2007, Volume XI, Issue 1NEWS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF MYCOTOXICOLOGYParticipants in last year’s MYCO-GLOBE Conference in Bari, Italy, joined the provisional executive committee of the International Society for Mycotoxicology (ISM) at the organization’s first general meeting on September 27, 2006. ISM president Dr. Angelo Visconti opened the meeting with a detailed summary of the ISM’s constitution, followed by a review of the past year’s major achievements. The society furthered its aim of stimulating international cooperation and information exchange between scientists through its active promotion of two significant MYCO-GLOBE events: the September 2006 MYCO-GLOBE Conference—Advances in Genomics, Biodiversity, and Rapid Systems for Detection of Toxigenic Fungi and Mycotoxins—and the follow-up workshop, Detection Techniques for Mycotoxins and Toxigenic Fungi in the Food Chain. Funding from MYCO-GLOBE enabled ten students and young scientists from developing countries who attended the workshop to gain hands-on experience in testing for mycotoxins and toxigenic fungi using traditional methods as well as the latest molecular and immunological techniques. ISM also supported the June 2006 Fusarium workshop in Bari, Italy. Organized to advance one of the strategic goals of the ISM, the workshop introduced participants to the latest morphological and molecular data on various Fusarium species and equipped them with advanced DNA-profiling skills for monitoring and controlling pathogenic strains of this genetically diverse genus. Dr .Visconti also encouraged attendees to identify potential sponsors for continued development of the new ISM website (http://www.mycotox-society.org) and to suggest future activities for the society. Members reached agreement on the following goals: Elections: Voting should take place when membership reaches 200—hopefully in 2007. To retain current members, the society will extend coverage from payment of 2006 dues to 2007. An electronic voting system should be setup for the elections. Second ISM Meeting: Agenda items for the ISM meeting at the 2007 IUPAC Symposium should include plans for the ISM’s First International Conference in 2009. Training Courses: A proposed series of biyearly courses on the detection of mycotoxins and toxigenic fungi may begin with a workshop on validation and standardization of methods. Linkages with Other Organizations: ISM should develop relationships with other mycotoxicology groups to raise its public profile and attract new members. Member Benefits: Airmail copies of The Mycotoxicology Newsletter; preferential rate of 75 euros for an online subscription to Food Additives and Contaminants (including a special 2007 issue on the MYCO-GLOBE Conference); and a 10 percent discount on fungal strains from the CNR Institute of Sciences of Food Production’s ITEM microbial collection available at the ISPA-CNR website: (http://www.ispa.cnr.it). Members of the MYCO-GLOBE steering committee established the society as a nonprofit association on November 7, 2005, to promote collaborative research on mycotoxins and toxigenic fungi. Information on important advances in these fields is shared among society members through meetings and networking opportunities, educational outreach, and scientific publications. Since its formal launching at the 2005 World Mycotoxin Forum, the society has gained 130 members, representing 39 countries. For more information on the ISM, visit its website: http://www.mycotox-society.org |