxicol-ogy Section to: Eugene Elmore, PhD; JohnHarbell, PhD; Richard Heller, PhD; Paul Price,PhD; Elizabeth J. Roemer, Colette J. Rudd, PhD;Lynn Rutsky, PhD; Sandra L. Schneider, DrPH;Leonard J. Schiff, PhD; William J. Smith, PhD;and Alda Vidrich, PhD, and from the VertebrateSection to: Delia Bethell, PhD; Gertrude C.Buehring, PhD; Robert J. Hay, PhD; Wallace L.McKeehan, PhD; David W. Barnes, PhD; ElliotM. Levine, PhD; Craig Meyers, PhD; Yvonne A.Reid, PhD; Gretchen J. Darlington, PhD; andWarren I. Schaeffer, PhD. Two additional awardswere given for work in the field of Toxicology. TheToxicology Section awarded the annual CellularToxicology Student Award to Stephanie DeWitt-Orr from the University of Waterloo for the inter-esting and very timely study entitled “Capacity ofFish Cell Lines to Undergo Apoptosis in Responseto Two Toxicants: Gliotoxin and Copper.” She wasalso awarded the Joseph F. Morgan Award, whichprovides travel funds for Canadian students to at-tend the Annual Meeting of the SIVB, and theHonor B. Fell Award. The Hope E. Hopps Awardand Student Travel Awards were presented toKristi Snyder from Binghamton University for herpresentation entitled, “Hypothermic Storage ofNeonatal Mammalian Cardiomyocytes: Assess-ment of Multiple Markers of Viability.” The Toxi-cology and Vertebrate Sections appreciate theefforts of all who submitted their work for consid-eration. All are winners!

The annual business meeting was held jointlywith the Cellular Toxicology and Vertebrate Sec-tion. The 2005 Meeting program dominated the dis-cussion and by meeting’s end a program outlineemerged. The 2005 Meeting program will includemore Plenary Symposia and workshops on suchtopics as stem cells, RNA interference, tissue en-gineering, biosensors, proteomics and transfection.

On behalf of the Cellular Toxicology and Ver-tebrate Program Committees, we thank you for yourattendance of the 2004 World Congress and par-ticipation in its program and many activities. Weappreciate your continued support of the missionand objectives of the Toxicology and VertebrateSections and of the SIVB. See you all again in 2005.

Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, Chair, [email protected]

William J. Smith, Chair, Cellular [email protected]

( L to R) Alda Vidrich, Colette Rudd, GertrudeBuehring, and Sandra Schneider at the 2004 World

Congress Awards Banquet

Exhibitors at the 2004 World Congressmeet with the attendees.


-4-

Invertebrate Section

F isherman’s Wharf, the infamousAlcatraz, and the majestic GoldenGate bridge were the backdrop to the

11th International Conference on Invertebrate Celland Tissue Culture held in Conjunction with the2004 World Congress on In Vitro Biology May22-26, 2004 in San Francisco, CA. Theconference was chaired by Amy Wang(GlaxoSmithKline) and co-chaired by GuySmagghe (Ghent University) The InvertebrateProgram Committee consisted of CynthiaGoodman (USDA-ARS-BCIRL), Robert R.Granados (Boyce Thompson Institute for PlantResearch), Raziel S. Hakim (Howard University)J. Denry Sato (Mount Desert BiologicalLaboratory), Dwight Lynn (USDA), Marcia Loeb(USDA), Jun Mitsuhashi (Tokyo UniversityAgriculture), Karl Maramorosch (RutgersUniversity), and K. J. Magaratha Vally (TexasA&M University)

The Keynote Symposium and OpeningSession “Molecular Engineering and Biology ofInvertebrate Cell Cultures: A Tribute to Dr.Thomas Grace and Professor Shangyin Gao, “was convened by Robert R. Granados, KarlMaramorosch, and Amy Wang on Saturday 22nd

May 2004. It paid tribute to Dr. Thomas Graceand Prof. Shangyin Gao (Z-Y.Gaw) for theirexceptional achievements in the field ofinvertebrate cell culture. Their efforts haveresulted in scientific and commercial applicationsof insect cell culture. As in other discoveries thispast century Prof. Shangyin Gao in Wuhan,China in 1958 and Tom Grace in Canberra,Australia in 1962 developed their insect mediaindependently. These two scientists never metand they were unaware of each other’s work; yetthey shared outstanding talents as creativeinventors. Their contributions have permitteddevelopment of the field of insect biotechnologyand has influenced virtually all subsequentresearch dealing with insect cell culture. Withouttheir contributions no achievement in modernmolecular invertebrate cell culture would havebeen possible.

The Symposium was introduced by AmyWang as she welcomed all to the session. KarlMaramorosch led into the introduction of Dr.Grace with his talk entitled “Seminal ResearchContributions by T. Grace and S. Gao”. He wasfollowed by the “Presentation of Historical 1963Film: Insect Tissue Culture by Dr. Grace” (CSIROEntomologist (ret.), Canberra, Australia).Following contributors included: Zhihong Hu(Wuhan Institute of Virology) presentation“Invertebrate Cell Culture Applications in China,”Robert R. Granados’s presentation “InvertebrateCell Culture Biology and Novel Cell Lines,” RollieClem’s (Kansas State University) presentation“Apoptosis Regulation in Cultured Insect Cells:Facing Death on a Hair Trigger,” and GaryBlissard’s presentation “Role of the MajorEnvelope Protein (GP64) of Baculoviruses inViral Entry and Exit from Cultured Cells”.

The first part of the symposium ended witha lovely luncheon ceremony convened by AmyWang during which Karl Maramoroschintroduced Dr. Thomas Grace as the 2004Society for In Vitro Biology, Invertebrate Section,Lifetime Achievement Award Winner. The plaqueof “Lifetime Achievement SIVB Award” was givento Dr. Grace by the SIVB president, Dr. SandraSchneider.

The Invertebrate section also honored 5invertebrate research experts, Raziel S. Hakim(Howard University), Cynthia Goodman (USDA-

ARS-BCIRL), Robert R. Granados (BoyceThompson Institute for Plant Research), and EllisLehman with the “Invertebrate Fellow Award” fortheir large contributions to the Society and theirachievements in the Invertebrate field.

The symposium continued with the followingpresentations: “Transgenic Insect Cell Lines ThatSupport Production of Humanized Glycoproteinsby Baculovirus Expression Vectors” by DonaldJarvis (University of Wyoming), “StableTransformation of Insect Cells with DensovirusVectors and Expression of Foreign Proteins” byMax Bergoin, (University of Montpellier II), “Scale-up and Optimizing the In Vitro Growth of InsectCells for Production of Recombinant Proteins andViral Pesticides” by Spiros N. Agathos (CatholicUniversity of Louvain), “Molecular Biology andGenomics of Shrimp Viruses and Their In VitroCulture” by Just Vlak (Wageningen University),“Invertebrate Cell Cultures for CommercialPharmaceutical Drug Discovery” by Steven H.Harwood (Invitrogen Life Technologies),“Baculovirus Technology for Mammalian Cell GeneDelivery” by Patrick Condreay (GlaxoSmithKlineDiscovery Research), and “ Molecular Engineeringand Biology of Invertebrate Cell Cultures:Summary and Conclusions” by Dwight E. Lynn(USDA-ARS-BARC).

On Sunday, May 23, in a joint session withPlant and Vertebrates, the Invertebrate Sectionhosted a State-of-the-Art Symposium on “RNAinterference: A New Tool in Gene Discovery andGene Therapy”. This was convened by HaroldN. Trick (Kansas State University), Guy Smagghe(Ghent University), and Michael J. Fay(Midwestern University). RNA interference, orRNAi, is an innate cellular process activatedwhen a double–stranded RNA (dsRNA) moleculeenters the cell, causing the degradation of notonly the invading dsRNA molecule, but alsosingle-stranded RNAs of identical sequences,including endogenous mRNSs. Thisphenomenon is apparently widespread ineukaryotes, ranging from trypansome to human,from Neurospora to rice, and has sparked greatinterest from both fundamental and appliedperspectives. Currently, RNAi is being evaluatedfor both functional genomic analyses and for itspotential in highly specific gene-silencingtherapeutics. We had three leading experts inthis field with a lecture “RNA Interference inInvertebrates” by Jozef Vanden Broeck(University of Leuven), “Development of siRNA-based Therapeutics” by Barry Polisky (SirnaTherapeutics), and “Viral Suppression of RNASilencing in Plants” by Vicki Bowman Vance(University of South Carolina).

A second Invertebrate Symposium entitled“Functional Genomics of Aquatic Toxicology” wasconvened by J. Denry Sato (Mount Desert Island

Biological Laboratory). Fish are a diverse groupof vertebrates which in a wide variety ofenvironments. These microclimates vary byoxygen tension, salinity, temperature, pressure,light intensity, and composition of natural andman made chemical toxicants. Comparativestudies of fish and mammalian genomes haveshown that they have similar genomeorganization and gene function. Thus, it is likelythat functional genomic studies of fish shouldprovide insight into normal and pathologicalhuman physiology. The talks in this sessionhighlighted new tools and organisms for studyingthe impact of aquatic environmental toxicants onphysiological processes. Presenters included:“Comparative Approaches to UnderstandingMechanisms of Toxicity: The ComparativeToxicogenomics Database CTD)” by CarolynMattingly (Mount Desert Island BiologicalLaboratory), “Fish & Chips Using DNA Arrays toStudy Environmental Stress in Non-ModelOrganisms” by Andrew Gracey (StanfordUniversity) and “The Effects of Arsenic on theFunction of CFTR CI Channels in Killifish, aEuryhaline Teleost” by Bruce A. Stanton(Dartmouth Medical School).

In addition an Invertebrate ContributedPaper Session moderated by Guy Smagghe(Ghent University) entitled “Insect Cell Culture”featured the following topics and presenters: “ANew Method for the Rapid and AutomatedGeneration of Baculovirus Expression Vectors”

SIVB President Sandra Schneider offers the LifetimeAchievement Award to Dr. Thomas Grace.

Dr. Raziel Hakim received the SIVB Fellow Awardfrom the Invertebrate Section. At present he is theVice President of the Invertebrate section. He isflanked from left to right by Amy Wang (former

Invertebrate Section President), Cynthia Goodman(Member-at-large of the Board of Directors), GuySmagghe (current President Invertebrate Section),and Dr. Thomas Grace’s (the Lifetime Achievement

Award Winner, 2004).

Prof. J. Vanden Broeck (University of Leuven)during his plenary lecture “RNA Interference inInvertebrates” at the State-of-the-Art Symposium

on “RNA interference: A New Tool in GeneDiscovery and Gene Therapy”.


-5-

Plant Biotechnology Section2004 was a positive year for the Plant Biotechnology Sec-

tion (PBS) in many respects. Our membership increased forthe second year in a row, our scientific program was outstand-ing, we continued to feel that wonderful sense of camaraderie- a trademark of our section, plus we had fun. Being an elec-tion year, PBS officers leading into the World Congress were:Nancy Reichert (Chair), Suzanne Rogers (Vice Chair) and LisaLee (Secretary). Newly elected PBS officers who started theirterm at the end of the World Congress were: Nancy Reichert(Chair), Mark Jordan (Vice Chair) and Lisa Lee (Secretary).Thank you Suzanne for all your efforts on behalf the PBS!

The World Congress on In Vitro Biology held in San Fran-cisco was a scientific success and many thanks go to Wayne Parrott, World Congress ProgramChair, for organizing and coordinating such an effort. The PBS was so committed to this pro-gram that we, along with Bayer CropScience, provided funds for the Keynote Symposium whereKary Mullis, Nobel Laureate, gave a phenomenal talk.

The PBS scientific program presented in San Francisco was outstanding. Mark Jordan(2004 Plant Program Chair), along with the entire PBS Program Planning Committee, preparedan exciting and thorough program on a broad range of scientific topics. In fact, Mark did such aphenomenal job that we asked him to serve as the 2006 Congress Program Chair for the SIVBmeeting in Minneapolis. Allan Wenck (2005 Plant Biotechnology Program Chair) worked ex-tremely hard to raise funds to support our 2004 program. He presented certificates of apprecia-

tion to companies who donated funds forthe 2004 meeting during the PBS Busi-ness Meeting. Thank you to all involved!

2004 was the second year we (Sec-tion officers) extended invitations to allmembers to participate in the PBS Pro-gram Planning Breakfast, our BusinessMeeting and of course, our Social. At-tendance at the Planning Breakfast wasso great (~70), we had to get more chairsand, of course, food. We also tapped intoour multi-talented, eclectic group of sci-entists to provide musical entertainmentduring the Social. Greg Phillips led thecharge by renting guitars and amplifica-tion equipment, then proceeded to enter-tain us with beautiful guitar solos. Thankyou Greg! Another PBS member, JerryRanch, joined in as did an invitedspeaker, Wayne Curtis. We have prom-ises from these talented individuals toprovide an encore performance at thePBS Social in 2005. This all began be-cause I contacted the right person (DaveSongstad) to make the initial contacts.

An act that will affect the entire So-ciety is worthy of note. In mid-2004, in-coming President David Altman extendedan open invitation to all Section Chairs toattend, and participate in, all scheduledBoard meetings. This is significant and, inmy opinion, long overdue since this inclu-sion should foster greater understanding be-tween the different levels of infrastructurein our diverse Society. Thank you David!

Looking forward, the PBS scientificprogram to be presented at the 2005 InVitro Biology Meeting in Baltimore prom-ises to be another high point on our list ofprograms over the years. Allan Wenckalong with Peggy Ozias-Akins and

Baochun Li (Plant Biotechnology Program Sr. and Jr. Co-Chairs, respectively), and the entirePlant Biotechnology Program Committee have ensured we will have a full slate of exciting ses-sions in Baltimore. Thank you!

In closing, I would like to acknowledge the great contributions made by Mark Jordan (PBSVice Chair) and Lisa Lee (PBS Secretary). Their strong leadership has ensured we will have abright future. Remember, section officer elections are right around the corner and it’s never toolate to become involved. I hope we can all look forward to a productive, scientifically-rich year ahead.

Nancy A. Reichert, Chair, Plant [email protected]

by B. Hitchman (Oxford Brookes University),“Response of Midgut Stem Cells of theCaterpillar Spodoptera littoralis to InsectPeptide Factors, α-Arylphorine andHormones” by Guy Smagghe (GhentUniversity), “Use of Gal4-Mos1 Cimericmariner Transposase for Germ-lineTransformation in Drosophila melanogasterand Aedes aegypti” by K. J. MaragathaVally, (Texas A&M University), “Changingthe Fate of Stem Cells from the Midgut ofthe Insect, Heliothis virescens : ChangingCalcium Ion Concentration” by Marcia J.Loeb (USDA) and “Screening InvertebrateCell Lines for Gap Junction Channel Activityand Functional Innexin Genes” by S. J.Siddiqi (PharmaGap, Inc).

An Invertebrate Interactive Postersession moderated by Raziel S. Hakim(Howard University) was also held onMonday 24th May, and the following posterswere presented: “Ex Vivo Utilization ofCaterpillar Midgut to Study Kinetics andToxicity of Insect Growth Regulators” byGuy Smagghe, (Ghent University),“Optimization of Feeding Strategies forHeterologous Protein Production inCultures Using the Insect Cell- BaculovirusSystem” by Spiros N. Agathos (CatholicUniversity of Louvain), “Does ApoptosisPlay a Role in the Growth andMetamorphosis of the LepidopteranMidgut? “ by Raziel S. Hakim (HowardUniversity), and “An Assay System forDetermining the Toxicity of FlavonoidsAgainst Insect Cells In Vitro” by J. LarryGringorten (Canadian Forest Service)`

On Monday, May 24, 2004 theInvertebrate Section of SIVB had its AnnualSectional Dinner Meeting at theCosmopolitan Restaurant. It was chairedby Dr. Guy Smagghe, president of oursection. The evening was set aside forinformal discussions most of which focusedon the 2005 Meeting in Baltimore. Presentwere Dr. Tom Grace, (GlaxoSmithKline),Cynthia Goodman (USDA-ARS-BCIRL),Guido F. Caputo (Canadian Forest Service,ON, Canada), Jean-Christophe Drugmand(Belgium), Spiros N. Agathos (CatholicUniversity of Louvain), Raziel S. Hakim(Howard University), Marcia Loeb (ret.USDA), K. J. Magaratha Vally (Texas A&MUniversity), S. J. Siddiqi (PharmaGap, Inc),and Amy Wang of GlaxoSmithKline.

Guido F. Caputo, [email protected]

Raziel S. Hakim, Vice [email protected]

Guy Smagghe, [email protected]

(L to R) Wayne Curtis, Jerry Ranch, and GregPhillips entertain the Plant Biotechnology Sectionat their social. (photo courtesy of Barbara Reed)

SIVB Plant Biotechnology Section Members GarySeckinger and Carol Stiff discuss plant cell

culturing techniques.


-6-

dents Delia R. Bethel, Mary Ann Lila, and PlantSection member Carol M. Stiff. Marietta WheatonEllis serves as the liaison to the committee.

Melissa E. Hinga, [email protected]

Development2004-2005 Development Committee consists

of the following members: Janis Demetrulias, Bar-bara Doonan, Raziel Hakim, John Harbell, DavidJayme, Mark Jordan, Hank Lane, Lisa Lee, PeggyOzias-Akins, Nancy Reichert, Elizabeth Roemer,Sandra Schneider, Ray Shillito, Guy Smagghe, Will-iam Smith, Alda Vidrich, Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic,Amy Wang, Allan Wenck and David Songstad (Chair).Fundraising for the 2004 meeting was successful inthat $98,320 was raised to support the general meet-ing or specific sections within the SIVB. The compa-nies that contributed to the 2004 World Congress are:Anachem, ArborGen, BASF Plant Science L.L.C.,BayerCropScience, BD BioSciences, BioSource,Brandel BioMedicals, CABI International, CaissonLaboratories, CellFor Inc., ECACC, Finnigan ThermoElectron, Genzyme Corporation, GlaxoSmithKline,Guava Technologies, Invitrogen, JCRB Cell Bank,Johnson & Johnson, JRH Biosciences, Kimberly-Clark, Mike Horn, Monsanto, Oriental Yeast Co.,Pioneer HI-Bred Intl, RiceTec, Inc., SIVB PlantSection, Syngenta, Taiyo-Toyo Sanso, Technikos,Temple-Inland Forest Products Corp., The ScottsCompany, UST, Inc., Weyerhaeuser, andWilliamsburg Bioproressing Foundation.

Fundraising for the 2005 annual meeting wasbolstered by a $20,000 contribution from UST. Thiscontribution was in two parts with the first $5,000dedicated to the Plant Activity Fund and the sec-ond part comprising $15,000 which is earmarkedfor helping with the increased expenses associ-ated with the free student registration effort. Addi-tional efforts for fundraising include application forUSDA and NSF grants.

Fundraising efforts also consisted of workingwith the Non-profit Fundraising Assistance Group.A query that was based on a key word search pro-duced a list of 25 foundations that have “educa-tion, science, biotechnology, conference, research,etc.”. These foundations are being approachedby members of the Development Committee anda “Letter of Intent” is being drafted by the Non-ProfitAssistance Group. At the 2005 annual meeting,the Development Committee will meet to discussfuture plans and strategy.

David D. Songstad, [email protected]

History and Records

T he History Society was established in1979 at the Seattle Washington Tissue Culture Association (TCA) meet-

ing as the Records and Historical Committee. Thecharge of the committee is to preserve historicalinformation concerning the growth, maintenanceand in vitro experimental use of cells, tissues andorgans. The History Society, in conjunction withthe Records and Historical Committee overseescontributions to the SIVB archives located in themain library of the University of Maryland, Balti-

more, MD. This archived material is available toall that would like to acquaint themselves with thehistory of tissue culture and scientific applicationto in vitro biology.

Members of the History Society and Recordsand Historical Committee include: Sandra L.Schneider (Chair), Gertrude Buehring (Co-Chair),June Bradlaw, R. Ian Freshney, Leonard Hayflick,Karl Maramorosch, Jon Ryan, Yvonne Reed,Leonard J. Schiff, and Just Vlak. The Committeesponsored a reception at the 2004 World Con-gress, San Francisco, California for LifetimeAchievement awardee and in vitro cell culture pio-

neers: Dr. Walter Nelson-Reese, ProfessorShangyin Gao, Dr. Thomas Grace, and Dr. TrevorThorpe. A World Congress movie night was heldto view the BBC presentation Strange Attractions:The Life and Times of Life and Times. This filmfeatured historical interviews with LeonardHayflick, Walter Nelson-Rees, and numerousother scientists. The History Committee will meetin conjunction with the 2005 In Vitro Biology Meet-ing, Baltimore, Maryland.

Sandra L. Schneider, [email protected]

Greg Phillips, winnerof the Fellow Award

for the PlantBiotechnology

Section

Standing Committees Awards

The Society for In Vitro Biology honoredthree Lifetime Achievement Awardees at the2004 World Congress on In Vitro Biology: Tho-mas Grace, PhD; Walter Nelson-Rees, PhD;and Trevor A. Thorpe, PhD during the Congress.These emeritus scientists were being honoredfor their years of exemplary research, achieve-ments, and pioneering contributions to the fieldof cell culture.

There were number of Fellow Awards fromeach section presented at the Congress. Thisaward recognizes members who have madeoutstanding contributions in their area of sci-ence research, teaching, and/or administration.The Fellow status is presented to SIVB mem-bers who have been active for at least 10 yearsand who have made outstanding contributionsto the Society. This was the first year that theFellow Award was presented in the Cellular Toxi-

cology and the Verte-brate Sections. TheCellular Toxicology Sec-tion presented FellowAwards to: EugeneElmore, PhD; JohnHarbell, PhD; RichardHeller, PhD; Paul Price,PhD; Elizabeth J.Roemer, Colette J.Rudd, PhD; LynnRutsky, PhD; Sandra L.Schneider, DrPH,Leonard J. Schiff, PhD;William J. Smith, PhD;and Alda Vidrich, PhD.The Invertebrate Sec-tion presented FellowAwards to: CynthiaGoodman, PhD; Robert

Granados, PhD; Lehman Ellis, PhD; and RazielHakim, PhD. The Plant Biotechnology Sectionpresented a Fellow award to Gregory C. Phillips,PhD. The Vertebrate Section presented FellowAwards to: Delia Bethell, PhD; Gertrude C.Buehring, PhD; Robert J. Hay, PhD; andWallace L. McKeehan, PhD.

The Society honored J. Denry Sato, PhD;Shirley Pomponi, PhD; David Jayme, PhD; andGordana Vunjak-Novakovic, PhD with the Se-nior Investigator Award during the World Con-gress. This award recognizes non-student sci-entists with outstanding records of in vitro re-search at the level of established investigator.

Constitution and BylawsDuring Society elections held in 2003 the

Chair was re-elected to a second term thru 2006.A meeting of the committee was held in June

during the 2004 World Congress in San Franciscoto discuss changes to the Constitution and Bylaws ofthe Society. In attendance were Mary Ann Lila, Mel-issa Hinga and Marietta Wheaton Ellis plus the in-coming President David Altman. Of primary empha-sis was a change to the Constitution allowing theBoard to make changes to the Bylaws without avote of the Society’s membership. This request wasmade by the Board and reviewed by the C&B Com-mittee. A Constitutional Amendment was developedby the Committee and approved by the Board to besent to the membership for a vote in August.

Upon approval of the Constitutional Amend-ment the Board requested the C&B Committeeprepare a document listing the changes to theBylaws as discussed at the C&B Committee meet-ing in June. An important change was recom-mended to allow the Board, upon recommenda-tion of the Finance Committee, to seek an appro-priate financial review of the Society’s recordsrather than having a full audit. The existing By-laws document was updated to remove referencesto mailing out ballots and correcting inconsisten-cies between the Constitution and Bylaws regard-ing committee leadership. Other changes were tomove from the end to the start of the Annual Meet-ing (or the meeting of the Board occurring in June)the commencement of the duties of office for newlyelected Officers, Chairs and appointed Chairs. Therecommended changes were approved by theBoard for a vote and the Board passed all changesin October. The updated Bylaws can be found onthe Society’s web site under “Membership”.

The C&B Committee was called upon againin December to review a recommendation by Mem-ber-at-Large Dennis A. Laska, which would stan-dardize the site selection process for the Society’sScientific Meeting. The Committee was asked todetermine if the process should be incorporatedinto the Bylaws of the Society. Action by the com-mittee was tabled until 2005. In February, the Com-mittee reviewed the process, requested clarifica-tion and suggested wording to incorporate the pro-cess into the Bylaws. This recommendation wasgiven to the Board for review and approval and theBoard voted to pass the changes thus incorporat-ing a site selection process in the Bylaws.

The Chair is deeply grateful to the membersof the C&B committee, the SIVB Business Office,Marietta Wheaton Ellis, President Altman and theBoard of Directors for all of their time, contributionsand positive feedback throughout the year.

Members of the Committee are: Past-Presi-


-7-

Trevor Thorpe addresses the attendees atthe presentation of the lifetime achievementawardees during the Opening Ceremony.

Lifetime Achievement Awardees, Trevor Thorpe,Thomas Grace, and Walter Nelson-Rees with

Past President Sandra Schneider.

2004 Student Award Winners: (L to R) Magnolia Ariza-Nieto, Elif Aylin Ozudogru , SanjeevKumar Sharma, Stephanie DeWitt-Orr, Kristi Snyder, and Maria Federico.

Vertebrate and Cellular Toxicology Fellow Award Winners (L to R): Robert Hay, GertrudeBuehring, Glynn Stacey, Lynne Rutsky, Alda Vidrich, Colette Rudd, Paul Price,

Eugene Elmore, Sandra Schneider, and Tohru Masui.

The Student Affairs Committee this year consistedof Pamela Weathers (Chair), Craig Meyers, SuzanneRogers, and Elizabeth Roemer. The following awards werepresented at the banquet of the 2004 meeting: StephanieDeWitt-Orr received the Cell Toxicology, Honor B. Fell,and Joseph F. Morgan Awards for “Capacity of Fish CellLines to Undergo Apoptosis in Response to Two Toxicants:Gliotoxin and Copper.” Magnolia Ariza-Nieto was grantedthe Wilton R. Earle Award and an SIVB Travel award for“Transgene Expression in Site-specific Integrant RiceLines”. Maria Federico was granted the John S. SongAward for “A Barley LTP Promoter for Tissue-specific Ex-pression of Transgene-mediated Disease Resistance”.The Hope E. Hopps Award and an SIVB Travel Awardwent to Kristi Snyder for “Hypothermic Storage of Neona-tal Mammalian Cardiomyocytes: Assessment of MultipleMarkers of Viability”. Other SIVB Student Travel Awardswere presented to Elif Aylin Ozudogru - Gebze for “Effectof Silver Nitrate on Organogenesis of Peanut (Arachishypogaea L.)”, and to Sanjeev Kumar Sharma for workon “The Development of an Efficient Somatic Embryo-genesis System in Potato”.

The Philip R. White Award went to Dorothy M.Gillespie of Nashua High School, Nashua, NH to intro-duce plant tissue culture into her 2004-5 Advanced Place-ment Biology course. The funds will be used to attend aworkshop entitled ”2004 NH Biotechnology Institute” atthe Seacoast School of Technology, in New Hampshire inJune and will purchase supplies for her classroom withthe help of donated supplies from Caisson Laboratories,Inc., Plant Cell Technology, Inc., and Kitchen Culture Kits,Inc. The Philip R. White Committee members for 2004were Drs. Carol Stiff (Chair), Satyahari Dey, Michael Kane,John Lunghusen, and Raymond Shillito.

At the 2004 annual student breakfast, there was arequest for the SIVB Board of Directors to consider sev-eral student concerns: a possible SIVB student section,roommate matching for the annual meeting to decreasehousing costs, and rapid abstract acceptance and awardnotification to facilitate obtaining additional monies fortravel to the annual meeting. Both of the latter sugges-tions were successfully implemented for the 2005 meet-ing. Students attending the 2005 meeting will be queriedregarding a possible student section of SIVB.

Amy A. Wang, Chair, Awards [email protected]

Pamela J. Weathers, Chair, Student Affairs [email protected]

Carol Stiff, Chair, Phillip White Award [email protected]

EducationProfessional development programs at the 2004 SIVB World Congress in San Francisco included a free half-day workshop on grant writing for 50

participants convened by Carol Stiff. and a full day for-fee workshop convened by Jeffrey Janus. On Saturday, Jeffrey’s workshop: Using Cell-based ModelSystems in Assays and Basic Research: A Workshop in Practical Methods focused on human cells, and provided a valuable opportunity to learn directlyfrom experienced experts in the use of cell-based models. Several types of model systems were featured including: fully differentiated cells, stem cells, andtransformed cell lines. On Saturday afternoon Carol Stiff ran a free workshop: Funding Fundamentals: How to Get the Grant You Want. The panel of expertsincluded both agency representatives and seasoned grant writers who gave short presentations and then opened the floor for discussion.

The outreach programs began prior to the Opening Reception on Saturday evening with a special poster session, featuring the work of high schoolstudents. An interactive poster session: Educating the Biotechnology Workforce: Current Programs and Future Directions was held during the OpeningReception. This session’s multiple presentations included: Educating the Biotechnology Workforce at Community and Technical Colleges, Elaine Johnson,BIO-LINK, City College of San Francisco; Professional Education and Career Options for Today’s Biological Scientists , Lindy A. Brigham, University ofArizona; Internships: A Central Role in the Master of Biotechnology Program, a Professional Science Master’s, David Bieber, San Jose State University;Biotechnology Management – A New Professional Masters Degree Program, Steven A. McCommas, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville; and Commu-


-8-

nity Colleges Biotechnology Manufacturing Training Programs: A Proposal ,Patrick McKay, Genentech, Inc. In addition to these organized presentations anumber of students and teachers took advantage of our special registrationoffers to attend the meeting.

Carol Stiff is the Education Committee Liaison to SIVB’s In Vitro Report.She collects and coordinates materials for the newsletter, and puts togetherthe education committee column. Anyone who has items they would like tohave included (workshops, announcements, etc) should send them to Carol [email protected]. Ask to be put on her e-mail list, and you will receive timelyreminders when the columns are being prepared.

In addition, Carol has launched and is moderating a listserve to provide avenue for teacher-teacher and teacher-scientist interactions. Interested mem-bers of the SIVB are encouraged to sign up. Please contact Carol at the aboveemail if you are interested.

The Education Committee is always looking for members who are interestedin participating. Anyone interested in working on education is welcome to join us.Our areas of focus, range from K-12 to college level education and professionaldevelopment. We are always open t o new ideas, and generally have more greatideas than we have manpower. If you are interested in working with us, or haveideas for future programs please contact Liz Roemer [email protected] or call (631) 444-7347.

Elizabeth Roemer, [email protected]

The Opening Reception was a wonderful way to reconnect with oldacquaintances or meet new colleagues.

Attendence was high in the sessions focusing onState-of-the-Art Technologies.

A special Technology Transfer table was organized forthe World Congress Exhibits.

Students are offered free registration to encourage theirparticipation at the SIVB Congresses.

Invertebrate section presentations were part of the 11th International Invertebrate Conference.

A special Education Interactive Poster Session was held during the opening reception.


-9-

ProgramThe 2004 World Congress on In Vitro Biology was held at the Hyatt Regency

San Francisco, San Francisco, California from May 22 – 26, 2004. The WorldCongress focused on a wide range of topics and issues of interest to all sections(Cellular Toxicology, Invertebrate, Plant, and Vertebrate) of the Society. This year’sevent was co-sponsored by the Canadian Chapter of the IAPTC&B, the EuropeanTissue Culture Society, the Japanese Association for Animal Cell Technology, theJapanese Society of Plant Cell and Molecular Biology, the Japanese Tissue Cul-ture Association, and the Swiss Tissue Culture Association. A total of 574 scien-tists from 22 countries attended the scientific meeting and interacted with exhibitorrepresentatives. This was the second year SIVB offered free registration to stu-dents and 96 took advantage of this opportunity, double the number in 2003.

2004 was also the year for the 11 th International Invertebrate Conference.This conference was held on May 22, 2004 with a full day of session, featuring akeynote symposium to open the event. The Conference focused on honoringpioneers in the field of invertebrate cell culture who have contributed outstand-ing achievements toward invertebrate continuous cell culture and media devel-opment. This year they honored Dr. Thomas Grace and Prof Shangyin Gao whoaided the rapid development and important applications to insect cell cultureduring the past four decades. This event was well received by those who at-tended.

This year two pre-congress educational sessions were offered on Satur-day. The official start of the meeting was signaled by the Student Poster Sessioncoordinated by the Education Committee. Posters by students from high schoolsand community colleges, as well as educators, led to discussions with scientistsattending the Congress. The Opening Reception was held in the Exhibit Hall andwas a positive forum for participants to meet with the exhibitors and posterssession presenters.

The World Congress sessions started early Sunday morning, with excellentattendance. Sunday morning we were pleased to welcome our Keynote Speaker,Dr. Kary B. Mullis of Altermune, speaking on the challenge and approach oftoday’s disease pathogen drug treatments. Following this talk, which received

wonderful feedback, we enjoyed a reception in Dr. Mullis’honor.

The Congress Program consisted of 1 Keynote Sym-posium, 4 State-of-the-Art Symposia, 18 Mini-symposia,2 State-of-the-Art Workshops, 2 Mini-workshops, 6 Con-tributed Paper sessions, and 7 Interactive Poster ses-sions. In all, 350 abstracts were received, of which 156were presented as posters and 13 were silent abstracts.The range of scientific research presented at the Con-gress was exceptional. The State-of-the-Art sessions weredesigned to bring all the sections of SIVB together forinformation that was applicable to all in vitro research-ers. Various sessions focused on a number of cross-discipline issues such as: cross contamination, transfor-mation of various types, stem cells, microscopy, RNAi,biomarkers and proteomics, and biotechnology. Issues

discussed included: biopreservation, organized development in vitro, root biol-ogy, gene integratioin in to plant genomes, tissue engineering, monoclonal anti-body production, and more.

The SIVB Meetings have also been well known for their social events, andthis year was no different. Attendees cruised the San Francisco Bay for an eveningdinner cruise, watching visions of the Bay Bridge and Alcatraz over a lovely sit-down dinner. Our health concisous attendees woke up early on Tuesday, May25, to enjoy some quiet time traveling along the waterside for our Fun Run/Walk,and many danced the night away during the Streets of San Francisco ClosingBanquet.

The SIVB is deeply indebted to a large list of individuals who put this pro-gram together and carried it out flawlessly. These individuals include: conven-ers, fund-raisers and corporate sponsors, Congress co-sponsors, solicitors, pre-senters, moderators, exhibitors and schedulers. The Congress program plan-ning began with Committee Chairs from each of the Sections, but was brought tofruition by many other hardworking, diligent members of SIVB. We also thankthe office staff of SIVB that pulled together the Congress and programs, meetingfacilities, banquet and tours into a positive experience for all that attended. Mythanks to all for making this meeting a great success.

If you need more specifics or want to comment on any aspect of the Con-gress please contact me at [email protected]. I look forward to seeing you all inBaltimore for the 2005 In Vitro Biology Meeting.

Wayne Parrot, [email protected]

Poster sessions are popular with all attendees.

Exhibitors interact with participants to present thelatest materials and equipment in the field.

The 2004 World Congress Volunteers

Kary B. Mullis speaks with the Congressparticipants during the Keynote Reception.

Keynote Speaker,Kary B. Mullis


-10-

MembershipThe 2002-2004 Membership Committee [Erica Benson, Eugene Elmore, Raziel Hakim, Richard Heller, Michael

Horn, Howard Hosick, Paul Price, Barbara Reed (Chair), Warren Schaeffer, Jayasankar Subramanian] spearheaded theextremely popular student incentive program (free meeting registration and membership the following year). The com-mittee also worked on revising the SIVB membership brochure. The current (2004-2006) Membership Committee [MichaelFay, Raziel Hakim, Michael Horn, Linda Jacobsen, Rengong Meng, Sally Miramon, Nancy Reichert (Chair), Guy Smagghe,Harold Trick, Margaret Young] worked on membership renewals and on the membership brochure.

The SIVB is extremely lucky to have a great number of loyal members. We strive to continue to fulfill the needs ofthese long-time members and our newest members. Our committee would like to thank everyone for their continuedmembership renewals and we would like to especially acknowledge our “rocks” - those who have been members for atleast one decade. They are listed below this report.

Nancy A. Reichert, [email protected]

55 YearsM. Helena BenitezMorgan HarrisEtienne LasfarguesMan NiuEmer RandallJohn Shannon

50 YearsErnest ChuBetty DanesSergey FedoroffLeonard HayflickRobert HullSeymour LevineAbel Robertson, Jr.Eugene RosanoffNoel RoseFrederick SchafferBenjamin SiegelRobert StevensonAgnes Stroud-Lee

45 YearsF. BozemanCecil CastorWilliam ChandlerLewis CoriellThelma Dunnebacke-DixonElizabeth EarleyJames German, IIIPhilip LohPaul MoorheadCarlton NadolneyMary OrrCarl PartanenRobert RoosaIrwin SchaferRonald SinclairHartmann StaehelinJean StanleyWilliam Wood

40 YearsFrances ArrighiNelly AuerspergJune BiedlerBruce CastoVincent CristofaloJames DuffRonald FletcherArthur GreeneHajime HayashiIngeborg Hilwig-BenteAlbert LeibovitzTheodore MalininGeorge MartinTohru OkigakiEugene PerrinOlive PettengillEvelyn Rivera

Warren SchaefferAnna SteinbergerGeorge Wilbanks

35 YearsEllen BorenfreundJune BradlawVictor BrumDaniel DahlingFrank DyeRocco FilazzolaHelene GuttmanMarion HarnoisRobert HayM. Edward KaighnMarvin KarasekFrederick KastenHoward LarshJohn LehmanStewart McConnellLeroy McLarenJun MitsuhashiThomas MoehringToshio MurashigeAnna RuckertLynne RutzkyJon RyanWilliam ThomasTrevor ThorpePaul ToddJames VaughnJack WidholmConrad Yunker

30 YearsDaniel AcostaMonique AdolpheVincent AloyoUbaldo ArmatoArthur BalinMichael BarileSamuel CaplinNorman CooperGretchen DarlingtonPierre DeberghArline DeitchCyril FinneganJ. FraserIvette Garcia-CastroGlen GermainRalph GerminarioBeppino GiovanellaGabriel GodmanSidney GreenPhillip GrefrathBernd HamprechtSteven HausmanJames HendersonMary HermanHoward HosickRachel HuotJames Johnson

Gerhard KalmusJane KaltenbachPaul KornblithShirley KovacsCharles KuszynskiRobert Lawrence, Jr.Charles LovigDwight LynnKarl MaramoroschArthur McIntoshWallace McKeehanAlexander MilneMachteld MokMary Pat MoyerSanto NicosiaShirley QuanHedi RoeslerGeorge SchusterShirley SchwartzGabriel SemanDavid SirbaskuJohn SmagulaWilliam TolbertJoseph Tumilowicz

25 YearsMina BissellGeorge BoderNancy BucherGertrude BuehringJames CaponettiJeanPierre CazenaveMartin ClynesRichard ColbyBob CongerRudolf CzirbikGinny DarrMakito EmuraJoseph FederA. Dennis GenovesiMichael GimbronejrRichard GilesJoel GreenbergerCarol HausslerCarol HeckmanColleen HeraEtienne HollandeKaren HughesLinda JacobsenDavid KarnoskyPin KingDavid KirkElliot LevineShyamal MajumdarPhilip MarcusThomas MawhinneyP. MontogomeryMasayoshi NambaBabette RadnerKenneth RamosPaul ReadM. Keith RedenbaughWilliam Richardson

L. De RidderLuis RoigRegina RubenColette RuddJose RussoJoan ShapiroAlphonseWilliam ScherAlphonse SiricaWade SmithVernon SteeleEdward SiegelFrank TalamantesMary TaubNitin TelangWilliam TenteLouis TerracioJames TroskoRichard TrowbridgeIbrahim TuetJoseph TullyFrancis-De UchimaStephen WessmanCheng Yu

20 YearsGlenn AllisonDavid AltmanEddie BautistaDelia BethellSamuel BlumenthalNiels BolsJohn BowenSteven BoyceCharles BuckWalter ButterfieldGuido CaputoJan CervenyAudrey CharlesMing ChouMarion CohenGeorge DubesUrsula EhmannAnn FallonPhilip FamillettiJohn FinerWalter FinkbeinerIan FreshneyHiroshi FukamachiRoland GrafstromMary Oster GraniteDennis GrayLee HandleyLun HeApril HerringHelene HillRobert HoffmanHiroyoshi HoshiLi-Chun HuangDonald IngberDhanesh JainDennis LaskaThomas Linkhart


-11-

Toshiharu MatsumuraCharles MaynardShirley McCormackBrent McCownRichard MeisterSharon MellaCharles MichlerMinoru MorikawaTeruo NishidaLinda B. JacobsenEdward NogaRalph ObendorfHarvey OzerValerie PenceGregory PhillipsTheodore PuckJames RadosevichJerome RanchAugustin ReyManuel RobertDenry SatoSandra SchneiderHiroyasu ShirakawaSledge LabFumio SuzukiMichael TanabeDwight TomesYasuhiro TomookaLaura TresIndra VasilDannette WardValerie Williamson-Weed

15 YearsRanda Abu-HakimaJameel Al-KhayriShin-Ichi AminoHiroshi AshiharaRobert AuerbachFrancois AugeJohn Avery, Jr.David BaltimoreErica BensonRaj BhattElliott BirnbaumCarl BlackmanMarc De BlockW. BullockYin-Fu ChangTau-San ChouStanley CohenJohn DavidGlenn DeaverRodney DeLeonJanis DemetruliasGeorge DoughertyAvraham DuvdevaniEugene ElmoreGlynn FairclothFrank FalkenbergClarence Falstad, IIIManuel Fernandes-FerreiraEbrahim FiroozabadyThomas FlynnRichard FulkerVictor GabaMark GalatowitschLeonard GinsbergCynthia GoodmanThomas GoodwinStephen GorfienJohn Griffis, Jr.Vicki GustafsonFreddi HammerschlagJames HaugRichard HellerWilliam HillegasMaud HincheePatricia HolstPeter HornsbyWilliam HoweBharati Hukku

Harriet IsomLaurie JaegerNora JamgotchianPenny JonesTodd JonesKathryn KamoMikio KanMichael KaneDavid KaufmanJulie KikkertSherry KittoJan KovarWilliam KrausPeter KrogstrupAdelheid KuehnleTimothy KurttiSylvie LaliberteDavid LanglebenRita Levi-MontalciniJeanne LaytonMary Ann LilaRichard LitzMarcia LoebChristina LundqvistPaul LynchWayne MackaySteven MatsumotoKyojiro MasudaRobert McCauleyLinda McHollandScott MerklePaul MillerSally MiramonHiroshi MizusawaMatsuda MotokoLuis MroginskiChifumi NagaiShizutoshi NakagawaRobert NardoneNarender NehraRonald NewtonRoberto NicosiaRandall NiedzTetsuji OkamotoKevin OsteenPeggy Ozias-AkinsMaria PaisMark PieperPaula PijutPrzemyslaw PopowiczZamir PunjaRobert RedmanBarbara ReedJanet ReedYvonne ReidMichael RenfroeTerry RissVeronica RobertsCarole SaravitzJuan SeguraJohn Semon, Jr.Raymond ShillitoKenneth SinkWilliam SmithBenjamin SteinitzCarol StiffSteven StricklandTeodora TabancayDavid TanAnthony TrieuUST, Inc.Alda VidrichMarguerite VogtMichael WalkerAndrew WangDavid WatersPamela WeathersKent WelshMary WelterGlenn WilsonNoritsugu YabeKoji YamadaGuangning Ye

Shin-Ichi YamadaThomas ZimmermanJean-Pierre Zryd

10 YearsBurton AlturaJoji AndoMaigull AppelgrenCharles ArmstrongCharles ArntzenMasahiko AwajiCharleen BakerA. BallesterBill BarnettMassimo BattagliaLauren BernhoferRonald BlackmonEmmanuel BrakoMark BrandCharles BuerN. Dwight CamperJorge CanhotoJavier CastillonGuadalupe CavazosLong-Fang ChenMing ChengGlenn CollinsNancy CollinsMichael ComptonEdwin CooperDouglas DarnowskiPaula DehnSarwan DhirPatricia DixonRune DjurhuusBarbara DoonanMichael DornishPaul DraytonLeo D’SouzaMarceline EgninDavid EllisMarietta EllisKaren EtchbergerMichael FayStephen FerkovichDaniel FochtBronwyn FrameYoshitatsu FukaboriMiho FurueJohn GallagherAlan GoldbergMary GoldringDalton GossettJames GraselaSnehasish Dutta GuptaNidia GuzmanIndra HarryL. Cheryl HendrixMelissa HingaWalter Holder, Jr.Michael HornLaurie HowardArlene HoweKikuo IwabuchiAlba Jofre-GarfiasHeidi KaepplerToshikazu KamiyaJohn KempJonathan KielMitchell KlausnerHans KobletToyoki KozaiLee LeakEdward LeCluyseLisa LeePeggy LemauxMats LevallJuliet LoboAlicia LorentiVictor Loyola-VargasChin-Yi LuChunsheng Lu

Timothy LyerlaAkira MachiiGeorge Mandakas, IIILurline MarshLucia MartinelliC. Thomas MathewsHelena MathewsThomas McCoyCraig MeyersDavid MillsSylvia MitchellLanny NeelYoshiyuki NiimiM. NormahKim O’ConnorHelga OgmundsdottirArthur OlneyLee OlsonKee PaekWayne ParrottMargaret PennoAbel PiquerasShirley PomponiKedar PrasadSimon RaharjoKanniah RajasekaranRosemary RaphaelNancy ReichertStephen RennardCatherine RiveraLaura RhoadsDavid RichandsonBaruch RinkevichElizabeth RoemerSuzanne RogersVictoria RomanShyamal RoyJohn RyanHidetsugu SaitoHamako SasamotoHidetaka SatoShirley SatoPraveen SaxenaChristian SchopkeSenthamil SelvanVallabh ShahKiran SharmaSusan ScharffenbergWalter SchlageDavid SongstadRandall StrodeDavid StuartRony SwennenLining TianLance TibbettsRoger TimmisLucia TorielliWilliam TreatHarold TrickRobert TruaxSusan TruckenmillerDavid TricoliAna VieitezBaziel VrientTimothy WardElisabetta WeberLloyd WolfinbargerAnn WrightDavid WuosmaaAnand YadavEdward YeungCecilia ZapataCurtrice Zeigler


-12-

PublicationsIn Vitro-Plant Report. During the 2004 cal-

endar year, In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Bi-ology - Plant (IV-P) received 171 manuscript sub-missions, a 35% increase over 2003. This num-ber included four invited review articles and eightsymposium proceedings. Excluding the invitedreviews and symposium proceedings, the rejec-tion rate was 52%. Approximately 25% (42) of thesubmissions came from authors in North America,23% (40) from India, 18% (31) from Europe, 16%(28) from Asia, 12% (20) from Latin America withthe remainder from Australia (5), Middle East (4)and Africa (1). The average time from receipt toacceptance was 11.8 weeks, a significant increaseover 2003 (9.3 weeks).

The large increase in submissions and stablerejection rate resulted in a slightly larger numberof articles per issue (14.75 vs 14.25 in 2003 and13.25 in 2002).

We perceive the overall quality of our articlessurpasses that of our two most direct competitors(Plant Cell Reports, Plant Cell Tissue Organ Cul-ture), however, this is not reflected by journal im-pact factors. IV-P has a broader array of matrixcategories compared to the other two. The mostrecent journal impact rating for IV-P, based on year2003 data, improved to 0.697 vs. 0.440 in 2002.

Significant progress was made in 2004 re-garding the incorporation of IV-P into the PubMed,Medline, and other indexing services this year;

IV-P is converting to an online editorial sub-mission and processing system in 2005, througha discounted arrangement with CABI. This sys-tem will reduce mailing times and expense andspeed the timeliness of reviews; provide. It will alsopermit online electronic submission; speed thetransfer of accepted manuscript files to the pub-lisher; and automate the editorial tracking process.(Data from Greg Phillips, Editor-in-Chief, IV-P).

In Vitro-Animal Report (Based on data from3/1/04 through 2/28/05). The journal experienceda 22% decrease in total manuscript submissionsover the comparable period last year (82 vs. 105).The published totals for the past year vs. the prioryear are: 66 regular papers (vs. 85), 11 Reports[formerly scientific Letters-to-the-Editor] (vs. 19)three opinion Letters-to-the-Editor, one invited re-view, plus one book review. Of the 82 submis-sions, 53 were accepted, 18 are still in revision orreview and 11 were rejected.

In addition to the USA, there were 22 coun-tries represented among the submissions receivedin 2004. Overall, average time from receipt to first

decision in the review process was 5.3 weeks(vs.5.6 weeks). Online papers for which first deci-sions have been made within this report periodmaintained an average of 4.7 weeks.

Online submission and review began in No-vember 2002. By the end of the current reportperiod, approximately 94% of the submissionsreceived were online submissions. The remain-ing were hardcopy submissions, which continuesto be allowed as an option. Competition posed bythe proliferation of new online journals that over-lap our niche and themes and the constantlychanging electronic revolution in publishing andmarketing remains a challenge. We have seenconstant improvements in the implementation ofAs Soon As Possible (ASAP) publishing of papersafter acceptance in pdf file format and getting theinformation into popular indexes as soon as pos-sible. Marketing, maintenance of visibility of thejournal and troubleshooting with specific clientsremains a challenge due to the nature and mod-est resources of the Society in this area. We re-main optimistic that time and a sustained effort inmarketing, with emphasis on benefits of the elec-tronic aspects and the journal’s solid history, willcontinue to aid in maintaining our competitive po-sition in the publication arena. (Data from Dr.Wallace McKeehan, retiring Editor-in-Chief, IV-A)

IAPTC&B Publications through IV-P. TheInternational Association of Plant Tissue Cultureand Biotechnology (IAPTC&B) publishes two is-sues of IV-P per year using a separate editorialstaff. This allows IV-P to publish 8 issues per yearinstead of 6 and gives IV-P an international expo-sure it might not have otherwise.

The editorial address was changed fromSingapore to Malaysia because E. C. Pua (Edi-tor-in-Chief) had accepted a new academic posi-tion at the Monash University Malaysia in July2004. The new address is: School of Arts and Sci-ences, Monash University Malaysia, No. 2, BandarSunway, 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malay-sia; phone: 603-5635-8639; fax: 5635-8640; email:[email protected] [email protected]. This change was an-nounced in In Vitro-Plant 40: 127 (March/April2004) and the new editorial address was printedin the journal from Sept/Oct 2004 onwards. (Datafrom Eng Chong Pua, Editor-in-Chief, IAPTC&B)

In Vitro Report. The electronic version of InVitro Report has been very well received. Thenew layout allows for more abstracts to be high-lighted as well as a tremendous cost savings tothe society. Kimberly Rayford has done an out-

Laboratory Materials andBiosafety

The Laboratory Materials and BiosafetyCommittee (LMBC) provides a mechanism withinthe Society for In Vitro Biology (SIVB) to promotelaboratory standards, biotechnology practices,laboratory materials, safety equipment, and facili-ties that constitute biosafety levels 1-4 associatedwith in vitro and biotechnology methodology. Thegoals of the LMBC are: 1) to provide an educa-tional process and format to distribute informa-tion regarding potential hazards and risk assess-ment associated with: the cell culture process, theuse and handling of biological agents, quality con-trol of biomaterials, and updates on federal regu-lation pertinent to research, industry and clinicalbiotechnology applications; 2) to recommend labo-ratory practice, operation, or materials based onrisk assessment of the agent/or material and thelaboratory activity involved; and 3) to promote theinteraction of committee members with nationaland international scientists, professional groups,and manufacturers regarding the design, process-ing, and use of material for in vitro and biotech-nology methodology.

The LMBC committee members representgovernment, university/academia, private indus-try and include: Linda B. Jacobsen (chair), RocheDiagnostic Corporation; Sandra L. Schneider (co-chair), Research and Clinical Laboratory Systems;June Bradlaw, International Foundation for Ethi-cal Research; Walter Finkbeiner, University ofCalifornia-San Francisco; Thomas Goodwin,Johnson Space Center, NASA; John Harbell, In-stitute of In Vitro Sciences John Masters, Univer-sity College London, Institute of Urology-UK;Colette Rudd, Rudd & Associates; Lynn Rutsky;The University of Texas Health Science CenterHouston; William J. Smith, U.S. Army MedicalResearch Institute of Chemical Defense; Glyn N.Stacey, National Institute for Biological Standardsand Control-UK; and Alda Vidrich, University ofVirginia Health Sciences Center

The LMBC will hold their annual meeting withthe Vertebrate and Toxicology Sections during the2005 Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. The Com-mittee continues to actively promote topics relatedto tissue engineering, public health policy and riskanalysis. Toward this goal, Committee memberscontinue to work with and support the efforts ofthe: FDA Center for Devices and RadiologicalHealth in the area of regulatory and standardiza-tion for biomaterials and tissue components; andthe American Association Advancement Scienceand American Institute Biological Sciences forstandardization of in vitro technologies.

Linda Jacobsen, [email protected]

NominatingNominations are being accepted for Society

of In Vitro Biology (SIVB) 2006-2008 Officer andExecutive Board Positions. The SIVB is a volun-teer scientific society with elections to be heldduring Fall 2005. Please contact the SIVB [email protected] or Dr. Sandra Schneider.

Sandra L. Schneider, [email protected]

The fourth annual silent auction was successful, offering awide variety of items for participants to bid on.


-13-

standing job as Editor-in-Chief and has continuedto maintain the quality of the In Vitro Report. Newarticles are submitted in a timely fashion and theabstracts provide the general membership with themost up to date information about the research oftheir colleagues. (Submitted by Kim Rayford, Edi-tor-in-Chief, In Vitro Report)

Michael Horn, Chair, Publications [email protected]

Wallace L. McKeehan, Editor-in-Chief,In Vitro – Animal

w [email protected]

Gregory C. Phillips, Editor-in-Chief, In Vitro – [email protected]

Eng Chong Pua, Editor-in-Chief for the IAPTC&B,In Vitro – Plant

[email protected]

Kimberly Rayford, Editor-in-Chief, In Vitro [email protected]

Michele G. Schultz, SIVB Publications [email protected]

Public Policy The Public Policy Committee is a standing

committee of the Society and is designed to aidits members and the general public to obtain amore informed understanding of in vitro biologyand its research process and progress. The Com-mittee is charged to aid the Board of the SIVB intheir dealings with members of Congress and othergovernmental officials for the purpose of givingadvice on funding priorities and other relevantmatters. With the assistance of other associationsthe Public Policy Committee’s goal is to activelyeducate its members about current issues affect-ing the scientific community and society as awhole. To assist the Society in this mission it iscurrently a member of the following associationsthat work with legislators to effect national and in-ternational scientific policy: AIBS, American Insti-tute of Biological Sciences provides a variety ofpubic policy services for their members and thebiological community at large; CAST, Council forAgricultural Science and Technology assemblesand communicates science-based information re-gionally, nationally, and internationally on fiber,food, natural and agricultural resources and envi-ronmental issues to its members including legis-lators, media, regulators, policy makers, privatesector, and the general public; AAAS, AmericaAssociation for the Advancement of Science ex-amines science-related questions of concern toworld citizens and their governments, including hu-man rights and ecosystem protection, federalspending, ethics, and equity; IFER, InternationalFoundation for Ethical Research is a non-profitgroup that is dedicated to finding non-animal al-ternatives for scientific research.

This year in order to inform the SIVB mem-bership about the policy positions of the 2004Presidential candidates, we provided links on theSIVB home page to their science policies as docu-mented by AAAS.

Pamela Weathers, Chair

[email protected]

June [email protected]

Todd J. Jones

[email protected]

The ATCC Cell Biology Collection has dis-tributed over 67,000 units during 2004 and hasreplenished over 600 Working Cell Banks (WCBs)prepared from animal and hybridoma cell lines.During this period the personnel in the Cell Biol-ogy Collection has acquired, expanded, authenti-cated, characterized, and cryopreserved an addi-tional 85 new items.

Most recently the ATCC has developed apartnership with Geron Corporation. Through thisunique partnership we are able to link ATCC’s ca-pabilities in cell culture characterization and au-thentication with the preferred method of cell im-mortalization – hTERT. This technology allows forthe immortalization of cell lines capable of ex-tended proliferative capacity, stable genotype, andphenotype similar to the parental cells. Includedamong these immortalized products are CRL-4000

(BJ-5a), foreskin fibroblast and CRL-4001 (hTERTRPE-1), retinal pigmented epithelium cell lines.

In addition to the diverse holdings within theCell Biology General Collection, the Stem CellCenter holdings range from embryonic stem cells(ESCs) to adult stem cells representing variousspecies including mouse, zebrafish, and human.Extensive authentication and characterization areperformed on these cells, including the ability ofthe ESCs to demonstrate germline competencyand to form embroid bodies that contain the threegerminal layers (endoderm, mesoderm and ecto-derm). In addition, maintenance of telomeraseactivity and expression of various undifferentiatedmarkers, such as alkaline phosphatase, Oct 3 /4and SSEA-3, are assessed.

Yvonne A. Reid, Collection [email protected]

American Type Culture Collection

Attendees enjoyed a tasty dinner while viewing the sights ofthe bay on the San Francisco Bay Cruise.

Alcatraz was one of the attractions from the San Francisco Bay Cruise

Representatives of the SIVB


-14-

International Association for Plant TissueCulture and Biotechnology

In 2004, the International Association for Plant Tissue Culture & Bio-technology (IAPTC&B) organized a national plant micropropagation con-ference themed: “Micropropagation – Technology and Production.” Themeeting was held on May 4-5, in Orlando, Florida at Leu Gardens. Thespeakers for the conference were a combination of commercial and aca-demic authorities in Plant Tissue Culture. The speakers included Dr. PaulRead of the University of Nebraska, Dr. John Preece of Southern IllinoisUniversity, Mr. Ray Gillis of Agristarts, Dr. Ken Torres of PhytotechnologyLabs, Mr. Kent Kratz of Casa Flora, Dr. Mark Bridgen of Cornell Univer-sity, Mr. Gary Hennen of Oglesby, Dr. Jerzy Nowak from VPI, and Dr.Randy Niedz of the US Horticultural Research Lab. On the second day ofthe conference, participants toured Leu Gardens several of the local com-mercial tissue culture laboratories including AgriStarts, the University ofFlorida tissue culture lab in Apopka, and Casa Flora. The IAPTC&B thanksDr. Randy Niedz of the US Horticultural Research Laboratory in Ft. Peirce,FL for serving as the local site committee chair for the 2004 meeting.

The next World Congress of the IAPTC&B will be held in Beijing,China from August 13–18, 2006. The theme of the Congress is: “Bio-technology and Sustainable Agriculture 2006 and Beyond”. Scientific pro-grams of the IAPTC&B Congress will cover various aspects of plant tis-sue culture and biotechnology. It includes current advances in plant tis-sue culture, plant molecular biology and biotechnology, impact of plantbiotechnology on agriculture, industry and environment, intellectual prop-erty in biotechnology, biosafety and public acceptance of genetically modi-fied plants, biotechnology related bioinformatics and other related fields.Thewebsite, http://www.genetics.ac.cn./IAPTCB, has registration and travel inf or-mation. Travel fellowships will be awarded from the US branch of theIAPTC&B for members going to the World Congress.

At the August 2006 Congress of the IAPTC&B in China, a new U.S.national correspondent will be appointed for 4 years. We are beginningthe process of searching for an individual to serve in this capacity.

Questions about membership in the IAPTC&B can be addressed tome at [email protected].

Mark Bridgen, IAPTC&B US [email protected]

Secretary Nancy Reichert (center) catches up with formerboard members Ray Shillito and Mary Ann Lila .

Treasurer Richard Heller and Past Secretary BarbaraReed enjoying themselves at the opening reception.

TREASURER'S SUMMARY REPORT

2004 2003

Current assets:Cash $ 77,046.00 $ 114,057.00 Accounts receivable 55,730.00 47,383.00 Prepaid expenses 21,819.00 27,073.00

Total current assets 154,595.00 188,513.00

Noncurrent assets:Furniture and equipment, net - 7,252.00 Investments 90,526.00 137,672.00 Inventories 838.00 1,240.00

Total noncurrent assets 91,364.00 146,164.00

Other assets:Deposit 1,303.00 1,303.00

TOTAL ASSETS 247,262.00 335,980.00

Current liabilities:Accounts payable $ 68,294.00 $ 61,078.00 Deferred dues and subscriptions 167,455.00 185,069.00

Total current liabilities 235,749.00 246,147.00

Long-term liabilities:Deferred dues and subscriptions 3,691.00 4,314.00

Total long-term liabilities 3,691.00 4,314.00

Total liabilities 239,440.00 250,461.00

Net assets 7,822.00 85,519.00

Total Liabilities and Net Assets 247,262.00 335,980.00

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

SOCIETY FOR IN VITRO BIOLOGYSTATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION

DECEMBER 31, 2004 AND 2003

ASSETS

TREASURER'S SUMMARY REPORT

2004 2003

Revenue:Subscription and other publication income $ 186,631.00 $ 200,198.00 Annual meeting income 196,536.00 130,394.00 Dues 118,011.00 103,596.00 Interest income 5,345.00 4,029.00 Contributions-plant 24,750.00 35,500.00 Contributions-toxicology 14,706.00 1,100.00 Contributions-other 7,919.00 27,515.00 Management Fee (IAPTC&B) - 623.00 Miscellaneous income 29,766.00 20,743.00

Total revenue 583,664.00 523,698.00

Expenses:Program services

Publications 155,420.00 225,455.00 Annual meeting expenses 289,715.00 221,530.00

Total program services 445,135.00 446,985.00

Supporting servicesAdministration 213,703.00 167,368.00

Total expenses 658,838.00 614,353.00

Change in net assets before unrealized gain/(loss) on investments (75,174.00) (90,655.00)

Unrealized gain/(loss) in fair value ofinvestments (2,523.00) 853.00

Change in Net Assets (77,697.00) (89,802.00)

Net Assets, beginning of year 85,519.00 175,321.00

Net Assets, end of year $ 7,822.00 $ 85,519.00

SOCIETY FOR IN VITRO BIOLOGY

STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIESFOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2004 AND 2003

Documents

Annual Report 2004 - SIVB Home